Las Vegas Rotary Club

Colonel Craddock - Commander 99th Air Force Wing, Nellis Air Force Base - The Complicated Organization Behind Nellis Air Force Base
2018-11-08 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Lawry’s The Prime Rib, 4043 Howard Hughes Pkwy, Las Vegas, NE, 89169, United States
Colonel Cavan K. Craddock is the Commander, 99th Air Base Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and Installation Commander for Nellis AFB, Creech AFB and the 2.9 million-acre Nevada Test and Training Range. He is responsible for three Groups and 15 Squadrons providing installation support for operational testing, tactics development, and advanced training in Air, Space, and Cyberspace as well as global Remotely Piloted Aircraft operations. He is responsible for all installation support, providing communications, contracting, engineering, environmental, law enforcement, logistics, medical, security, services, supply, transportation, and mission support for more than 11,000 assigned service members and 313,000 family members, retirees and veterans.
In addition, the Wing supports the U. S. Air Force Warfare Center, 53d Wing, 57th Wing, 432d Wing, 505th Command & Control Wing, 926th Wing, 363d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, the NTTR, 52 tenant units, over 250 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft plus nearly 1,500 visitors and temporary-duty personnel conducting business daily across the installation.
Colonel Craddock was commissioned in 1995 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served in a variety of flying and staff assignments and has commanded at the flight and squadron levels.
Colonel Craddock is a U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course graduate and a command pilot with more than 2,300 flight hours in the F-22 and F-15C. He has flown combat missions in support of operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch.
Prior to his current position, he was the Vice Commander, 15th Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii.

Coach Bill Laimbeer - President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the Las Vegas Aces - Las Vegas Aces
2018-11-01 12:00 - 13:30
Bill Laimbeer, a two-time WNBA Coach of the Year, three-time WNBA Champion, and two-time NBA Champion, was named the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Las Vegas Aces on December 8, 2017.
Defying all expectations, the Aces stayed in the playoff chase until the season’s last week, improving from 8 to 14 wins on the year. Laimbeer molded number one overall draft pick A’ja Wilson into the WNBA Rookie of the Year, and fifth-year guard Kayla McBride and second-year point guard Kelsey Plum enjoyed their best seasons as professionals.
Las Vegas expects to make a run at the playoffs next season, and for the foreseeable future, after winning the 2019 WNBA Draft Lottery, giving them the first pick in next year’s draft for an unprecedented third year in a row.
Prior to coming to Las Vegas, Laimbeer guided the New York Liberty to three straight 20-win seasons—the first time in franchise history the Liberty reached the 20-win plateau in three consecutive years.
Prior to joining the Liberty, Laimbeer spent eight seasons (2002-09) as general manager and head coach of the Detroit Shock where he earned WNBA Coach of the Year honors in his first full season as head coach (2003). He took over a team that finished 9-23 the previous year and led them to a league-best 25 wins the following season. The 16-win improvement was the largest in WNBA history.
Laimbeer led the Shock to a 137-93 (.596) overall record, including six-straight playoff appearances as the squad won WNBA Championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008.
Prior to returning to the WNBA, Laimbeer spent two seasons as an assistant in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2009-2011).
A 14-year NBA veteran, Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star for the Detroit Pistons. As a member of the famed “Bad Boys,” Laimbeer totaled 13,790 points and 10,400 rebounds in his career, becoming only the 19th player in NBA history to eclipse 10,000 in both categories. A key member of back-to-back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990, he had his No. 40 jersey retired by the franchise in 1995.
Laimbeer played collegiately at Notre Dame from 1975-79.

Steve Schmitt, Senior Vice President and CEO at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada - Catholic Charities Mission Overview
2018-10-25 12:00 - 13:30
Steve Schmitt is a 3 rd generation native of Las Vegas. His great-grandfather, Ed VonTobel, Sr., was one of the original founders of the Clark township and attended the original land auction in 1905. Steve attended St. Anne’s Catholic School, Bishop Gorman High School (1983) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (1989); all on Maryland Parkway! He received his Masters at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, which is a bit further away. Steve started his professional career as a stockbroker for Kemper Securities and, eventually, Smith Barney. This led ultimately to a career in banking, primarily with U.S. Bank in corporate and business banking. When the foreclosure crisis hit Las Vegas, Steve started a property preservation business to manage more than 120 properties owned by the banks. This resulted in him eventually becoming a Broker/Property Manager and the creation of several different residential property management companies throughout the valley. Steve has always been very involved in volunteerism, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church. After serving on its finance committee, Steve became the Business Manager for the largest Catholic parish and school in the Diocese of Las Vegas. He has been serving as Chief Operating Officer for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada since February of 2018. Catholic Charities is the largest private social services agency in the State of Nevada, serving over 100,000 vulnerable men, women and children every year since 1941.

Kristy Keller - Nevada Medical Center Global Science of Play Institute
2018-10-18 12:00 - 13:30
Kristy Keller joined the Moonridge Group team in December 2016 after a rewarding and successful career with the Clark County School District. During her time with the District, she was a special education teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, and principal of both a comprehensive middle and high school. Prior to her recent retirement, she was an assistant superintendent responsible for the supervision of 23 District schools. She has a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master of science degree in educational leadership. As a public servant, Kristy conducted her work as the chief child advocate and is inspired to continue exercising her leadership and advocacy skills with the Moonridge Group team especially as it relates to the Nevada Medical Center and the Global Science of Play Institute. Moonridge Group has the good fortune to facilitate the work of the Nevada Medical Center (NMC), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of and access to health care in Nevada. One of the areas of focus within NMC is the Global Science of Play Institute (GSPI) where she is working with the NMC Board of Directors, executive team, and key strategists to raise awareness and educate others on the overall value and benefits of play for all. Kristy has been married to her husband, Greg for over 25 years and enjoys spending time with her four-legged friends and family.

Scott Allen Frost, Author - "Livin' On A Chair"
2018-10-11 12:00 - 13:30
On a whim Scott Allen Frost went for a dirt bike ride on a beautiful afternoon in May 2009 and broke his neck, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. Terrified, he was left to choose. Give up on life or try to make it better than it was before. Motivated by a series of surreal miracles that followed a cryptic commandment heard in the dark of his hospital room, Scott chose to live life in the face of tremendous adversity.
Since his accident, Scott has served as President of Titan Brands. He and his team have designed, opened, and operate four restaurants in Nevada including Hussong’s Cantina and Slice of Vegas Pizza at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place, The Silver Legacy Resort and Casino in Reno, and Hussong’s Cantina in Boca Park.
Scott will share his story of his journey from lying hopeless in a ditch after his accident to discovering the power of faith and love as he persevered through a grueling physical rehabilitation. You will be moved and inspired by the lessons he’s learned after he began a new life in a wheelchair and left pondering the power that resides in and around all of us.

Dr. Ron Tjeerdema - The Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill
2018-10-04 12:00 - 13:30
Ron Tjeerdema
Associate Dean, Environmental Sciences
Distinguished Professor, Environmental Toxicology
Ron Tjeerdema completed B.S. degrees in both natural resource planning and interpretation, and wildlife management from Humboldt State University in 1980, and an M.A. in pharmacology from UC Santa Barbara in 1983. He then came to UC Davis, where he completed his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology, with an emphasis in environmental toxicology, in 1987. He has been certified in General Toxicology by the American Board of Toxicology since 1994.
Ron then moved to UC Santa Cruz, where he served as a professor of environmental toxicology in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In 1999, he was invited to return to UC Davis and is now a distinguished professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology; for nearly a dozen years he also served as department chair. In 2014, Ron was named Associate Dean for Environmental Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and also currently holds the Donald G. Crosby Endowed Chair in Environmental Chemistry.
With a focus on marine and freshwater systems, Ron’s areas of expertise range from chemical fate in the environment, sensitive life stage bioassays and biochemical mechanisms of toxicity, and he has worked extensively with pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, dispersants and marine algal toxins. In over 30 years in the field of environmental toxicology, he has pioneered the new field of environmental metabolomics via the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, and his research on oil spills and dispersants resulted in the development of widely-used standardized methods for toxicity assessment. Ron is currently a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on the Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response. He has also served on a number of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration panels advising on the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath and has provided testimony to Congressional and legislative committees on dispersant use and toxicology. Ron currently serves as co-editor-in-chief of the flagship journal Aquatic Toxicology and is on the editorial boards of Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Marine Pollution Bulletin and Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

Patrick Miller & Elizabeth Harlow - The MGM Park Story
2018-09-27 12:00 - 13:30
Patrick began his career with what is now MGM Resorts International over twenty years ago. After graduating from Notre Dame where he had a dual major of Marketing and Spanish, he started his career as a pit clerk at the Mirage. It was during this time where he quickly realized that he wanted to be a part of the exciting world of gaming, entertainment and hospitality.
During his over ten years at the Mirage, he experienced and managed many aspects of the business. After his role as Pit Clerk, he joined the Management Associate Program, became Marketing Analyst, and subsequently Slot Marketing Administrator and Slot Manager. Patrick then took on director roles in National Marketing and Slot Marketing and was ultimately promoted to Vice President of Slots. After his time at the Mirage, he made his way to Mandalay Bay where Patrick was Vice President of Marketing. In that role, Patrick was responsible for the overall marketing strategy of the brand including National and Slot Marketing, branding and advertising, and events.
Patrick currently serves as President and COO of Park MGM Las Vegas. In his position, he oversees not only the operation and guest experience of the hotel and casino but also the transformation from Monte Carlo to Park MGM: a 550 million-dollar, multi-year project to be completed in early 2019.
Patrick is a native of Las Vegas, a proud father of four children, and husband of nineteen years to his wife, Jennifer. He enjoys cycling and competes throughout the year. He is an active board member at Bishop Gorman High School, Cristo Rey, and St. Francis of Assisi.

Elizabeth Harlow has over twenty years in marketing and branding experience. After graduating from Richmond University in London, England with a degree in Marketing, she started her career with Renaissance Hotels and Resorts at the storied Mayflower hotel in Washington, DC.
Elizabeth then spent seven years in global marketing roles at the historic Leading Hotels of the World (an association of the world’s best independent properties). Here, she oversaw advertising, branding and marketing programs to drive brand awareness and individual member hotel revenue. She then moved on to Starwood Hotels and Resorts where she was the North American brand leader for Starwood’s Luxury and Lifestyle brands which encompassed the St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W and Le Meridien brands. Here, she brought to life brand passion points such as fashion, music, and entertainment for W, and philanthropy and sport for St. Regis, through immersive and integrated branding and guest experience initiatives. Following her time at Starwood, she accepted the role as Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing for Loews Hotels and resorts. In the position she delivered the award-winning “The Room You Need “campaign and positioning which was based on the emotional effect that travel has on individuals.
A committed New Yorker, Elizabeth knew that very few brands could entice her to leave, but Bellagio was one them. She joined MGMRI in 2014 and in fall of 2017 she joined the team at Park MGM to bring the new Las Vegas brand to life.

Bob Bennett - Overview of the Nevada State Athletic Commission
2018-09-20 12:00 - 13:30
Bob Bennett, Executive Director of the Nevada Athletic Commission
Overview of the Nevada State Athletic Commission
Robert (Bob) Bennett
Executive Director, Nevada Athletic Commission
Bob Bennett is a seasoned and talented professional with over 30 years of proven leadership experience. He has a lifetime involvement in organizing and participating in athletics, including boxing and various forms of martial arts. He served as an amateur boxing judge for 10 years; two years training as a professional boxing judge, followed by two years as a professional boxing judge for the Nevada Athletic Commission. His relentless pursuit of excellence made him the perfect choice to lead the Athletic Commissions operations.
Currently, Bob serves as the Executive Director for the Nevada Athletic Commission. Under his leadership, eight full-time staff members, twenty-eight Inspectors, and an array of officials oversee and regulate, world-class unarmed combat events that generate millions of dollars for the State of Nevada. Las Vegas is known as the “Fight Capital of the World” and is considered the epitome of success for many young fighters who step into the world’s spotlight. Prior to joining the Nevada Athletic Commission, Bob had an illustrious career in the Federal Bureau of Investigations. His service spanned over two and a half decades and included such assignments as Supervisory Special Agent of the Las Vegas Division Drug & Gang squad, responsible for three multi-agency task forces consisting of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers and agents. After retiring from the FBI, Bob went on to become the Court Security Director for the Eighth Judicial District, responsible for all administrative policymaking and security-related matters.
Bob gained invaluable leadership training as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, where he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement while serving as Commanding Officer for marine detachment. Bob showed his passion early on for unarmed combat sports, by planning, organizing and participating in boxing matches between sailors and marines. His dedication and passion for the sport of unarmed combat is still as strong today.

Duane Matters, 9/11 First Responder
2018-09-13 12:00 - 13:30
Duane Matters is a Nevada Certified Environmental Manager and the Manager of the Environmental Department of the Las Vegas office of a national geotechnical and environmental consulting firm. Before moving to Las Vegas, he was a project manager at AMEC Earth & Environmental (AMEC) where he worked on large-scale environmental projects such as remediation and assessment of artillery and rocket ranges at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod Massachusetts and various CSX Transportation facilities in Michigan, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Prior to his work at AMEC, he worked for several national and regional environmental firms as a project manager.
Mr. Matters has a Bachelors degree in Geological Science from Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts. He is a Nevada Certified Environmental Manager, Nevada and Utah-licensed Asbestos Consultant and EPA Lead-based Pain Project Designer and Risk Assessor.
While onsite at the WTC from September 2001 through March 2002, Mr. Matters responsibilities included incident command coordination as an EHS and contractor representative at the nightly pre-shift briefing and logistics meetings, ensuring compliance with WTC Site Safety Plan, coordination with subcontractors and incident commanders during recovery operations, updating equipment/material management database, limited oversight of slurry wall drilling operations, Winter Garden stabilization and overseeing a staff of health & safety professionals. Duties also entailed coordinating findings of inspections/observations by OSHA, the New York City Department of Design and Construction, the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, Liberty Mutual, and other government and contracted agencies and communicating amended work practices to subcontractors. As an “Authorized Photographer” during his months at the WTC, he documented the work progress and the worker’s efforts with thousands of photos. Mr. Matters also salvaged project and miscellaneous paperwork to document the unique aspects of this project required to conduct the rescue efforts, as well as excavation, demolition, and removal of building debris. Some of these photos and artifacts have been shown at the Atomic Testing Museum, to officials of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum, and a “pop-up” museum at the Plaza Hotel & Casino during the 10-year “911 Remembrance” activities in Las Vegas.
A special effort has been made in this presentation to not include graphic photographs of victims of the tragedy; however, some people may be sensitive to this disaster.

Dan Schwarz - Cristo Rey St. Viator Las Vegas College Preparatory
2018-09-06 12:00 - 13:30
Dan Schwarz
Director of Communications & Community Outreach
Cristo Rey St Viator Las Vegas College Preparatory High School
Dan has lived in Southern Nevada, on and off, since 1981. After graduating from Indiana University, Dan worked a Sales Account Executive at KVVU FOX5 television from 1985-1997. In addition, Dan worked in sales management at TV stations in Iowa and Montana, before returning to Las Vegas in 1999.
From 1999-2015, Dan worked at KLAS TV Channel 8 (8 News Now) in Sales Management, and after another brief stint at FOX5, Dan most recently worked as VP of Operations at the Henderson Chamber of Commerce.
In February 2018, Dan joined the Cristo Rey St. Viator Las Vegas College Preparatory team, as the school prepares for an August 2019 opening.
Dan and his wife Cheryl (a native Las Vegan), are “vowed” lay associates with the Clerics of St. Viator, the Catholic religious community that proudly owned and operated Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas for many years before the school was turned over to the Diocese of Las Vegas.
Now, the Clerics of St Viator are back “teaching” in Southern Nevada and are proud to introduce, Cristo Rey St. Viator Las Vegas College Preparatory.

Jennifer L. Taylor, Esq. - Energy Source Initiative: An Overview
2018-08-30 12:00 - 13:30
Jennifer L. Taylor, Esq. brings nearly 20 years of legal experience in environmental, insurance, construction and construction defect law practice to the discussion of clean and renewable energy development in Nevada. Jennifer understands the impact of policy and regulation on Nevada’s citizens from work, including representing homeowners living over one of Nevada’s largest groundwater contamination sites. She has been a member of the environmental law sections in both Washington and Nevada, a member of Nevada’s Energy, Utilities and Communications section, and a LEED Certified Green Associate.
Taylor served on the board of the Nevada Conservation League from 2010 to 2013, and as board chair from 2011 to 2013. Taylor was campaign manager for Horsford for Congress where she oversaw the day-to-day operations for, then sitting, U.S. Representative Steven Horsford. Prior to taking over the campaign in July 2014, she served as his political director, engaging with stakeholders throughout Nevada. Taylor served as the executive director for Clean Energy Project from 2015 to 2017, and now consults with clean energy and clean tech organizations and companies on state policy and programs, as well as working internationally to support clean energy development.
Taylor moved to Nevada in 1995 to serve as law clerk for Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert E. Rose. Taylor is currently admitted to practice before the United States Supreme court, as well as state and federal courts in Nevada, Washington, California, and Texas. Taylor has a J.D., cum laude, from University of Houston Law Center, B.A. from Southern Methodist University, and is a graduate of both Leadership Las Vegas and Emerge Las Vegas. Taylor served as the Vice Chair for the Clean Energy Sources Technical Advisory Committee of the New Energy Industry Task Force and as a member of the City of Las Vegas’ City Manager’s Energy Advisory Committee and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group for the Reno based coalition Sustainability Partners in Northern Nevada. Most recently, Governor Sandoval appointed Ms. Taylor to his Committee on Energy Choice, and as Chair of that Committee’s Working Group on Innovation and Technology in Renewable Energy Development tasked with making recommendations and proposals for actions that may need to be taken should the Energy Choice Initiative pass a second time and be amended into the Nevada Constitution.

Frank Mack - Utah Shakespeare Festival
2018-08-16 12:00 - 13:30
Frank Mack is the Executive Producer of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. He is a Veteran of theater companies across the United States. Hailing from Connecticut, where he most recently served in a leadership role at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre and also teaching arts administration at the University of Connecticut. He is considered a decisive leader and a passionate advocate for the arts, especially theater.
Other Theatres: managing director at California Shakespeare Theatre, Berkeley, California; Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Storrs, Connecticut; Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, New York; New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Madison, New Jersey; project manager at Arena Stage, Washington, D. C.; management consultant at Center Stage, Baltimore, Maryland; African Continuum Theatre Washington, D. C.; American Contemporary Theatre Festival, Shepherdstown, West Virginia; Resident Ensemble Players, Dover, Delaware
Publications: American Journal of Arts Management, ISSN: 2333-3537, “Our Wills and Fates do so Contrary Run–A Case Study on the Closure of Shakespeare Santa Cruz,” published in June 2016, http://www.artsmanagementjournal.com/
Teaching Credits: associate professor and founder of graduate programs in arts administration at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut; developed curriculum for the graduate online certificate and master of fine arts in arts administration and taught graduate online and live courses, as well as live graduate and undergraduate courses in theatre management, governance and leadership, and fundraising while serving as major advisor for twelve MFA students and twenty-five online students
Education: BGS in acting from the University of Kansas, Lawrence; MFA in directing from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia

Dr. Marwan Sabbagh - Update on Alzheimer's Dementia
2018-08-09 12:00 - 13:30
Marwan Noel Sabbagh, MD, FAAN
Camille and Larry Ruvo Chair for Brain Health
Director, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
Marwan Noel Sabbagh, MD, a board-certified neurologist, and geriatric neurologist hopes to work himself out of a job. Considered one of the leading experts in Alzheimer’s and dementia, he is the Camille and Larry Ruvo Chair for Brain Health and Director of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. Dr. Sabbagh has dedicated his career to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Sabbagh is a leading investigator for many prominent national Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment trials, including Alzheimer immunotherapy studies. He is on the editorial board for Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and BMC Neurology. He is now editor in chief of Neurology and Therapy. He has authored and co-authored more than 300 medical and scientific articles on Alzheimer’s research.
Dr. Sabbagh is the author of The Alzheimer’s Answer: Reduce Your Risk and Keep Your Brain Healthy, with a foreword by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and of The Alzheimer’s Prevention Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Boost Brain Health. He has edited Palliative Care for Advanced Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Guidelines and Standards for Evidence-Based Care and Geriatric Neurology, published in 2014.
Dr. Sabbagh earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his medical degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson. He received his residency training in neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, and completed his fellowship in geriatric neurology and dementia at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, where he served on the faculty as assistant professor. Before joining the faculty of the Barrow Neurological Institute where he served for three years, Dr. Sabbagh was with the Banner Sun Health Research Institute for 15 years.

Kevin L. Hernandez - Identity Theft and Credit
2018-08-02 12:00 - 13:30
Kevin L. Hernandez is a Nevada and California licensed attorney who represents consumers facing identity theft, illegal debt collection practices, and credit reporting errors. He was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and his Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law in San Diego.
Kevin has been honored by Nevada Business Magazine as part of Nevada’s Legal Elite and Best Up and Coming Attorneys in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. He was also named to the Mountain States Super Lawyers in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Kevin is admitted to the State Bar of Nevada, the State Bar of California, the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, and the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Brian Rosenberg – Socrates Learning Platform
2018-07-26 12:00 - 13:30
Brian Rosenberg
Mr. Rosenberg is a successful entrepreneur and consultant with over twenty-five years of experience in development and implementation of software solutions. As a speaker and author, he has shared his expertise on technology and technology adoption and been a guest lecturer at Baylor University and Nevada State College. As a change leader, he has led the selection and implementation of major transformation projects for many of the largest healthcare providers in the United States, including, most recently, University Medical Center of Southern Nevada where he led the largest IT project in the history of the state of Nevada – on-time and under budget.
In 1999, Mr. Rosenberg founded a software implementation and business advisory firm that helped companies to implement and optimize enterprise software solutions. Under Mr. Rosenberg’s leadership, the company grew to over 50 team members and was recognized by Inc. 1000 as one of the fastest growing companies in 2013. Mr. Rosenberg also received the Smart CEO Future 50 award as the Chief Executive Officer of that firm in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, he sold that firm and relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada where he was recognized as Distinguished Gentlemen of Nevada in 2015.
His newest business, Education Revolution, is focused on improving educational outcomes. The company vision is to provide every child with the same opportunity to learn to their full potential – regardless of their income level and the school district they live in. Their product, the Socrates Learning Platform, is designed to do just that – creating dynamic individualized learning paths for each child. Socrates encourages self-motivation in learners through a system of positive rewards and reinforcements so that students remain self-engaged to absorb the curriculum. Education Revolution received a National Science Foundation grant to support the development of the application, which is being introduced first in Clark County schools.

Sgt. Braden Schrag, Metro RECAP Program
2018-07-19 12:00 - 13:30
Braden Schrag is currently a sergeant with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assigned to the Office of Community Engagement. This unit works in every religious and cultural community in Las Vegas and focuses on prevention, intervention, and outreach in all sectors with a focus on gangs, human trafficking, countering violent extremism, refugee integration and connection, and proactive jail programming. His law enforcement experience includes supervision, instruction, intergovernmental services, homeland security, and program development. Braden is responsible for the co-creation and establishment of the departments Fusion Liaison Officer program and Office of Community Engagement both nationally recognized. He routinely speaks throughout the United States and to international audiences on community policing practices, community-police relations and countering violent extremism, with frequent lectures at the Naval Postgraduate School. Braden further lends his expertise to support initiatives of the US Department of State and US Department of Homeland Security. With a Degree in Psychology, he also has previous work experience in pediatric mental health, social work, and the private sector, encompassing over 23 years of combined education and experience.

Doug Geinzer - CEO, Las Vegas Heals
2018-07-12 12:00 - 13:30
Douglas (Doug) T. Geinzer
CEO of Las Vegas HEALS
Doug Geinzer is a skilled and successful entrepreneur who was built and sold several businesses throughout his career. Most of his success has been found in the healthcare, technology and employment industries. Today, Doug considers himself more of a social entrepreneur spending a significant amount of his time improving Southern Nevada’s healthcare infrastructure and positioning Las Vegas to become the most globally recognized health & wellness destination.
As CEO of the Las Vegas HEALS (Healthcare | Education | Advocacy | Leadership | for Southern Nevada), Doug delivers on their mission “To foster strategic alliances in the healthcare community, collaborating on workforce issues and being a proactive force for legislative initiatives to improve access and the delivery of quality healthcare in Southern Nevada.”
Doug has bee the recipient of many awards including Entrepreneur of the Year, Healthcare Hero, Innovative Business Leader, Top 40 under 40, “most influential” in employment and a ‘who’s who’ in healthcare. He is a past president of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Business Council and sits on the boards of numerous organizations.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Doug relocated to Las Vegas in 1993 to build a media company he later sold to Cox and Landmark Communications. Recruiting Nevada, another media company Doug developed was sold to the Greenspun Media Company in 2008, allowing Doug to focus on Las Vegas HEALS. He is married and is raising a multi-lingual young daughter. As an avid water sports fanatic, you will often find Doug stand-up paddling or boating on Lake Sahara.

DARK - No Meeting
2018-07-05

Club Assembly
2018-06-21 12:00 - 13:30

Dan Russell - Rotary India Trip
2018-06-14 12:00 - 13:30
Dan Russell is a 37-year member of the Las Vegas Rotary Club. He is the owner of Russell Financial Services, a Financial Services firm, specializing in Life Insurance & Estate Planning. Dan has been doing business in Southern Nevada for over 40 years. He is still very active and loves what he does.
Raised in Wyoming and moved to Las Vegas in 1962, Dan attended Fifth Street School (now a “Historical Preservation Landmark”). He graduated from Bishop Gorman High School, and then went on to UNLV where he compressed his (4) year undergraduate degree into (7) years! While there, he was the President of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity and UNLV Student Body President. Dan obtained an Accounting Degree and went on to serve for many years on the UNLV Alumni Association.
Dan has been very involved in the community over the years. To name a few: Boy Scouts of America (Council Board Member, Scoutmaster of a 70-boy troop for 9 years and 2 National Jamborees), Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and Foundation – President of both. Internationally, Dan is the current President of Sharon India Foundation that serves over 300 Christian pastors in 5 states of India providing encouragement and support to some of the world’s poorest and most neglected people. Also, Dan keeps in touch with several Rotary Clubs in India.
Dan is married to Jane, an accomplished equestrienne, with whom he has two sons: Mark, 33, married with 2 daughters living in Guadalajara and John, 29, engaged and living in South Lake Tahoe.

Richard Jost, Fennemore Craig - UAVs in Nevada
2018-06-07 12:00 - 13:30
Richard is an attorney with Fennemore Craig and Jones. He works with clients seeking legal assistance in the areas of aviation, municipal finance, project development, energy law, planning and zoning, and related tax and securities law issues. For much of his career, Richard's work has focused on tax-exempt projects and real estate based financings, particularly in the areas of affordable housing and redevelopment.
Richard leads the firm’s Aviation, Aerospace and Autonomous Systems practice group. As a member of the firm’s renewable energy industry team, Richard works closely with Nevada officials to assist renewable energy organizations creating business entities in Nevada. He also participated in the development and implementation of Nevada’s master-planned community special assessment district law. Additionally, Richard was an initial member of the board of directors that formed the State of Nevada chartered medical professional liability insurance company.
Richard is a frequent lecturer and also teaches law classes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He also devotes much of his spare time to the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow, which provides vocational assistance.
His awards and honors include Best Lawyers in America, Government Contracts, 2018; Top Lawyers in Vegas Inc., 2013, and AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated (the highest rating available), by Martindale-Hubbell. Richard received his Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law, and a B.A. from Dickinson College.

Andy Bischel, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs
2018-05-31 12:00 - 13:30
Andy Bischel is President/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada (BGCSNV), an organization that enables all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring responsible citizens. The BGCSNV serves more than 20,000 members from ages 5 to 18 throughout Clark County. Bischel brings more than more than 20 years of fundraising, community outreach and strategic partnership experiences to the organization. Upon joining BGCSNV in 2016, he was instrumental in continuing the advancement of merging the local clubs into one entity consisting of 14 clubhouses.
In more than a year, Bischel has significantly increased the organization’s budget to better fulfill the mission of BGCSNV. Under his leadership, two clubhouses have gone through major renovations, while a new clubhouse is slated to open in early 2018. Prior to BGCSN, he worked for seven years as the director of development for The Animal Foundation, which operates Nevada’s largest animal shelter and adoption center.
As a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Bischel would go onto be the school’s assistant men’s golf coach overseeing the Rebel Golf Foundation for more than 11 years.
Bischel is a 2014 graduate of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Las Vegas program. He and his wife Shannon reside in northwest Las Vegas. Their two sons, Sean and Ian are currently attending college.

Debra March - Mayor, Henderson, NV
2018-05-24 12:00 - 13:30
Debra March was elected mayor of Henderson in April 2017 and assumed office June 20, 2017. Appointed as Councilwoman to serve in Ward II in July 2009, she was subsequently elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015.
Mayor March serves with her fellow council members as the legislative branch of the Henderson community. Her responsibilities include setting policies and making decisions concerning many aspects of local government for Nevada’s second largest city, recognized as being one of the safest cities and best places to live in the nation.
Mayor March is a strong advocate of economic development in Henderson and is working to attract new business, create jobs and diversify the local economy. She is focused on developing West Henderson, Union Village, and the redevelopment of the historic downtown and Lake Mead/Boulder Highway areas of the city. These efforts are designed to maintain Henderson’s standing as a premier city in which to live, work, and enjoy award-winning parks, trails, and recreational opportunities.
Mayor March maintains a strong focus on transparency and engaging with the community and maintaining an open dialogue on issues of importance to residents. Her monthly March On public events educate citizens about city programs and services and give them an opportunity to ask the Mayor questions and provide feedback in an open forum.
Mayor March currently serves as vice chair of the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada board of commissioners and as vice chair of the Clark County Regional Flood Control District board of directors. She is also a member of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce (HCC) board of directors.
A Henderson resident for more than 25 years, Mayor March has a long track record of service to the city and her community. She served as chair of Southern Nevada Strong, a collaborative regional effort to plan, create and sustain neighborhoods, and served on the City of Henderson Planning Commission from 2004 to 2009. Mayor March was on the founding board of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Leadership Henderson program to build and maintain effective community leaders.
Mayor March is an active member of the Urban Land Institute Nevada District Council and NAIOP Southern Nevada, the commercial real estate development association. She is a past national board member of the American Planning Association, and served on the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, as a board member of Nevada HAND and on the Impact Nevada advisory board.
In recognition of her contributions to the community, Mayor March received the 2018 Chairman’s Award from the Urban Chamber of Commerce, the 2017 Award of Honor from the Nevada American Society of Landscape Architects, a lifetime achievement award in 2015 from the Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies, and was named the 2013 Public Official of the Year by the Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities.
Mayor March is an avid outdoorswoman and enjoys hiking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and cycling. An avid animal lover she shares her home with her two dogs Lucy and Raz.

Captain Sandy Holmes, US Navy Retired
2018-05-17 12:00 - 13:30
Captain Sandy Holmes entered the Navy Nurse Corps Candidate Program while completing her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at the University of Michigan. Her Naval and professional nursing career began at Naval Hospital, Oakland California in 1965 where she served as the Charge Nurse of the amputee ward. This was followed by an 18-month tour at the Naval Hospital, Guam caring for more Vietnam casualties. From 1969 to 1972 she was assigned to recruiting duty in San Francisco, California. The highlight of this duty station was meeting her husband to be, Commander Richard B. Holmes, a Naval aviator.
Her very successful and distinguished 26-year career as both a Naval and Nurse Corps officer spanned some 12 different duty stations around the globe.
Captain Holmes first exposure to staff development occurred while stationed in the Philippines in 1976. Upon completion of her Master’s degree in Continuing Education at the Medical College of Georgia, she served for five years as the Director, Nurse Corps Programs in Washington, D.C. where she was responsible for all aspects of education for the 3,000 nurses in the Navy. It was also during this tour that she was promoted to the rank of Captain. Until her retirement, in June 1990, she served as the Head of the Staff Education and Training Department at the Naval Hospital, San Diego, the Navy’s largest medical and teaching facility. Sandy and her staff of 17 managed some 40 educational programs for all levels of staff–military and civilian…a mere 4,000 folks.
Sandy has been published in the American Journal of Nursing, the Journal of Nursing Staff Development, the Reader’s Digest and several other journals in the medical field. Widely respected for her expertise in the field of staff development, she has presented at numerous military and national professional nursing conferences. She also served on the steering committee to establish the National Nursing Staff Development Organization and served as the organization’s first Treasurer.
Captain Holmes is authorized to wear the following military decorations: Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, (two awards); Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star, (two awards); Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Unit Commendation; and the National Defense Ribbon.
Captain Holmes resides in Escondido, California with her dog Ebi and collection of Koi fish. Her husband of 34 years is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. She enjoys frequent visits from her son “Captain” Kirk Holmes and his bride to be Becca Roberts.

John Entsminger - Las Vegas Valley Water
2018-05-10 12:00 - 13:30
John Entsminger – General Manager, Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority
John Entsminger is the general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, which serves nearly 380,000 customer accounts, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is responsible for providing water to local agencies that collectively serve 2 million residents and 40 million annual visitors. Prior to taking the helm of these agencies in early 2014, Entsminger was instrumental in the development of several groundbreaking regional and international water agreements. He has been appointed by Governor Sandoval to serve as Nevada’s lead negotiator on Colorado River matters. Active in several national water associations, Entsminger serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and of the Water Research Foundation.

Len Jessup - UNLV President
2018-05-03 12:00 - 13:30
Len Jessup
Len Jessup joined UNLV as its 10th president in January 2015. An accomplished leader in higher education, Jessup brought his experience as a university professor, administrator, entrepreneur, and fundraiser and lead UNLV on its path to becoming a high-performing, community-engaged Tier One research university. Among his top priorities was the development of UNLV Medicine. He will soon be leaving UNLV to become President of Claremont Graduate University.
Like many of UNLV’s students, Jessup was the first in his family to graduate from college. This experience informs his understanding of the crucial role universities play in transforming families and communities, and it has been a motivating factor in his career in higher education leadership.
Prior to UNLV, Jessup served as dean of the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona (2011-2014), where he was also a professor of entrepreneurship and innovation and the Halle Chair in Leadership. He led Eller to become a self-sustaining college with higher national rankings that robustly contributes to the state’s economic development. As a founding board member of the University of Arizona Health Network, he also contributed to the rethinking and restructuring of the university’s academic medical center.
Jessup is a leading researcher in management information systems, with a focus on the use of emerging technology in higher education and business, new venture strategies, and social entrepreneurship. He was instrumental in creating the University of Arizona’s technology transfer and commercialization program, Tech Launch Arizona. He led the development and expansion of online degree and executive education programs at Arizona and helped drive similar innovations in previous positions at Washington State University (2000-2011) and Indiana University (1995-2000).
A former baseball player in the highly competitive California junior college system, Jessup received his B.A. in information and communication studies in 1983 and his MBA in 1985, both from California State University, Chico. He earned his Ph.D. in organizational behavior and management information systems from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management in 1989 and was awarded the Outstanding Ph.D. Alumnus in 2004.
Jessup resides with his fiancée Kristi Staab, a former broadcast industry executive who owns and operates a successful leadership and sales training and development business. Jessup has a daughter, Jamie, and a son, David.

PDG Silvia Whitlock
2018-04-26 12:00 - 13:30
Sylvia Whitlock, Rotary District 5300 Governor in 2012-2013, was the first woman president in Rotary International. She was born in New York City but was educated, through high school, in Kingston, Jamaica. After returning to New York City she earned a B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College. Sylvia worked for the United Nations, as a Statistical Clerk, before moving to California to start a career in Education. In California, she went on to earn a Masters Degree, cum laude, in Education from Cal Poly, Pomona, and a Ph.D., cum laude, in Education, from Claremont Graduate School. She earned another Masters Degree, in Marriage and Family Therapy, from Azusa Pacific University, and began a second career as a therapist. She is licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California.
In 1982, while an Elementary School Principal in Duarte, California, she was invited to join the history-making Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte. The club was chartered in District 5300 in 1952. Just before its twenty-fifth birthday in 1976, the club violated Rotary’s bylaws by inviting women to join, ultimately causing its charter to be revoked by Rotary International. Undeterred, the club renamed itself the Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte and its members continued on their quest not to be outcasts of one of the greatest humanitarian organizations in the world.
Sylvia became President of the club in 1987, the year the United States Supreme Court ruled that the club be reinstated, thus making her the first woman in the Rotary World to head a club as President. She has served as President twice, Secretary, Treasurer, and Foundation Representative, and District Governor. She has been a speaker at Rotary Clubs conventions and meetings, here and overseas, including South Africa, Jamaica, Washington and Texas.
Sylvia considers Rotary to be the best vehicle for humanitarian ventures in service to mankind. Some favorite club projects have included sinking water wells in Nigeria, setting up an AIDS Center in Jamaica and supporting an orphanage in Mexico. She continues to be inspired by the many Rotarians who have taken the organization to the edge of tomorrow and is committed to using the opportunity she has been given to further the cause of Rotary, in her community, in her country, and in the world.
Sylvia is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and benefactor. She has three adult children – Meredith – a Paul Harris Fellow, BG is a deputy county counsel in San Mateo County and Arlan. She considers raising her children the most satisfying and enjoyable job she has ever had. Her book, “Women Also Serve,” published in 2015 by iUniverse Publishing, is filled with facts and personal anecdotes and shares a compelling history of the Duarte Rotary Club.

Valedictorian Luncheon - Liam Frink
2018-04-19 12:00 - 13:30
Executive Director, UNLV Office of Undergraduate Research
Liam Frink’s research and scholarship interests include Arctic prehistory and colonial history. His current work has two main trajectories. He conducts ethnoecological field research in western Alaska and works in Yup’ik Eskimo villages where people continue to hunt, fish, and gather with many of the same subsistence techniques and tools that would have been used prehistorically.
He is particularly interested in how technology has changed as well as the social, economic, and health context of these various technologies. A primary goal of his interdisciplinary modern field- and lab-based studies is to better identify archaeological signatures as well as to pique new questions of the past material record. In addition to these studies, he is interested in the colonial period and the processes of change and persistence among native people. For these studies, he gathers interview data with elders who have interacted with early colonial institutions and practices as well as conducts archival and museum research.

Nathan Harper, Archaeologist Springs Preserve
2018-04-12 12:00 - 13:30
Nathan Harper has served as the Preserve Archaeologist at the Springs Preserve since 2010. Mr. Harper served as a lead team member on the restoration of four early Las Vegas Railroad Cottages and the development of the Boomtown 1905 project. Mr. Harper works to protect, research, and present prehistoric and historic cultural resources for the Springs Preserve, LVVWD, and SNWA. Mr. Harper holds Bachelor and Master degrees in anthropology from Wichita State University. Mr. Harper was a Fulbright Fellow to Cyprus in 2001 and a member of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens from 2007-2009. Nathan has conducted field research in Mexico, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Israel and Jordan and museum and archival research at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, National Anthropological Archives, American Museum of Natural History in New York, Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem, École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem, Jordan Archaeological Museum, and the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia.

LVRC Foundation Program - Larry Rouse & Tom Thomas
2018-03-29 12:00 - 13:30
Paul was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He was enrolled as a student in the School of Business with a Major in Business Management and a Minor in Labor Relations. Paul obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA) within three years and graduated in the top 5% of his class in May 1978. Before graduation, he was invited and admitted into Beta Gama Sigma National Honor Society, which is the highest scholastic honor a student of Business Administration can obtain. Upon graduation, he was offered interviews at several large business firms and chose to accept an offer to become an employee of Bechtel Corporation’s Western Power Division in Los Angeles, California in July of 1978. This required him to move from Massachusetts to Southern California.
After working in their Business and Finance Department for one year, Paul was invited, interviewed, offered and accepted becoming the Senior Project Administrative Supervisor of Technology Transfer Operations, which was a newly formed Department. This opportunity meant Paul became responsible for supervision and training of over 1,800 foreign national Engineers during a period that lasted for over 10 years when he ultimately became the Manager of Technology Transfer Operations. You see, Bechtel’s Clients no longer wanted us to just design and build “Turn-key projects for them anymore.
Paul’s next project assignment was as the Project Controls Manager for the Miami International Airport’s building and completion the new Power Generation Plant. When that project was finished, Paul next worked on the retrofit and expansion of Chevron’s largest refinery in the world, which is located on the Southern Gulf Coast in Pascagoula, Mississippi, This was a $3.9 billion project that was scheduled to last for at least 3 years to complete, but the economy went really south on petroleum projects so, after 30 years of continuous employment with the Bechtel Corporation, Paul decided to retire early and move back to Las Vegas, where he still owned a home and soon thereafter rejoined the Las Vegas Rotary Club.
So what happened next? Bechtel called and offered him a really great opportunity. What was it? They offered him a newly created position of becoming Manager of Plant Operating Services! This meant not only for Power Plants that Bechtel had already designed and built but very possibly upgrading and retrofitting other non-Bechtel projects throughout the world too. So what did he ultimately decide to do? Why try to relax and enjoy the rest of his most blessed life of course!
