2016-03-20 - VEGAS INC - Las Vegas

v e g a s i n c . c o m | m a R c H 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

By Julie Ann Formoso | STAFF WRITER

The women chatter about weddings over cups of coffee and a box of bagels. They squeal each time someone comes up with an exciting idea they can get behind, like eager moms determined to map out ceremonial details for their engaged

children. ¶ But there’s no bride-to-be in the room to fuss over, no fiance to gush about and no wedding date for weddings, Continued on pAge 13

20%Share of Americans

65 or older who

were employed in

2015, up 12 percent

from a decade ago.

100,000Jobs that have been eliminated

over the past two years in the

U.S. oil and gas industry. Globally,

employers have laid off more than

265,000 oil workers since prices

started to drop in 2014.

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Industry pros join forces to try to restore Las Vegas’ place atop the destination wish list

05 08 16Q&A WITH AMY HUNTERA partner at the human re-sources fi rm the Simmons Group talks about her pas-sion for mentoring young people, the shift from an employer-hiring market to an employee-focused mar-ket, and her admiration of Ellen DeGeneres.

THE NOTESPeople on the move, P4

MEET: ROSALLIE LE FRENCH CAFÉJonathan Pluvinet, who came to Nevada for college, has carved out a slice of his native France in Las Vegas. He named his café after the one his parents run and is dedicated to providing an authentic French experi-ence for his customers.

TALKING POINTSFor light rail to work, we must work together, P9

DATA AND PUBLIC INFORMATIONA listing of local bank-ruptcies, bid opportuni-ties, brokered transac-tions, business licenses and building permits.

MORE VEGAS INC BUSINESS NEWSCalendar: Happenings and events, P15

The List: Largest private employers, P19

NOTEWORTHY STORIES

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 11Vegas Inc (USPS publication no. 15540), 2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074 is published every Sunday except the first Sunday of the year by Greenspun Media Group. Periodicals Postage Paid at Henderson, NV and at additional mailing offices.

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GROUP PUBLISHER Gordon ProutyASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Breen Nolan

EDITORIALEDITOR Delen Goldberg ([email protected]) MANAGING EDITOR Dave Mondt ([email protected])ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR/SPORTS AND DIGITAL Ray Brewer ([email protected])STAFF WRITERS Kailyn Brown, Julie Ann Formoso, Chris Kudialis, Megan Messerly, J.D. Morris, Daniel Rothberg, Cy Ryan, Eli Segall, Ricardo Torres-Cortez, Jackie Valley, Ian Whitaker COPY DESK CHIEF John TaylorCOPY EDITORS Jamie Gentner, Brian Sandford SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS EDITOR Craig Peterson EDITORIAL CARTOONIST Mike Smith LIBRARY SERVICES SPECIALIST Rebecca Clifford-Cruz RESEARCHER Julie Ann FormosoOFFICE COORDINATOR Nadine Guy

ARTASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Liz Brown ([email protected])DESIGNER LeeAnn EliasPHOTO COORDINATOR Mikayla Whitmore PHOTOGRAPHERS L.E. Baskow, Christopher DeVargas, Steve Marcus

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PRODUCTIONVICE PRESIDENT OF MANUFACTURING Maria Blondeaux ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Paul Huntsberry PRODUCTION MANAGER Blue Uyeda PRODUCTION ARTIST Marissa Maheras, Dara Ricci ART DIRECTOR Sean Rademacher GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Michele Hamrick, Dany Haniff TRAFFIC SUPERVISOR Estee Wright TRAFFIC COORDINATORS Kim Smith, Meagan Hodson

CIRCULATIONDIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Ron GannonROUTE MANAGER Joel Segler

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUPCEO, PUBLISHER & EDITOR Brian GreenspunCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Robert CauthornEXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom GormanMANAGING EDITOR Ric AndersonCREATIVE DIRECTOR Erik Stein

WHEN IT COMES TO REAL ESTATE, THE STRIP IS STILL ITS OWN WORLD

Las Vegas real estate is divided into two

worlds: the Strip and everything else.

It’s far more expensive to buy or rent in

the famed resort corridor . Investor Lorne

Polger knows this .

His company, Pathfi nder Partners,

last month paid $7.7 million for 39 units

at Park House, a three-story, upscale

condo complex on Flamingo Road in

the southwest valley. By comparison, in

September , Pathfi nder Partners bought 64

units at Sky Las Vegas, a 45-story north

Strip condo tower, for about $18.1 million.

Polger’s group paid about $282,800 per

unit at Sky. In the suburbs, Polger paid about

$197,500 per unit — 30 percent cheaper.

(Another example of the cost of a prime location: Drugstore chains Walgreens and CVS pay about $2 million a year to rent space in the casino corridor, versus about $300,000 in a typical residential area.)

Still, Polger’s investments have at least one factor in common: Both were boom-era projects that faced problems when the economy tanked. Sky’s developers sold about 300 units in 2007 but an average of just three per year from 2008 through 2014. Park House was partially built then abandoned by previous owners , seized through foreclosure , then sold to investors, who fi nished construction.

— ELI SEGALL

(COURTESY)

Units at Park House, an upscale condo complex on Flamingo Road, recently sold for less than $200,000 each as part of a $7.7 million deal — 30 percent cheaper than condos at Sky Las Vegas on the Strip.

CONTENTSVEGAS INC2

MARCH 20 -26

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VEGAS INC4

march 20 -26

Several medical profession-als joined southwest Medical Associates. Dr. Brent Devera specializes in primary care, teresa Praus is an advanced practice registered nurse spe-cializing in urgent care and eric haralson is a certified physician assistant specializing in primary care at the Nellis Health Cen-ter, 540 N. Nellis Blvd., Las Vegas. Dr. Giri-sha Kaur specializes in primary care, Janice Aguinaldo is an advanced practice registered nurse special-izing in primary care, Aaron Bellow is an advanced practice registered nurse specializing in urgent care, and Marcus Pace is a certified physician as-sistant specializing in urgent care at the Eastern Health Center, 4475 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas. Dr. Anthony Welch is a hospitalist. Dr. Darlicia Alexander specializes in anesthesia at Southwest Medical’s Surgery Center, 2450 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, and Greg Peistrup is an advanced prac-tice registered nurse specializing in urgent care and convenient care at the Durango Health Center, 7150 S. Durango Drive, Las Vegas.

Casey eade is a public relations and social media specialist, and Gina traficant is an account execu-tive at Forté PR.

Members of the Las Vegas hospitality Associa-tion’s 2016 board of directors are Chairman of the Board Cyndi Martin, Freeman; President Jamie Malloy, Wynn Las Vegas and encore; President-elect Michelle sharples, Base entertainment; Vice President of Meetings shannon trujillo, PsAV; Vice President of Membership Kathy Dyke, By Dzign; Secretary Lauren Bauer, shepard exposition ser-vices; Treasurer Bryan Kroten, Maverick Aviation Group; and Parliamentarian Mary thomas, MKt Consultants. Directors include e.J. Cutliff, MGM Resorts International; Kristina Ghiloni, hello! Las Vegas Destination Management; Mallory Ma-ciuszek, Cort event Furnishings; Kelly Messina, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; stacey Purcell, Caesars entertainment; and erin Ward, Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas. Assistants to the board include Mindi Cherry, Convexx; Don-ald Contursi, Lip smacking Foodie tours; Jes-sica Juadines, Blue Man Group; Larry Peterson, Cosmopolitan; Jason Vince, totally Mod event Furnishings; and Kassi Weist, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore.

Bernadette Mashas is a partner at Fair, Anderson and Langerman, an accounting firm.

Amanda Franchi is branch manager at Berkshire hatha-way homeservices nevada Properties’ West Sahara office, 7475 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 100, Las Vegas.

Jasmina “Mina” Djurka is event coordinator at Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar.

Larry Piparo is director of accounting firm stewart Ar-chibald & Barney.

Linda Montgomery, president of the Learning Center, was ap-pointed to the national Initia-tive for Cybersecurity educa-tion Working Group’s training and certifications program.

Mike Korzen, a strategic marketing executive at Capstone Risk Management Insurance, is a mem-ber of the Million Dollar Club.

elaina Mulé is vice president of collective impact and social innovation at United Way of southern nevada. Angel Williams is vice president of donor engagement.

Allison Raskansky is executive vice president of business development, Darren strahl is executive

vice president of operations and Gina Mann is vice president of groups and events at speedVegas. Pavy Mueller is director of global sales and Grant Blakeman is director of regional sales.

Dr. nicole Flora is a medical operations director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue shield.

Chris evans is vice president of media at R&R Partners. Ronaldo Jardim is interactive creative director.

Jersey Mike’s subs opened at 2101 N. Rainbow Blvd., Las Ve-gas. It’s the chain’s eighth Southern Nevada location.

John’s Incredible Pizza Company opened at Boule-vard Mall.

Williams Gold & silver, which provides refining services, opened at 3638 E. Sunset Road, Suite 100, Las Vegas.

henderson ranked No. 7 on U-haul International’s list of Top 10 U.S. Growth Cities of 2015.

Loco Cantina opened at Town Square.

Las Vegas and members of the Las Vegas Medical District launched lasvegasmedicaldistrict.com.

Red Rock Fertility moved its main office to 9120 W. Russell Road, Las Vegas. The 12,000-square-foot facility includes two operative suites.

the+source, a medical marijuana dispensary, opened at 2550 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 8, Las Vegas.

neck and Back Clinics opened its eighth Southern Nevada location, at 3820 W. Ann Road, Suite 130, North Las Vegas.

sutton Watkins Advertising & Marketing is the agency of record for Dynamic Minds Consulting Inc., a hospitality technology consulting and profes-sional services firm.

All local Matt smith Physical therapy locations now are known as AtI Physical therapy locations.

The Ronald Reagan Memory support suites opened at Las Ventanas at summerlin. The suites will be staffed around the clock and will be home to people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

The Valley electric Association received the Pah-rump Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Cornerstone award, given to businesses that are an integral part of the community.

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the interviewSend your business-related information to [email protected]

VEGAS INC5

march 20 -26

How did you become involved with mentoring children?

I became a mentor in Ohio and had a wonderful experience. When I moved to Las Vegas, I met Lindsay Harper, chief inspiration officer at Core Acad-emy, an after-school program that works to educate, enrich and empower young people, and I fell in love with the model and the students. I wanted to continue to inspire youths in my new community.

How much time do you devote to mentoring?

I have been formally mentoring my current mentee for three years, and I spend about 12 to 16 hours a month with her. My husband and I also infor-mally mentor a small group of students, and we do something with them almost every month, whether that is having them over to the house for dinner or a pool party, or taking them somewhere fun.

What’s the most rewarding as-pect of mentoring?

Having the opportunity to see young people grow and learn; it gives me hope for future generations. Spending time simply being available, being another set of ears to listen, another set of arms to hug and a voice to be held account-able to is reward enough for me.

If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?

The preconceived notion that Las Vegas is just about flashy lights, party-ing hard from dusk to dawn and a being place where it’s OK to put the rest of the world on pause when you step off that plane for an unconventional and over-the-top weekend.

I often find myself politely explain-ing to people I meet — on an airplane, at a conference or presenting at a speak-ing engagement — what it’s really like to live in Las Vegas. The flashy lights, the showgirls, the hottest DJs and dance clubs certainly add to the excite-ment around us. However, they repre-sent only a small sliver of what makes this community remarkable.

What’s the biggest issue facing

Southern Nevada?The economy is rebounding. The

market is getting more competitive, and great talent is no longer as readily available to employers.

The candidate pool is shifting from an employer-hiring market to an em-ployee-focused market. In the down years, the candidate pool and number of highly-qualified people may have meant 10 final candidates interviewed and tough employer decisions because there were so many great options. Now, candidates have more options.

What qualities are most essen-tial in a good employee?

What makes a good employee is a good fit — culture, skill, personality and team dynamics. People work for people, not companies.

What makes a team-building ex-ercise successful?

It’s most important to identify where the team is and what it is struggling with, to break that barrier. Trust, vul-nerability and suspending judgments are essential foundational character-istics of teams that work well together. A successful team-building process is inclusive of everyone, is fun, reaches team members at their level while stretching them outside of their com-fort zone, and most importantly, in-

cludes a discussion at the end about what people have learned and how they will use the information to improve.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to advance in an organization?

Be certain you understand your “why” and the organization’s “why.” If you haven’t seen Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” TedTalk, check it out. Be open to learning about yourself, then doing something about what you learn.

What do you do after work?Spend time with my husband and

close friends. We love supporting local programs in the community. We also never fall short in supporting UNLV athletics. We’ve been season ticket holders for the eight years we’ve lived here, and my guess is we’ll be that cute old couple in our 80s on the kiss cam.

Describe your management style. Management style is always an inter-

esting topic of discussion in my line of business. I do my best to approach each person with a win-win outcome. My intent in managing people is to get the job done, learn and have fun. This ap-proach has guided me in helping people succeed with us and in their personal lives. It’s important to engage people from their comfort zones and know

what their preferences are and how best they receive information. Once trust is built, you can help guide them to step out of their comfort zone to see other possibilities.

If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

Santorini, Greece. It is the most beautiful place I have seen. My hus-band and our best friends spent time there in 2010. The sunrises, the sun-sets, the crystal clear water and the re-laxed way of living are refreshing and freeing.

Whom do you admire?Ellen DeGeneres, because she is cou-

rageous and bold. She has such a pow-erful message and has fun while deliv-ering it. She has a way of getting people not just to hear her message — “be kind to one another” — but also to feel it. She’s proud to be herself and share that in the hopes that others will step out-side their comfort zones.

What is your biggest pet peeve?Being late. Over the years, I’ve had

to curb my annoyance when I am late or someone I’m meeting is late. I’ve al-ways believed if you’re early, you’re on time, and if you’re on time, you’re late. I have found ways to be productive and see those gaps as an opportunity to get little things done on my “to do” list.

Where do you like to go for busi-ness lunches?

Food is certainly my favorite four-letter f-word, so that’s a tricky ques-tion. My top five “lunch-type” places are Carson Kitchen, Heidi’s Deli, Pan-evino, Grimaldi’s and Parsley Modern Mediterranean Grill. Get me talking about food, and I just might talk your ear to the next meal.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My strong introverted preferenc-es. In a social group setting, I rarely jump in on conversation without first gauging my surroundings. The conse-quence of this is that I’m sure people whom I could have learned from have walked in and right back out of my life.

Q&A with Amy hunter

‘Simply being available’ is a mentor’s first priority

Amy Hunter, a partner at the Simmons Group, spends 12 to 16 hours a month with

her mentee, in addition to informally mentoring a group of students with her

husband. (STEVE MARCUS/STAff)

Amy Hunter is a partner at the Simmons Group, a human resources and talent management firm. She moved to Las Vegas from Ohio, where she was an active participant in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. In Southern Nevada, she has maintained her passion for mentoring young people by working with the nonprofit Core Academy.

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City National Business Banking

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by the numbers

$115Price of a bottle of fresh air an English couple is selling to people in China, where pollution is rampant. Mela-

nie and Francesca De Watts “harvest” fresh air from the English countryside, then

bottle and ship it.

$38 billionEstimated value of the

mobile order-ahead indus-try by 2020, according to a Business Insider study. Because more customers are using technology to

order food and beverages, an increasing number of

fast food chains are making orders available through

mobile apps.

118Number of Wahlburgers

restaurants brothers Donnie and Mark Wahlberg plan to open in the next decade. The Boston-based burger chain has seven locations.

The family planned to open a Wahlburgers on the Strip, but little progress has been made. Banners promise the restaurant is “coming soon.”

200People Facebook plans

to hire at its international headquarters in Ireland, where the social media

company already has 1,300 employees.

$62.2 billionAmount U.S. banks spent

on technology in 2015. Bank operators hope to use tech-nology to increase profit in light of stricter regulations.

6,000Number of jobs Jes Staley eliminated during his first 100 days as head of Bar-

clays PLC. The CEO pulled the investment bank from Africa, Brazil and seven

countries in Asia. Staley has moved to simplify Barclays after the bank saw about $28 billion of profit wiped

out by misconduct charges.

$3.9 trillionCombined wealth of the top 400 billionaires in the world, according to the Bloomberg

Billionaires Index.

Describe your business.

Rosallie Le French Café offers guests a casual, yet authentic French coffeehouse experience, serving a variety of coffees and teas as well as French bread, pastries, sandwiches and salads in a rustic, relaxed at-mosphere. Our menu and setting pay homage to a restaurant of the same name in France that my par-ents opened 30 years ago. I’ve been working in this industry since I learned how to walk.

Our pastries are baked daily on site with real French but-ter and flour. Our bread for sandwiches is homemade, and our coffee beans are sourced from high-quality purveyors to give guests a full European café experience.

The café also features an intimate library space that in-vites guests to work or socialize. So at any given time, you’ll see guests cozying up to a good book on our couches or a business group discussing ideas over coffee in our confer-ence room.

Who are your customers? We see families, students and business professionals of all

ages. We see ladies who lunch, first dates, foodies and coffee enthusiasts. I often hear guests who have traveled to France say that Rosallie mirrors the experiences they’ve had when they were abroad — it’s one of the highest compliments.

How do you compete with chain coffeehouses?

We are near a couple of major coffeehouse chains, but we’re not intimidated because we have something unique and authentic to offer.

We don’t just want you in and out; we want you to stay and really experience a French café. But certainly, if you need something on the go, we are happy to accommodate that as well with the same level of service.

We also don’t just offer coffee. We offer breakfast, lunch and brunch options along with coffee and tea. The menu is updated often.

What brought you to Las Vegas?

After I graduated from UNR, I wanted to continue living in the United States. I enjoyed the peo-ple and the quality of life, so after

graduation, I secured a position as a retail manager in Las Vegas. While working retail, I honed my customer-service skills and continued to work toward my dream of starting my own business. It took me longer than I expected, as I was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, I underwent treatment, beat it, then my son was born and shortly after, we found a location and opened the doors to Rosallie.

How does operating a restaurant in France compare

with operating one in Las Vegas?

It’s challenging to open a business in France. Navigat-ing the administrative process can be complicated, and it’s harder for new businesses to secure financing. In Las Vegas, I found the process to be a lot easier to navigate. However, as Las Vegas now is a top culinary destination, there is more competition in the food and beverage sector.

What’s the most important part of your job?

Interacting with guests and getting to know them on a personal level. It fosters relationships, promotes a sense of community and provides a comfortable atmosphere.

What obstacles has your business overcome?

Perception. Often people view French food as very for-mal, uptight or not affordable. We’ve been able to show people that French can be casual, approachable and at-tainable.

A little slice of France in Las VegasJonathan Pluvinet owns Rosallie Le French Café. He laid the brick counter himself, and the lantern to his left was his

grandfather’s. (L.E. Baskow/staFF)

rosallie le French caFeAddress: 6090 S. Rainbow Blvd.,

Las VegasPhone: 702-998-4121

Email: [email protected]: rosallie.com

Hours of operation: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. dailyOwned/operated by: Jonathan Pluvinet

In business since: August 2015

VEGAS INC8

march 20 -26get to know a local businesssend your business-related information to [email protected]

Smith’S world

Mike Smith is an award-winning editorial cartoonist who also draws for the Las

Vegas Sun. His work is distributed nationally by King Features Syndicate. See

archives of his work at lasvegassun.com/smithsworld.

reader commentSWe want to hear

from you. Visit

vegasinc.com to

post your opinion.

on megan mes-

serly’s lasvegassun.

com story “Pay

freeze: what became

of the push to raise

nevada’s minimum

wage”:

Leave the minimum

wage alone. This

would only result in

fewer jobs. — NV-

Fisherman

Our workforce is

diluted by illegal im-

migrants. Then we

have the issue of a

lazy generation of

youths who are not

willing to put down

their phones and

games long enough

to pick up a shovel or

spatula. — Chunky-

FlyRight

on daniel roth-

berg’s vegasinc.com

story “meltdown:

what happened

when a las Vegas

solar company fell

apart”:

This is what happens

when there is no

oversight of business-

es to protect custom-

ers. — Homer W

Do not pay a con-

tractor in advance

for work. Either pay

them upon comple-

tion or pay them in

increments along the

way. — itsumo

on J.d. morris’

lasvegassun.com

story “las Vegas

looks to denver for

transit example but

faces unique chal-

lenges”:

Having lived in Den-

ver and witnessed

the buildout of light

rail, I can say that if

it’s planned correctly,

it will be a great as-

set. — Harleyman

For light rail to work, we must work together

A s the Southern Nevada economy continues to grow and diversify, our community is confronted with questions

regarding the infrastructure investments we must make to support such economic development.

As a part of this process, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has been conducting an audit of peer cities, including Phoenix and Salt Lake City, that have invested in transportation projects as an engine for growth.

On March 7 and 8, RTC officials continued this exploratory process by partnering with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to host nearly 50 community leaders and decision-makers in Denver. The Nevada delegation took a closer look at how Denver’s light rail and mass transit systems were conceived, funded and built — and how they now are setting records in the Mountain West. The trip included tours and panel discussions about how funding can be procured through public and private sources and what economic development results from investing in a city’s transportation infrastructure.

One takeaway from every panel was that if Nevada wants an effective transportation plan for Southern Nevada, we must work together.

Collaboration starts by listening to the community. As Denver officials sought to invest in the development of

historic Union Station, transforming it from an outpost for Amtrak into a vibrant community meeting place, boutique hotel and multimodal transportation center, they started by hosting community meetings. The conversations were crucial catalysts to ensuring that all of Denver

was included in making the decision to invest in light rail and commuter rail infrastructure.

Collaboration is an expectation when it comes to funding, both private and public. In the shifting federal environment, decisions about which large-scale transportation projects to fund increasingly hinge on common vision.

The same holds true for private investment. Chad McWhinney, a Denver-based real estate developer, discussed his company’s decision to invest in the redevelopment of Union Station. “The synergy, energy and alignment from the public and private sectors were very compelling,” McWhinney said, adding that he decided to join the partnership as a private investor. the day the opportunity was presented

Collaboration from the public and private sectors will be necessary to make new transportation infrastructure a reality in Southern Nevada. We look forward to seeing how leaders and stakeholders here move forward.

Rebecca Miltenberger is a shareholder, Alisa Nave-Worth is senior policy adviser and counsel, and Kandis McClure is policy advisory at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

guest column: Rebecca miltenbeRgeR,

alisa nave-WoRth and Kandis mccluRe

VEGAS INC9

march 20 -26talking PointS

Send your business-related information to [email protected]

By daniel rothBergStaff Writer

A Las Vegas homeowner is out more than $18,000. A company claims it is owed more than $700,000. A $20,644 lien is slapped on the home of an in-surance agent. The list of claims stretches into the hundreds.

So goes the fallout in the saga of a Las Vegas-based solar company that declared bankruptcy recently after becoming the subject of the biggest investigatory case the Nevada State Contractors Board has handled.

Summerlin Energy Las Vegas LLC filed for bankruptcy last month after nearly quadrupling its revenue last year. It claimed about $680,000 in total property and more than $4 mil-lion in liabilities. The small solar in-stallation business, which went into 2015 looking to expand its operations, started 2016 facing a lawsuit from a supplier, complaints from customers anxious that they might have to pay

twice for solar panels, and investiga-tions from contractors boards in Cali-fornia and Nevada. The issues came after Thanksgiving, when the busi-ness faced the fatal shooting of a com-pany leader. Through February, Sum-merlin Energy was missing payments to its suppliers and at the end of the month, filed to liquidate through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding.

A compAny crumblesIn the weeks before Summerlin

Energy filed for bankruptcy, the Ne-vada State Contractors Board, which licenses and disciplines contractors, had received nearly 100 complaints from Summerlin Energy customers.Some said they were charged twice for services or that they paid for work that was either abandoned or only partially performed. On Feb. 3, the board suspended the company’s li-cense to operate in Nevada. It is inves-tigating the consumer complaints and

will conduct a hearing on the issue at the end of this month.

“This is the largest investigative case the board has handled in its his-tory,” said Jennifer Lewis, a spokes-woman for the board, which has ex-isted since the 1940s.

The contractors board in Califor-nia, one of the states where Sum-merlin Energy had operated, also has opened an investigation into the com-pany. In addition, a similar agency in Arizona has reported at least one complaint against Summerlin Energy.

A lawyer for the company did not respond to multiple requests for com-ment, and it is unclear what led to the company’s bankruptcy.

On Thanksgiving, Henry Bankey, who claimed to serve as CEO for Sum-merlin Energy, was fatally shot after a dispute with his ex-wife. From that time through February, Summerlin Energy missed several payments to at least two subcontractors, Clark Coun-

ty records show.By the time the company filed for

bankruptcy, it reported $678,596 in total property — $2,112 in checking accounts and $676,484 in accounts receivable — and owed $4,215,560 to creditors including customers, work-ers and vendors who sold solar panels and parts. Its parent company, Sum-merlin Energy LLC, which also filed for bankruptcy, had about $100,000 in total property and more than $1 mil-lion in liabilities.

“I’m not sure there will be any as-sets for unsecured creditors in this case,” said Lenard E. Schwartzer, the court-appointed trustee.

customers chArged twiceCaught in the middle were cus-

tomers such as Dr. Vadim Levitin, a retiree who said he deposited about $18,000 with Summerlin Energy to

What happened when a solar company fell apart

meltdown,

Continued on page 11

your Business-to-Business newsSend your business-related information to [email protected]

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ty records show.By the time the company filed for

bankruptcy, it reported $678,596 in total property — $2,112 in checking accounts and $676,484 in accounts receivable — and owed $4,215,560 to creditors including customers, work-ers and vendors who sold solar panels and parts. Its parent company, Sum-merlin Energy LLC, which also filed for bankruptcy, had about $100,000 in total property and more than $1 mil-lion in liabilities.

“I’m not sure there will be any as-sets for unsecured creditors in this case,” said Lenard E. Schwartzer, the court-appointed trustee.

Caught in the middle were cus-tomers such as Dr. Vadim Levitin, a retiree who said he deposited about $18,000 with Summerlin Energy to

What happened when a solar company fell apart install rooftop solar on his home. The company came to inspect his roof in November, he said, and that was the last contact he had.

“Something went wrong. Something bad happened,” he said. “I’m pessi-mistic about my ability to recover the money.”

Summerlin Energy, in its bankrupt-cy filing, lists about 300 customers among its creditors.

Other homeowners, such as Troy Fletcher, were hit with liens, despite having paid for their solar panels in full. Fletcher, an insurance broker, re-called having paid about $47,000 for his system, installed by Summerlin Energy.

Then Summerlin Energy failed to pay a subcontractor for work on Fletcher’s home, and the subcontrac-tor placed a $20,644 lien on his prop-erty. Fletcher does not recall being told the company worked with suppliers.

“It’s just mind-boggling,” he said. “What am I supposed to do, take out a loan to pay off something that I already paid for?”

The subcontractor was Sun Valley Electric Supply Co., which claims to have sold more than $700,000 in so-lar panels and materials to Summer-lin Energy. Taking a huge hit because of Summerlin Energy’s defaults, Sun Valley Electric began placing liens on customers’ homes, a statutory right of subcontractors.

Simply put, the customer paid the contractor for the materials the sub-contractor provided: solar panels. Despite receiving the funds from the customer, the contractor did not pay the subcontractor for the panels. To recoup its losses, the subcontractor was legally entitled to put liens on the customer’s property. This placed the customer in the position of potentially having to pay twice: once to the con-tractor for the panels and again to the subcontractor for the lien.

“Because of Summerlin Energy’s business decision, those companies have not been paid, which has had a trickle-down effect to homeowners who are getting liens on their houses,” Lewis said.

Clark County records show that Sun Valley Electric put about 100 liens on homes, ranging from about $1,000 to over $20,000, because Summerlin En-ergy had missed payments for services. Soligent, a Summerlin Energy sup-plier based in California, has issued about 60 liens. Some customers were assessed liens on their property from both Sun Valley Electric and Soligent, records show. According to its bank-

ruptcy filing, Summerlin Energy owes at least two other suppliers in excess of $300,000 each. It owes Soligent about $500,000, the filing says.

Sun Valley Electric, which claims it is owed $725,180, is suing Summerlin Energy in hopes of recovering some funds. Allegations in the suit include breach of contract and fraud.

“It’s a travesty for these homeown-ers,” said Donald Williams, Sun Valley Electric’s attorney. “It’s a travesty for my client.”

what’s the reCourse?Sun Valley Electric, Williams said,

hoped to alleviate the pressure on some of Summerlin Energy’s custom-ers by recouping at least a portion of the losses in court.

“There are a lot of unanswered ques-tions that I hope get answered through our litigation or the bankruptcy,” he said.

If Sun Valley Electric does not recov-er its losses in court, it will be protect-ed through the liens. It is not unusual for a subcontractor to put a lien on a property. What is unusual, according to the State Contractors Board, is the scope of how many customers have been affected at the same time, a large group that is unlikely to recover mon-ey through the bankruptcy.

The board has a residential recov-ery fund for eligible customers, but it is capped at $400,000. It offers up to $35,000 per affected homeowner and the board is in the process of collecting all possible claims. Customers could also pursue litigation.

In the past, the board has encoun-tered similar situations but never in-volving the levels of damages in the Summerlin Energy case. A yearlong probe in 2011, focusing on a pool con-tractor that had left work unfinished and failed to pay subcontractors, re-sulted in a combined $138,363 pay-ment to 18 homeowners.

Pool contractors by law are not sup-posed to collect a down payment or de-posit greater than $1,000 or 10 percent of the entire price.

There are no such rules for solar cus-tomers.

meltdown, from page 10 “It’s just mind-boggling.

What am I supposed to do,

take out a loan to pay off

something that I already

paid for?”

troy fletcher, Summerlin Energy customer

11march 20 -26

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weddings, from page 1

Number of ceremonies performed in the valley has dropped 40 percent since 2004which to start planning.

The women’s mission is far larger than just one ceremony. They’re here to put Las Vegas back on the map as the wedding capital of the world.

n n n

The eight women make up the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Com-merce, a new organization formed to rescue the city’s love market from an alarming slump.

The ladies are a microcosm of the industry: Some are sales representa-tives for chapels, others work at re-sort wedding departments. A couple of years ago, the women may have considered one another competition. Not anymore.

In less than a year, they have become friends and have formed a coalition to meet with industry professionals and take their concerns to decision mak-ers at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and perhaps even the Legislature.

The group agrees the time to act is now, because the number of “I do’s” taking place in the valley has dropped almost 40 percent since 2004. It’s a steep dive, considering the business used to generate about $2 billion for Clark County.

People began to wonder: Would one of Las Vegas’ most iconic industries disappear? The answer, at least from the perspective of the city’s wedding professionals, is a resounding “no.” What happens here, stays here, and the business of tying the knot is no exception, they say. It’s here to stay.

But love and history don’t pay the bills. The industry needed a plan to secure its future.

So last spring, wedding experts, including ministers and mom-and-pop bridal shop owners, began meet-ing regularly to brainstorm ways to boost numbers. They decided it wasn’t enough for the city simply to increase marketing efforts. (The Clark County Commission last year increased the marriage license fee

from $60 to $77 to boost revenue for advertising.) They needed to unite as one official group. The conversations led to the creation of the Wedding Chamber.

“It made sense,” Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya said. “We need an organized voice for the wedding in-dustry.”

n n n

Members of the Wedding Chamber are meeting for at least the third time this month.

“OK, we need a website,” one says.“Oh! Maybe we can put one of those

donate buttons on it,” another sug-gests.

The women spew ideas, jotting notes and giggling among them-selves.

It’s a good day for them. The pre-vious night at the Bootlegger Bistro, they introduced the chamber to doz-ens of guests, many in the wedding industry. About 30 people joined the organization.

The success of the event makes the women even more determined

to bring more weddings back to Las Vegas.

“We know we’re all in it together,” says Rochelle Clayton, the chamber’s membership chairwoman. “It’s not competition now. It’s coalition.”

The group faces an uphill battle. Competition nationally and interna-tionally is growing.

Last year, Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic were the most booked wedding destinations, ac-cording to the Destination Weddings Travel Group.

“Mom-and-pop shops can’t com-pete with whole countries like Mex-ico,” chamber Secretary Ann Parsons says.

But Las Vegas’ worst enemy may be itself. Wedding professionals across the valley say the state and city do little to promote tying the knot here. Many resorts, including Caesars Pal-ace and MGM Grand, don’t promote weddings on their website home pages.

“Everyone else has been going af-ter this market,” Goya says. “We have just been taking it for granted.”

It’s a lost opportunity that will hurt the county and state, chamber mem-bers say.

“You can have a big or small wed-ding,” Communications Chairwom-an Aimee Stephens says. “You don’t even need a passport to come here.”

“You can get married at Red Rock,” a woman exclaims. “Or the Linq.”

“We just introduced splash pool weddings,” Chamber President Kris LaBuda says.

“Really?” some of the women ask.While prices for wedding packages

in Las Vegas are similar to those in other locations, chamber members maintain the valley has much more to offer after the ceremony.

“Celebrity chefs: How many celeb-rity chefs can you choose from here?” Parsons asked. “You can’t get that at Sandals (Resorts). Sorry!”

The ladies burst out laughing.Then it’s back to planning. The

women admit the wedding market has changed since the city’s glory days. Vow renewals are on the rise, younger couples are waiting longer to get married, and same-sex mar-riage now is legal. All can benefit Las Vegas if stakeholders market and plan accordingly, the chamber mem-bers say.

“The business of love is not some-thing that is going to go out of style anytime soon,” chamber Treasurer Ada Casanova said. “The way people commit has changed and evolved ... and our brand can evolve with that.”

n n n

About noon, the ladies begin de-parting from the meeting. It has been a successful session, but there’s a long checklist of tasks they still must com-plete.

Some stay behind, including Goya. She and Stephens murmur to one an-other, outlining priorities that need to be addressed at the next meeting.

No doubt, the pressure is on, but the chamber has made a vow — for better or for worse.

The Las Vegas wedding Chamber of Commerce meets to discuss ways to

improve Southern Nevada’s wedding industry, which. Members include, from left,

and Ada Casanova, Ann Parsons, Rochelle Clayton, Lynn Goya, Genie Forkner, Kris

Labuda, Aimee Stephens and Laura Covington. (juLie ANN FoRMoSo/StAFF)

“the business of love is not something that is going to go out of style anytime soon.

the way people commit has changed and evolved ... and our brand can evolve with that.”— ada Casanova, treasurer of the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce


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Calendar of eventsTuesday, March 22

BOMA (Building Owners

and Managers Association) lunch

Time: 11:30 a.m. Cost: $35 in advance and $45

at the door for members; $40 in advance and

$45 at the door for nonmembers

Location: Las Vegas Country Club, 3000 Joe W.

Brown Drive, Las Vegas

Information: Visit bomanevada.org

The keynote speaker will be Henderson Ward 2

Councilwoman Debra March.

Vegas Young Professionals Fusion mixer

Time: 6-8 p.m. Cost: $10 in advance and $15 at

the door for members; $15 in advance and $20

at the door for nonmembers

Location: Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, 10955 Oval

Park Drive, Las Vegas

Information: Call 702-586-3843

Network and celebrate Vegas Young Profession-

als’ 10th anniversary.

Wednesday, March 23 Business and marketing development

Time: 9 a.m.-noon Cost: Free

Location: Sumnu Marketing, 1951 Stella Lake St.,

Suite 7, Las Vegas


Learn how to use business and marketing skills

to improve your small business.

Focus Las Vegas: Open for Business

Time: 9 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Cost: $15 per person for

groups of 10 or more, $25 for Metro Chamber of

Commerce members, $35 for nonmembers

Location: Innevation Center, 6795 S. Edmond

St., Las Vegas


Learn how to protect your business, employ-

ees and investments from natural disasters and

emergencies.

Nonprofits Munch and Mingle

Time: 11:45 a.m. Cost: Free

Location: Clark County Library, Jewel Box The-

ater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas


Connect with other nonprofit representatives at

this networking lunch. Pass out brochures and

share ideas over coffee and snacks.

Thursday, March 24

“Performance Management,

Discipline and Discharge”

Time: 8:30-11 a.m. Cost: Free

Location: Las Vegas City Hall, Achievement

Room, 495 S. Main St., Las Vegas

Information: Visit laborlawyers.com

Learn how to issue evaluations and discipline in

a positive, constructive way, and how to properly

discharge employees to avoid lawsuits.

Design-Build Institute of America

luncheon and panel discussion

Time: 11:30 a.m. Cost: Free for student mem-

bers, $10 for student nonmembers, $20 for own-

ers and employees of public agencies, $35 for

members, $45 for nonmembers

Location: Green Valley Ranch, 2300 Paseo

Verde Parkway, Henderson

Information: Visit dbiawpr.org

Learn about Henderson Hospital. Panelists will

include the project’s owner, architect, engineers

and construction design/build team.

LVGEA 60th anniversary/grand opening mixer

Time: 5-7 p.m. Cost: Free

Location: LVGEA, 6720 Via Austi Parkway, Suite

330, Las Vegas


The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance is cel-

ebrating 60 years of success with a networking

event at the organization’s new office.

HCC networking mixer

Time: 5-8 p.m. Cost: $15 in advance and $25 at

the door for Henderson Chamber of Commerce

members; $25 in advance and $35 at the door

for nonmembers

Locations: Essence and Herbs, 15 Via Bel Canto,

Henderson, and Sonrisa Grill, 30 Via Brianza,

Henderson (both venues are in the Village at

Lake Las Vegas)


Mingle with business professionals and enlarge

your network while taking in views of Lake Las

Vegas. RSVP by March 23.

Nevada Business Hall of Fame 2016 Ceremony

Time: 6 p.m. Cost: $275; $2,500 per table

Location: MGM Grand Convention Center, Pre-

mier Ballroom, 3701 Koval Lane, Las Vegas


Honor the inductee while celebrating the Business

Hall of Fame’s 15th anniversary. This year’s in-

ductee is Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of

the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Monday, March 28

Southern Nevada Forum: Economic Develop-

ment Committee

Time: 3:30-5 p.m. Cost: Free

Location: Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Com-

merce, 575 Symphony Park Ave., Suite 100, Las

Vegas


Join legislators, government officials, business

leaders and other stakeholders in identifying re-

gional priorities for the 2017 legislative session.

Voice concerns and needs regarding economic

development and workforce.

Tuesday, March 29

Public Relations Society of America luncheon

Time: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: $30 for members,

$35 for nonmembers

Location: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine

Bar, 8721 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas

Information: Email [email protected]

Dave Sholler, vice president of public relations,

athlete development and marketing at the Ulti-

mate Fighting Championship, will speak about

how the brand engages audiences.

Father Max Business Mass

Time: 12:10 p.m. Cost: Free

Location: Guardian Angel Cathedral, 302 Cathe-

dral Way, Las Vegas


Father Max Oliva, a Jesuit priest and business

consultant, will discuss the necessity of ethics in

the marketplace.

Conventions ExPECtED SHOw LOCAtION DAtES AttENDANCE

Access Intelligence LeadsCon Venetian March 21-24 2,500

International wireless Communications Expo Las Vegas Convention Center March 23-24 10,000

Globalshop Mandalay Bay March 23-25 14,000

western Political Science Association

Annual Regional Meeting Caesars Palace March 23-26 1,200


VEGAS INC15

March 20 -26

VEGAS INC16

march 20 -26

Records and TransactionsBid OppOrtunitiesMONDAY, MARCH 213 p.m.Assessment of infrastructure disaster recovery architecture for Scope IIClark County, 604013Jim Haining at [email protected]

TUESDAY, MARCH 222:15 p.m.Silver Bowl Park: restroom instal-lationClark County, 603993Sandy Moody-Upton at [email protected]

2:15 p.m.Hollywood Regional Park: ballfield entertaining and lightingClark County, 604008Sandy Moody-Upton at [email protected]

THURSDAY, MARCH 242:15 p.m.Clark Place: roof replacementClark County, 603981Sandy Moody-Upton at [email protected]

3 p.m.Annual requirements contract for plumbing suppliesClark County, 603951Adriane Garcia at [email protected]

BrOkered transactiOnsSALES$16,000,000 for 258 units, apart-mentAddress: 4801 Spencer St., Las Vegas 89119Seller: Nevada Springs LLCSeller agent: Art Carll and Patrick Sauter of NAI VegasBuyer: TMIF Acquisitions LLCBuyer agent: Did not disclose

$15,600,000 for 268 units, multi-family residentialAddress: 3655 E. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas 89104Seller: 268 Vegas Apartments LLCSeller agent: Did not discloseBuyer: Las Vegas Residential Properties LLCBuyer agent: Did not disclose

$5,903,808 for 32.58 acres, landAddress: Executive Airport Drive and Bermuda Road, Henderson 89052Seller: South 15 Partners LLCSeller agent: Dan Doherty, Susan Borst, Chris Lane and Jerry Doty of Colliers InternationalBuyer: South 15 LLCBuyer agent: Scott Gragson and

Robert Torres of Colliers Interna-tional

$2,411,000 for 28,420 square feet, industrialAddress: 2865 Coleman St., North Las Vegas 89032Seller: CSA Service Center LLCSeller agent: Did not discloseBuyer: SGPS Holdings LLCBuyer agent: Greg Pancirov and Mike DeLew of Colliers International

$2,169,288 for 12.45 acres, landAddress: A portion of a parcel at Executive Airport Drive and Ber-muda Road, Henderson 89052Seller: South 15 Partners LLCSeller agent: Dan Doherty, Susan Borst, Chris Lane and Jerry Doty of Colliers InternationalBuyer: GKT4 LLCBuyer agent: Did not disclose

$2,080,426 for 11.94 acres, landAddress: 1775 Executive Airport Drive and a portion of a parcel at Executive Airport Drive and Ber-muda Road, Henderson 89044Seller: South 15 Partners LLCSeller agent: Dan Doherty, Susan Borst, Chris Lane and Jerry Doty of Colliers InternationalBuyer: Beltway 4.77 LLCBuyer agent: Scott Gragson and Robert Torres of Colliers Interna-tional

$700,000 for 7,524 square feet, industrialAddress: 3830 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas 89103Seller: Lynn and Jane Mosdell TrustSeller agent: Renae Russo of Col-liers InternationalBuyer: CEL Holdings II LLCBuyer agent: Did not disclose

$303,000 for 1,211 square feet, officeAddress: 5235 S. Durango Drive, Suite 2, Las Vegas 89113Seller: Durango Development Group LLCSeller agent: Jason Otter and Chris Richardson of Logic Commercial Real EstateBuyer: MSN Durango LLCBuyer agent: Jason Otter and Chris Richardson of Logic Commercial Real Estate

$275,000 for 2.5 acres, landAddress: Northwest corner of Torino Avenue and Tenaya Way, Las Vegas 89113Seller: Estate of Charles TodaroSeller agent: Brian Fike and Joe Bonifatto of Colliers InternationalBuyer: Khusrow Roohani Family Trust and Remark Revocable TrustBuyer agent: Vince Schettler of Colliers International

Business LicensesIdriana Fashion

License type: General retail salesAddress: 1717 S. Decatur Blvd., Suite B47, Las Vegas 89102Owner: Idriana Sanchez Tolmo

Imagination Pools LLCLicense type: Contractor Address: 5686 La Costa Canyon Court, Las Vegas 89139Owner: Did not disclose

Insane Installations LLCLicense type: Express or delivery serviceAddress: 6149 Benchmark Way, Las Vegas 89031Owner: Carl L. Allen

Irstaxremedies.comLicense type: Business supportAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Lizette Valiente

Isleworth Group LLCLicense type: Social workAddress: 10001 Peace Way, Suite 2302, Las Vegas 89147Owner: Isleworth Group LLC

Jackie’s Iced Out Beauty & BarLicense type: CosmeticsAddress: 1100 N. Martin L. King Blvd., Suite D, Las Vegas 89106Owner: 1100 N. MLK LLC

Jade NailsLicense type: CosmeticsAddress: 10960 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 104, Henderson 89052Owner: Tammy Tran

Janitorial & RestorationLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Mario Matinho

Jason RosenbergLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 1925 Village Center Circle, Suite 150, Las Vegas 89134Owner: Jason Rosenberg

JBM Custom UpholsteryLicense type: Manufacturing, light assembly and fabricationAddress: 3400 W. Desert Inn Road, Suite 5, Las Vegas 89102Owner: Leticia Mendoza Alonso

Jefe’s Taco ShopLicense type: RestaurantAddress: 5700 Sky Pointe Drive, Las Vegas 89130Owner: Mamas LLC

Jem Cleaning & MaintenanceLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: 3478 Paradise Road, Suite 127, Las Vegas 89169Owner: Jessica D. Mendoza

JMB Custom Apparel & AccessoriesLicense type: General retail salesAddress: 2901 W. Washington Ave., Suite F112, Las Vegas 89107Owner: James Bumpus

Joanna JiaLicense type: Independent mas-sage therapistAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Joanna Jia

Joie’s Raw Healthy CrunchLicense type: RestaurantAddress: 8751 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 190, Las Vegas 89117Owner: Joelita Altabet

Joshua J. Nieves License type: Real estate salesAddress: 10161 Park Run Drive, Suite 150, Las Vegas 89145Owner: Joshua Nieves

Joverart Community Development Corp.License type: Thrift storeAddress: 2187 N. Decatur Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas 89108Owner: Ty Smith

JP Pool ServiceLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Jose T. Pacheco Lopez

Keith Hawkins CompanyLicense type: Nonfarm product vendorAddress: 4100 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas 89107Owner: Kevin Fawley

Kidney Specialists of Southern NevadaLicense type: Professional services - medicalAddress: 7316 W. Cheyenne Ave., Las Vegas 89129Owner: Bernstein Pokroy & Leh-rner Ltd.

Kiera McGillivrayLicense type: Professional servicesAddress: 8430 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas 89128Owner: Kiera McGillivray

Kirkwood Bank of NevadaLicense type: BankAddress: 8531 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas 89128Owner: Gerald Willer

Kona Ice Henderson LLCLicense type: Ice supplierAddress: 1551 S. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas 89117Owner: Steven T. Vitz

La Flor De MichoacanLicense type: Ice cream shopAddress: 1039 Whitney Ranch Drive, Henderson 89014Owner: Angelica’s Business LLC

La Piazza Restaurant & BarLicense type: Restaurant Address: 1000 N. Main St., Las Vegas 89101Owner: Spinsig Operating Corp.

Land’s End Pool Service LLC

License type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: 10296 Ashlar Point Way, Las Vegas 89135Owner: Tom Allen

Las Vegas Celtic SocietyLicense type: NonprofitAddress: 9200 Tule Springs Road, Las Vegas 89131Owner: Tori Bullock

Las Vegas JerkysLicense type: Food specialty storeAddress: 1 S. Main St., Las Vegas 89106Owner: Las Vegas Jerkys Inc.

Las Vegas Prestige Plumbing LLCLicense type: Contractor Address: 4725 Quality Court, Las Vegas 89103Owner: Did not disclose

Leslie AndradeLicense type: Independent mas-sage therapistAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Leslie Andrade

Lily’s CleaningLicense type: Janitorial servicesAddress: 4841 El Este Lane, North Las Vegas 89031Owner: Liliana Lopez

Linda GilmoreLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 10000 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 130, Las Vegas 89145Owner: Linda Gilmore

Linx ProtectionLicense type: CosmeticsAddress: 6001 S. Decatur Blvd., Suite D, Las Vegas 89118Owner: Audio Integrations Inc.

Lisa Robert LLCLicense type: Business space rent or leaseAddress: 3969 Salisbury Place, Las Vegas 89121Owner: Robert J. Comeau

Loren’s Vegas Delights LLCLicense type: Interjurisdictional businessAddress: 1525 E. Sunset Road, Suite 10, Las Vegas 89119Owner: Loren’s Vegas Delights LLC

Lou Christian Aegean Isle LLCLicense type: Business space rent or leaseAddress: 7871 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas 89117Owner: Rita Papas

Louis Berger Group Inc. License type: Professional servicesAddress: 444 E. Warm Springs Road, Suite 118, Las Vegas 89119Owner: Roger J. Patton

LV Professional & Legal Services LLCLicense type: Business supportAddress: 710 S. Eighth St., Las

THE DATASend your business-related information to [email protected]

VEGAS INC17

march 20 -26

Records and TransactionsVegas 89101Owner: Miguel A. Martinez-Perez

Mach-1 Plumbing LLCLicense type: Contractor Address: 2325 Western Ave., Suites 6 and 7, Las Vegas 89102Owner: Douglas E. Hughes Jr.

Maintenance Pros LLCLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: 4550 W. Oakey Blvd., Suite 111, Las Vegas 89102Owner: Makemarketing LLC

Man’s Best Friend Pet Salon and BoutiqueLicense type: General retail salesAddress: 7524 Westcliff Drive, Las Vegas 89145Owner: Man’s Best Friend Pet Grooming LLC

Manuel Mobile Car WashLicense type: Automobile detailingAddress: 5801 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas 89146Owner: Manuel Rios

Mariner Development LLCLicense type: Contractor Address: 9205 W. Russell Road, Suite 235, Las Vegas 89148Owner: Did not disclose

Massage By KrystyLicense type: Independent mas-sage therapistAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Krysty V. Calzada

McKinney-James & AssociatesLicense type: Management or consulting serviceAddress: 410 S. Rampart Blvd., Suite 390, Las Vegas 89145Owner: Energy Works LLC

MealprepologyLicense type: RestaurantAddress: 2040 E. Craig Road, North Las Vegas 89030Owner: Christopher C. Strickland

Meats Gone WildLicense type: Nonfarm product vendorAddress: 1600 N. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas 89128Owner: Southern Nevada Exotic Meats LLC

Micah SullivanLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 10000 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 130, Las Vegas 89145Owner: Micah Sullivan

Michael O’ConnorLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 1820 E. Sahara Ave., Suite 101, Las Vegas 89104Owner: Michael O’Connor

Michael Tessler PhotographyLicense type: PhotographyAddress: 3361 Michaelangelo

Court, Las Vegas 89129Owner: Michael Tessler

Michele Kubiak-RankinLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 9525 Hillwood Drive, Suite 120, Las Vegas 89134Owner: Michele Kubiak-Rankin LLC

Minions ConstructionLicense type: Contractor Address: 3060 Business Lane, Las Vegas 89103Owner: Did not disclose

Mountain Rehabilitation ServicesLicense type: Professional services - medicalAddress: 2641 Box Canyon Drive, Suite B, Las Vegas 89128Owner: Mountain Rehabilitation Services, Poindexter & Associates

Move Right Movers Inc.License type: General servicesAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Anthony Rodriguez

Natalie NevarezLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 10750 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 180, Las Vegas 89144Owner: Natalie Nevarez

Neabras Handy ServiceLicense type: Repair and mainte-nanceAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Nigel Bruce

NeonbrandLicense type: General servicesAddress: 817 S. Main St., Suite 100, Las Vegas 89101Owner: Neon Brand LLC

On Time OilLicense type: TruckingAddress: 50 W. Colorado Ave., Las Vegas 89102Owner: On Time Oil LLC

One Stop 4 FlooringLicense type: Express or delivery serviceAddress: 6150 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas 89103Owner: One Stop 4 Flooring LLC

Pablo’s Carpet and MoreLicense type: Professional servicesAddress: 2200 Civic Center Drive, North Las Vegas 89030Owner: Pablo Solorzano

Papa John’s PizzaLicense type: Restaurant Address: 8574 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas 89128Owner: PJ Las Vegas LLC

Patricia MoranLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 777 N. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 120, Las Vegas 89107Owner: Patricia Moran

Phone Zone

License type: General retail salesAddress: 2232 Paradise Road, Las Vegas 89104Owner: Wash N Save LLC

Pirate FestLicense type: MultivendorAddress: 3333 W. Washington Ave., Las Vegas 89107Owner: R&J Productions

Ponce Lawn MaintenanceLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Rosalio Ponce

Poseidon Pool ServiceLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Poseidon Pool Service Inc.

Power Only Transit LLCLicense type: Merchandise brokerAddress: 3670 N. Rancho Drive, Suite 107, Las Vegas 89130Owner: Kris Tryber

Proaction Recovery Inc.License type: Professional servicesAddress: 3227 Meade Ave., Suite 5A, Las Vegas 89102Owner: Lawrence C. Howard

Professional Pest Control LLCLicense type: Professional servicesAddress: 2200 Civic Center Drive, North Las Vegas 89030Owner: Steven J. Sterrett

Professional Pest Control LLCLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: 167 Enloe St., Las Vegas 89074Owner: Steven J. Sterrett

PT’s GoldLicense type: TavernAddress: 1540 W. Sunset Road, Suite 140, Henderson 89014Owner: Golden-PT’s Pub Whitney Ranch 51 LLC

Qi Security ServicesLicense type: Professional servicesAddress: 10 Commerce Center Drive, Las Vegas 89014Owner: Quality Investigations Inc.

Quantum Resources D&C LLCLicense type: ContractorAddress: 9000 Rolling Knoll Court, Las Vegas 89134Owner: Mark Myers

Racing Parts Only LLCLicense type: General retail salesAddress: 10161 Park Run Drive, Suite 150, Las Vegas 89145Owner: Daniel Oliver

Reaching Out Community ServicesLicense type: Sales/servicesAddress: 5135 Camino Al Norte, North Las Vegas 89031Owner: Reaching Out Community

Services LLC

Rehab Cash Now Nevada LLCLicense type: Professional servicesAddress: 410 S. Rampart Blvd., Suite 390, Las Vegas 89145Owner: Donald Vaccaro

Reliable Security Sound and DataLicense type: Contractor Address: 400 S. Fourth St., Suite 500, Las Vegas 89101Owner: Reliable Business Concerns Inc.

Restorative Health LLCLicense type: Professional servicesAddress: 3225 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite A, Number 206, Las Vegas 89146Owner: Tigran Avetisyan

Revive ServicesLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: 3440 E. Russell Road, Suite 226, Las Vegas 89120Owner: Revive Services LLC

Rise Resource CenterLicense type: Community servicesAddress: 1722 Primrose Path, Las Vegas 89108Owner: Rise Resource Center Inc.

RJW TransportLicense type: Warehouse or storageAddress: 3230 W. Desert Inn Road, Suite 140, Las Vegas 89102Owner: RJW Transport Inc.

Robert Lawn ServiceLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Roberto Jose Oviedo Crespin

Rock-A-Do Hair StudioLicense type: Sales/servicesAddress: 4040 W. Craig Road, North Las Vegas 89031Owner: A-Rod Corp.

Rodriguez HandymanLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: 6849 Arroyo Ave., Las Vegas 89103Owner: Julio Cesar Rodriguez

Rooter ManLicense type: Residential property maintenanceAddress: Did not disclose Owner: Luft Heating & Air Condi-tioning

Royal Group LLCLicense type: RestaurantAddress: 11720 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas 89138Owner: Young H. Choi

Ryan ThorntonLicense type: Real estate salesAddress: 1820 E. Sahara Ave., Suite 101, Las Vegas 89104

Owner: Ryan Thornton

BUILDING PErmITS$8,150,000, industrial8390 Eastgate Road, HendersonHenderson Freeways Crossing LLC

$2,694,100, education building225 Grand Cadence Drive, Hen-dersonCA Las Vegas BB LLC

$2,065,000, electrical333 S. Valley View Blvd., Las VegasRafael Construction Inc.

$2,025,749, commercial - addition1209 Trade Drive, North Las VegasBurke Construction Group Inc.

$2,000,000, tenant improvement - store7530 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite 120, Las VegasAGI General Contracting

$1,843,715, commercial - alteration4222 Losee Road, North Las VegasAnderson Group

$1,819,000, industrial8355 Eastgate Road, HendersonHenderson Freeways Crossing LLC

$1,100,150, retail625 S. Green Valley Parkway, HendersonGreen Valley Crossing II LLC

$1,064,707, commercial1015 E. Sunset Road, HendersonLandwell Company LP

$1,000,000, electrical333 S. Valley View Blvd., Las VegasRafael Construction Inc.

$964,000, industrial x28365 and 8375 Eastgate Road, HendersonHenderson Freeways Crossing LLC

$912,115, residential - production1052 Spotted Saddle St., HendersonBeazer Homes Holdings Corp.

$909,200, education building225 Grand Cadence Drive, Hen-dersonCA Las Vegas BB LLC

$800,883, commercial - new14100 Kushberry Lane, North Las VegasHadfield Building Corp.

$743,119, tenant improvement - offices1670 Pinto Lane, Las VegasRichardson Construction Inc.

$716,000, industrial8345 Eastgate Road, HendersonHenderson Freeways Crossing LLC

$647,616, commercial - alteration

the dataSend your business-related information to [email protected]

VEGAS INC18

march 20 -26

Records and Transactions2113 Las Vegas Blvd. North, North Las Vegas2113 Investors LLC

$460,000, demolition301 S. Martin L. King Blvd., Las VegasNorthstar Contracting Group Inc.

$399,954, commercial - remodel1450 W. Horizon Ridge Park-way, Suite 420, HendersonFoothills Nevada LLC

$256,102, commercial1670 Pinto Lane, Las VegasRichardson Construction Inc.

$238,010, tenant improve-ment - restaurant931 S. Rainbow Blvd., Las VegasLM Construction Co. LLC

$213,870, residential - pro-duction2120 Canvas Edge Drive, HendersonToll Henderson LLC

$213,443, single-family residential - production396 Venticello Drive, Las VegasToll South LV LLC

$210,000, commercial265 Fox Hill Drive, Las VegasTyler Construction & Devel-opment

$203,258, single-family residential - production12113 Cabo Rojo Ave., Las VegasWoodside Homes of Nevada LLC

$200,119, residential - roofing1168 Skyline Road, HendersonPN II Inc.

$200,000, OTC333 S. Valley View Blvd., Las VegasRafael Construction Inc.

$195,627, residential3089 Hushed Sonnet Ave., HendersonCentury Communities of Nevada

$194,097, single-family resi-dential - production x28441 and 8451 Canyon Sun Court, Las VegasPulte Homes of Nevada


$180,562, single-family

residential - production9957 Shadow Landing Ave., Las VegasPulte Homes of Nevada

$179,693, single-family residential - production9619 Ashlynn Peak Court, Las VegasRichmond American Homes of Nevada

$179,158, residential1136 Via Della Curia, Hen-dersonCentury Communities of Nevada

$175,000, tenant improve-ment - restaurant903 S. Rainbow Blvd., Las VegasPKC Construction

$173,447, residential - pro-duction329 Values Circle, HendersonWoodside Homes Nevada LLC

$168,303, single-family residential - production9805 Blistering Sun Ave., Las VegasRichmond American Homes of Nevada

$168,274, single-family residential - production9910 Celestial Cliffs Ave., Las VegasPulte Homes of Nevada

$168,235, residential - pro-duction1157 Hillside Peak St., Hen-dersonPN II Inc.

$167,958, residential3092 Amoruccio Court, HendersonToll Henderson LLC

$162,302, residential3088 Amorucciou Court, HendersonToll Henderson LLC

$162,302, residential - pro-duction x22531 and 2543 Desante Drive, HendersonToll Henderson LLC

$160,971, residential - pro-duction132 Outcrop Ridge Ave., HendersonPN II Inc.

$160,638, residential - pro-duction480 Wildflower Ave., Hen-dersonGreystone Nevada LLC

$160,416, residential - pro-duction

144 Shear Peak Ave., Hen-dersonPN II Inc.

$160,266, single-family residential - production1226 Tempestad Ave., Las VegasToll South LV LLC

$160,266, single-family residential - production250 Besame Court, Las VegasToll South LV LLC

$159,307, residential - pro-duction484 Wildflower Ave., Hen-dersonGreystone Nevada LLC


$153,031, single-family resi-dential - production x28212 and 8236 Serpentine Sands St., Las VegasPulte Homes of Nevada

$150,000, residential - ad-dition1605 Milano Villa Ave., HendersonJody L. Lake and Trish A. Lake

$149,105, residential - pro-duction149 Outcrop Ridge Ave., HendersonPN II Inc.

$148,827, residential - pro-duction x32527, 2541 and 2544 Amista Drive, HendersonToll Henderson LLC

$146,944, single-family residential - production461 Cabral Peak St., Las VegasKB Home Nevada Inc.

$146,497, single-family residential - production10655 Marble Arch St., Las VegasGreystone Nevada LLC

$145,279, residential - pro-duction52 Sadler Shore St., Hen-dersonRyland Homes Nevada LLC

$141,286, residential - pro-duction1122 N. Water St., HendersonRichmond American Homes of Nevada

To receive a complete copy of Data Plus every week in Excel, please visit vegasinc.com/subscribe.

Escape to Southern Hills’ RECRUITMENT

FAIR

Meet with Hiring Managers

On-the-SpotWednesday,

March 308 am - Noon3 pm - 5 pm

9300 W. Sunset Rd., Las Vegas 89148

* The company began operations in 1986 as MGM Grand Inc.

Source: VEGAS INC research. It is not the intent of this list to endorse the participants or to imply that the listing of a company indicates its quality. Although every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of VEGAS INC charts,

omissions sometimes occur and some businesses do not respond. Please send corrections or additions on company letterhead to Julie Ann Formoso, research associate, VEGAS INC, 2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074.

The List Category: largest private employers(ranked by number of employees as of Jan. 1)

CompanyYear est. locally Employees

Local offices/locations

Type of business Top executive

1 MGM Resorts International3600 Las Vegas Blvd. SouthLas Vegas, NV 89109702-693-7111 • mgmresorts.com

2000* 62,000 14 Entertainment and hospitality

James Murren, chairman, CEO

2 Caesars Entertainment Corp.1 Caesars Place DriveLas Vegas, NV 89109702-407-6000 • caesars.com

1966 24,000 12 Resort operator

Mark Frissora, president, CEO

3a Station Casinos1505 S. Pavilion Center DriveLas Vegas, NV 89135702-495-3000 • sclv.com

1976 12,000 20 Entertainment, gaming, hospitality

Frank J. Fertitta III, chairman, CEO

3b Wynn3131 Las Vegas Blvd. SouthLas Vegas, NV 89109702-770-7000 • wynnlasvegas.com

2005 12,000 2 Resort/casino Steve Wynn, chairman, CEO

5 Boyd Gaming Corporation6465 S. Rainbow Blvd.Las Vegas, NV 89118702-792-7200 • boydgaming.com

1975 9,300 11 Casino entertainment

Keith Smith, president, CEO

6 Las Vegas Sands Corp.3355 Las Vegas Blvd. SouthLas Vegas, NV 89109702-414-1000 • sands.com


Sheldon Adelson, chairman, CEO

7 The Valley Health System10105 Banburry CrossLas Vegas, NV 89144valleyhealthsystemlv.com

1972 6,500 7 Health care/hospitals

Karla Perez, regional vice president

8 McDonald’s Greater Las Vegas Operator Association2217 N.Green Valley ParkwayHenderson, NV 89014702-454-3485 • mcdonalds.com

1966 5,040 100+ Fast food James Vance, president

9 The Cosmopolitan3708 Las Vegas Blvd. SouthLas Vegas, NV 89109702-698-7000 • cosmopolitanlasvegas.com


William McBeath, president, CEO

10 UnitedHealthcare/Southwest Medical Associates2724 N. Tenaya WayLas Vegas, NV 89128702-242-7000 • uhcnevada.com

1980 4,273 46 Health care provider/ insurance provider

Don Giancursio, CEO of UnitedHealthcare; Dr. Robert McBeath, president, CEO of SMA


19march 20 -26

VEGAS INC

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7740 Eastgate Rd. Henderson, NV 89011702.982.4600 • www.audihenderson.com

Don’t just stand out from the crowd.

Lead the way.

Audi Henderson is proud to honor the 2016 40 under 40.

StudioMeet us at theBeauty

Pop in for a free Mini Makeover and ask about all the ways to beauty together at Sephora.

— F R O M T H E S P O N S O R —

4A

F orty years ago, Station Casinos was born. And over the past four

decades, we’d like to think we’ve made our mark on Las Vegas and

helped to shape the great city that we all call home.

The same could be said about VEGAS INC's 40 Under 40 honorees.

While we were focused on creating the ultimate locals entertainment

destinations, these 40 Under 40 were excelling in various fi elds and indus-

tries, leaving their own indelible marks.

We take great pride in celebrating their success. By allowing us to share

in this group milestone, they remind us what a close and caring community

we are.

Congratulations from the entire Team at Station Casinos!

W ith a magic combination of

smarts, skill, compassion

and commitment to com-

munity, the honorees of our annual 40

Under 40 publication represent the best

that Southern Nevada has to show the

world, and VEGAS INC is proud to share

their stories with you.

In our 16th annual publication, we’re

recognizing 40 men and women from a

cross section of industries in the valley

who have one thing in common — they’re making Las Vegas a better place.

As has been happening since 2001, nominations for the honor poured in.

We assessed each candidate’s community service, entrepreneurial spirit

and impact on their respective industries.

How they shape the future manifests itself di� erently from honoree

to honoree. More than one is helping our students get a fi rm foothold on

the path to greatness, perhaps setting our youth up to be future 40 Under

40 honorees.

A common theme motivates them — tenacity. As Sierra Vista Principal

John Anzalone said, “Do not allow the things that life throws at you to

become an excuse.”

Others possess an outlook that helps showcase Southern Nevada in

the best light possible. “I’ve lived all over the world — Berlin, London, New

York — no city has ever embraced me or my family as much as this city has.

I’m very loyal to Las Vegas,” said Max Tappeiner, vice president of hotel

operations at the Venetian and Palazzo.

Humility is another important ingredient in the mix. “Success and fulfi ll-

ment are more likely to fi nd you when you treat people with respect,” said

Andy Moore of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck.

Take the time to read about these young leaders and their amazing ac-

complishments. This distinguished group plays a crucial role in Southern

Nevada’s business development .

A special thank you goes out to sponsors Switch, Sephora and Audi of

Henderson, which toasted the honorees at a private reception. Another

special thank you goes to Station Casinos and Red Rock Resort for hosting

the soiree where we honor these leaders and innovators.

Craig PetersonEditor of Special Publications

[email protected]

— F R O M T H E E D I T O R —

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” — Albert Schweitzer

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— T H E H O N O R E E S —

Nehme Abouzied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8AStacy Acquista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8ASoraya Aguirre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8AJohn Anzalone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8ASteve Aoki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10ABrent Bluett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10AJake Cannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10ASara Childress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10AColin Comer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11ARyan Cupersmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12AKelly Dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12AGreg Duffield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12AKatie Fellows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13AKelly Frey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14ARoss Gdovin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14AAlicia Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14AWesley Gregg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14AChris Gumiela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15AJoe Haro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15ARaymond Hess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18A

Daniel Kouretas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18AShauna Lemieux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18AGlenda Lippman-Monkarsh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18AMarty Lopez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19AAlexandra Lourdes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19ALayke Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20AKate McCullough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20AKurt Melien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20AAndy Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21AJessica Peralta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21ADavid Perisset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22ABridget Richards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22ASpencer Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22AKevin Sweet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22AMax Tappeiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23ADavid Tina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24AJennifer Turner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24ALauren Westerfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24AChris White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25AMatt Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26A

S:12.5 ‘’T:13.5 ‘’B:14.5 ‘’

GOLDEN ENTERTAINMENT IS PROUDTO CONGRATULATE

ON EARNING THE

GOLDENENT.COM

RO SS GD OVIN

4 0 U N D E R 4 0 AW A R D

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Nehme AbouzeidExecutive Director of Brand Marketing and Advertising

Wynn Las Vegas■ Age: 39

Stacy AcquistaAssistant Vice President of Marketing

HCA Far West Division■ Age: 31

John AnzalonePrincipal

Sierra Vista High School■ Age: 39

Soraya AguirrePartner

Holland & Hart LLP■ Age: 39

A s a kid growing up in Boston, Nehme Abouzeid spent considerable time fend-ing off misconceptions about his father’s

homeland, Lebanon, as the Middle Eastern nation endured a civil war in the 1970s. These experi-ences helped to shape a sharp media mind. By 22, Abouzeid was a reporter in Beirut and two years later was producing his own nationally syndicated National Public Radio show in Los Angeles.

Today, he oversees branding and marketing efforts for Wynn Las Vegas. Whether he is scrutinizing contracts with A-list entertainers, brainstorming brand awareness opportunities for shows, clubs and other venues, or emceeing events at Wynn’s Lagasse’s Stadium, he counts his media education and experience as one of his greatest assets.

“In business school, a lot of the other majors couldn’t write well or communicate well. … I don’t regret a single day of my liberal arts studies. It all made me a better businessperson,” he said.

“I’m proudest of being a versatile person and quick study in my field,” he said. “I’ve worked with a deep Rolodex of people from a lot of industries and all can say I’m a fair person, a good person.”

Abouzeid is also active in the Las Vegas nonprofit community. He has served on the boards for KNPR and the youth charity After-School All-Stars.

— Brian Sodoma

B ecoming an attorney was a no-brainer for Soraya Aguirre. Her grandfather had been a judge, and an early interest in humanities

and the liberal arts along with plenty of family en-couragement, established a great foundation for law school.

In 2006, she moved to Las Vegas and in only two years was named partner; at 31, she was one of the youngest in Holland & Hart history. Aguirre has also been honored four times as a “Rising Star” by Mountain States Super Lawyers.

She enjoys the personal nature of her work. Aguirre learns about family histories, how a family generated wealth and brings expertise for how to handle succession plans and other matters.

“It’s fun to learn about their businesses and families and be part of their success story. It’s a real privilege and honor,” she said. “The way wealth is often grown here is very different than in New York. I went from working with primarily Wall Street managing directors … to entrepreneurs and small to medium to large business owners here.”

In Aguirre’s work the biggest compliment isn’t just a referral, it’s the fact that many generations within one family look to her for help.

“I’m always extremely proud to have been entrusted, not only by first, but often second and third generations. To maintain that level of trust is something really spe-cial to me,” she said.

Aguirre is a supporter of Harvest Hub, a regional effort to help produce locally sourced healthy foods for at-risk populations. She is also a member of the United Way of Southern Nevada’s Women’s Leadership Council.

— Brian Sodoma

W hen Stacy Acquista took an marketing internship at North Florida Regional Medical Center in 2005, the recent col-

lege graduate saw it as a chance to gain some experience before she moved into entertainment public relations and marketing. But she quickly felt a pull to health care that was quite unexpected.

“I was really pleasantly surprised. I took the internship on a whim. It opened up a world to me I never thought about,” she said. “If I were to give advice to anyone it would be to find something you’re passionate about. But it’s not always obvious what you’re passionate about until you try something out.”

Acquista’s passion involves telling patient success stories and educating a com-munity on health care offerings. That’s especially the case in Las Vegas.

“Las Vegas is very transient and multigenerational and many people just don’t know their local health care options,” she said. “We have top physicians and top spe-cialists offering services people are going to Arizona and California for.”

Acquista wears many hats overseeing public relations and marketing for eight regional HCA hospitals, including Sunrise, Southern Hills and MountainView.

Acquista has also served as a co-captain on Sunrise Health’s 2015 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk fundraiser, which raised more than $50,000. She was also Sunrise Health’s fundraising lead for the 16th annual KLUC Toy Drive which contributed more than 60 toys, 10 bikes and $8,000 within a week.

— Brian Sodoma

For John Anzalone, the first step is always trying to be good to people.

“Working in the school district we come across all types of people, from all walks of life,” he said. “A goal of mine has always been to treat fam-ilies, staff and students exactly how I would expect my own family to be treated. I have respected my superiors, as well as my subordinates. I have been fair and consistent in my message, and that has gone a long way.”

Anzalone has also been “extremely” ambitious ever since he can remember. “If there was a leadership position to be had, I went for it. It didn’t matter if the situation was to be in charge of a lemonade stand or a high school, my instinct was to lead.”

Anzalone got a lot of satisfaction last year in seeing two magnet programs come to fruition at Eldorado High School. “For a school with over 40 years of tradition, it needed a draw for kids; a reason for great students to attend. I pushed for video game technology and web design to come and it happened. Though I was assigned to Sierra Vista H.S. over the summer of 2015, and missed the grand opening in the fall, I can honestly state that I had a part in making these programs happen for the amazing kids at Eldorado, and those who will attend in the future.”

His advice for colleagues is to complete whatever you start. “If you start a masters program, do not stop. Do not allow the things that life throws at you to become an excuse. Always put your family first. Do not allow work to take over your life. If you always remind yourself of how you want others to speak of you once you pass, you will go far. Get educated, don’t settle, and believe in yourself, even when it seems as though nobody else does.”

— Howard Riell

8A

40 UNDER 40HONOREE RECEPTION

AUDIHENDERSON

3.10.16

Photog: Tek Le

Steve AokiProducer, DJ, Entrepreneur■ Age: 38

Brent BluettMovement Disorders Specialist

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health ■ Age: 39

Sara ChildressDirector of Publications/Executive Editor M Life Magazine

MGM Resorts International■ Age: 36

Jake CannonDistrict Manager

Smith's Food & Drug■ Age: 35

S teve Aoki puts on 300-plus shows a year and is one of the top-grossing DJs on the planet. Naps and meditation, he says, are

the keys to maintaining his schedule. Aoki grew up in Newport Beach, Calif. During

college, he booked underground music shows and produced some albums independently. But after completing a sociology degree from UC-Santa Barbara, he considered staying in school to teach and perform research. But when he moved to Los Angeles in 2002 music again became the focus.

By the mid-2000s, the pull to create his own music while also helping others proved to be the winning formula. He has remixed artists like Drake, Kanye West, Eminem and many others.

“When I finished my first solo remix in 2007 I decided to pursue music production as a career decision rather than a hobby and that ultimately gave me more focus in this world,” he said.

Aoki has also established the Steve Aoki Fund, which seeks to support organiza-tions doing research on brain health. In 2016, the fund will partner for fundraising events with the SENS Research Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

“Ultimately I would love to see brain degenerative diseases like ALS, dementia, Alzheimer’s etc. be eradicated (but) until then (we’ll) raise awareness and money towards organizations doing good work to fight these illnesses,” he said.

— Brian Sodoma

J ake Cannon joined Smith’s Food & Drug 16 years ago as a part-time produce clerk while earning his bachelor’s degree in business ad-

ministration from Weber State University, ascend-ing the ranks in various capacities — including division customer first manager, human resources coordinator and key retailing manager — before assuming his current post as district manager two years ago.

The Northern Utah native and graduate of the Food Industry Management Pro-gram at USC has grocery experience that pre-dates Smith’s back to his high school years and he now manages 18 regional stores and some 2,500 associates. Among his recent accomplishments, Cannon was instrumental in helping to convert six local no-frills Food 4 Less stores into Smith’s locations last year, training 800 displaced Food 4 Less employees and putting them back to work at Smith’s stores.

“With Food 4 Less being part of the Kroger family, there was definitely a concern that these folks were treated well, and we did right by them,” said Cannon.

Among his other professional milestones in his previous positions, Cannon de-signed and implemented several customer service programs, initiatives and policies that helped Smith’s achieve the highest satisfaction success of national Kroger divi-sions, and also helped to create and implement a department manager development leadership plan. He also developed and executed solutions that saved the company $755,000 in expenses, labor, supplies and equipment costs over a period of two years.

Cannon leads a team of about 300 employees who participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, where Smith’s is a presenting sponsor donating funds along with water, bananas and granola bars, and also supports Three Square Food Bank, Catholic Charities of Las Vegas and Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas.

— Danielle Birkin

B rent Bluett recalls having had numerous unsatisfying jobs before he went into medi-cine and ultimately realized that “no mat-

ter what industry you are in, you will have to work hard if you want to become successful and reach a level of independence.”

Bluett said it was his mother and father who were his primary mentors. “My mother was a psychometrist; she worked with chil-dren with learning and social disabilities. She taught me kindness and to have the utmost compassion for others. She had the biggest heart and always did the best to take care of the children at school. She also taught me to remain humble, and never forget I am a person before I am a doctor.”

The compassion and humility he learned from his mother has had a lasting effect. “Just because I wear a white coat does not mean I am not a human being first.”

He calls his father “one of the most wonderful, hard-working people I have ever met in my life. He never thought about himself first, he always worked tirelessly for our family. He taught me discipline, integrity, and selflessness.

Bluett drafted a national Centers of Excellence initiative for a nonprofit organiza-tion called CurePSP that is dedicated to opening medical centers which will provide top-notch care to an underserved and under-recognized disorder — Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, which is similar to Parkinson’s Disease but with a more severe disease course and worse prognosis. “A nationwide initiative to improve patient care would be my biggest professional accomplishment to date.”

— Howard Riell

Sara Childress started as a receptionist in the MGM/Mirage marketing department after graduating with a journalism degree from

UNR in 2003. While it wasn’t exactly where she wanted to start her media career, she was very candid with her bosses that if something opened up at M Life Magazine — an in-house lifestyle lux-ury publication — she wanted a shot.

Three months later that offer came to fruition. Childress hasn’t looked back.Today, Childress also enjoys a director role in MGM Resorts’ corporate public rela-

tions department while also running M Life Magazine, which has a 178,000-strong distribution rate. Childress is credited with enhancing its editorial content and visual appeal. Under her watch, M Life has won the AGA Communications Awards for Best Customer Publication three years in a row. She has also collaborated with the resort operator’s internal digital design team to launch M Life TV.

“When I first started, the magazine was only in its second year and people or ven-ues would decline to be featured. Now some of the biggest names in the entertain-ment industry request to be featured on the cover,” she said.

The media pro says limited staff means she wears more hats — which she’s happy to do.

“I get to be part of every step of the process. We have a very small team so I get to be involved in the editorial, design, production and distribution. It’s gratifying to hold the magazine in my hands after press and see what all that hard work created,” she said.

Childress is also actively involved with Best Buddies, which helps those with intel-lectual and developmental disabilities. She also volunteers for Opportunity Village, Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald House.

— Brian Sodoma

10A

Colin ComerFounding Partner

Light Nightclub and Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay ■ Age: 35

C olin Comer credits his quick success to a combination of “incredibly good luck, lots of hard work and a series of really

amazing people in my life who have served as mentors and advisors.”

Comer moved to Las Vegas from Chicago. What he calls his “Vegas adventure” began with a job interview with the Light Group in October of 2010. “I met with the company CEO, Andy Masi, who told me unflinchingly that he was very difficult to work for and I should think long and hard if I really wanted to do that. Being very comfortable in my hospitality career in Chicago, I couldn’t help but jump at the challenge to see if I could make it among the entertainment capital of the world.”

The process of launching Play Management in 2015 was “very intense,” he said, but has also been highly rewarding. “(Business part-ner John Pettei) and I were given the opportu-

nity by Light and Daylight’s ownership to cre-ate our own company and to partner on these incredible venues. I would never in a million years have imagined I would become a man-aging partner of not one, but two world-class venues in a city like Las Vegas. There were definitely some naysayers who predicted we would fall on our faces and it’s been really re-warding to have done the opposite.”

His advice is basic. “Work very, very hard — somewhere right now, there is someone else in your chosen field who is thinking that also, and is doing it. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Keep calm and carry on. This sounds simple and some people will laugh at me for quoting the famous stoic World War II British mantra, but it’s brilliant. The people who can stay calm under the toughest cir-cumstances are often the ones who succeed. As you gain success, gain even more humility.”

— Howard Riell

11A

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R yan Cupersmith grew up in New Jersey and spent his high school years working on the Atlantic City

boardwalk. That and his family’s trips to Las Vegas shaped an interest in the gam-ing industry and gaming law.

“It’s an industry that has always really ap-pealed to me and I’ve been fortunate to have worked in it most of my career,” he said.

Cupersmith has spent his entire 17-year legal career with Ernst & Young. His exper-tise is in helping gaming companies with assurance and tax matters, financial state-ments and reporting, internal controls, due diligence for acquisitions, transaction law and other advisory services.

Prior to arriving in Las Vegas in 2009, Cupersmith helped Ernst & Young estab-lish and grow its Asian gaming practice, particularly driving growth in markets like South Korea, Vietnam and the Philip-pines.

In 2006, Tom Roche, the firm’s glob-al director of gaming industry services, chose Cupersmith to lead a team that would pursue a large global hospital-ity and gaming company as a new cli-ent. Cupersmith’s team succeeded. The young attorney was admitted as partner in 2012 and then appointed office man-aging partner for Las Vegas in 2015. He is among the youngest managing partners

in company history. Today, he oversees 80 professionals in the local office.

Cupersmith also supports several area nonprofits and the education commu-nity. He is a board member of the Las Ve-gas chapter of the After-School All-Stars, which offers programs to help children stay safe and succeed in school.

“As a father of two small kids it’s impor-tant for me to give back to the community in this way. These programs provide valu-able mentorship and educational opportu-nities to kids who need them,” he said.

Cupersmith is also a member of the Lee Business School executive advisory board.

— Brian Sodoma

A s a youngster in Philadelphia, Kelly Dove had an affinity for courtroom programming, whether it be “Law &

Order” or “The People’s Court.”“It’s really cliché, but I’ve always been in-

terested in the law, and while I worked hard in law school at UNLV, it also clicked and came naturally to me, because I love writing, research and analytical work,” said Dove, who also holds degrees in philosophy and English literature from Rudolph-Macon Women’s College as well as a master’s de-gree in philosophy from Rice University.

An attorney at Snell & Wilmer since 2009 who had the rare distinction of serving two federal clerkships in 2007 and 2008, Dove

focuses her practice on commercial litiga-tion and appellate law, and has provided counsel in more than 100 state and federal appeals and writ proceedings. But it’s her pro bono work that really makes her tick.

Dove had the privilege of serving on the legal team as pro bono counsel in the land-mark marriage-equity case Sevcik v. San-doval, filed in April 2012 on behalf of sev-eral plaintiff same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses. A judge ruled against the couples, but upon appeal, the Ninth Circuit Court declared the Nevada same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional in October 2014, and enjoined state employ-ees from denying same-sex couples mar-

riage licenses, effectively legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

“It was moving to work with those cou-ples, and to get to know them and hear their stories,” Dove said. “Being involved with that case will always remain a highlight of my legal career.”

Her pro bono work also includes the rep-resentation of a human trafficking victim. Dove is working to expunge the criminal record the woman obtained while being forced to work as a prostitute.

A member of the Nevada State Bar’s Ap-pellate Litigation Section, Dove chairs the pro bono committee.

— Danielle Birkin

I n his 22 years with Bank of America — where he began as an entry-level tell-er — Nevada native Greg Duffield has

scaled the corporate ladder to currently serve as a senior vice president, and is in-strumental in running the financial institu-tion’s 400-person retail services customer contact center in Las Vegas, having played a key role in building the center from scratch.

Serving worldwide clients with a vol-ume of some 200,000 calls per month, the center addresses everyday banking con-cerns, offers 24-hour service for lost and stolen debit cards and provides support for hearing-impaired customers. Responsible for hiring, developing and training local em-

ployees, Duffield also helped launch the call center’s new digital services, which resolve complex online and mobile banking issues.

But Duffield is perhaps proudest of his efforts on behalf of workplace tolerance, and has in fact emerged as the go-to guy for diversity, having served in multiple lead-ership roles for company LGBT programs and training events.

Duffield was honored in this capacity as one of 22 manager recipients of Bank of America’s 2015 Global Diversity and Inclu-sion Award, recognized among some 1,000 nominated employees.

“I believe it’s important for associates to bring their authentic selves to work, and

(Bank of America’s) core values are about diversity and inclusion, which is one reason I’ve stayed with them for so long,” said Duff-ield, who also helped to increase the bank’s local LGBT employee advocacy program from 15 to 180 members and allies.

Duffield also participated on the bank’s team in the 2014 and 2015 AIDS LifeCycle event, a seven-day, 545-mile charity bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, rais-ing $236,000 and $324,000, respectively.

“I’m really proud of what the bank has done locally in terms of diversity and vol-unteerism,” said Duffield, who also supports Human Rights Campaign and The Center.

— Danielle Birkin

Ryan CupersmithManaging Partner

Ernst & Young LLP ■ Age: 39

Kelly DoveAttorney

Snell & Wilmer ■ Age: 39

Greg DuffieldSenior Vice President, Retail Services

Bank of America ■ Age: 39

12A

A former Division I ice hockey player who also played softball as an undergradu-ate studying political science at Yale

University, Katie Fellows holds a J.D. from UNLV — she also attended Tulane University Law School — and originally planned to pur-sue a career in sports law.

Then the St. Paul, Minn., native, who relo-cated to Southern Nevada in 2003, discovered gaming law, developed an interest in enter-tainment, administrative and regulatory issues, and realized it was a great fit.

“It happened organically while I was still in law school working at Jones Vargas, then I got a call out of the blue from Caesars Entertainment and closed my eyes and jumped off the cliff to go in-house, and loved every minute of it,” said Fellows, who put her experience with Caesars to good use when she joined Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in 2011, keeping busy as the property’s only in-house attorney by managing all legal af-

fairs. “Resorts are sort of like small cities, and they are very heavily regulated.”

Fellows handles everything from employ-ment issues and lawsuits to regulatory matters, intellectual-property situations, food and bev-erage leases and booking entertainment acts.

She was recently involved in the legal as-pects of remodeling the iconic Center Bar and also in securing performers such as Ras-cal Flatts. She is also currently involved with the expansion of the meeting and convention space, slated to open this fall, and planning for pool season, which begins in April.

Vice chair for the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Red Cross — “first responders for disaster,” she said — Fellows is on the UNLV law school’s Gaming Law Policy advisory board and is also a member of the Las Vegas Founding 75, a group dedicated to bringing a National Hockey League team to Las Vegas.

— Danielle Birkin

Katie FellowsVice President, General Counsel

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino ■ Age: 35

13A

Kelly FreyFormer Director of Entertainment and Public Relations

Caesars Entertainment■ Age: 35

Ross GdovinVice President of Marketing

Golden Entertainment Inc.■ Age: 39

Wesley GreggGeneral Manager

Gaudin Ford■ Age: 39

Alicia GreenFounder / Marketing Strategist

Hendricks Drive Advertising■ Age: 36

T he director of entertainment, public rela-tions and social media at Caesars Enter-tainment is the unofficial welcome wagon

for the company; a role Kelly Frey knows well, having created a plethora of high-profile events to build buzz for the company’s local properties.

In 2012, Frey was instrumental in gathering worldwide media exposure with the Shania Twain welcome event at Caesars Palace, which kicked off the singer’s residency.

“We knew Shania loved horses, so we worked with Metro and the county to close down Las Vegas Boulevard for 15 minutes, and Shania arrived on horseback with a posse of 40 horses,” said Frey. “It was the first time we had done something that crazy and different, and it was the highlight of my career.”

With the stage set for innovative events, Frey went on to plan and execute a welcome event for Olivia Newton-John’s residency at the Flamingo in April 2014, whereby the iconic songstress cruised through the Linq Promenade in an actual con-vertible featured in the movie “Grease.”

In November of that year, Frey was also the driving force behind “Britney Day” — Nov. 5 — to celebrate pop singer Britney Spears’ one-year anniversary in residency at the Axis at Planet Hollywood.

“Britney really wants to be part of the local community, and announced her part-nership with Childhood Cancer Foundation,” McCullough said, adding that the singer has raised some $120,000 for the nonprofit.

— Danielle Birkin

W hat is the secret to success?“I wish I had a blanket answer to share

with aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Alicia Green. “I recall wondering why my predecessors couldn’t just lay it out for me. That answer often changes depending on who you are talking to, but I would just say to diversify your skill set and focus on a glaring issue that you can solve. I don’t feel like I have reached any ‘magical des-tination’ people may perceive as the success pinnacle. I think success is a verb. You have to constantly feed that beast.”

In 2015, Green established her start-up, Hendricks Drive Advertising. “After com-pleting my degree in 2012 I attempted the traditional corporate ladder, but at that point my children were already 12 and 8 (now 15 and 11). I needed to expedite my career advancement so I made some requisite pivots, ended up doing a sabbatical of sorts in Silicon Valley for about eight months by doing a lot of back-and-forth travel. I discovered the power of injecting technology into a lot of what I enjoyed in previous roles — event planning, branding and market strategy — so I took the leap.”

High on her list of things to do in the coming months, Green says, is to “keep a healthy pulse on my happiness index. My family places high value on time and ex-periences. If we are able to squeeze in the occasional getaway and regular ‘sitcom moments,’ We know we are on the right track.”

She recalls a recent dinner conversation when it occurred to her teenage son to compare our personalities to countries. “He associated my personality to Switzer-land. I asked why and his response was, ‘Because you care less about the details of the problem and more about solving it.’ I’m still trying to wrap my head around the Switzerland piece, but I’ll take it.”

— Howard Riell

W hen Ross Gdovin first came to Golden Entertainment Inc., he was employed as a slot analyst. It was far different

from the actuarial work he had been doing in Philadelphia, but with that industry showing few prospects in Nevada, he looked to apply his mathematics background elsewhere — and now he couldn’t be happier.

Gdovin holds a graduate degree in math and actuarial science. Within a couple years, he asked to use those skills on the marketing side of the gaming business.

“I thought of marketing as TV commercials, branding and billboards, but there’s a heavy science to it — and particularly in gaming. There’s extensive database market-ing and modeling and I was able to apply my skills in the field quickly,” he said.

In his time with the company Gdovin has helped usher Golden through incredible growth. The company is now the largest tavern operator in the country and recently opened its 50th PT’s. It also has the largest distributed gaming route in Nevada and owns three casinos in Pahrump. Golden recently purchased the Rocky Gap Casino-Resort in Maryland.

Gdovin is also the co-organizer of Golden Entertainment’s annual 98.5 KLUC Toy Drive. He is also a “Ride Safe” organizer, a program that encourages patrons to use Uber to avoid drinking and driving to get home safely. Golden donates a dollar for every ride taken from one of its taverns to the Friends of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation.

— Brian Sodoma

Family-owned Gaudin Ford has enjoyed a Top 50 ranking among the world’s 3,200 Ford dealerships. General Manager Wesley

Gregg is a big reason for that success.Gregg’s technology background helped him

in the auto industry. He started building websites for small businesses in the 1990s. Then, when he worked for Reno Lithia Subaru, he saw how the auto industry needed to better in-tegrate technology into the customer experience. He learned how and became a valuable asset for any auto dealer.

“The auto industry was well behind the curve in the way it communicated with cus-tomers. With the evolution of the Internet, the web became more than information. It became a conversation point to where you could communicate with the customer through email, chat … there was more transparency. This really set the tone for the rest of my career,” he said.

Five years ago, he seized the opportunity to join Gaudin as general sales manager; he became general manager three years ago.

“It was fundamentally different because it was family owned and operated. It wasn’t this big corporation with 136 dealerships. It really fit with my belief system and how I wanted to be connecting with a local community,” he said. “My goal now is to grow and sustain Gaudin Ford and put it in a position to be around for another 100 years.”

Gregg also supports the Grant a Gift Autism Foundation and Shriner’s Hospital. Gregg, in cooperation with the Gaudin dealership team, also recently helped a home-less family with basic needs and housing.

“For me, that was just about giving someone an opportunity and propping them up a little for a fresh start,” he said.

— Brian Sodoma

14A

Chris GumielaVice President of Marketing

Monte Carlo Resort & Casino■ Age: 31

Joe HaroDirector of Corporate Partnerships

Hakkasan Group■ Age: 35

C hris Gumiela believes that having worked only for MGM Resorts International in his professional career has helped him devel-

op and refine his own personal brand. “It is all about performance,” he said. “If you

don’t successfully deliver on what is requested of you, big or small, there are plenty of other worthy and willing individuals ready to step up.”

Next in importance come relationships. “My mentors have been a huge part of my growth and have been there when I needed advice, motivation, or just a beer and conversation.”

Gumiela has learned that “nothing is beneath me. While delegation is necessary people learn by watching, and the example I set will be what will be remembered by my team.” He is also convinced that “it’s all about progress, not perfection. I can’t expect to be perfect, nor can I expect my team to be perfect. But what should always be expected and achieved is progress towards eventual perfection.”

In his view, 2015 was a set-up year. “It was my first full year as the vice president of marketing at Monte Carlo, so I was finally comfortable in the role and at the property. But all, if not most, of the work that was done was for the future of the property. We are in the midst of an incredible change, and there is a ton of strategic work that is nec-essary in order to ensure the decisions we make are informed and ultimately correct.”

For the future, a major goal is "ensuring that we capitalize on the new neighbor-hood that MGM Resorts is creating. That will be the key to success for the property.”

— Howard Riell

C hicago native Joe Haro has kept up with the pace of an evolving Las Vegas. A graduate of UNLV with a bachelor’s degree in com-

munications, Haro joined Hakkasan Group in the summer of 2014, updating his title from director of sponsorship and beverage to director of cor-porate partnerships to better reflect the synergy between vendors and clients.

“While beverage is certainly our bread and butter, I deal with companies across the board from luxury lifestyle to fashion to technology, and, having sat in the sales seat, I can put myself in their shoes and understand the challenges they face,” said Haro, who was raised in New Jersey and relocated to Southern Nevada in 1998. “Part-nerships used to be more of a one-way street, but we really want to help drive our partners’ brands on a national level.”

Haro said the focus for 2016 is creating partnerships with other upscale brands outside beverage, citing Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Apple and Starbucks as examples.

“The great thing about Las Vegas is that it’s not just about gaming, and with new companies and entrepreneurs coming in, (it’s exciting to see) what we’ll become in the next 10 or 15 years,” said Haro, who is helping to make a difference in future genera-tions by serving as chief marketing officer for the non-profit Las Vegas Business Acad-emy, which focuses on education for young professionals by offering promising local students up to $75,000 in scholarship funding to earn an MBA, MHA or J.D. from UNLV.

Haro also serves on the board of the UNLV Football Foundation. — Danielle Birkin

15A

The William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV congratulates

Layke Martin Assistant Dean for External Relations

on being named one of Southern Nevada’s 40 Under 40 for 2016!

Thank you for your dedication to the law school and the legal community.

CONGRATULATIONS!

@UNLVLaw

on being named one ofVegas Inc’s 40 Under 40.

CONGRATULATIONSMatt Wilson

Soraya Tabibi Aguirre702.222.2500 [email protected] Hillwood Drive, 2nd Floor Las Vegas, NV 89134

Soraya AguirrePARTNER, PRIVATE CLIENT AND TAX

CONG

RATULATION

S

Soraya Aguirre embodies Holland & Hart’s values of client service, integrity, excellence, teamwork, and commitment to community. We salute her and all of the 2016 Vegas, Inc. 40 Under 40 honorees.

Raymond HessDirector of Planning Services

The RTC of Southern Nevada■ Age: 39

Daniel KouretasFounder / CEO

Kouretas Ventures, LLC■ Age: 38

Glenda Lippman-MonkarshCEO/Owner

Lippman Media ■ Age: 37

Shauna LemieuxCommunications and Brand Manager

Vegas PBS■ Age: 37

R aymond Hess discovered the planning world when he took a job in Brooksville, Fla., as a community development coor-

dinator. What appeared to be a position focused on creating special events, taking public input and creating ordinances involved much more. Hess found himself closely tied to economic de-velopment efforts, land use and other community matters. He was most intrigued by planning.

“If you do it (planning) well you can really address the needs of a community,” he said. “A lot of that really resonated with me along with how multidisciplinary the work really is. … There’s so much coordination and collaboration to do as well.”

Hess is now a major part of Southern Nevada Strong, a comprehensive plan to im-prove economic development, education, transportation choice and other commu-nity concerns. As a core administrator of an effort very much in its infancy, his team works to bring parties together to discuss transportation issues, changes and needs and how these elements impact local economic competitiveness and education.

Hess also has overseen the development of the regional transportation plan, which will program more than $8.5 billion in local transportation projects over the next 20 years. He is also proud of his team’s efforts to help fund the Boulder City By-pass project for the future I-11 corridor. The $300 million financing effort was creative for how it used federal funds while bringing cost savings and a shortened implemen-tation timeline.

— Brian Sodoma

G rowing up in the Philippines, Marty Lopez was heavily influenced by American cin-ema. “Top Gun” had him wanting to be a

fighter pilot some day; but a far more low-key part of his life steered him towards a culinary career.

Lopez enjoyed helping his grandfather in the kitchen. He would visit markets to find ingredients and was exposed to what Americans would probably see as exotic cuisine.

“The first thing I learned to make was squid. … Cooking was my baseball, my foot-ball,” he said. “My fondest memories are in the kitchen with my family, and having that quality time.”

Today, he and his 35 Steaks + Martinis team enjoy rave reviews. Last year the venue took Las Vegas Weekly’s 2015 “Best Steakhouse” Reader’s Choice Award.

Previously, Lopez worked for Gordon Ramsey, and in 2012, he was also part of the Bacchanal Buffet opening team at Caesars Palace.

Now, as an executive chef, Lopez embraces a role that requires many hats.“People associate a chef with the food, but that’s actually about 25 percent of it,”

he said. “You’re also helping to fulfill the business model. … You have to treat the funds coming in as your own money and manage everything efficiently. … But then you have to be very accommodating to guests, meeting their needs, even with dietary restrictions … and you have to be very personable.”

In the future, he would like to establish a charity kitchen. “It’s just something I always wanted to do. There are so many people out there who need help,” he said.

W hile Vegas PBS may have a strong brand presence in the valley, Shauna Lemieux thinks there’s a lot more to know about

the enterprise, and she’s always looking for a way to tell us all about it.

“Sometimes people know us and love us as a TV station, but they aren’t always aware of the other things we do to leverage that great TV programming,” she said.

Lemieux points to Vegas PBS’ robust adult education program, workforce devel-opment efforts and GED certificate training as just a small sample of offerings that go overlooked in the Vegas PBS conversation. The entity has also placed a strong emphasis on helping to transition veterans into civilian life as well.

Lemieux’s team has been designing new branding and marketing materials for Vegas PBS, both in Spanish and English, and combining that with an effective com-munications campaign via radio, television and other media channels. All of this is done with the idea of keeping the brand more consistent with the national brand while also targeting specific messaging for local needs.

“Everyday, with my job I get to help promote the wonderful work that we’re doing across the organization. … I’m fortunate to work with and share those programs with the community,” she said.

Prior to joining Vegas PBS, the Wisconsin native worked in communications for nonprofits and health care entities. She was also the communications and develop-ment specialist for CASA of Brown County in Green Bay, Wisc. She is also currently on the board of the child abuse prevention agency, Olive Crest.

“Nonprofits are where my passion is. I like working with organizations with fewer resources than the big guys, but whose mission is helping the community,” she said.

— Brian Sodoma

W hen he was growing up, Daniel Kouretas recalls, he was able to observe someone at close range from whom he learned to

develop his own business acumen: his own father. “My father and my brother have been my pri-

mary mentors,” he said. “My father taught me to never chase a deal, and to be patient. As a child I saw this philosophy play out and learned it was a successful strategy for business deals. My brother has taught me to work collaboratively with groups to achieve the common goal.”

Over the years, Kouretas developed a personal philosophy of remaining positive. “My business philosophy is to never chase a deal but to recognize viable opportuni-ties and put forth my best effort into those. These merge, because no matter the outcome of my business ventures, I have a positive outlook because I know that I gave it my all.”

In 2016, he plans to see many of his projects come to fruition. “I plan to see the Lucky’s Lounge brand expand throughout the valley and even beyond. Furthermore, I plan to see a fast-casual dining concept that I have been working on come to life that will offer patrons a unique dining experience. Finally, I expect to continue to foster new relationships that may open even more doors for business opportunities.”

To anyone looking for success he offers the following suggestion: “Focus. In order to be successful in life, an individual must identify a goal and then focus on that goal. The focus is what differentiates those who are successful from those who are not.”

— Howard Riell

Genda Lippman-Monkarsh was not a typi-cal student when she was younger, having been diagnosed with dyslexia in early el-

ementary school. “While it made school difficult for me, it taught

me other important skills that translated well to the business world,” she said. “For example, I learned to look at problems in an alternate light and search for different answers when other people may settle for the first or easiest one.” She also learned to keep trying even when things were challenging, and to work hard every day even when it is not apparent that there was forward progress.

“I try to find the positive in every situation,” she said. “Even when others might look at a circumstance and struggle to find the silver lining, I take a step back and see what I can take away from the situation to prevent it from occurring again, or to know how to address it in the future. I enter every day with the mindset that it is an opportunity to learn and improve my myself and my business.”

Last year was a huge one for her company, which saw her expand her team by adding a full-time content writer and a social media director. In addition, she signed two large clients, a law firm and a medical practice. “Remarkably, both clients have seen substantial growth during their first year with us, doubling their new client re-ferral rates. I am really proud of our team and what we accomplished in 2015.”

For the year now unfolding, Lippman-Monkarsh plans to continue to provide ex-cellent customer service to her existing clients, including the newest medical practice she signed only recently. “I also would like to continue to educate the public about affordable advertising and marketing options. Growing a business isn’t just for the big companies; everyone can learn to market.”

— Howard Riell

18A

Marty LopezExecutive Chef

35 Steaks + Martinis/Hard Rock Hotel■ Age: 35

Alexandra LourdesPartner

The Refined Agency■ Age: 31

G rowing up in the Philippines, Marty Lopez was heavily influenced by American cin-ema. “Top Gun” had him wanting to be a

fighter pilot some day; but a far more low-key part of his life steered him towards a culinary career.

Lopez enjoyed helping his grandfather in the kitchen. He would visit markets to find ingredients and was exposed to what Americans would probably see as exotic cuisine.

“The first thing I learned to make was squid. … Cooking was my baseball, my foot-ball,” he said. “My fondest memories are in the kitchen with my family, and having that quality time.”

Today, he and his 35 Steaks + Martinis team enjoy rave reviews. Last year the venue took Las Vegas Weekly’s 2015 “Best Steakhouse” Reader’s Choice Award.

Previously, Lopez worked for Gordon Ramsey, and in 2012, he was also part of the Bacchanal Buffet opening team at Caesars Palace.

Now, as an executive chef, Lopez embraces a role that requires many hats.“People associate a chef with the food, but that’s actually about 25 percent of it,”

he said. “You’re also helping to fulfill the business model. … You have to treat the funds coming in as your own money and manage everything efficiently. … But then you have to be very accommodating to guests, meeting their needs, even with dietary restrictions … and you have to be very personable.”

In the future, he would like to establish a charity kitchen. “It’s just something I always wanted to do. There are so many people out there who need help,” he said.

— Brian Sodoma

A lexandra Lourdes has a couple of rules for herself that she has always followed.

“Regardless of what goal I set for myself, I see it through — even those that I may have questioned midway through,” she said. “In every experience, I have always learned something new or met someone who has led me to where I am today. The challenges and accomplishments of each goal are equally rewarding.”

Another of her rules is to pay it forward. “I love seeing the good in people, con-necting them with someone I may know, or giving someone advice and recommen-dations from what I have learned. I have been lucky enough to encounter the most amazing people that have been cheerleaders for me since Day One. Even complete strangers have gone out of their way to connect me with someone or help in some way, so I always make sure to pay it forward.”

The rules appear to be working. Last year was one of her best yet, she explains. “I graduated from UNLV with my Ph.D. and launched a new company, the Refined Agency, with my business partner Lin Jerome. Being able to make a real impact on the success of local businesses in Las Vegas through interactive marketing and com-munity events was the most rewarding professional achievement of 2015.”

Her major goal this year is to grow the Refined Agency into a national brand.“Many people advise that you should surround yourself with people you want to

be like,” she said. “While I believe that is true, what was more important to me was to always surround yourself with positive people who see the best in you.”

— Howard Riell

19A

Andy MooreShareholder

SL ayke Martin is committed to helping students and alumni of UNLV’s Wil-liam S. Boyd School of Law navigate

the cutthroat legal employment market. A native Nevadan who holds a bachelor’s

degree in broadcast journalism from UNLV, Martin began her own career as a news producer for the local KVBS News 3 morn-ing show but realized her inherent curios-ity coupled with her excellent writing and listening skills would translate well to the legal field.

Also, “If I went to law school I would never have to work graveyard,” said Martin,

who went on to obtain her J.D. at Boston University School of Law, practicing lo-cally in business litigation with Marquis Aurbach Coffing and also serving as an ad-junct law professor at UNLV, a move which cemented her passion for working with students. She came on board as the law school’s director of career development in 2001, and assumed her current post in November 2014.

Martin’s advocacy efforts also include outreach to lawyers, law firms and judges as well as fund-raising. Last fall, she spear-headed the Dean’s Scholarship Initiative, a

three-year, $2 million campaign which has thus far raised more than $500,000 for stu-dent scholarships.

She also created the law school’s 10-week, paid internship program in 2012, pounding the pavement to enlist companies such as Caesars Entertainment, NV Energy, Boyd Gaming Corp. and Southwest Gas.

“We didn’t have students interning in the legal departments at the city’s largest com-panies, so we set out to change that, and provided great opportunities that didn’t previously exist,” said Martin.

— Danielle Birkin

O rgan donation has long been a hot-button topic for Kate McCullough, whose high-school friend received

a life-saving kidney transplant 13 years ago. Even as a student at Slippery Rock Univer-sity, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, organ donation was on her radar, having planned an organ drive in conjunction with her membership in the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Flash-forward to 2011, when — after 10 years in broadcast media, including her lo-cal role as news producer at 8 News Now — she took a leap of faith and joined the non-profit Nevada Donor Network, where she

leads the strategic planning and imple-mentation of programs and initiatives de-signed to raise awareness of the impor-tance of organ, eye and tissue donation; increase statewide donor registrations; and heighten the public’s support and un-derstanding of organ donation, including multicultural outreach. She also oversees education, and youth and multicultural outreach for the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

“Organ donation is something I’ve al-ways believed in, and I’m amazed by what one person has the ability to do,” said the Erie, Pa., native, who was instrumental in launching NDN’s first multimedia “Every-

one Counts” campaign last year, and also led the organization through a complete rebranding, including the design of a new logo, in 2014. With the launch of the new logo, McCullough also began the task of creating a new website with the goal of pro-viding educational resources for the public as well as the organization’s valued com-munity partners.

A supporter of the Simon Keith Founda-tion, which provides financial support to children who wish to return to an active and healthy lifestyle following a life-saving transplant, McCullough also serves as team leader for Donate Life Nevada.

— Danielle Birkin

Kurt Melien is committed to keeping Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world.

“Las Vegas has evolved, and really ap-peals to all different types of ages and faces and demographics, and music really helps to drive that diversification,” said the Massachusetts native, who holds a bach-elor’s degree in history from College of the Holy Cross and a degree from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

A former executive with Caesars Enter-tainment — where he served as vice presi-dent and head of entertainment — Melien also worked at Harrah’s Entertainment and

Six Flags Inc., experience which serves him well as president of Live Nation, Las Vegas, a post he assumed in January 2015.

Melien promotes concerts both large and small across venues including Manda-lay Bay Events Center, T-Mobile Arena, The Foundry at SLS, MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Axis at Planet Hollywood and Las Ve-gas Village, serving as an informal ambas-sador for the city wooing music agents and artist managers to bring top-notch artists to town. Through a collection of market-ing efforts, Melien also ensures that fans know about each event in the city and can get tickets in their hands.

Recent accomplishments include work-

ing with Caesars Entertainment to bring Jennifer Lopez to residency at the Axis, a deal long in the making, according to Melien, who was also instrumental in bringing Lio-nel Richie and Pitbull to Planet Hollywood.

“We’ll also probably do a dozen shows a year at the new T-Mobile Arena, and have already signed Janet Jackson,” said Me-lien, whose personal philanthropic efforts include assisting the homeless and low-income families in the area. “We also just started working with the Foundry at SLS, with a younger-skewing demographic and great energy. We’re always talking to art-ists in an ongoing courtship.”

— Danielle Birkin

Layke MartinAssistant Dean for External Relations

UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law ■ Age: 36

Kate McCulloughCommunity Services Supervisor

Nevada Donor Network ■ Age: 36

Kurt MelienPresident

Live Nation, Las Vegas ■ Age: 39

20A

Jessica PeraltaOwner

Fit4Mom Las Vegas■ Age: 35

Andy MooreShareholder

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck■ Age: 39

L ike many new moms, when former regis-tered nurse and clinical professor of nursing Jessica Peralta was pregnant with her first

child, she gained a bit of baby weight. But the Georgia College & State University

graduate, who moved to Southern Nevada in 2006 and has a passion for health and wellness, was undaunted, and set about getting back in shape.

Trouble was, she couldn’t find a workout venue where she felt comfortable and supported in her own skin. So in 2012, she took a leap of faith and opened a local franchise of Fit4Mom at Town Square.

“Since then, we’ve grown to 13 locations from Henderson to Summerlin to North Las Vegas, and are the second franchisee in the network to launch our own studio space,” said Peralta, adding that Fit4Mom Las Vegas recently won the Franchise of the Year Award.

Fit4Mom's signature program is Stroller Strides. It includes power walking/jog-ging and intervals of strength and body-toning exercises using a stroller and the environment. A spinoff, Stroller Barre, is a blend of ballet, Pilates, barre, yoga and stroller-based exercises designed to help moms build strength and muscle tone, while Fit4Baby targets pregnant women. Body Back targets new moms with a high-intensity workout to blast calories and increase strength.

“All of our programs target the body, mind and soul in a supportive atmosphere,” said Peralta, who is active with Baby’s Bounty, Jingle Bell Run and Butterball Burn.

— Danielle Birkin

S ince becoming an attorney in 2004, Andy Moore has strived to do his job well and to help others perform to the best of their abilities.

“I think the main reason why I have enjoyed some success and derived enjoyment from my profession is because I really enjoy working with others to assist clients,” he said. “When I did litiga-tion work, I really enjoyed collaborating with other attorneys to brainstorm poten-tial arguments that we could make in a contentious matter. As a gaming attorney, I enjoy working with others in providing answers to clients’ questions about certain regulatory requirements, or working with colleagues to get a large multijurisdictional licensing project completed.”

His philosophy of both life and business is to treat people with respect. “If you do that outside the office and inside the office, the people around you will defi-nitely enjoy your company substantially more than if you don’t do that. Addition-ally, success and fulfillment are more likely to find you when you treat people with respect.”

Moore urges those around him to “try to have fun in doing whatever you do. I enjoy the company of others, and it’s important to make the office a fun and posi-tive environment. There are long hours and drudgery inherent in the legal profession. It’s better to handle that drudgery with humor rather than with misery. No one really likes to hear people complain about how many emails they need to respond to.”

Another good piece of advice is to remember that success comes to those who show up. “Support your colleagues and friends with their various endeavors. If a col-league or friend is hosting an event, show up rather than finding excuses not to go.”

— Howard Riell

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People who move the world forward are the kinds of people who help build our success at EY. We’re pleased to congratulate Ryan Cupersmith for being honored in Vegas Inc’s 40 Under 40 and thank him for his leadership in the Las Vegas market and his commitment to exceptional client service.

Visit ey.com

Forward thinking got you here. And it’s what will fuel a future of possibilities.

David PerissetCo-CEO

Exotics Racing ■ Age: 37

Bridget RichardsSenior Vice President — Las Vegas Investment Services Division

Colliers International■ Age: 38

Kevin SweetVice President of Slot Operations and Marketing

The Cosmopolitan■ Age: 30

Spencer StewartChancellor

WGU Nevada■ Age: 39

D avid Perisset believes that success is “very relative,” and doesn’t feel as if he has achieved more than a lot of people

around him.“A lot of people are successful with their fam-

ily, their involvement within their community or in sports, for instance,” he said. “Looking at the suc-cess we have had with Exotics Racing, which is now the largest driving experience in the world, I can only say that it is due to a group of people, starting with my business partner Romain Thievin.”

Success, Perisset said, is “made of encounters, opportunities, and a little bit of luck. I grew up in a great family environment and had a fantastic education, but on the other hand I was never spoiled and never had it easy. Everything started there. Then I had successes and failures, but always bounced back and found new goals and objectives.”

Exotics Racing went through a lot of changes and new developments last year. “We completed two large projects for us: we opened a new Driving Center at our track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which improved tremendously our customer experi-ence and the working environment for our team. We also launched a new website.”

Perisset wants to continue to develop activities in California at the Auto Club Speedway. “It is our second location, which we opened two years ago, and it is now profitable. We are going to invest more in our track and in our facility, and launch new activities. One of them is our new EXR Series, which is going to change the way racing is done.”

— Howard Riell

H ow has Spencer Stewart — who has served as Chancellor of WGU Nevada for just over six months now — managed to achieve so

much in his career in so little time? “The word managed suggests a rather calcu-

lated, controlled approach to achieving success, which is just the opposite from my personal ex-perience,” he said.

“I suppose whatever success I’ve achieved thus far is, to a great degree, the result of discovering very early in my career what I love doing and, to a greater degree, the good fortune of being surrounded by encouraging colleagues, patient mentors and supportive family members.”

Last year was one of endings and beginnings for Stewart, he said. “I transitioned from Nevada State College after spending 14 remarkable years working shoulder to shoulder with some of the finest and most talented people in Nevada. We built something of lasting value and importance for this community — its students, par-ents, and employers — for years to come.”

His plan for this year is to do much of the same at WGU Nevada. “My hope is that I’ve learned a bit from my previous experiences — both successes and failures — to help move WGU Nevada forward at the pace and with the quality that the ‘New Nevada’ requires.”

Whatever the future holds, Stewart’s outlook remains unchanged. “I think David Brooks summed it up nicely when he described the difference between résumé vir-tues and eulogy virtues. The eulogy virtues are the ones we aspire to, the ones we’d like to be remembered for, because they matter the most. As a result, the most im-portant work we will ever do will be within the walls of our home.”

— Howard Riell

For Bridget Richards, success appears never to have been in doubt.

“I started working early and developed a strong work ethic,” she said. “I’ve always envi-sioned success as a certain reality. It’s important to capture exactly what success looks like in your mind’s eye before you take any action. For some reason I have always had a vision. I go through life thinking I can do anything, and sometimes I get lucky.”

In her own estimation, said Richards, “I think it takes individuals to create success. One person with a dream and a plan is sufficient; if that person can communicate her vision effectively everyone else will become a believer.”

Looking back, Richards believes that 2015 was a year of change “and the year I decided to pursue my happiness and to work on only projects and people I am pas-sionate about since I gave birth to my beautiful son Jesse on Nov. 23. Might as well be happy; life is short. I don’t want to waste one minute working with jerks. The freedom you gain from being selective is priceless.”

Her twin goals for this year are to be a great mom and to pursue her career with passion and a fun mindset. “The two are intertwined completely. I never put a client into a deal that I wouldn’t do myself, and for that reason we all win.”

She cautions people coming into her industry about hiding behind a computer keyboard. “I see a lot of that, people who send an email rather than call. It’s foolish to rely on technology in place of human interaction.”

— Howard Riell

Destined for a career in gaming, Kevin Sweet pulled the lever on his first slot machine when he was 4 years old and was instantly

enthralled with the rush.“I knew by age 5 that I wanted to work in the ca-

sino industry, and the obvious place to go after col-lege was Las Vegas,” said Sweet, a New York native who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from West Virginia University.

Sweet relocated to Southern Nevada in 2006, working in various capacities at Treasure Island, Bellagio, Aria and Las Vegas Sands Corp. — with a brief stint at Semi-nole Gaming in Hollywood, Fla. — before assuming his current post in January 2015 at the Cosmopolitan, where he puts his diverse knowledge of slot operations gar-nered both domestically and in Macau and Singapore to insightful good use.

Sweet has been instrumental in reinvigorating the Cosmopolitan’s casino, with a push toward a more gaming-centric model and renewed focus on slot players. For starters, Sweet spearheaded the addition of the new High Limit Slot Lounge, which debuted last December to positive reviews.

“We used to share a high-limit room with table games, which was not really con-ducive to either department, so by separating them out we enhanced the gaming experience on both sides,” said Sweet, adding that slot revenue has grown under his guidance by more than 20 percent.

Sweet was also behind the effort to revamp the Identity Membership and Re-wards program and was also a driving force behind the new sports book, which opened the week before Super Bowl Sunday.

“This last year has been very exciting, and I’m honored to be a part of it,” said Sweet, who supports the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and Communities in Schools of Nevada.

— Danielle Birkin

22A

Max TappeinerVice President of Hotel Operations

The Venetian / Palazzo ■ Age: 34

W ith his father in the business, Max Tappeiner grew up around luxury hotels. He always felt a strong pull

to the field, so it seems natural that he would excel in the business. But it was a unique life event that ultimately planted the seed of am-bition in this rising young executive.

At the age of 21, Tappeiner was diagnosed with life-threatening thyroid cancer. Eventually grateful for a positive outcome, the experience shaped his view on career success forever. He attributes his rise through the corporate ranks to being “laser focused.”

“I think this is the best job in the world. You host and are gracious with people and are al-ways interacting with a young, talented team. It’s invigorating,” he said. “There’s really no hiding in hospitality from guests, from team members or from results. You are 100 percent exposed. There’s 100 percent visibility, and I enjoy that very much.”

Tappeiner spent 13 years with Mandarin Oriental and was responsible for the success-ful unveiling of the luxury brand at CityCenter in 2009, amidst the global financial crisis. He moved to the Venetian and Palazzo last year and doesn’t see himself leaving the valley any-time soon.

“I’ve lived all over the world — Berlin, Lon-don, New York — no city has ever embraced me or my family as much as this city has. I’m very loyal to Las Vegas,” he said.

Tappeiner is also president of the Las Ve-gas Business Academy, a nonprofit agency that provides scholarship opportunities for students seeking certain advanced degrees from UNLV.

“What’s unique about the program is the mentorship component,” he said. “We hope that really serves as a platform for individuals to become successful leaders in our community.”

— Brian Sodoma

23A

Congratulations!

David J. TinaOwner/Corporate Broker

10220 W. Charleston Blvd. Ste. 3, Las Vegas, NV 89135 - 702.853.2444

We are so proud of our very own Dave Tinafor being named one of Vegas INC’s 40

Under 40 for 2016. Urban Nest Realty alsocongratulates all the fellow nominees chosen

for this prestigious award.WE K

NOW

VEGA

S

LASVEGASSUN.com | LASVEGASWEEKLY.com | VEGASINC.comLASVEGASMAGAZINE.com | VEGAS2GO.com

S uccess, reflects David Tina, is relative “and so much more of a moving target than a destination that I rarely slow

down enough to acknowledge it. I’m always looking forward to the next project.”

Tina considers himself to have been for-tunate to be around different businesses and people from a very early age. His father was a New York City firefighter who opened a restaurant with three partners before his son reached middle school. He was also a licensed Realtor on Long Island “and in-volved in so many things all while raising me by himself. Even though I had to grow

up quickly, I gained a ton of real-world ex-perience by spending so much time with my dad. To be able to have that much expo-sure to such a diverse amount of industries at such a young age was invaluable.”

In 2015, he was elected as the president of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Re-altors and Urban Nest Realty became the sixth most productive real estate office in Las Vegas. In less than four years, the vision he and his colleagues set forth of being a company that values quality over quantity became a reality. “Our agency closes more deals per agent than any of the offices

ahead of us, and we have a higher average sale, as well. We accomplished all of this while staying true to our roots by being a locally owned company that is not a fran-chise. We thrive in the underdog role, and I couldn’t be prouder of our agents.”

His company is hard at work expand-ing its luxury footprint with a separate division. Says Tina, “We are continually raising the bar.”

As for the big picture, he notes, “There shouldn’t be a difference of philosophy be-tween life and business; it’s all life.”

— Howard Riell

A s a senior in high school in her na-tive Las Vegas, Jennifer Turner was in search of a job that could evolve

into a career, and a family member sug-gested bank teller. To that end, Turner joined Bank of America in 1999, taking a brief leave of absence in 2002 to join the U.S. Marine Corp., from which she was hon-orably discharged as the result of illness.

She returned to the company and went on to serve as branch manager until 2010, joining Nevada State Bank in a similar ca-pacity in 2013, and assuming her current position in August of last year, using her years of experience to manage the South-ern Nevada retail development officers.

“I didn’t know I would have this kind of passion for (the banking business), but as I started to build relationships with clients I realized I was making a contribution to people’s lives, and that really inspired me,” said Turner, who will receive her as-sociate’s degree in business administration from College of Southern Nevada this May, and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UNLV — while continuing to work full-time — starting in the fall. “I’ve had people come and thank me and say that because of my advice, they were able to save money to get that first house or new car or start a college fund.”

In her current role, Turner now manages

and is actively growing a team of 10 retail development officers who help small-busi-ness clients, and is always looking to grow partnerships, including working closely with the SBA.

In her previous role, overseeing 15 branches as retail market sales manager, her effective training skills resulted in team members meeting or exceeding their per-sonal sales goals and the team achieving 115 percent in overall production.

Actively involved with Junior Achieve-ment, Turner teaches financial literacy to elementary students on behalf of the or-ganization.

— Danielle Birkin

S outhern Nevada native Lauren West-erfield combined her passion for cre-ativity and one-on-one marketing

with her love of technology in her current position overseeing interactive and nontra-ditional marketing for Station Casinos.

A graduate of USC who holds degrees in communications and Spanish, Westerfield originally came on board with Station Ca-sinos in a marketing capacity in 2005, leav-ing the company for brief stints working for Golden Nugget Las Vegas and Laughlin, Aliante Casino + Hotel and at International Gaming Technology, where she honed her affinity for merging technology and innova-tion, experience that serves her well in her current post, which she assumed in Janu-

ary 2015. Her focus now centers on using nontraditional marketing methodology to transform the way the industry thinks as a whole while keeping Station Casinos ahead of the curve.

“The increasing pool of millennials has become something that all casino op-erators are facing now,” Westerfield said, adding that the challenge is to deliver an experience instead of just a brand. “The in-dustry is used to doing business a certain way, but direct-mail and free buffets are no longer attractive to this younger audience, so we’re working on solutions to get them to our resorts.”

One such effort includes Silent Savasana, a poolside yoga event which debuted last

spring at Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch resorts. During the program, participants don headsets that stream wireless instruc-tions to guide them through various moves.

“We topped out at 350 participants across both properties one month, and are gearing up for the next season,” said West-erfield, who is also revamping and updating Station Casinos’ kiosk games, and hinted that the company will be launching first-in-the-city interactive innovations later in 2016.

President of The Meadows School Alum-ni Association, Westerfield is also a market-ing volunteer for Noah’s Animal Foundation and serves on the advisory board for First Friday Foundation.

— Danielle Birkin

David TinaBroker/Owner

Urban Nest Realty ■ Age: 38

Jennifer TurnerVice President, Business Banking Sales Manager

Nevada State Bank ■ Age: 34

Lauren WesterfieldVice President of Interactive Marketing

Station Casinos Inc. ■ Age: 33

24A

Chris WhiteSenior Vice President — Las Vegas

Brooklyn Bowl ■ Age: 38

C hris White has always been a man with a plan.

“I worked incredibly hard in school and my early career to set myself up to make as much money as I possibly could,” he said,

“and I was on track to give myself that chance becoming an analyst for a hedge fund at 23.”

After a few years he realized that his mind-set was “completely misguided and naïve, and I moved to Las Vegas in search of career change and in the process took a large step back.”

Eventually, the hard work and training he’d received in New York came in handy in posi-tioning himself in roles that he found meaning-ful. “This, combined with the entrepreneurial opportunities Las Vegas provides, has allowed me to be involved in a variety of truly unique and exciting projects over the past decade.”

White calls 2015 a year of “tremendous growth” for the Brooklyn Bowl. “Being an in-dependent venue and operating on the scale

we do provided significant challenges enter-ing a market without brand awareness or the resources of a large company.”

His aims for 2016 include further solidifying Brooklyn Bowl’s leadership in his company’s two core business areas. “First off, to expand our presence as the premier venue in Las Vegas for group and corporate events ranging from five to 3,000 people. Second, to continue to in-crease quality and frequency of the live music content we provide to further establish Brook-lyn Bowl Las Vegas as one of the best music venues of our size in the country and the world.”

White maintains at all times a strong sense of perspective. “Luckily, I do not deal with life or death regularly, as such. I try to not take my-self or what I am doing too seriously, but I do strive to meet lofty goals and aim to surround myself with people of a similar mindset, both personally and professionally.”

— Howard Riell

25A

GLENDA MONKARSH40 UNDER 40 AWARD NOMINEE

Matt WilsonSenior Vice President of Global Gaming Operations

Aristocrat Technologies ■ Age: 34

T hirteen years ago, after graduating college with a marketing degree, Matt Wilson had two job offers. One was

with a major Australian newspaper enterprise, the other a gaming company named Aristo-crat Technologies. His father advised him that people would always read newspapers, so, naturally, the newspaper job was the safer bet. Wilson enjoyed doing exactly the opposite of what his father expected, so the gaming gig was his clear choice.

That 20-something rebel is now a 30-some-thing gaming executive force.

Wilson quickly established himself as a lead-er in the industry. He was in Macau from 2007 to 2012, helping Aristocrat capture a 70 percent market share. He did that by learning from oth-er gaming technology companies’ mistakes.

“A lot of the strategy was to force feed North American product to the Asian player, but we chose to localize instead,” he said. “Asian cul-

ture is rooted in destiny and fate with religions like Taoism and Confusionism. … So our focus was to be very Asian-centric instead, tailoring solutions to that specific market.”

Game development requires an executive who is sensitive to a client or market need, but who also knows when to go full force with an idea or pull back on another.

“There’s a lot of nuance. You’re not just slap-ping machines together,” he added. “You need to garner feedback, make sure you’re solving the business challenge. … The next genera-tion coming up are millennials and we have to learn how to adapt and be profitable for that emerging category.”

On a charity note, Wilson is a big supporter of Make-A-Wish Foundation. This year’s “Feb-ruary Fast” initiative that his team leads is on track to raise $40,000 for a childhood cancer patient’s trip to Australia.

— Brian Sodoma

26A

CONGRATULATIONS

Raymond Hesson being selected for the 16th annual 40 Under 40 award.

Your dedication to the quality of life for our valley’s residents and visitors is instrumental, and we thank you for your efforts.

THANKS TO ALL 40 UNDER 40 HONOREES FOR DRIVING OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD.

TOGETHER, WE MAKE SOUTHERN NEVADA STRONG.

to Kate McCullough onto Kate McCullough onKate McCulloughKate McCulloughKate McCulloughKate McCulloughbeing named a

Top 4o Under 4o honoree!Your passion, leadership and dedication to our mission makes you an invaluable member of

the Nevada Donor Network team.

www.nvdonor.org 855-NVDONOR

We are so proud of you!

Sunrise Health honors Stacy Acquista, Assistant Vice President of Marketing, HCA Far West Division, for being recognized as one of Vegas Inc’s “40 Under

40.” Congratulations to 40 outstanding business and professional leaders under the age of 40 in Las Vegas.

SunriseHealthInfo.com

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S S T A C Y !

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2016-03-20 - VEGAS INC - Las Vegas