The Wheel for March 30, 2017

by Mar 30, 2017Blog, The Wheel0 comments

The Wheel


Nehme Abouzeid-Vegas Golden Knights

Nehme Abouzeid

Nehme Abouzeid

Nehme E. Abouzeid is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Vegas Golden Knights. He joined the organization on November 7, 2016.

From 2013 – 2016, Abouzeid was the Executive Director of Brand Marketing for Wynn Las Vegas (NASDAQ: WYNN), the city’s most profitable casino resort and the world’s most awarded brand. In this role, he oversaw brand marketing, advertising, content marketing, entertainment marketing, sponsorships and partnerships, and the brand’s official magazine, among other duties.

Abouzeid spent the past 13 years in global gaming as it grew into a $180 billion industry with the expansion of Las Vegas-style casino resorts worldwide. During tenures with two of the industry’s leading Fortune 500 companies, he played integral roles in launching some of the world’s largest casino resorts and orchestrating innovative cross-industry partnerships.

Prior to his time with Wynn, Abouzeid spent nine years with Las Vegas Sands Corporation (NYSE: LVS) in a number of operational, business development and strategic roles. During his time with the company, it grew from a $500M company with one resort to the world’s largest casino resort operator with over $11 billion in annual revenues and eight global mega-resorts in its portfolio.

While at Sands, Abouzeid was the first executive to graduate from the company’s management program, receiving intensive training in all seven facets of the modern integrated resort industry: gaming, hotel, retail, entertainment, nightlife, food & beverage, and meetings (collectively known as MICE: meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions).

A creative luxury marketer and versatile executive who excels at maximizing revenue across the integrated hospitality enterprise, he has been named to the “Top 40 Under 40” lists of Global Gaming Business Magazine and Vegas Inc., the city’s top business journal.

Abouzeid began his career in editorial media. He spent five years as a print journalist and radio producer in Boston, Los Angeles, and post-war Beirut.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from George Washington University and an MBA from Babson College. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Active in the local Las Vegas business and non-profit communities, he has served on advisory boards for the casino gaming conference G2E, KNPR public radio and youth charity After-School All-Stars.

A native of Weymouth, Massachusetts, he lives in Henderson, Nevada with his wife Dr. Nina Mirzayan and their two children.

Message From The President

President David Thorson

President David Thorson

Dear Rotarians,

Immediate Past President Mary Ann Avnet and I were at Bracken Elementary School yesterday to be interviewed by a national committee that is evaluating Bracken for (another!) national magnet school award.

As we were there and providing our glowing reviews of Katie Decker, the thought again occurred to me that there is a solution to many of our city’s education problems and we have had a front row seat in watching it play out. Sticking with the theater analogy, more accurately, I would say our Club has actually played a major supporting role.
So, today as we hear more about all the great business developments such as our new NHL franchise and our acquisition of an NFL franchise, we can also know that the Las Vegas Rotary Club is addressing some of the other pressing, less glamorous needs of our community.
We are helping to deploy known, tested solutions into our educational system. Our support of Katie’s efforts at Bracken, Long and Hollingsworth along with our work at Bracken with Spread the Word Nevada, will be instrumental in making this a world-class city in every respect.
Another day of being a proud Rotarian!
…. and shall I say? … Go Golden Knights!

David Thorson
President 2016 -2017
Las Vegas Rotary Club

Member Highlights

Scribe – March 9, 2017

  • President David Thorson called the meeting to order.
  • Past President Mary Ann Avnet gave the invocation. Sidra Kain led the club in singing the “America the Beautiful.” The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and the Sergeant-at- Arms was Past President Russ Swain.
  • There were (0) International Rotarians, (0) Visiting Rotarians and (4) Guests of Rotarians were introduced.
  • The drawing began at $5,626.00 plus this week’s donations. The winner gets half the pot and half goes to the Las Vegas Rotary Foundation. Ticket Winner: Jimmelle Siarot who won $10! Lawry Bucks Winner: Joan Murdock’s Guest.
  • President David Thorson announced that the car show, “Cars for a Cause” on April 23, 2017 is an “All Hands On Deck” event.
  • President David Thorson announced that the District Conference is in Palm Springs on May 19, 2017. Fun will be had by all so please attend!
  • President-Elect Michael Gordon presented a picture that Past President Steve Casey donated to the car show and some luggage that Dr. Walt Rulffes donated as well.
  • Stu Lipoff let everybody know he has developed a kit of materials for using in requesting Car Show donations from local establishments. Please contact Stu for assistance and materials.
  • President-Elect Michael Gordon announced that District Assembly will be held on April 22, 2017 in Victorville.
  • Bill Steiren updated us on the Nevada Test Site Tour scheduled for May 24th. You will need to sign up and submit security clearance information well in advance of the tour. We can only accommodate 50 people – first come, first served.
  • Sarah Brown reminded us of the Highway Clean Up this weekend on 3/25.
  • Jackie Thornhill reminded us that Wetzel Awards are at Nellis AFB today, 3/23 at 3:00pm.
  • Marie Walsh announced that the next Breakfast with Books is at Beckley on April 4, 2017 at 8am.
  • Past President Jim Hunt debriefed us on last week’s Cigar Social. An additional $1,100 was raised for the Foundation and fun was had by all. He then updated our $2.0M Foundation goal thermometer to reflect recent increases up to over $1.8 million now!
  • Larry Tomsic introduced the speaker, Deputy Director for the Nevada Department of Corrections, Brian Connett. Brian explained that the main purpose of the Department of Corrections is to rehabilitate 80% of the inmates who will be released and reintegrated back into society. There are 1.5 million inmates in the United States and 14,127 in Nevada. The aging population of inmates puts a strain on the system. The average cost to tax payers per year is $21,000 per inmate. Nevada keeps its cost down by having the lowest staff to inmate ratio which makes the Nevada Department of Corrections one of the lowest
    operating budgets in the country.
  • President David Thorson presented the speaker with the Sole Power award and adjourned


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