2024 Washington, D.C. Fly-In Briefing Book

STAFF

CONTACT & HOTEL INFORMATION

VEGAS CHAMBER

Mary Beth Sewald

President & CEO

mbsewald@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.575.8020

Paul Moradkhan

Senior Vice President of Government Affairs pmoradkhan@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.810.9124

Cara Clarke

Vice President of Communications cclarke@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.743.9362

Jose Valle

Vice President of Membership Development jvalle@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.743.9354

Deborah Makiri Director of Membership Development dmakiri@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.366.6644

Ahmad Harley Director of Finance aharley@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.524.6862

Nick Schneider Director of Government Affairs nschneider@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.343.8123

Trevor Parrish Manager of Government Affairs tparrish@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.205.7232

Jasmine Juarez

Events Manager jjuarez@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.845.1675

Jonathan Porras Manager of Marketing and Communications

jporras@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.581.3836

Taylor Avery Manager of Political Affairs

tavery@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.833.0081

Abbie Johnson Government Affairs Fundraising Coordinator

ajohnson@vegaschamber.com

Cell Phone: 702.743.9354

PORTER GROUP

Federal Lobbying Team

The Honorable Jon C. Porter President & CEO

Chris Porter Executive Vice President

Stephanie Walker Senior Vice President

Ben Rosenbaum Vice President

Rachel Layher Director of Operations

Nathan Fiala Director, Defense

Brian Bates Director, Government Affairs

Haydyn Hendricks Government Affairs Coordinator

Marisa Pardinas Controller

Stan Olsen Advisor

Brian Burns Marketing Coordinator

BLACK & WADHAMS ATTORNEYS AT LAW State Lobbying Team

James Wadhams Partner

Jesse Wadhams Partner

Amy Shogren Director of Government Relations

JW Marriott Washington, D.C. 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004

Main Phone Number: 202.393.2000

The Willard InterContinental Hotel 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004

Main Phone Number: 202.628.9100

WELCOME TO OUR NATION’S CAPITAL! WASHINGTON, D.C. FLY-IN 2024

On behalf of the Vegas Chamber, we are excited that you are joining us for our annual Fly-in to our nation’s capital.

Not only does this mark our 17th Annual Washington D.C. Fly-in; we are pleased to share with you this is our largest delegation of Nevada’s business leaders, elected officials, and community stakeholders to ever participate in this program.

Throughout the next several days, we will gather as a united business community, connect you with federal policy makers, and lead on a robust federal agenda that benefits all Nevadans.

By coming to Washington, D.C., you have demonstrated your commitment to building a strong future for Nevada.

Together, we are moving our state forward by building strategic relationships, engaging in dialogue with Congressional members, collaborating with well-respected think-tanks, and sharing best practices with peers from national trade associations.

We will come together and lead on a federal agenda that will address important policy issues and identify pragmatic and practical solutions on issues such as transportation infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, economic development, education, and workforce development. In addition to a well-rounded schedule of meetings during the day, we are pleased to offer you exciting evening programming throughout the Fly-in.

We will be kicking off the week with the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens game on Sunday, followed by the Welcome Reception at Union Station’s Presidential Suite on Monday night. We will of course once again bring a little bit of Vegas with us by hosting one of Washington D.C.’s most popular events, Vegas Night at the Capitol on Tuesday evening. We will close out our week with the Nevada State Dinner Gala at Conrad Hotel Washington, D.C.

Thank you again for joining us for the Annual Fly-in and making the time and investment in Nevada’s future. We look forward to seeing what we can do together as we connect, convene, and lead for the betterment of our Great State of Nevada.

Sincerely,

Mary Beth Sewald President & CEO Vegas Chamber

Betsy Fretwell Chairwoman Board of Trustees Vegas Chamber

Hugh Anderson Chairman Government Affairs Committee

Vegas

Chamber

Staff and Hotel Contact Information

Welcome

Sunday, September 15

The Las Vegas Raiders vs. The Baltimore Ravens

Monday, September 16 Check-in

Welcome Reception

Tuesday, September 17

Policy Briefings

Hail to the Chiefs Luncheon

Vegas Night at the Capitol

Wednesday, September 18 Meetings with Members of Congress I-11 and I-15 Congressional Luncheon

Thursday, September 19

Policy Briefings

Nevada State Dinner Gala

Federal Priorities Federal

Sunday, September 15, 2024 Agenda

WASHINGTON FLY-IN PRE-EVENTS

MORNING & AFTERNOON PROGRAMMING 11:00 a.m.

Bus departs from JW Marriott Hotel for Las Vegas Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens Game

Sunday, September 15, 2024 1:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m.

Optional Las Vegas Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens Game. Pre-Registration and Advance

Ticket Purchase Required

M&T Bank Stadium 1101 Russell St, Baltimore, MD 21230

Bus departs from M&T Bank Stadium to JW Marriot Hotel

Optional Evening Tour of U.S. Capitol by Congressman Jon Porter 101 Constitution Avenue, NW Main Lobby

Monday, September 16, 2024

Monday, September 16, 2024 Agenda

WELCOME EVENTS

MORNING PROGRAMMING

9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m

Fly-in Check-in

JW Marriott Hotel, Congressional Room 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Optional Private Tour of The Library of Congress by Congressman Jon Porter

AFTERNOON PROGRAMMING

5:30 p.m.

6:00-8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

Buses depart from the JW Marriott Hotel for Welcome Reception at Union Station, Presidential Suite

Welcome to Washington, D.C. Reception at Union Station, Presidential Suite 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE

Buses depart from Union Station, Presidential Suite to JW Marriott Hotel 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 Agenda

THE WILLARD

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL

MORNING SESSIONS

8:30 a.m.

Welcome Breakfast and Opening Program

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom, Lower Level 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Fireside Chat with Curtis LeGeyt, President & CEO, National Association of Broadcasters - Grand Ballroom

OPTION 1: How Tourism is Driving the Economy - Grand Ballroom

OPTION 2: The Impact of Federal Policy on Healthcare and What it Means to States - Crystal Room

OPTION 1: The Role, Innovation, and Threats of Cybersecurity and the Economy - Grand Ballroom

OPTION 2: Critical Issues Facing Affordable Housing and the Impact on Communities - Crystal Room

OPTION 1: The Talent Supply-Demand Equation. How is it Changing? - Grand Ballroom

OPTION 2: AI Impact on Politics - Crystal Room

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

BREAK Hail to the Chiefs Luncheon - Grand Ballroom

BREAK

OPTION 1:Aligning Business and the Educator Community to Improve Student Achievement - Grand Ballroom

OPTION 2: U.S. Small Business Administration FIreside ChatCrystal Room

OPTION 1: Governance of University Models - Grand Ballroom

OPTION 2: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Political Affairs Perspective - Crystal Room

MEETINGS CONCLUDE

EVENING PROGRAMMING

9:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:15 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 11:45 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:15 p.m. 1:45 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m.

6:30 p.m. -8:30 p.m.

Bus Departs JW Marriott for Vegas Night at the Capitol Capitol View at 400 444 North Capitol Street, NW

Vegas Night at the Capitol Capitol View at 400 444 North Capitol Street, NW

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH CURTIS LEGEYT

PRESIDENT & CEO

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS

OVERVIEW:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

9:00 a.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Grand Ballroom

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is the voice for the nation’s free, local radio and television broadcasters and broadcast networks. As their premier trade association, NAB advances the interests of broadcasters before the federal government, works to improve the quality and profitability of broadcasting, encourages innovation and spotlights the important and unique ways local stations serve their communities.

MEETING TOPICS:

The conversation will focus on NAB’s efforts to ensure a legislative and regulatory environment that supports broadcasters’ ability to serve their local communities. They will discuss the key issues impacting the future of free, local broadcasting and hear how NAB works to keep policymakers informed of the issues that impact local radio and television stations and their audiences.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Mitch Fox

President and Chief Executive Officer

Nevada Broadcasters Association

Mitch Fox is the president and CEO of the Nevada Broadcasters Association, a trade organization that advocates on behalf of Nevada’s radio and television stations.

Fox is a veteran broadcaster and communications strategist. He formerly worked for Vegas PBS, where he hosted and produced “Nevada Week in Review” and later served as the director of programming. He has also moderated numerous candidates’ debates, including the only debate between U.S. Senator Harry Reid and Sharron Angle.

Fox also served as City of North Las Vegas’ director of communications, managing external and internal communications and advising city council and staff on public policy issues. During his tenure, Fox brought council meetings to cable TV, supervised the redesign of the city’s website, doubled traffic to the City’s social media channels, created a podcast for the city, launched e-newsletters for council members, created videos for the city’s YouTube channels and strengthen city-media relations.

He also worked as the Nevada State Director for Porter Group, a lobbying firm based in Washington D.C. While there, he managed client relations, developed advocacy strategies and regularly engaged with state lawmakers and members of Congress.

Curtis LeGeyt

President and Chief Executive Officer National Association of

Broadcasters

Curtis LeGeyt is the president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. In this role, he serves as the chief advocate for America’s free, local television and radio stations and their network partners. He was the association’s chief operating officer before taking his current role in January 2022. LeGeyt also served as the executive vice president, Government Relations, from 2015-2020. As president and CEO, LeGeyt is leading NAB’s charge for policies and innovations that enable the availability of high-quality local broadcast programming to all consumers. He and his team successfully advocate for policies that level the playing field between local stations and Big Tech companies, prevent harmful new regulations that hinder broadcasters’ ability to serve their communities, and promote the vital and trusted local journalism broadcasters provide. LeGeyt has been featured in Washingtonian magazine as one of Washington, D.C.’s 500 most influential people, named “Radio Executive of the Year” by Radio Ink magazine and as a top lobbyist

Tuesday Sept 17

Tuesday Sept 19

9:15 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH CURTIS LEGEYT PRESIDENT & CEO NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS

CONTINUED

by The Hill newspaper. LeGeyt is also a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Association Committee of 100, which brings together trade association CEOs to build partnerships and discuss issues facing their industries.

Prior to joining NAB in 2011, LeGeyt served as the senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (VT), advising the chairman and committee on intellectual property, antitrust and First Amendment issues. Previously, LeGeyt practiced law at Howrey LLP, where he focused on antitrust litigation and merger reviews.

LeGeyt began his career as a management consultant for Putnam Associates and worked on the staff of the 2008 Obama for America presidential campaign.

LeGeyt serves on the boards of directors of the NAB Leadership Foundation, the Broadcasters Foundation of America and Tracy’s Kids, a nonprofit helping children with cancer.

He also serves on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Executive Committee, and is an alumnus of Leadership Music, a Nashville-based program that fosters community and collaboration among music industry leaders.

LeGeyt received his J.D. from Cornell University Law School, and his B.A. from Providence College in quantitative economics where he serves on its National Board of Overseers.

Source: National Association of Broadcasters, Nevada Broadcasters Association

OPTION 1 HOW TOURISM IS DRIVING THE ECONOMY

MEETING TOPICS:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

9:30 a.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel Grand Ballroom

The panel will discuss how tourism is a vital component of the economy and the positive attributes tax revenue for state and local governments, infrastructure investment, the creation of thousands of jobs, and innovation. Discussion will also focus on how federal legislation and policy can impact the industry. The panel will share how Nevada is a leader in the tourism industry nationally, and what that means to the state’s economy as it continually evolves, diversifies, invests, and strengthens its robust tourism sector.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Ike Lawrence Epstein

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

UFC

Ike Lawrence Epstein serves as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for UFC, where he is responsible for all global business operations and for managing the company’s overall performance and growth.

Beyond UFC, Epstein has significant influence in the sports and business community in Las Vegas. He serves on the board of directors for the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, which owns and oversees Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. He is also a member of the Board of Managers of Pioneer TopCo GP, LLC., parent of The Venetian resort complex in Las Vegas and is President of IKE Gaming, Inc., the owner of the iconic El Cortez Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas.

Prior to UFC, Epstein was a Partner and the President of Nevada-based law firm Beckley Singleton. He holds a Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and continues to provide leadership and guidance to his alma mater as a member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and the Vanderbilt Law School Board of Advisors.

Steve Hill

CEO & President

Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

Steve Hill is the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the destination marketing organization that promotes and attracts tourism, conventions, meetings, and special events to Las Vegas and throughout Southern Nevada. The LVCVA also owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), the premier destination for meetings and conventions in the United States.

Under Hill’s leadership, the LVCC debuted its $1 billion, 1.4 million-square-foot expansion in June 2021, growing the campus to 4.6 million square feet. He is currently leading the LVCVA through a $600 million renovation of the existing campus. In conjunction with the convention center expansion, Hill brought the Convention Center Loop to fruition. The underground transportation system, in partnership with The Boring Company.

An outspoken advocate for the economic and marketing benefits of hosting high-profile sporting events, Hill, together with resort partners and government leaders, has secured marquee events such as the NFL’s Pro Bowl and Draft in 2022, Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, the NCAA Final Four in 2028, and an annual Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix beginning in November 2023.

Hill owned Silver State Materials from 1987 until its purchase by CalPortland in 2008 where he served as Senior Vice President until 2011. He was then appointed director of the newly established Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) by Governor Brian Sandoval where during his tenure he lured numerous businesses to the state, including Tesla, Apple, and Hyperloop One.

Hill serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association, the national advocacy association that represents the travel and tourism industry. Hill also serves as chair of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, the entity that owns and has oversight of the nearly $2 billion Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Alex Lasry

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism, International Trade Administration U.S. Department of Commerce

Alex Lasry is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism at the International Trade Administration. In this role, he leads the National Travel and Tourism Office and is executing the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy to enhance the international competitiveness of the U.S. industry and maintain America’s status as a top destination for international visitors.

Lasry has been a business and community leader in Wisconsin with more than a decade of public and private sector experience. Most recently, he was a co-owner and Senior Vice President of the Milwaukee Bucks. He played a leading role in transforming the organization into one of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s premier franchises both on and off the court, culminating in the team’s first NBA Championship in 50 years in 2021. He was responsible for the Bucks’ corporate citizenship efforts and spearheaded the public-private partnership to create the Deer District, one of downtown Milwaukee’s central attractions. He also led the organization’s workforce development efforts and successful negotiations for an historic project labor agreement, creating thousands of union jobs.

Lasry led Milwaukee’s successful bid to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. He served as the Chair of the Milwaukee 2020 Bid Committee and Finance Chair for the Democratic Convention’s Host Committee.

Larsy served in the Obama White House in the Office of Public Engagement & Intergovernmental Affairs as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff and later as Deputy Counselor for Strategic Engagement. He graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received his M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Mary Beth Sewald President & CEO Vegas Chamber

As the chief executive of the largest and broadest-based business association in Nevada, Mary Beth Sewald sets the vision for the Vegas Chamber and leads its strategy of supporting local businesses and pursuing initiatives to boost job growth, a healthy economy, and a vibrant community.

Sewald represents the business community in a wide range of capacities. She serves on the board of directors for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Western Association of Chamber Executives, and the National Championship Air Races in Reno, NV, among many others. She was appointed to the Southern Nevada Sporting Events Committee by former Governor Brian Sandoval and served on the Super Bowl Host Committee for the 2024 Super Bowl.

Sewald is engaged on several policy initiatives at the local, regional, national, international levels, and works with the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee and team to advocate on behalf of Nevada’s business community. Under her leadership, the Vegas Chamber was the first Chamber in the nation to form an Association Health Plan and Association Retirement Plan, and the first to provide free, professional “Goals Coaching” programs through U.S. Bank. Sewald worked directly with the then Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor to create what became a national model of Association Health Plans, helping businesses provide more affordable health insurance to their employees.

She is the former President & CEO of the Nevada Broadcasters Association and served as General Manager of the NBC affiliate, KRNV TV in Reno, NV. Sewald was recognized as the first woman to be named Television General Manager in 2003 and was inducted into the Nevada Broadcaster’s Association Hall of Fame in 2009. She earned an Emmy Award for a documentary she executive produced. In 2022, she was named as one of Nevada’s Most Respected Leaders by Nevada Business Magazine. She has also been honored with the Silver State Award for Excellence in Service and named one of Nevada Business Magazine’s 2019 Women to Watch. In 2024, she was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Nevada Women’s Hall of Fame for paving the way for future generations of women in Nevada. She was also the Miracle Flights Navigator Award honoree at SOARée.

Las Vegas program.

Source: Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, UFC, U.S. Department of Commerce, Vegas Chamber

OPTION 2 THE IMPACT OF FEDERAL POLICY ON HEALTHCARE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO STATES

OVERVIEW:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

9:30 a.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Crystal Room

The United States has one of the most advanced healthcare systems in the world, which in large part has been driven by the innovation, research and development that has been undertaken by the healthcare industry. However, despite advances in medicine, patient care and deliver of services, the issue of increased affordability and accessibility continues to challenge the future of the healthcare system.

In 2021, the Nevada State Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 420, which creates a state government public health care option in Nevada. Per the bill, health care providers are required to participate in the state public option if they serve Medicaid, Public Employees Benefits Program, or Workers’ Compensation patients. Also, hospitals and doctors will be paid current Medicare rates, which are below the cost of providing services. The Vegas Chamber along with chambers of commerce, trade associations and health care industry representatives opposed SB 420 because of several unintended consequences, including shifting costs to employer provided health insurance. The Chamber was also concerned that this would increase healthcare costs for Nevada’s working families and push doctors away from Nevada.

More recently in 2023, the Nevada State Legislature heard a number of bills that increase the cost of medical care and implement caps on services.

MEETING TOPICS:

The discussion will focus on how federal healthcare policy can impact the delivery of healthcare at the state and local levels. It will examine how this impacts the private healthcare sector and patient care in regards to accessibility, affordability, and quality of care. The panel will also discuss how federal policy is impacting costs, labor, and the future of the industry from the healthcare provider perspective.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Ryan McBride

Congressional Affairs Director, Advocacy & Practice Affairs

American College of Emergency Physicians

Ryan McBride serves as Congressional Affairs Director for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), leading ACEP’s federal legislative advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. These efforts include developing original emergency medicine-focused legislation, educating Members of Congress and their staff on ACEP’s policy priorities, and securing enactment of those priorities into law. Ryan originally joined the College as Senior Congressional Lobbyist in 2017.

Prior to joining ACEP, he worked for the American Osteopathic Association as a Congressional Lobbyist. Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Ryan also served in various capacities for several Members of Congress from the state, covering the health care portfolio and other issues as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Dean Heller and Representative Joe Heck, DO, (NV-03), as well as serving as a Staff Assistant and Regional Representative in the district office for Representative Jon Porter (NV-03).

He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University.

Mike Murphy President Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

Michael “Mike” Murphy is President and General Manager of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nevada, a position he has held since November 2006. Anthem is Nevada’s second largest carrier, with a membership of more than 300,000.

Murphy was recruited into The Associated Group (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana) in 1996 from Merrill Lynch, where he started his career as a financial consultant dealing in institutional and private markets. Prior to his appointment as president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nevada, Murphy served in various leadership roles throughout the country with parent company Anthem Inc. including the vice president of sales for the consumer services division of UniCare, an Anthem subsidiary; vice president of sales for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kentucky; and various leadership roles in the consumer and Medicare markets at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana.

Mike grew up in a suburb of Chicago and moved to Indianapolis to attend Butler University on a soccer scholarship. While at Butler, he completed an undergraduate degree with a major in both Finance and Marketing and then went on to earn an MBA in management from the University of Notre Dame.

Chantel Sheaks

Vice President of Retirement Policy

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Chantel Sheaks is Vice President of Retirement Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She develops, promotes, and publicizes the Chamber’s policy on retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation, and Social Security. In addition, Sheaks regularly meets with members of Congress, the administration, and regulatory agencies to advocate the Chamber’s retirement policy. She also represents the Chamber on several national coalitions.

Sheaks has 27 years of experience in employee benefits law, including both policy and practice. Sheaks has held a variety of positions, including partner at a major international law firm, government relation consultant for a global benefits consulting firm, and fund director/general counsel for a national multiemployer health fund. She also was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center for 17 years. Sheaksl has a BA in Spanish and Russian from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and a JD from Northeastern University School of Law.

Todd Sklamberg

Chief Executive Officer

Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center | Sunrise Children’s Hospital

Todd Sklamberg is the Chief Executive Officer of Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, Nevada’s largest acute care facility, and Sunrise Children’s Hospital, Nevada’s largest, most comprehensive children’s hospital. Located on the same campus, Sunrise Hospital and Sunrise Children’s is an 836-bed facility.

Prior to becoming CEO, Sklamberg served as the Chief Operating Officer of Sunrise Children’s Hospital in 2012. Sunrise Hospital and Sunrise Children’s Hospital are members of HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Health System in Las Vegas. Prior to joining HCA, Sklamberg served as vice president at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Under Sklamberg’s leadership, Sunrise has grown to serve the most acute and diverse patient population in southern Nevada and a 300-mile service area including northwestern Arizona, southern Utah, eastern California, the State of Nevada and the 43 million visitors to Las Vegas. During the recent pandemic, Sunrise cared for over 7,000 COVID patients, the most in the State. During the 1 October 2017 mass casualty shooting, Sunrise served a vital role in the community caring for over 250 patients including 125 gunshot patients, with a 99.5% survival rate.

Sklamberg’s commitment to Nevada extends to his community work as he currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Nevada Hospital Association and has served previously as Chair. He is also active with the Vegas Chamber serving as a member of the Government Affairs Committee.

Source: American College of Emergency Physicians Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Sunrise Health Systems, US. Chamber of Commerce

OPTION 1 THE ROLE, INNOVATION, AND THREATS OF CYBERSECURITY AND THE ECONOMY

OVERVIEW:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 10:15 a.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Grand Ballroom

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) is a community of scholars and supporters committed to expanding liberty, increasing individual opportunity and strengthening free enterprise. AEI pursues these unchanging ideals through independent thinking, open debate, reasoned argument, facts and the highest standards of research and exposition.

Without regard for politics or prevailing fashion, they dedicate their work to a more prosperous, safer and more democratic nation and world. AEI is a private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics and social welfare.

The Brookings Institution is viewed as a leading, independent voice in the domestic policymaking sphere. The Governance Studies program at Brookings is dedicated to analyzing policy issues, political institutions and processes, and contemporary governance challenges.

Their scholarship identifies areas in need of reform and proposes specific solutions to improve governance worldwide, but with a particular emphasis on the United States. The Center for Technology Innovation housed within the Governance Studies Program at Brookings delivers research to inform public debate and policymaking on technology innovation in the U.S. and globally.

MEETING TOPICS:

Discussion will focus on the growing impact that cybersecurity has on the national economy and how it is changing the way companies address raising concerns relating to internet security, protection of networks, and payment systems.

The conversation will also discuss the impact of cybersecurity on national security and the role businesses must play in protecting themselves, their employees and clients from hackers that are seeking vulnerabilities in their information systems.

Nevada’s employers are not exempt from these challenges associated with cybersecurity and must take a more active role against one of the largest threats facing businesses today.

Policy conversations will also focus on the growing importance of data privacy at the national level. As a result of Congress taking no action at the federal level, many states are seeing national organizations and special interests attempt to address data privacy at their state legislatures.

In Nevada’s 82nd Legislative Session, there were several bills including Assembly Bill 320 (AB 320) and Senate Bill 370 (SB 370) that sought to impact data privacy policy.

AB 320 was an example of overreach to regulate data privacy. The bill would have required consumers to verify their identity and would hold businesses liable in an attempt to increase data privacy and internet safety for children. SB 370 was well intentioned and sought to protect consumer health data, but the inclusion of protecting all biometric data, as has been enacted in states such as Illinois, would have exposed businesses across all sectors to massive liability.

Data privacy will continue to be a priority for businesses. The Vegas Chamber supports a unified framework to ensure that consumers have their privacy protected, and businesses have the certainty that business can continue to operate unimpeded.

Artificial Intelligence and its role in business will be discussed as well. AI is an emerging tech sector that is seeing explosive growth, that has garnered much news attention and growing concern. There will also be discussion about the benefits of generative AI in the workplace and why employers should not be apprehensive about its entrance into Nevada’s workplaces.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Michael Richards

Director of Policy

Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC), U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Michael Richards is director of policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC). He manages the Chamber’s artificial intelligence and IT modernization work, which analyzes federal artificial intelligence, facial recognition, and IT modernization policy impacting U.S. businesses. Richards also directs the Chamber’s AI Policy Working Group, which comprises over 100 companies and trade associations, which has developed AI principles.

Before joining the Chamber, Richards served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-15) and served in the same role for Rep. Pete Olson (TX -22) before his retirement. Richards was the lead staffer for Olson’s work as co-chair of the House AI Caucus and the Victims’ Rights Caucus. He also handled the Communication & Technology portfolio for the congressman within the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Richards earned his undergraduate degree at Texas State University and his Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine School of Public Policy.

Shane Tews

Nonresident Senior Fellow

American Enterprise Institute

Shane Tews is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on cybersecurity issues, including privacy and data protection, next-generation networking (5G), the Internet of Things, international internet governance, digital economic policy, information and communications technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse, cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens, and emerging technologies.

Along with her work at AEI Tews runs Logan Circle Strategies working with her clients to create a coordinated public policy approach to Information Communications and Technology policies and cyber security and cyber governance strategies on a global scale. Additionally, Tew is on the board of directors of the Internet Education Foundation; chair of the Internet Society’s Washington DC chapter, and chair of the board of directors at TechFreedom.

Darrell West

Senior Fellow

Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution

Darrell West is a senior fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation within the Governance Studies program at Brookings. He serves as the co-editor in chief of Tech Tank. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence robotics, and the future of work.

West is also the director of the John Hazen White Manufacturing Initiative, where he previously was the professor of political science and public policy. West also served as the Director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University.

Sources: American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

OPTION 2 CRITICAL ISSUES FACING ATTAINABLE HOUSING AND THE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES

MEETING TOPICS:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 10:15 a.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Crystal Room

Panel members will talk about why affordable housing is essential to maintaining a healthy and robust economy and the efforts by the private sector and governmental entities to address this growing policy concern across the nation. The discussion will also focus on national trends as it relates to affordability, access, and challenges in today’s housing marketing and how employers can play an important role in developing workforce housing solutions. These panel members will also examine policy solutions that best address challenges and barriers to affordable housing options such as employers’ ability to attract employees, affect employee’s productivity, and quality of life.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Zach Conine

Treasurer

State of Nevada

Zach Conine serves as Nevada’s 23rd State Treasurer. Elected on November 6th, 2018. As Treasurer, Conine leads a team of more than 45 professionals that are responsible for investing the State’s and many local governments’ money, financing community assets and facilities, processing payments for public agencies and collecting and returning unclaimed property.

Additionally, Conine is responsible for Nevada College Savings Plans and administration of numerous scholarship programs and other services. Conine serves as a member of the State Board of Finance and the Executive Branch Audit Committee. Conine serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the College Savings Plans of Nevada and the Nevada State Infrastructure Bank.

Prior to serving as State Treasurer, Conine built a successful business career in the gaming, finance, and consulting sectors. As co-founder of a consulting business, he has helped dozens of small and medium sized businesses expand, increase efficiencies, and decrease expenses. In doing so, he assisted in the creation and preservation of more than 3,000 jobs in Nevada. Conine graduated with a B.A. from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and holds a J.D. from the from UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law. He and his wife Layke are happily raising their daughter Ruby, twin sons Rutherford and Theodore, and two dogs, Democracy and Liberty.

David Dworkin

President & CEO

National Housing Conference

David M. Dworkin is the 17th president and chief executive officer of the National Housing Conference, the nation’s oldest housing coalition, founded in 1931. Prior to joining NHC in 2018, Dworkin was a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he advised Treasury Department officials on matters related to housing and community development. He also served as a member of President Barack Obama’s Detroit interagency team, where his responsibilities included developing and implementing strategies to assist in the City of Detroit’s revitalization.

Previously, he managed the Capital Magnet Fund (CMF) at the Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund, which disbursed $80 million in grants for economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and nonprofit housing organizations.

Prior to joining the Treasury Department, he was CEO and Founder of Affiniti Strategies, a political consulting firm that assisted clients build political relationship capital. Dworkin served in a number of leadership positions at Fannie Mae. His service in the administration of President George H.W. Bush included the State Department’s acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs.

Karl Eckhart

Vice President of State & Local Government Affairs

National Association of Homebuilders

Karl Eckhart serves as the Vice President of State & Local Government Affairs for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). In this capacity Eckhart is proud to work with State and Local Associations and members of NAHB to ensure a strong real estate market in America. With his previous work at NAHB and the National Association of Realtors Eckhart has over a decade of experience in housing advocacy.

Eckhart has enjoyed a career in all aspects of government relations including service in the U.S. Senate, political campaigns, and various lobbying efforts. In 2006 Eckhart completed a Master of Arts degree in public policy at George Mason University. In 2011 he published a grassroots campaign guide titled “Fifty Percent + One: The Fundamentals of Running a Successful Campaign”

Seth T. Floyd, Esq.,

AICP

Director of Community Development

City of Las Vegas

Seth Floyd is the director of community development for the city of Las Vegas. In this executive position, he oversees the city’s divisions of planning, development, building & safety, business licensing and code enforcement. As the lead on a variety of initiatives and a licensed attorney, Floyd has negotiated development agreements for complex master-planned communities as well as small scale development and redevelopment. He oversees the implementation of the city’s 2050 master plan, a comprehensive guide for the city’s vision of the next 25 years, as well as administers the city’s affordable housing incentives program.

Floyd earned his law degree from the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been an adjunct legal writing professor at the school of law for the last decade.

Audra Hamernik President & CEO Nevada HAND

Audra Hamernik is the President and CEO of Nevada HAND in Las Vegas, NV. Over the past 30 years, she has been an industry leader in real estate, financial services, social impact investing and lending, and business leadership in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She came to Nevada HAND from the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) where she served as Executive Director, leading a 300-person team that financed over $18 billion in asset-based loans leading to the creation of over 250,000 units of affordable housing.

Prior to her time at IHDA, Audra founded and served as Principal of A. Hamernik & Associates, Inc., leading the company’s development in affordable housing finance. Audra has also served as Executive Director of Bluestem Housing Partners, a nonprofit housing developer.

She is a member of the CEO Exchange, an appointee for the Nevada Housing Advisory Committee, an appointee for the Advisory Council of Federal Assistance, serves on the Legislative Committee of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, a member of the Vegas Chamber’s Executive Women’s Council, a member of the National Association of Homebuilders Affordable Housing Steering Committee, a Board Member of the Nevada Housing Coalition, and a Board Member of the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care.

Jordan Lewis Executive Director

Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authorit

With over 40 years of public and private management experience, Lewis Jordan has led housing authorities from the very large with 50,000 or more total units, medium-sized agencies with 10,000 plus units, to small agencies with 3,200 units. This unique array of experience has positioned him to work effectively with resident leaders, residents, staff, community partners and stakeholders to address not only housing issues but also strategies to develop underserved communities. As a former public housing resident, he understands both issues and opportunities residents encounter.

Source: City of Las Vegas, National Association of Homebuilders, National Housing Conference, Nevada HAND, Nevada State Treasurer, Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority

OPTION 1 THE TALENT SUPPLY-DEMAND EQUATION. HOW IS IT CHANGING?

MEETING TOPICS:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 11:00 a.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel Grand Ballroom

Workforce development is essential to the success of any economy. The reality is the economy is always changing and so are the needs of employers as they relate to talent supply-demand in the workforce. For an economy to grow and be competitive, there needs to be a strong alignment between employers and workforce initiatives. An economy that competes effectively can attract investments and strengthen talent pipeline with a community. This can be done all while achieving sustainable expansion in employment opportunities. This leads to enhancements in salaries, economic activity, and an elevation in the overall quality of life.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Mary Clagett

Senior Director of Workforce Policy JFF

Mary Gardner Clagett is a senior director in the Policy & Advocacy practice at JFF. She works with workforce policy leaders and practitioners nationwide to shape effective policy recommendations for U.S. workers and the U.S. economy. She and her team identify best practices for meeting the education, training, and employment needs of learners and workers, and translate practice into policy. Her skills and areas of expertise include education policy, workforce development policy, and human services policy.

Before joining JFF, Clagett worked for more than 20 years for members of Congress, serving in senior policy positions for education, workforce development, and human services. Clagett has an undergraduate degree from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and carried out her graduate work at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Jaime Cruz

Executive Director

Workforce Connections

Jaime Cruz serves as Executive Director for Workforce Connections, Southern Nevada’s Local Workforce Development Board. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director in October 2017, Cruz served as Chief Strategy Officer for eight years and was instrumental in partnering with local libraries to expand WIOA driven workforce programs.

Cruz understands firsthand the barriers many face when trying to improve their careers. As a young man who immigrated to the United States, Cruz initially worked as a dish washer despite a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Escuela Nacional De Marina Mercante in Lima, Peru. By improving his command of the English language and capitalizing on the growth opportunities he was presented, Cruz was able to successfully return to the engineering field and later transition to the public sector.

Prior to his career at Workforce Connections, Cruz worked on sustainability initiatives for major hotel casino companies in Las Vegas, including overseeing the development and implementation of the energy management and building automation systems at MGM Resorts International’s CityCenter. He is recognized as a Certified Energy Manager and Certified Sustainable Development Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers, as well as a Certified Public Manager by the State of Nevada. Cruz became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1994 and has lived in Southern Nevada for thirty years.

Manny Lamarre

Assistant Secretary Employment Training Administration

US Department of Labor

Manny Lamarre is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for ETA in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Lamarre’s experience spans across workforce development policy, program, and research across federal, state, and local levels. He’s served as a Governor appointee, serving as an Executive Director overseeing the strategic implementation of the state’s workforce and apprenticeship system and now as a political appointee leading on key workforce policies and programs such as sector-based initiatives and investments, registered apprenticeships, WIOA, industry engagement, and AI. He was formerly a Senior Policy Advisor at ETA before assuming the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary.

Lamarre serves in key roles working closely with the White House on policies such as the President’s Executive Order on apprenticeships and AI and has represented the U.S. in Geneva at the International Labor Conference resulting in the setting of international standards on apprenticeships adopted by over 100 countries. Lamarre began his career as a classroom teacher and has authored several reports, studied, and presented on workforce nationally and internationally.

Walter Simmons

President & CEO

Employ Prince George

Walter Simmons is the founding President & CEO of Employ Prince George’s Incorporated and the Executive Director of the Prince George’s County Workforce Development Board. Over the past 10 years Walter has held various workforce development positions within local government, state government, the private sector, and nonprofit industries. In 2016 Simmons began his career in Prince George’s County and later that year, at the age of 28, he became Maryland’s youngest Local Workforce Development Board Director, and one of the youngest in the United States.

Since 2016, Simmons has helped Prince George’s County secure over $13 million in workforce funding to create innovative workforce development programming that has helped thousands gain employment.

In the spirit of innovation and partnership, Prince George’s County is home to the only Public Workforce System operating as a Membership Network, the Prince George’s County American Job Center Community Network, in the United States. Simmons is actively involved in his community as a board member and chair of multiple national, statewide, and local nonprofit organizations.

Source: ASU, JFF, Maryland Nonprofits, Workforce Connections, U.S. Department of Labor,

OPTION 2 THE IMPACT OF AI ON POLITICS

MEETING

TOPICS:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

11:00 a.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Crystal Room

This discussion will focus on how Artificial Intelligence is assisting politicians, advocacy groups and companies in analyzing sentiment in voters and consumers leading to new insights to predict outcomes. Meanwhile, traditional polling is changing methodology to meet with new voter and consumer patterns and demographic trends. Join our panelists for a discussion on current trends, new technology and what your organization should be doing to stay ahead of political change.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Glen Bolger

Co-Founder

Public Opinion Strategies

Glen Bolger is one of the Republican Party’s leading political strategists and pollsters. He is a partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, a national political and public affairs survey research firm whose clients include leading political figures, Fortune 500 companies, and major associations.

Bolger is one of only two people to be a three-time winner of the “Republican Pollster of the Year” award from the American Association of Political Consultants, winning the prestigious award for his work in 2002, 2009, and 2012.

Prior to co-founding Public Opinion Strategies, Glen was the Director of Survey Research & Analysis for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the political arm of the House Republican Conference. He is a graduate of The American University in Washington, D.the private sector, and nonprofit industries. In 2016 Simmons began his career in Prince George’s County and later that year, at the age of 28, he became Maryland’s youngest Local Workforce Development Board Director, and one of the youngest in the United States.

Corinne Clark

Intelligence Analyst EyesOver

Corinne Clark is an intelligence analyst for EyesOver which utilizes unique software to analyze voter and consumer data using AI. Clark has over 15 years of experience in politics having worked on some of the most high-profile campaigns in the nation including providing services to several presidential campaigns, high profile senate races and issue advocacy.

She has a master’s degree in public diplomacy and political warfare from the Institute of World Politics and regularly contributes as a political strategist on media outlets such as Newsmax, Bill O’Reilly No Spin News, CNN India, Young Turks and Sky News.

Zac McCrary Partner Impact Research

During more than 15 years as a pollster and strategist at Impact Research, Zac McCrary has been integrally involved in the firm’s work at all levels – from the White House and Congress to statehouses and city halls. McCrary serves as pollster and strategist for governors, members of Congress, mayors, state legislative caucuses, and public-interest groups.

McCrary polls for Governors John Bel Edwards (LA) and Steve Sisolak (NV) and is the pollster for Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux, the only candidate to flip a US House seat from Red to Blue in the 2022 elections. He was also instrumental in American Bridge’s successful 2020 project to help elect Joe Biden by limiting Trump’s margins in Rust Belt swing states. In addition to his work with candidates, McCrary has worked closely with the DSCC, DCCC, DGA, Senate Majority PAC, and House Majority PAC to elect Democrats across the country and also partners with labor unions, major corporations, and nonprofit organizations to help them achieve their public policy goals. He is also an experienced focus group moderator, having moderated 150+ focus groups in more than 30 states.

McCrary regularly appears on television news programs including MSNBC’s Morning Joe, is often quoted in national publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Axios, and LA Times, and has been profiled in Roll Call and Campaigns and Elections magazine. In his spare time, he has created the popular Pro Politics Podcast, in which he explores the career paths of a bipartisan assortment of guests who’ve been successful working in politics.

Congressman Jon Porter

President & CEO

Porter Group

Congressman Jon Porter (ret.) is the founding member and CEO of Porter Group, a bipartisan government relations, lobbying, public affairs and business consulting firm with offices on Capitol Hill. Porter has also built and run a highly successful financial services company and has served multiple terms in office as city councilman, mayor, state senator and U.S. Congressman.

Through strong leadership, Porter has built a team of smart and experienced professionals at PORTER GROUP who handle an extensive portfolio of policy, legislative and regulatory matters.

During his three terms in Congress, Porter served on the powerful Ways and Means Committee (the chief tax writing committee in Congress), the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Subcommittees on Aviation and Rails, as well as the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He was the Chairman of the Federal Workforce Subcommittee and Co-chairman of the U.S. Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. While in office, Congressman Porter also was instrumental in bringing about funding for numerous transportation, construction and infrastructure projects.

Porter’s Board and Council affiliations have included Chairman and Trustee, Las Vegas Events; Charter Board Member, Southern Nevada Water Authority; Board of Directors, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; Board of Directors, Nevada League of Cities; Civilian Military Council, Nellis Air Force Base; Board of Governors, The Valley Health System; Board of Directors, Farmers New World Life Insurance; and Music Maker Relief Foundation.

Source: EyesOver, Impact Research, Porter Group, Public Opinion Strategies

HAIL TO THE CHIEFS LUNCHEON

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

12:00 p.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Grand Ballroom

MEETING TOPICS:

Several of the Chiefs of Staff from Nevada’s Congressional delegation will share their thoughts and perspective on policy issues affecting the business community. Chiefs of staff play a critical and unique role in the offices of Members of Congress. Part policy advisor, political strategist, chief financial officer, and personal confidant, they are integral to the political process and have rare insights into the ways that legislators come to their decisions and what policies they prioritize.

With panelists representing decades of political experience, our speakers will share their thoughts on the news of the day from the upcoming elections to major legislation as well as advice on engaging with Members, Senators, and their staffs with insight that only a true Washington-insider can provide.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Yvanna Cancela

Chief of Staff

Office of Congressman Steven Horsford, NV-4

Ivanna Cancela was appointed as Chief of Staff to Congressman Horsford in 2024. She was most recently special assistant to the president and senior adviser to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs for state and local government officials. She previously served as Chief of Staff of Governor Steve Sisolak of Nevada. Prior to administrative leadership roles at the federal and state levels of government, Cancela also served as a State Senator in the Nevada State Legislature.

Dara Cohen

Chief of Staff

Office of U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen

Dara Cohen currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Senator Jacky Rosen, a position she previously held in then Congresswoman Rosen’s House office. Cohen brings over a decade of political and government experience, most recently serving as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) and Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Bill Enyart (IL-12). Cohen is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and received her Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Molly Lowe Cutrona

Chief of Staff

Office of Congressman Mark Amodei, NV-2

Molly Lowe Cutrona currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Congressman Amodei, a position she has held since 2021. She previously served as Congressman Amodei’s Legislative Director from July 2018. Prior to joining Congressman Amodei’s office, Lowe Cutrona served as a Senior Legislative Assistant in the office of Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) where she focused on Energy, Homeland Security, and Tax policy. She is originally from Visalia, California and began working on Capitol Hill following her graduation from Pepperdine University in 2013 where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Mitch Moonier

Legislative Director

Office of Congresswoman Dina Titus, NV-1

Mitch Moonier serves as the Legislative Director for Congresswoman Dina Titus who represents Nevada’s First Congressional District in the heart of Southern Nevada. While overseeing the Congresswoman’s legislative team, Moonier is the Congresswoman’s advisor in her role as Member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and on the many caucuses she Co-Chairs, including the House Travel and Tourism Caucus. In this capacity, Congresswoman Titus continues to focus on making the travel experience an enjoyable one that is built on the foundation of hospitality and starts the moment people leave their homes to make their journey. Moonier was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a graduate of the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri.

Lauren Toy

Chief of Staff

Office of Congresswoman Susie Lee, NV-3

Lauren Toy serves as Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-NV), a Frontline member of the House Appropriations and Natural Resources Committees.

Toy began her career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. During the 2018 election cycle, Lauren answered a call to get involved in politics and moved to Las Vegas to organize for the NV Democratic Party. There, she met and helped elect then-candidate Susie Lee, then followed Rep. Lee to D.C. to join her congressional office at the start of her freshman term.

Toy holds a B.A. in International Relations from Brown University, where she also captained the Division I lacrosse team. Lauren is a native of northern California and currently resides in Washington, D.C. In her free time, you’ll find Lauren running, biking, and playing basketball or pickleball – outdoors as much as possible.

Source: U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate

OPTION 1

ALIGNING BUSINESS AND THE EDUCATOR COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

OVERVIEW:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

1:15 p.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Grand Ballroom

K-12 Education has long been an essential aspect of Nevada’s ability to attract new businesses, upskill its workforce, and provide opportunity to Nevada families. The Vegas Chamber has long been a proponent of common-sense reform that increases educational outcomes, accountability, transparency, and encourages efficient and effective operation. The Chamber supports efforts for students to be able to read by 3, augmenting and supporting our teacher pipeline, providing career technical education and dual enrollment opportunities, and school board reform to ensure qualified representation and a studentfirst focus.

MEETING TOPICS:

Experts will explore the critical need for an aligned vision around K-12 education in Nevada. Discussion will focus on strategies, programs and reform initiatives that are making significant improvements in K-12 education across the nation and how it’s being achieved. Conversations will focus on students-first approach, accountability and sustainability, and the business community’s role in championing and supporting K-12 educators and students in a way that meets their needs and supports development of our future workforce.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Hugh Anderson

Managing Director, Partner Hightower Las Vegas

Hugh Anderson is a Managing Director at Hightower Las Vegas. A native of Long Island, New York, Anderson brings 42 years of experience in the financial services industry. He provides his clients with knowledgeable insight and uniquely contrarian investment strategies. He is an avid student of financial markets, the global economy and geo-politics. His focus is finding creative perspectives that go against conventional wisdom and profiting from those discoveries. He prides himself on being able to communicate even the most complex concepts in terms any audience can understand.

Anderson is passionate about helping people achieve their dreams and strives to minimize the stress of managing their finances so they can enjoy the truly important things in life. He is dedicated to ongoing professional growth and spends numerous hours per year in continuing education. His professional designations include Certified Financial Planner and Certified Investment Management Analyst. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and MBA from Hofstra University in New York.

A Las Vegas resident since 1984, Anderson has served as Chairman of the Vegas Chamber, St. Rose Dominican Hospital Community board, the St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation and the Nevada Council on Economic Education. He currently serves as a trustee, executive committee member and Chairman of the government affairs committee for the Vegas Chamber. He is also a member of the Mission High School community advisory board, a Trustee on the Roseman University of Health Sciences board, the Roseman College of Medicine Community Advisory Board and chairs the Governor’s Workforce Development Board.

Jana Wilcox Lavin

CEO Opportunity 180

Throughout her career, Jana Wilcox Lavin has championed policies and practices that put student success at the forefront of decision-making. She has led Opportunity 180 since 2017, and prior to that, served as Superintendent-in-Residence of the Nevada State Achievement School District.

Before coming to Nevada, Wilcox Lavin served as both the Chief Program Officer for Scholar Academies and the Executive Director of Memphis Scholars. In that capacity, she designed, developed, and executed organization-wide strategic plans to turn around the lowest performing schools. She worked collaboratively with the community to improve student achievement, develop sound, student-focused policies, inform practices, and build resources for schools to drive outcomes.

Wilcox Lavin had previously served as Scholar Academies’ Chief Operating Officer where she led the organization’s strategy, operations and school launch teams, opening schools in Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Trenton, NJ. Her previous work also included managing a portfolio of nonprofit programs supporting fundraising, strategic planning, program execution and organizational development, and the start-up of a consulting firm in Washington, DC designed to improve the connection between secondary education, higher education and the industry in support of various workforce and economic development initiatives. Wilcox Lavin is a graduate of The Hotchkiss School, Tulane University and Emerson College.

Lindsay Sobel

Chief of Policy, Planning and External Affairs

Teach Plus

As Chief of Policy, Planning & External Affairs, Lindsay Sobel manages Teach Plus’ policy, research, and development functions, promotes the organizational expansion efforts, and contributes to the development and implementation of our organizational vision and strategy.

In 2021-22, Sobek served as Interim CEO of Teach Plus. As Vice President of Policy & External Affairs, she expanded Teach Plus’s policy and partnerships work at the federal level and deepened regional impact, expanding the organization’s work to 12 states. Lindsay founded Teach Plus Texas in 2016 and served as its Senior Executive Director. Under Sobel’s leadership, Teach Plus Texas helped secure an historic overhaul of the state’s school finance system, significant legislation advancing student mental health, and improvements to teacher leadership, preparation, and mentoring.

Sobel’s served as founding Director of the Teach Plus Network and Massachusetts Executive Director, where she supported teacher leaders in advancing college and career-ready standards, pedagogy, and assessments. She also played a key role in Teach Plus’s expansion to Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. At Teach Plus, Lindsay has provided thousands of teachers with opportunities to make an impact on behalf of the most underserved students.

Prior to joining Teach Plus, Sobel’s launched the Science and Technology Initiative and served as the 8th Grade Academy Program Manager at Citizen Schools, an organization focused on expanding the learning day for low-income middle school students. Lindsay started her career as a political journalist, helping to launch Slate Magazine and covering Congress for The Hill newspaper. She has also served as an adjunct journalism professor at Emerson College.

Sobel holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Sources: Hightower Las Vegas, Opportunity 180, Teach Plus

OPTION 2 FIRESIDE CHAT WITH DILAWAR SYED DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

OVERVIEW:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

1:15 p.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Crystal Room

Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.

MEETING TOPICS:

The conversation will focus on how the SBA is working on supporting the nation’s small businesses by offering various resources to small businesses including access to capital, entrepreneurial development, government contracting, and advocacy services. The Deputy Administrator will discuss how the SBA assists small businesses such as financing, business guides and education, federal contracting, and local assistance. All of these efforts and focus areas are aimed at helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Dilawar Syed Deputy Administrator Small Business Administration

Dilawar Syed comes to SBA from the State Department where he championed American businesses as Special Representative for Commercial & Business Affairs. As the State Department’s top commercial diplomat, Deputy Administrator Syed advocated for U.S. companies to compete and win abroad and helped ensure U.S. competitiveness in markets across the globe. In this role, he mobilized the private sector to support the people of Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion and advocated for commercial deals in strategic sectors such as aviation and defense, energy, and technology,

Before joining the Biden Administration, Syed was CEO at Lumiata, an AI healthcare company focused on reducing healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes. Previously, Syed was President at the software company Freshworks. Earlier in his career, Syed oversaw business operations for Yahoo!’s platforms and infrastructure and was a product manager at Siebel Systems and SAP.

Dilawar Syed has driven civic efforts at the federal, state, and local level focusing on economic growth and entrepreneurship. As the founding Chair of the California Entrepreneurship Task Force with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, Syed promoted inclusive entrepreneurship. He served on President Obama’s White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and chaired the White House Initiative on AAPIs’ Economic Growth Committee. In that role, Syed led the administration’s engagement with small businesses across the U.S. after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In 2020, Syed was tapped by San Jose, Calif. Mayor Sam Liccardo to help lead Silicon Valley’s pandemic economic recovery as a member of the Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable.

Syed holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned a B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin.

Betsy Fretwell Founder

C4WARD STRATEGIES LTD

Betsy Fretwell has over 30 years of experience working in leadership roles in both the public and private sectors in Southern Nevada. In 2023 Fretwell founded, C4WARD STRATEGIES LTD, an independent consulting firm, specializing in management, government, and technology consulting, executive development, business development, program management and strategic advisory services.

Until 2023, Fretwell worked for Switch (an IT infrastructure ecosystem and data center company) for over 5 years and served as Executive Vice President of Strategy leading efforts in government affairs, public sector business development, mergers and acquisitions, strategic initiatives, real estate, entitlements and land development, and emerging technologies.

Prior to working for Switch, Fretwell retired from the City of Las Vegas, the nation’s 25th largest city, after 17 years and served as the second-longest serving City Manager in the city’s history, from 2009 to 2017. As a nationally recognized leader, she oversaw a complex organization of more than 3,300 employees with a $1.3B annual budget.

Source: C4 STRATEGIES LTD, Small Business Administration

OPTION 1 GOVERNANCE OF UNIVERSITY MODELS

MEETING TOPICS:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

1:45 p.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel Grand Ballroom

The conversation will center around how governance models can be a contributing factor in the operations of institutions of higher education as it relates to their mission statements and the communities that they serve. The panel will also discuss real-world challenges that institutions are facing and how they help students succeed through a high-quality education. This includes a commitment to research and innovation that advances their regions’ economic progress and development.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Jee Hang Lee

President & CEO

Association of Community College Trustees

Jee Hang Lee became president and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) in 2021. Jee Hang provides national leadership to the over 500 governing boards who oversee the majority of community colleges throughout the United States and internationally. His deep personal passion for education equity and access led him to ACCT in 2006.

Prior to becoming president and CEO, Jee Hang served ACCT for over 15 years in the capacities of senior vice president, vice president for public policy and director of public policy. He has led the association’s public policy and advocacy efforts, including the Community College National Legislative Summit and legislative and regulatory issues such as appropriations, student financial aid, tax policy, and higher education policy, since he first joined the association. He also oversaw ACCT’s membership, events and communications divisions for many years.

Jee Hang serves on the board of the National Asian Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC), National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the advisory board of the University of Maryland Global Campus Community College Leadership Program, and the advisory board of the Community College Presidents Initiative-STEM (CCPI-STEM). Previously, Jee Hang served on the board of trustees of the American Student Association of Community Colleges, the Rural Community College Alliance and the executive committee of the Committee for Education Funding. Jee Hang holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University.

Dr. DeRionne Pollard

President Nevada State University

Dr. DeRionne Pollard is the current president of Nevada State University (NSU). Nevada State University is one of the fastest-growing colleges in the country and is designated as a Minority Serving Institute (MSI), Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institution (AANAPI). NSC also advances phenomenal teaching and superb student support to expand and diversify an educated workforce, thereby protecting social justice and economic mobility. Dr. Pollard began her tenure at NSC on Aug. 16, 2021.

Dr. Pollard is the first Black female president of any NSHE institution. She has held previous roles at the College of Lake County and served as president of both Montgomery College and Las Positas College. Dr. Pollard is a member of the Ascend Postsecondary Leadership Circle for Parents and the Center for First-generation Student Success Advisory Board for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. She also served on the boards of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, Universities at Shady Grove, and the Capital Area Food Bank.

Dr. Pollard was named one of Washington’s 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine, won a 2017 Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a Visionary Award from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s of arts in English from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.

Chuck Welch

President & CEO

American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Charles L. Welch became the seventh president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) on January 15, 2024. Welch joined AASCU after serving nearly 13 years as president of the Arkansas State University System, where he led the state’s second largest higher education system. He is also past president of Henderson State University (AR).

Welch is past president of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges and served as chairman of the board of the Arkansas Association of Public Universities. He is vice chair of the American Academic Leadership Institute Board of Directors and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. He also served on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, is a former board member for the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches, and was inducted into the Arkansas Boys State Hall of Fame.

He was co-chair of the Executive Council of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. He previously served as chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope-Texarkana, vice chancellor for academic affairs at Arkansas State University-Beebe, and dean of university studies at the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College. Welch also worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has served as an instructor of education and political science at three different colleges in Arkansas.

He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Arkansas, a Master of Arts in political management from The George Washington University (DC), and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Source: American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Association of Community College Trustees, Nevada State University

OPTION 2 U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE POLITICAL AFFAIRS PERSPECTIVE

OVERVIEW:

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 1:45 p.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Crystal Room

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization, representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions. Members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce range from mom-and-pop shops and local chambers to leading industry associations and large corporations.

The fundamental activity of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is to develop and implement policy on major issues affecting business. The U.S Chamber advocates for pro-business policies that create jobs and grow the economy. Key issues range from smart tax policy and regulatory relief to legal reform and trade promotion.

The U.S. Chamber works with more than 1,500 volunteers from member corporations, organizations and the academic community who serve on committees, subcommittees, task forces and councils to develop and implement policy on major issues affecting business.

MEETING TOPICS:

Attendees will receive an overview of policy priorities and political objectives with the Biden Administration and Congress, the upcoming 2024 General Election and the emerging issues that will impact the Presidential, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives races.

Discussion will also focus on the overall federal political strategy of the US Chamber, developing and implementing policy on major issues affecting business, and how to manage effective advocacy initiatives and programs.

SPEAKER:

Neil Bradley

Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy U.S. Chamber of Commerce

As executive vice president, chief policy officer, and head of strategic advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Neil Bradley is responsible for the organization’s overall advocacy efforts. In addition to managing policy development for the Chamber, Bradley oversees its government affairs activities, political program, and relations with other business organizations.

At the Chamber, Bradley has led the national discussion on hundreds of high-profile policy issues, influencing legislation at the federal, state, and local levels. He frequently appears on broadcast and cable news networks to present the business community’s priorities.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Bradley spent nearly 20 years working in the House of Representatives, including 11 years working for the House Republican leadership. He served as deputy chief of staff for then-Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA) where he developed the legislative agenda for House Republicans, oversaw policy formulation in the leader’s office, and coordinated committee activity in the House. Bradley held the same position for Eric Cantor (VA) during his tenure as majority leader. Before that, he was policy director for House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (MO).

After leaving Capitol Hill, Bradley founded Chartwell Policy Solutions, LLC, a research, analysis, and advisory firm focused on public policy issues. While working on Capitol Hill, Bradley was regularly named to Roll Call’s list of 50 top congressional staffers. The Hill recognized Bradley on its list of top lobbyists, and the Washingtonian magazine listed him as one of the Most Influential People in Washington.

Bradley serves on numerous boards, including the advisory board for the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University; the board of the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution; and the board for the Center for International Private Enterprise, where he is president and permanent secretary. Bradley, a graduate of Georgetown University.

Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 Agenda

CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Grand Ballroom

MORNING SESSIONS

8:30 a.m.

Breakfast and Media Keynote:

Edward Lawrence, Correspondent, Fox Business News

The Willard InterContinental Hotel Grand Ballroom, Lower Level

9:15 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

Meeting with U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, NV

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

Break

Next Generation of Workforce Development

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

Meeting with U.S. Congresswoman Susie Lee, NV-3

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

Meeting with U.S. Congressman Steven Horsford, NV-4

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

Meeting with U.S. Congressman Mark Amodei, NV-2

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m.

1:50 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

I-11 and I-15 Congressional Caucus Luncheon

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

Meeting with U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, NV

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

Meeting with U.S. Congresswoman Dina Titus, NV-1

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

The State of Nevada’s Election System by Secretary of State Francisco V. Aguilar

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

Nevada Public Land Priorities: The Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

BREAKFAST AND MEDIA KEYNOTE

EDWARD LAWRENCE, CORRESPONDENT FOX BUSINESS NEWS

OVERVIEW:

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

8:30 a.m.

Willard Intercontinental Hotel

Grand Ballroom, Lower Level

FOX Business Network (FBN) is a financial news channel delivering real-time information across all platforms that impact both Main Street and Wall Street. Headquartered in New York, the business capital of the world, FBN launched in October 2007 and currently ranks among the top business channels on television. The network is available in nearly 80 million homes in all markets across the United States. Owned by Fox Corporation, FBN is a unit of FOX News Media and has bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

MEETING TOPICS:

The conversation will focus on how federal policies and politics impact the way that the media delivers the news to the American public from a business perspective. In today’s 24-hour news cycle and everexpanding social media channels, these outlets can influence and shape how the public views the economy. It leads to the questions, how does the media cover the economy, what are the effects, how does the economy drive the news as well?

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Edward Lawrence Correspondent, Fox Business News

Edward Lawrence joined FOX Business Network (FBN) as a Correspondent in April 2018. Lawrence covered economic and political breaking news from the White House for FBN.

Since joining FBN, Lawrence has secured interviews with major industry titans spanning the business and economics sectors, including Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Raphael Bostic, and General Motors CEO Mary Barra during GM’s shocking employee layoffs in 2018. Lawrence has spoken to President’s Donald Trump and Joe Biden as well as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Lawrence has received multiple accolades for his in-depth and breaking news reporting, including an Emmy Award in 2015, as well as Associated Press awards for his news coverage in 2015, 2001, 1999 and 1996.

An Emmy award-winning journalist, before FBN Lawrence served as a freelance correspondent where he regularly covered breaking news stories for national outlets like CBS News, NBC News, MSNBC, and Global News Canada. Prior to his freelance career, he worked as a reporter for multiple stations across the country, including WFTS-TV, the ABC affiliate in Tampa, Florida, as well as KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV, the CBS stations in Los Angeles. He got his start at WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, Lawrence is the author of the 2014 book: “Facing The Camera: A Guide to Being Interviewed.”

Source: Fox Business News

U.S. Senator

Jacky Rosen (D) Nevada

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Committee on Armed Services

• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation

• Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband

• Subcommittee on Cybersecurity

• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities

• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight

• Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

• Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion (Chairman)

• Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

PUBLIC SERVICE:

• Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018

• Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016

EDUCATION/ALMA MATER:

• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

• College of Southern Nevada

CONGRESSIONAL MEETING TOPICS:

FEDERAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS

• The Vegas Chamber urges federal leadership to increase the equity of competitive and formulaic federal grant allocations, particularly in acute areas of need in Southern Nevada such as education, transportation, tourism, and affordable housing.

GAMING POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber supports updating gaming tax policy that will increase reporting thresholds on gaming wins that are required to be reported to the IRS because inflation and the need to increase efficiencies within the agency.

PUBLIC LANDS

• The Vegas Chamber is supportive of efforts by Southern Nevada’s local governments to have land transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to Clark County and cities for economic development, education, and transportation projects in our community.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• The Vegas Chamber supports assistance to employers as many continue to adjust their businesses operations with the ongoing challenges associated with the labor shortage, rising prices, access to capital, and economic uncertainty.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

• The Vegas Chamber is advocating for Congressional support to secure federal funds for the construction of local and regional transportation projects. These priorities include the completion of I-11 from Las Vegas to Phoenix along with funding enhancements for I-15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

WATER POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber is urging federal leadership to help address the availability and sustainability of the water resources needs of the seven states including Nevada that rely on the Colorado River.

YUCCA MOUNTAIN

• The Vegas Chamber continues to oppose the transportation and storage of any nuclear waste in the state because of the potential negative effects it could have on the safety and health of residents and visitors in Southern Nevada.

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT REAUTHORIZATION

• The Vegas Chamber supports the collective efforts to foster innovative workforce development programs through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with provisions that ensure streamlined, direct client services approach..

U.S. Congresswoman Susie Lee (D)

Nevada’s Third Congressional District COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• House Committee on Appropriations

• House Committee on Natural Resources

SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies

• Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

• Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

• Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

PUBLIC SERVICE:

• Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018

• Superintendent’s Educational Opportunities Advisory Committee

• Guinn Center Board of Directors

• Lincy Institute Education Committee Advisory Board

EDUCATION/ALMA MATER:

• Carnegie-Mellon University

CONGRESSIONAL MEETING TOPICS:

FEDERAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS

• The Vegas Chamber urges federal leadership to increase the equity of competitive and formulaic federal grant allocations, particularly in acute areas of need in Southern Nevada such as education, transportation, tourism, and affordable housing.

GAMING POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber supports updating gaming tax policy that will increase reporting thresholds on gaming wins that are required to be reported to the IRS because inflation and the need to increase efficiencies within the agency.

PUBLIC LANDS

• The Vegas Chamber is supportive of efforts by Southern Nevada’s local governments to have land transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to Clark County and cities for economic development, education, and transportation projects in our community.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• The Vegas Chamber supports assistance to employers as many continue to adjust their businesses operations with the ongoing challenges associated with the labor shortage, rising prices, access to capital, and economic uncertainty.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

• The Vegas Chamber is advocating for Congressional support to secure federal funds for the construction of local and regional transportation projects. These priorities include the completion of I-11 from Las Vegas to Phoenix along with funding enhancements for I-15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

WATER POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber is urging federal leadership to help address the availability and sustainability of the water resources needs of the seven states including Nevada that rely on the Colorado River.

YUCCA MOUNTAIN

• The Vegas Chamber continues to oppose the transportation and storage of any nuclear waste in the state because of the potential negative effects it could have on the safety and health of residents and visitors in Southern Nevada.

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND

OPPORTUNITY

ACT REAUTHORIZATION

• The Vegas Chamber supports the collective efforts to foster innovative workforce development programs through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with provisions that ensure streamlined, direct client services approach..

U.S. Congressman

Steve Horsford (D)

Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

Chairman

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• House Committee on

• House Committee on Armed Services

SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Subcommittee on Military Personnel

• Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance

• Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

• Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces

PUBLIC SERVICE:

• Nevada State Senate from 2004 to 2013

• Majority Leader, Nevada State Senate from 2009 to 2013

• Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and 2018

EDUCATION/ALMA MATER:

• Ed W. Clark High School, Las Vegas

• University of Nevada, Reno

CONGRESSIONAL MEETING TOPICS:

FEDERAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS

• The Vegas Chamber urges federal leadership to increase the equity of competitive and formulaic federal grant allocations, particularly in acute areas of need in Southern Nevada such as education, transportation, tourism, and affordable housing.

GAMING POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber supports updating gaming tax policy that will increase reporting thresholds on gaming wins that are required to be reported to the IRS because inflation and the need to increase efficiencies within the agency.

PUBLIC LANDS

• The Vegas Chamber is supportive of efforts by Southern Nevada’s local governments to have land transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to Clark County and cities for economic development, education, and transportation projects in our community.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• The Vegas Chamber supports assistance to employers as many continue to adjust their businesses operations with the ongoing challenges associated with the labor shortage, rising prices, access to capital, and economic uncertainty.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

• The Vegas Chamber is advocating for Congressional support to secure federal funds for the construction of local and regional transportation projects. These priorities include the completion of I-11 from Las Vegas to Phoenix along with funding enhancements for I-15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

WATER POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber is urging federal leadership to help address the availability and sustainability of the water resources needs of the seven states including Nevada that rely on the Colorado River.

YUCCA MOUNTAIN

• The Vegas Chamber continues to oppose the transportation and storage of any nuclear waste in the state because of the potential negative effects it could have on the safety and health of residents and visitors in Southern Nevada.

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT

REAUTHORIZATION

• The Vegas Chamber supports the collective efforts to foster innovative workforce development programs through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with provisions that ensure streamlined, direct client services approach..

U.S. Congressman Mark

Amodei (R)

Nevada’s Second Congressional District

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• House Committee on Appropriations

SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government

• Subcommittee on Homeland Security

• Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies

PUBLIC SERVICE:

• Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 2011

• Nevada State Senate from 1998 to 2010

• Nevada State Assembly from 1996 to 1998

EDUCATION/ALMA MATER:

• Carson City High School, Carson City, Nevada

• University of Nevada Reno

• McGeorge Law School

CONGRESSIONAL MEETING TOPICS:

FEDERAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS

• The Vegas Chamber urges federal leadership to increase the equity of competitive and formulaic federal grant allocations, particularly in acute areas of need in Southern Nevada such as education, transportation, tourism, and affordable housing.

GAMING POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber supports updating gaming tax policy that will increase reporting thresholds on gaming wins that are required to be reported to the IRS because inflation and the need to increase efficiencies within the agency.

PUBLIC LANDS

• The Vegas Chamber is supportive of efforts by Southern Nevada’s local governments to have land transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to Clark County and cities for economic development, education, and transportation projects in our community.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• The Vegas Chamber supports assistance to employers as many continue to adjust their businesses operations with the ongoing challenges associated with the labor shortage, rising prices, access to capital, and economic uncertainty.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

• The Vegas Chamber is advocating for Congressional support to secure federal funds for the construction of local and regional transportation projects. These priorities include the completion of I-11 from Las Vegas to Phoenix along with funding enhancements for I-15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

WATER POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber is urging federal leadership to help address the availability and sustainability of the water resources needs of the seven states including Nevada that rely on the Colorado River.

YUCCA MOUNTAIN

• The Vegas Chamber continues to oppose the transportation and storage of any nuclear waste in the state because of the potential negative effects it could have on the safety and health of residents and visitors in Southern Nevada.

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT

REAUTHORIZATION

• The Vegas Chamber supports the collective efforts to foster innovative workforce development programs through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with provisions that ensure streamlined, direct client services approach..

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

12:00 p.m.

The Willard InterContinental Hotel

Grand Ballroom

I-11 AND I-15 CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS LUNCHEON

MEETING TOPICS:

Transportation infrastructure is one of the most important factors to consider in effective economic development and job creation. During this panel discussion, representatives from federal, state, and local transportation entities will discuss the importance of multi-state transportation infrastructure and corridor management along with priorities and needs within Nevada. This includes how federal transportation initiatives can impact transportation major routes in Southern Nevada such as Interstate 11 (I-11) and Interstate 15 (I-15).

PANEL MEMBERS:

Trevor Dean

Senior Policy Advisor for Transportation and Technology and Director of Government Investment, Office of United States Senator Catherine Cortez Masto

Dean has more than ten years of experience developing legislative and political strategies on campaigns, Capitol Hill, and within the Federal Government and has deep experience in transportation policy. Before joining Senator Cortez Masto’s staff, Trevor served the Obama Administration’s Department of Transportation in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.

Pamela Goynes-Brown

Mayor City of North Las Vegas

Pamela Goynes-Brown was elected Mayor of the City of North Las Vegas in 2022 and assumed office that same year on December 1, becoming the first black Mayor in Nevada history. A longtime educator turned public servant, Mayor Goynes-Brown previously served as Councilwoman of North Las Vegas’ Ward 2 for over a decade and was the first female African American Councilwoman in that role. She also was the first female African American Mayor ProTempore, having served for two terms.

A long-time resident of North Las Vegas, Mayor Goynes-Brown has lived in the city since 1964 when her family moved to the area. She pursued a career in public education, following in both her parents’ footsteps, and worked for the Clark County School district for 35 years before retiring as assistant principal.

Mayor Goynes-Brown holds a master’s degree from NOVA Southeastern University in elementary education, with an endorsement in educational leadership. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Prairie View A & M University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Mayor Goynes-Brown was awarded Mother of Achievement by the American Mothers, Inc. Nevada Chapter in 2024. This is a national award that is given in every state. She received “Woman of the Year” in 2014 from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. for her dedication and support to the Las Vegas community. She was recognized the same year for “Women in Business and Politics” from the Urban Chamber of Commerce and for “Women’s Equality Day” by the Women’s Democratic Club. She has received numerous certificates of recognition and congratulations from various local and state governmental entities. She was awarded the Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges in 1984 and was the recipient of the Ella Cullins Weaver Award in 1982. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Tau Beta Sigma Band Sorority and Mu Alpha Sigma Music Honor Society.

Mayor Goynes-Brown is a member of National Association of School Administrators, Clark County Educational Professionals Association, Clark County Association of Schools Administrators and Professional Technical Employees.

MJ Maynard CEO

Regional

Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada

As Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), M.J. Maynard is a master of connectivity – connecting 2.2 million Nevadans to economic, educational, and recreational opportunities and more than 43 million tourists to one-of-a-kind attractions in the entertainment capital of the world. She leads the only agency nationwide that is responsible for a region’s public transit system, traffic management, roadway design and construction funding, and transportation and overall planning efforts – all under one roof.

Maynard joined the RTC in February 2007 and served as Assistant General Manager of Administrative Services and later as Deputy Chief Executive Officer prior to leading the agency. In these roles, M.J. and her extensive team managed a budget of more than $367 million annually and oversaw one of the nation’s most efficient bus mode-only transit service operations. During her history with the agency, she has launched several groundbreaking initiatives including on-demand mobility options; the rideRTC smartphone app; and a massive transit safety expansion project.

Maynard worked in Las Vegas’ bustling hospitality industry for more than 25 years prior to joining the RTC, where she served as Vice President for Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for more than a decade.

Michelle Romero

Mayor

City of Henderson

Michelle Romero was elected Mayor of Henderson in June 2022 and took the Oath of Office on January 3, 2023. She was elected at-large to the Henderson City Council in April 2019, representing Ward I.

Mayor Romero serves with her fellow council members as the legislative branch of the Henderson community, responsible for setting policies and making decisions for many aspects of local government for Nevada’s second largest city, recognized as one of the best places to live in America and one of the nation’s safest cities.

Mayor Romero represents the City of Henderson on the Board of Directors of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Civilian Military Council, as one of the Chief Local Elected Officials overseeing the Board of Workforce Connections and as the Council representative to the Henderson Audit Committee.

Prior to her elected service, Mayor Romero served the City of Henderson for 25 years in several capacities, most recently as the Henderson Redevelopment Agency Manager from 2007 until 2016. In this role, Romero lead a team of professionals who indelibly changed the face of the Downtown Henderson/Water Street District and other maturing areas of the city. Her responsibilities included managing all services and activities of the Redevelopment Agency and the five Redevelopment Areas, which include Downtown, Cornerstone, Tuscany, Eastside and Lakemoor.

As manager of the Redevelopment Agency, Councilwoman Romero oversaw the renaissance of the Water Street District, resulting in new housing and retail opportunities, jobs and entertainment venues. Additionally, she oversaw the creation of both the Eastside and Lakemoor Redevelopment Areas, the completion of infrastructure improvements in Tuscany, and the negotiation of Owner Participation Agreements for tax increment reimbursement for the Cadence, Union Village and Henderson Hospital projects, each of which is expected to bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment to the city. She serves on the Community Advisory Board for Henderson Hospital.

I-11 AND I-15 CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS LUNCHEON

CONTINUED

Mayor Romero worked with local businesses to form the Water Street District Business Association and brought the Super Run Car Show to Henderson in 2000, which annually generated millions in visitor spending in Henderson. She led the creation of the Farmers Market at the downtown events plaza in 1999, and managed the Agency’s creation of numerous financial assistance programs that have successfully encouraged business owners, residents and developers to reinvest in aging areas of Henderson. A native of Henderson, Romero graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Upper Iowa University and is the owner of Michelle Romero Consulting, which specializes in Redevelopment, Economic Development and Planning issues.

Sondra Rosenberg

Deputy Director, Planning and Administration

Nevada Department of Transportation

Sondra Rosenberg started at NDOT in 2008 as a Transportation Planner/Analyst (Federal Programs Manager). In 2014, she was promoted to Assistant Director of Planning and served in that role until her promotion to NDOT Deputy Director. In the Deputy Director of Administration role, Rosenberg oversees NDOT groups, including Administration, Planning, Human Resources, Communications, Internal Audit, and External Civil Rights.

Rosenberg received her bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Rochester and a Master of Science degree in Transportation Technology and Policy from the University of California, Davis. Before coming to NDOT, Sondra worked as a consultant for several years and then a Transportation Scholar through the National Park Foundation.

Rosenberg is a certified Professional Transportation Planner and is active in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), currently serving as the Vice Chair of the Transportation Policy Forum and member of the Committee on Planning. Rosenberg has spent her career at NDOT focusing on strategic partnerships across sectors and jurisdictions through statewide and multistate transportation planning and data-driven, performance-based processes for decision making.Services and later as Deputy Chief Executive Officer prior to leading the agency. In these roles, M.J. and her extensive team managed a budget of more than $367 million annually and oversaw one of the nation’s most efficient bus mode-only transit service operations. During her history with the agency, she has launched several groundbreaking initiatives including on-demand mobility options; the rideRTC smartphone app; and a massive transit safety expansion project.

Maynard worked in Las Vegas’ bustling hospitality industry for more than 25 years prior to joining the RTC, where she served as Vice President for Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for more than a decade

Source: City of Henderson, City of North Las Vegas, Nevada Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, U.S. Senate

U.S. Senator

Catherine Cortez Masto (D) Nevada

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

• Committee on Finance

• Committee on Indian Affairs

SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Subcommittee on Energy

• Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure

• Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection

• Subcommittee on Health Care

• Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development

• Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness

• Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance

• Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining (Chairman)

• Subcommittee on Water and Power

PUBLIC SERVICE:

• Elected as Attorney General of Nevada in 2007

• Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017

EDUCATION:

• University of Nevada, Reno

• Gonzaga University School of Law

CONGRESSIONAL MEETING TOPICS:

FEDERAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS

• The Vegas Chamber urges federal leadership to increase the equity of competitive and formulaic federal grant allocations, particularly in acute areas of need in Southern Nevada such as education, transportation, tourism, and affordable housing.

GAMING POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber supports updating gaming tax policy that will increase reporting thresholds on gaming wins that are required to be reported to the IRS because inflation and the need to increase efficiencies within the agency.

PUBLIC LANDS

• The Vegas Chamber is supportive of efforts by Southern Nevada’s local governments to have land transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to Clark County and cities for economic development, education, and transportation projects in our community.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• The Vegas Chamber supports assistance to employers as many continue to adjust their businesses operations with the ongoing challenges associated with the labor shortage, rising prices, access to capital, and economic uncertainty.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

• The Vegas Chamber is advocating for Congressional support to secure federal funds for the construction of local and regional transportation projects. These priorities include the completion of I-11 from Las Vegas to Phoenix along with funding enhancements for I-15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

WATER POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber is urging federal leadership to help address the availability and sustainability of the water resources needs of the seven states including Nevada that rely on the Colorado River.

YUCCA MOUNTAIN

• The Vegas Chamber continues to oppose the transportation and storage of any nuclear waste in the state because of the potential negative effects it could have on the safety and health of residents and visitors in Southern Nevada.

WORKFORCE INNOVATION

AND OPPORTUNITY ACT

REAUTHORIZATION

• The Vegas Chamber supports the collective efforts to foster innovative workforce development programs through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with provisions that ensure streamlined, direct client services approach..

U.S. Congresswoman Dina Titus (D)

Nevada’s First Congressional District

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

• House Committee on Foreign Affairs

SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Subcommittee on Aviation

• Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management (Ranking Member)

• Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment

• Subcommittee on Highways & Transit

• Subcommittee on Oversight & Accountability

PUBLIC SERVICE:

• Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 to represent Nevada’s First Congressional District

• Previously elected to the House Representatives in 2008 representing Nevada’s Third Congressional District for one-term

• Minority Leader, Nevada State Senate from 1993 to 2008

• Nevada State Senate from 1988 to 2008

• Bachelor of Science from the College of William and Mary

• Master’s degree from the University of Georgia

• Doctorate degree at Florida State University

CONGRESSIONAL MEETING TOPICS:

FEDERAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS

• The Vegas Chamber urges federal leadership to increase the equity of competitive and formulaic federal grant allocations, particularly in acute areas of need in Southern Nevada such as education, transportation, tourism, and affordable housing.

GAMING POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber supports updating gaming tax policy that will increase reporting thresholds on gaming wins that are required to be reported to the IRS because inflation and the need to increase efficiencies within the agency.

PUBLIC LANDS

• The Vegas Chamber is supportive of efforts by Southern Nevada’s local governments to have land transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to Clark County and cities for economic development, education, and transportation projects in our community.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• The Vegas Chamber supports assistance to employers as many continue to adjust their businesses operations with the ongoing challenges associated with the labor shortage, rising prices, access to capital, and economic uncertainty.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

• The Vegas Chamber is advocating for Congressional support to secure federal funds for the construction of local and regional transportation projects. These priorities include the completion of I-11 from Las Vegas to Phoenix along with funding enhancements for I-15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

WATER POLICY

• The Vegas Chamber is urging federal leadership to help address the availability and sustainability of the water resources needs of the seven states including Nevada that rely on the Colorado River.

YUCCA MOUNTAIN

• The Vegas Chamber continues to oppose the transportation and storage of any nuclear waste in the state because of the potential negative effects it could have on the safety and health of residents and visitors in Southern Nevada.

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT REAUTHORIZATION

• The Vegas Chamber supports the collective efforts to foster innovative workforce development programs through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with provisions that ensure streamlined, direct client services approach..

THE STATE OF NEVADA’S ELECTION SYSTEM BY SECRETARY OF STATE FRANCISCO V. AGUILAR

MEETING

TOPICS:

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 1:50 p.m.

The Willard InterContinental Hotel Grand Ballroom

Nevada’s Secretary of State will provide an update regarding Nevada’s election system ahead of the General Election in Nevada. The overview will include efforts to recruit and protect poll workers, the effectiveness of the security measures implemented, and preparations that are underway.

SPEAKER:

Francisco V. Aguilar

Secretary of State, Nevada

Francisco “Cisco” Aguilar was elected as Nevada Secretary of State in 2022 and assumed office on January 2, 2023.

Prior to being elected, Secretary Aguilar served twelve years as General Counsel for Agassi Graf, the management company for Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, and the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. In this role, he was responsible for communications and media, marketing and brand management, strategic partnerships, legal and government affairs. The Secretary also served as Special Counsel to the Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, Jim Rogers, and as a lawyer for the parent company of the Las Vegas and Reno NBC affiliates, KSNV Channel 3 and KRNV Channel 4, and 15 other NBC affiliates.

The Secretary combined his expertise in business and sports to launch a sports technology startup company, Blueprint Sports & Entertainment, connecting athletes and brands where they live and play. In recent years, Secretary Aguilar spent a year working at Adidas Global Headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany as a member of the Brand Sustainability team through a transatlantic Fellowship with the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH.

Secretary Aguilar graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and accounting, an MBA, and a Juris Doctor. At the University of Arizona, he was also elected to represent the more than 35,000 students as Student Body President. Secretary Aguilar is a member of the Nevada, California, and Arizona Bars.

Secretary Aguilar is the Founding Chairman of Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School. Cristo Rey serves students in one of Las Vegas’ most vulnerable neighborhoods providing an innovative work-study program to prepare them for future careers.

Governors Jim Gibbons and Brian Sandoval appointed Secretary Aguilar to the Nevada Athletic Commission, which regulates boxing and mixed martial arts. He served on the Commission for eight years, two of which he served as Chairman.

Source: Nevada Secretary of State

NEVADA’S PUBLIC LAND PRIORITIES: THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AHEAD

MEETING TOPICS:

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2:00 p.m.

Willard InterContinental Hotel

Crystal Room

Nevada currently has several public land proposals and legislative vehicles pending in Congress including the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act. Join the Nevada delegation’s top lands experts and their colleagues for an update on where the lands bills currently stand, what obstacles remain, and what you can expect to happen in the near- and long-term future regarding these and other legislative proposals related to public land in Nevada.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Ken Brooke

Deputy Chief of Staff

Office of Congressman Mark Amodei

Ken Brooke is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Amodei. Brooke is considered one of the foremost policy leaders on Capitol Hill for public lands policy, particularly related to Nevada. Brooke has been with Congressman Amodei for over 10 years and is a feature of University of Nevada, Reno as well as a Reno native.

Zane Marshall

Director of Water Resources

Southern Nevada Water Authority

Zane Marshall is the Director of the Water Resources Department of the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), where he has worked for the past 27 years. A Las Vegas native, Marshall leads six divisions that oversee the management of water, land and environmental resources, and the implementation of environmental restoration and compliance, conservation, climate change and sustainability programs. Marshall has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, and a Master of Arts in Science in Biology and Statistics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a 2014 graduate of the Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Water and Waste Water Leadership Center, and a 2015 graduate of the Vegas Chamber’s Leadership Las Vegas Program.

McKenna LeVitt

Legislative Assistant

Office of U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen

McKenna joined Senator Rosen’s office in 2020 and currently leads the Senator’s policy work on natural resources, public lands, energy, water, environment, and agriculture. In the last year, she has worked on the Washoe County, Pershing County, and Carson City lands bills, in addition to working closely on the implementation of the Nevada Test and Training Range modernization and the NAS Fallon expansion. Born and raised in Reno, LeVitt spent countless hours skiing, hiking, and enjoying Nevada’s outdoor spaces. She’s passionate about protecting public lands and water while supporting responsible growth and development to ensure key 21st century industries can thrive and Nevadans can find an affordable place to live. Levitt graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs, and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy at Johns Hopkins University.

Stephanie

Walker

Senior Vice President Porter Group

Stephanie Walker is Senior Vice President of Porter Group. She has worked in natural resources and public lands policy for 15 years having served as Legislative Director for a member of the Nevada delegation in Congress prior to joining Porter Group. In addition to her experience in public lands, she has a special expertise in key policy areas including, without limitation, health care, tourism, economic development, and labor/workforce. Walker is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno and has an MBA from Louisiana State University in Shreveport.

Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority, U.S. House of Representatives

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Thursday, September 19, 2024 Schedule

CAPITOL HILL GROUP PHOTO, POLICY MEETINGS AT THE CAPITOL HILL CLUB, AND NEVADA STATE DINNER

GALA AT THE CONRAD HOTEL

MORNING SESSIONS

8:00 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:15 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

Bus Departs JW Marriott for Capitol Hill Photo and Capitol Hill Club

Delegation Group Photo on The U.S. Capitol, House of Representatives, Southeast Side

Breakfast and Congressional Leadership Keynote with Congressman Jim Jordan, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Judiciary

Capitol Hill Club, Level 3 Meeting Rooms 300 First Street, SE, 20003

The Impending Tax Cliff’s Impact on the Business Community

2024 Election & Political Outlook “

Intertwining Federalism and Regionalism Policies in Nevada

Break

The Global Economic Impact on United States Policies

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

12:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

5:00-6:30 p.m.

The Future of American Politics and the 2024 Election Luncheon

Meetings Conclude and Open Afternoon

Shuttle departs from the JW Marriott to the Nevada State Dinner Gala

EVENING PROGRAMMING

5:30-7:00 p.m.

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Nevada State Dinner Gala Cocktail Reception

Conrad Washington, D.C. Hotel, Gallery, Level 2 950 New York Ave, NW

Nevada State Dinner Gala

Conrad Washington, D.C. Hotel, Grand Ballroom, Level 2 950 New York Ave, NW

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP

KEYNOTE WITH CONGRESSMAN JIM JORDAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

OVERVIEW:

Thursday, September 19, 2024

9:00 a.m.

Capitol Hill Club

Level 3 Meeting Rooms

The Committee on the Judiciary has been called the lawyer for the House of Representatives because of its jurisdiction over matters relating to the administration of justice in federal courts, administrative bodies, and law enforcement agencies. Its infrequent but important role in impeachment proceedings has also brought it much attention.

On June 3, 1813, a standing committee on the Judiciary was established by the House of Representatives to consider legislation relating to judicial proceedings. Since that time, the scope of the committee’s concern has expanded to include not only civil and criminal judicial proceedings and Federal courts and judges, but also issues relating to bankruptcy, espionage, terrorism, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional amendments, immigration and naturalization, interstate compacts, claims against the United States, national penitentiaries, Presidential succession, antitrust law, revision and codification of the statutes of the United States, state and territorial boundary lines and patents, copyrights and trademarks.

MEETING TOPICS:

The discussion will delve into the role of the Committee within the House of Representatives and the impact that it has for federal legislation and policy. The responsibilities of the Committee include any legislation that carries a possibility for criminal or civil penalties can be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, so its legislative workload is substantial. The Committee also has oversight and responsibility for the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan

Chairman

U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary

Congressman Jim Jordan serves as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He represents the Fourth Congressional District of Ohio. Jim Jordan was raised in Champaign County, Ohio, graduating from Graham High School in 1982, where he was a four-time state champion in wrestling with a career record of 150-1. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin, where he was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion. He later earned a master’s degree in education from Ohio State University and a Law Degree from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

Jordan is a fiscal conservative who believes that families and taxpayers, rather than government, know best how to make decisions with their money. Throughout his career, Jim Jordan has led the fight against tax hikes, including those proposed by his own political party. He believes that cutting taxes and letting families keep more of what they earn helps build strong communities and a vibrant economy. In Congress, Jordan has also emerged as a prominent defender of the taxpayer’s pocketbook through his work on spending issues. In 2009, he introduced the only balanced budget alternative to President Obama’s budget. In the 112th Congress, Jordan served as Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservatives, advancing conservative ideas and solutions on Capitol Hill.

In the 114th Congress, Jordan helped found the House Freedom Caucus, and served as its first Chairman. Jordan has been an advocate of the taxpayer, looking for waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. Before his appointment as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan served as the Ranking Member and the Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee.

As one of the most conservative members of Congress, his efforts have earned him recognition from Citizens against Government Waste, Family Research Council, Americans for Tax Reform’s Friend of the Taxpayer Award and the 2012 Weyrich Award for “National Legislator of the Year.

Source: U.S. House of Representatives

THE IMPENDING TAX CLIFF’S IMPACT ON THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

MEETING TOPICS:

Thursday, September 19, 2024

9:30 a.m.

Capitol Hill Club

This session will discuss the potential fiscal cliff and it can be avoided. 2025 will mark the expiration of many of the provisions of the current tax code as defined by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This expiration is being called a “fiscal cliff” or “tax cliff.” Many provisions will be expiring, even those that are considered permanent will almost certainly be on the table for discussion in a new tax package. Join our panelists for a conversation about what Congress is currently discussing and the political landscape creating major challenges in avoiding the fall.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Ben

Rosenbaum

Vice President Porter Group

Ben Rosenbaum is a Vice President with the Porter Group. Prior to joining Porter, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District. A native of Pensacola, FL, osenbaum graduated from the University of Florida before joining the staff of then-Congresswoman, now-Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

Watson McLeish

Senior Vice President, Tax Policy

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Watson McLeish is senior vice president for Tax Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he serves as the primary adviser on all tax policy-related matters. This includes the development of tax policy positions, advocacy on tax issues, and coordination of efforts to influence tax legislation and regulations.

Watson previously served as tax counsel at Tax Executives Institute, Inc. (TEI), where he supported the advocacy and educational activities of TEI’s Tax Reform Task Force, Federal Tax Committee, and Canadian Income Tax Committee. He was responsible for advancing TEI’s advocacy priorities on Capitol Hill and with the Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy and the IRS. Watson performed the same role in Canada before Parliament, the Department of Finance’s Tax Policy Branch, and the Canada Revenue Agency.

In addition, Watson facilitated TEI conferences and seminars throughout the U.S. and Canada bringing together members, tax practitioners, and policymakers. He also served as contributing editor to Tax Executive, the professional journal of TEI.

Before joining TEI in 2017, Watson was a member of the National Tax Department– International Tax Services practice at Ernst & Young LLP, where he advised both domestic and foreign clients on a wide range of U.S. federal income tax law and policy issues related to international business transactions.

Watson is as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a graduate-level seminar on tax research and writing.

Congressman

Jon Porter

President & CEO Porter Group

Congressman Jon Porter (ret.) is the founding member and CEO of Porter Group, a bipartisan government relations, lobbying, public affairs and business consulting firm with offices on Capitol Hill. Porter has also built and run a highly successful financial services company and has served multiple terms in office as city councilman, mayor, state senator and U.S. Congressman.

Through strong leadership, Porter has built a team of smart and experienced professionals at PORTER GROUP who handle an extensive portfolio of policy, legislative and regulatory matters.

During his three terms in Congress, Porter served on the powerful Ways and Means Committee (the chief tax writing committee in Congress), the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Subcommittees on Aviation and Rails, as well as the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He was the Chairman of the Federal Workforce Subcommittee and Co-chairman of the U.S. Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. While in office, Congressman Porter also was instrumental in bringing about funding for numerous transportation, construction and infrastructure projects.

Porter’s Board and Council affiliations have included Chairman and Trustee, Las Vegas Events; Charter Board Member, Southern Nevada Water Authority; Board of Directors, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; Board of Directors, Nevada League of Cities; Civilian Military Council, Nellis Air Force Base; Board of Governors, The Valley Health System; Board of Directors, Farmers New World Life Insurance; and Music Maker Relief Foundation.

Source: Porter Group, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

2024 ELECTION & POLITICAL OUTLOOK

MEETING TOPICS:

Thursday, September 19, 2024

10:00 a.m.

Capitol Hill Club

Focusing on the key issues, challenges, and opportunities for both parties, David will provide in-depth insight on the current state of this year’s election. His extensive experience in political strategy makes him uniquely qualified to analyze the trends shaping campaigns across the country. Diving deeper into factors driving voter sentiment and emerging issues, this discussion will offer valuable perspectives on how the 2024 Election is unfolding and what it means for the future of American Politics.

SPEAKER:

David Winston

President

The Winston Group

David Winston is the president of The Winston Group, a strategic planning and survey research firm in Washington, DC. Winston has served as a strategic advisor to Senate and House Republican leadership for the past 15 years. He was formerly the Director of Planning for Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and advises center-right political parties throughout Europe. Additionally, Winston was a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation where he did statistical policy analysis and econometric modeling.

In the private sector, he has advised Fortune 100 companies on strategic planning and brand reputation. Winston has lectured at The Wharton of School of Business, MIT, Harvard, and the National War College. His writings have appeared in a variety of publications, and he authored the chapter on Strategy for the college textbook Campaigns and Elections American Style. He is credited for originating the concept of “security mom” and played a key role in developing the narrative “where are the jobs” for the 2010 election cycle. Winston is an election analyst and part of the election decision desk for CBS News, and a weekly columnist for Roll Call.

Source: The Winston Group

10:30 a.m.

INTERTWINING FEDERALISM AND REGIONALISM POLICIES IN NEVADA

MEETING TOPICS:

Thursday, September 19, 2024 10:30 a.m. Capitol Hill Club

From a regional perspective, Southern Nevada is a major component of the Southwest Triangle Megapolitan cluster and by way of the I-15 corridor in the Southern Nevada and I-80 in the Northern Nevada is an integral part of the Sierra Pacific and Mountain Megapolitan clusters.

Regionalism policies focus on the specific needs and strengths of these areas and allow for a tailored approach to economic development strategies, infrastructure investment, and public services, that can address the unique challenges and opportunities of the region. For example, a regional approach to water management is proving essential to the continued prosperity of the southwest. The Chamber has been a staunch advocate for the development of essential infrastructure connecting Southern Nevada to economic neighbors in Phoenix and Los Angeles, advocating for the continued development of Interstate 11 and the widening of Interstate 15 respectively. In northern Nevada, intermodal service has recently been added between the Port of Nevada in Fernley and the Port of Oakland, expanding trade opportunities.

Federalism supports this regional approach by providing a framework where local governments can operate with a degree of autonomy while still being part of the larger state and national systems. By aligning regional and federal policies, Nevada can ensure that local governments have the flexibility to innovate and address local issues effectively while leveraging broader state, regional, and federal policies to support regional priorities.

Experts will highlight how aligning federalism and regionalism policies stand to benefit Nevada and better position Nevada’s economic development efforts within the region. Conversations will also discuss how metropolitan regions can effectively organize and align their interests to address regionwide policy challenges and access federal resources, with a specific focus on infrastructure and location-based economic policy, and the operational and governance arrangements forming around the innovation and industrial funding.

PANEL MEMBERS:

Dr. David Damore

Executive Director

The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West

David Damore is a professor of political science. He serves as the executive director of The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West, two public policy centers at UNLV.

Damore teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in American politics and research methods and his research focuses on electoral politics and applied policy. He has written extensively on Nevada politics and policy and he is a coauthor of two recently published books, Blue Metros, Red States: The Shifting Urban/Rural Divide in America’s Swing States and Latinos in Nevada: A Political, Economic and Social Profile.

Damore regularly comments on Nevada politics for local, national, and international media outlets and his commentary and analysis has been published by The Brookings Institution’s FixGov Blog, The Cook Political Report, HuffPost, Politico Magazine, and USA Today. In addition to his positions at UNLV, Damore is a senior nonresident fellow in the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program.

Joseph Parilla

Senior Fellow & Director of Applied Research

Brookings Metro

Joseph Parilla is the Director of Applied Research at Brookings Metro, where he oversees a research and strategy portfolio focused on the trends and policies that influence inclusive economic growth in cities across the U.S. and the world. Parilla authors publications, delivers public presentations, and provides commentary to media on topics such as economic development, small business trends, and talent development.

Parilla has led applied research engagements that offer local economic assessments, practical policy and programmatic solutions, and clear goals and metrics to guide government, business, and philanthropic leaders in regions such as Birmingham, Ala., Denver, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Mich., Sacramento, Calif., and San Diego.

Prior to his work at Brookings, Parilla was a research associate in the Urban Institute’s Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, where he focused on housing and urban policy. Parilla holds degrees in public policy from Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy and economics and geography from Macalester College.

Adie Tomer

Senior Fellow

Brookings Metro

Adie Tomer is a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro and is an expert in infrastructure policy and urban economics, with a particular focus on transportation and digital technology issues. Tomer has testified in front of the U.S. Congress about the future of American infrastructure and has advised staffs of presidential candidates.

Tomer leads a team whose work aims to better understand how infrastructure policies—from the federal through local level—impact economic development, social prosperity, and environmental resilience. Their work covers multiple infrastructure sectors, including transportation, water resources, and broadband. Tomer’s team regularly publishes long-form reports and targeted analyses on topics including metropolitan transportation behavior, the infrastructure workforce, and the economic dimensions of the digital divide.

Tomer holds a master’s in public policy from American University and a B.A. from the University of Florida. Tomer currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Eno Transportation Foundation.

Sources: Brookings Metro, Brookings Mountain West, The Lindy Institute, UNLV

THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES POLICIES

MEETING TOPICS:

Thursday, September 19, 2024

11:30 a.m.

Capitol Hill Club

This session will offer an in-depth and insightful presentation on the current state of global affairs and the subsequent impacts these factors have on the United States. With his extensive experience in public policy, Patrick Costello will provide a comprehensive analysis of recent geopolitical events, international conflicts, and emerging global trends. He will explore the impact of these developments on the United States, discussing not only the immediate effects but also the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy, economic interests, and national security. By examining the volatility of global dynamics and the evolving role of the United States on the world stage, this discussion will provide valuable perspectives on how businesses and policymakers can navigate this complex and rapidly changing environment.

SPEAKER:

Patrick C. Costello Senior Vice President Mercury Public Affairs

Patrick C. Costello joined Mercury Public Affairs as a Senior Vice President in the fall of 2022 as part of Mercury’s bipartisan government relations practice and lead of the think tank/NGO engagement practice. Costello is a recognized expert in U.S. foreign policy, trade policy, business diplomacy and the domestic politics of American foreign policy. Costello also regularly consults with the policymaking community and stakeholders on a wide range of foreign policy and economic issues, he is frequently sought out by individuals, institutions and companies to advise them on how to maximize their influence and impact in Washington, and writes a monthly column for the international business community in Italy.

Costello previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Security Project (ASP), a nonpartisan national security think tank in Washington, DC, where he provided day-to-day management of organizational strategy, internal policy formation, and stakeholder engagement and served as the public face of ASP to outside constituencies. Prior to joining ASP, Costello spent over a decade at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington where he held a number of senior roles and directed CFR’s interactions with Washington policymakers and the diplomatic community, most recently as director of Washington External Affairs.

Upon coming to Washington, Costello worked in Congress for former Representative Jon Porter (RNV) fulfilling a variety of policy and communications roles. After leaving Capitol Hill, Costello was a government relations counselor with International Business-Government Counselors where he directed congressional relations, and provided strategic advice and direct representation assisting businesses in international government relations activities affecting their global operations. Costello also served as a senior associate at The Whitaker Group, a consultancy and project development firm specializing in Africa.

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Costello earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts, a post-graduate certificate from Exeter College, University of Oxford, a master’s degree from King’s College London, and has done graduate study at the National Defense University and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He was a 2011 Future Leader with the Foreign Policy Initiative, named an Atlantik-Brücke Young Leader in 2014, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations from 2015 to 2020 and was elected as a life member of CFR in 2022.

Source: Mercury Public Affairs

THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN POLITICS AND THE 2024 ELECTION LUNCHEON

OVERVIEW:

Thursday, September 19, 2024 12:00 p.m.

Capitol Hill Club

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is a full-service lobbying, public policy and legal representation practice that helps companies, associations, nonprofits, and other organizations interpret federal government actions, solve challenges, and seize opportunities through interaction with government officials.

Their work includes legislative consulting, lobbying, policy development, public relations strategy, political messaging, and representation in front of the Congress, federal agencies, and regulatory bodies. With seasoned government relations professionals in every office, Brownstein provides comprehensive service at the federal, state, and local levels throughout the country.

MEETING TOPICS:

A bipartisan and bicameral panel of DC insiders from Brownstein will discuss the upcoming mid-term elections, the impact on Nevada and the country and their own crystal ball projections. This panel will discuss many of today’s political topics and share their perspective ahead of the 2024 Presidential Elections. How much sway does former President Donald Trump have with voters and Vice President Kalama Harris as the Democratic Nominee. What national issues will drive voters this election cycle, or is this an election driven by local and regional issues? How will the presidential elections impact the control of the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate?

PANEL MEMBERS:

Brian McGuire

Policy Director

Brownstein

Brian McGuire leverages his senior-level executive and legislative branch experience coupled with his innate understanding of Republican politics for clients in need of incisive government intervention. He most recently served in a Senate-confirmed position as the Department of the Treasury’s assistant secretary for Legislative Affairs and, prior to that role, served as a longtime aide and chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

A former senior strategic communications advisor and speechwriter, McGuire understands the people, policies and messages that drive results on Capitol Hill.

At Treasury, McGuire was involved in some of the most consequential policies of the Trump administration, from the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to Phase II of the administration’s coronavirus response. Prior, Brian served as chief of staff to Senator McConnell, he served for eight years in a variety of senior communications roles in Sen. McConnell’s leadership office. During the Bush administration, Brian served as chief speechwriter for the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Nadeam Elshami

Policy Director

Brownstein

Formerly chief of staff for then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Nadeam Elshami’s 25-year career on the Hill is punctuated by a collection of achievements fueled by his expertise in negotiating policy on behalf of Democratic leadership and in forming the bipartisan relationships that helped move key pieces of legislation through a gridlocked Congress.

During his time with Leader Pelosi, Elshami oversaw every aspect of policy, communications, operations, and member relations. He previously served as her communications director and senior advisor working on messaging around the successful passage of the Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act and other historic legislation. Prior to joining Brownstein, Elshami was an executive vice president at a D.C.-based public affairs firm. He was named a spring 2018 fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, is included in Politico’s Playbook Power List of the 30 most powerful people and groups in Trump’s Washington and is a regular CNN contributor.

Greta Joynes Policy Director Brownstein

Greta Joynes is co-chair of the firm’s technology and telecommunications practice. As federal policymakers consider industry-altering laws and regulations on data privacy, supply chain security, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy, infrastructure and transportation, Joynes positions companies for success. Her technical understanding of clients’ businesses and political intuition on when and how to engage the government on their behalf has resulted in market-changing outcomes for small business coalitions, Series-A startups and Fortune 15 corporations.

Joynes leverages her experience as a senior congressional aide to frame issues and pitch policy solutions in ways that resonate with key Republican decision-makers to forge enduring relationships between her clients, the administration and Congress. Whether she is navigating a high-profile antitrust review by the FCC, advocating on a regulatory policy under consideration by the Department of Commerce and the White House, or achieving appropriations wins that propel business growth, Joynes works hard to both protect and promote her clients.

Before joining Brownstein, Joynes served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL), where she advised the congressman on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and worked closely with the Energy, Health, Environment and Economy subcommittees.

Al Mottur Shareholder Brownstein

Al Mottur is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and a senior Democratic strategist who solves the most complex and thorny political issues clients face in Washington, D.C. He connects organizations with leaders at the highest levels of Democratic politics, in both Congress and the Biden administration, and uses his legal and policy intellect to build consensus around solutions. When Fortune 50 corporations or sovereign governments face a major crisis, Mottur is often the person they turn to. He is at his best in high-pressure, high-stakes scenarios. Al has successfully protected high-profile mergers and acquisitions, defended companies from contentious oversight battles, and delivered legislative victories that saved clients billions of dollars.

As co-chair of the firm’s technology and telecommunication practice, Mottur engages federal policymakers as they develop legislation and regulations to address emerging technologies, data privacy, Big Tech, competition law and infrastructure. He has strong relationships with political and career officials at the Department of Commerce, FTC and FCC, as well as with Democratic leadership in Congress, including senior members of the House and Senate commerce committees. Mottur formerly served as senior communications counsel for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

In addition to his advocacy, Mottur is a prolific fundraiser for the Democratic Party. He spearheaded the firm’s bundling efforts during the last presidential election, raising more money for the DNC than any other D.C. lobbying firm.

Radha Mohan Shareholder Brownstein

Radha Mohan translates Washington for companies with tax, education, workforce development and corporate social responsibility policy priorities, formulating their advocacy positions and brand narratives to resonate with lawmakers. She helps clients position themselves as thought leaders on important issues and develops proactive strategies to address them. Mohan is plugged into the policymaking process and gathers political intelligence that enables companies to look around corners. While often presenting the “big picture” to her clients, Mohan has the substantive expertise to engage directly with regulatory agencies and congressional offices when she identifies risks and opportunities to their business. Her creative approach to advocacy is used to overcome roadblocks in Congress and the administration.

Source: Brownstein

FEDERAL PRIORITIES

• Comprehensive Immigration Reform

• Homeland Security Funding

• Increasing Federal Grant Funding in Nevada

• Interstate 11

• Interstate 15

• National Labor Relations Board

• Protecting the Right to Organize Act

• Public Land Management, Development, and Conservation

• Small Business Administration

• Southern Nevada Water Resources

• The Role of the Modern Gaming Industry

• Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act Reauthorization

• Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

ISSUE POSITION:

The Vegas Chamber believes that comprehensive immigration reform is vital to the economy, workforce, and overall prosperity for the region. A well-balanced and modernized immigration policy will foster economic growth, create jobs, and provide essential protections for workers across all industries. The Vegas Chamber advocates for federal, state, and local cooperation to implement a comprehensive legislative plan that addresses the following elements:

• Modernization of the immigration system, offering a clear, cohesive, and fair process for those seeking legal entry into the country.

• Creation of an efficient and manageable employment eligibility verification system.

• Establishment of a Temporary Guest Worker Program with robust screening measures for foreign workers.

• Provision of reasonable funding commitments for additional border security personnel and equipment.

• Consistent enforcement of federal immigration laws applied uniformly and fairly.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

The Vegas Chamber urges members of Congress to support efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. A modernized system will address ongoing workforce and labor shortages, provide a broad range of economic benefits for Nevada’s employers, employees, and their families, and contribute to the growth and diversification of the economy.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• Nevada’s ongoing economic recovery and diversification require attracting skilled workers to fill critical gaps in sectors like engineering and healthcare.

• Approximately 19% of Nevada’s population consists of immigrants, with Hispanic and Latino immigrants forming the largest segment at 39%.

• The Las Vegas area is becoming increasingly ethnically diverse, with Hispanic or Latino residents comprising about 34.3% of the population.

• Clark County School District’s (CCSD) minority enrollment is 80%. Also, 59.0% of students are economically disadvantaged.

• CCSD serves a diverse student population, with about 47.1% identifying as Hispanic or Latino and over 111 languages spoken in classrooms.

• UNLV and Nevada State University are recognized for their diverse student populations, contributing to the state’s economic and cultural vibrancy.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS:

• It is estimated that there are 10 million open positions nationally with 6 million unemployed workers. There is more demand for workers than there is currently available both nationally and in Nevada.

• Immigrant workers play a critical role in industries such as tourism, leisure, and construction, particularly in tourism-based cities like Las Vegas.

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

• The failure to modernize outdated immigration policies exacerbates labor shortages, affecting multiple industries, and consumers.

• Immigrant entrepreneurs have historically driven small business creation in Nevada, with immigrants being nearly twice as likely to become entrepreneurs compared to native-born citizens.

• Startup visas for immigrant entrepreneurs are essential for economic growth, community cohesion, and attracting investment for new products and services.

• The utilization of several nonimmigrant visa programs would assist employers, which include Treaty Trader (E-1), Treaty Trader (E-2) Visas, Seasonal Workers – H-2A and H-2B Visas. E-1 and E-2 visas are designed to encourage international trade and foreign direct investment between the U.S. and countries that have entered into treaties with the U.S.

• H-2 visa programs are available for companies seeking to fill temporary, seasonal labor needs, while the H-2A program is for agricultural employment, and the H-2B program is available for nonagricultural employment.

• Immigrant workers have successfully established businesses in various sectors, such as restaurants, hospitality, service-based, and construction operations.

• The shortage of workers spans across all industries, skill levels, and business sizes, underscoring the urgency of comprehensive immigration reform. The current labor shortage highlights the economic barriers that employers are experiencing, which is hindering their economic recovery.

• Immigration reform not only impacts domestic production and services but also addresses workforce shortfalls as the current labor force shrinks.

• Talented immigrants foster entrepreneurship and innovation, driving investment for new products and services through visa programs.

• Considering these factors, the Vegas Chamber strongly advocates for comprehensive immigration reform as it will have a profound and positive impact on Nevada’s economy and workforce. It is essential to seize this opportunity to drive economic growth, attract skilled workers, and ensure the prosperity of the community.

Sources: Business Roundtable, Clark County School District, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING

ISSUE POSITION:

The Vegas Chamber has been a staunch advocate for securing Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funding for Southern Nevada to bolster homeland security efforts and ensure the safety of our region’s approximately 2 million residents and 40.8 million annual visitors. The Vegas Chamber supports revising the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) methodology for risk assessments, which currently hinders Southern Nevada from receiving adequate funding despite its unique challenges and contributions to the nation’s economy.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber calls upon Congress to act and revise the DHS methodology for developing risk assessments associated with the UASI program.

• By doing so, this can ensure that Southern Nevada receives a fair and equitable share of funding that aligns with its security needs and vital role in contributing to the nation’s economic prosperity.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• The Homeland Security Act of 2002 mandates an annual assessment of the 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) based on factors like threat, vulnerability, consequence, economic index, and Gross Domestic Product.

• Current DHS methodology considers casinos and hotels as one facility, overlooking their status as independent buildings with thousands of visitors and workers. This misrepresentation neglects their attractiveness as potential targets for terrorist activities.

• DHS assumes that a single incident at a casino/hotel would halt the region’s economy for a year, while the reality is that the impact could be far more detrimental and long-term.

• Although Southern Nevada’s economy heavily relies on tourism, UASI funding has remained stagnant, creating challenges in meeting our community’s security needs.

CHALLENGES:

• UASI funding for the Las Vegas area has decreased from $5.2 million in fiscal year 2023 to $4.3 million in 2024.

• The UASI funding stream’s singular focus within the broader Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) exacerbates Southern Nevada’s dependence on this funding source.

• Cities without official ports or international borders receive lower priority rankings in DHS’ Relative Risk Profile formulas, creating a disadvantage for areas like Las Vegas.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS:

• Securing UASI funding is essential for the local and state economy, as terrorism threats could severely affect Southern Nevada’s vital tourism industry.

• With major federal assets like Hoover Dam, Harry Reid International Airport, sporting arenas, and numerous world class hotels, Southern Nevada is critical to the nation’s economic prosperity.

• Tourism accounts for nearly half of all revenue in Nevada’s State General Fund Budget. In 2023, it was estimated that the overall estimated economic impact from tourism in Southern Nevada was $85.2 billion.

Source: City of Las Vegas, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

INCREASING FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING IN NEVADA

ISSUE POSITION:

• Every year the federal government awards hundreds of billions of dollars to state, local, and tribal governments, along with nonprofits, to fund a wide range of services, including health care, education, social services, economic and workforce development, infrastructure, public safety and justice, and the arts.

• Federal grants became even more important and prominent since the COVID Pandemic. Since the Pandemic the federal government has released approximately $5 trillion in federal spending and grants.

• Federal grant funds pay for local program implementation and construction, including hiring personnel and vendors, buying materials and supplies, and even covering a share of administrative costs. These federal dollars also play a critical role in balancing the costs of community programs with local and state governments partners.

• For decades Nevada has consistently underperformed in securing its fair share of federal grants (measured on a per capita basis, excluding Medicaid) despite having some of the highest needs in the country.

• According to the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, Nevada ranked 45th in the nation in FFY 2020, receiving nearly $800 less per person in grant funding than the national average.

• According to Federal Funds Information for the States, Nevada ranked at or near the bottom in six of the 10 largest federal grant funding categories in FFY 2019, including 54th in education, 55th in health (non-Medicaid), 54th in income security and social services, and 46th in community and regional development.

• According to a 2015 study by the Lincy Institute at UNLV, Nevada is forgoing an estimated $526 million in annual grant revenue as compared with our intermountain west neighbor states.

• Insufficient organizational capacity such as limited access to skilled grants professionals and training, information technology systems, tight cash flow, and antiquated grant processes, along with a lack of coordination and collaboration are often cited as the chief causes of Nevada’s underperformance.

• Nevadans have a lot to gain by getting their fair share of federal grant funding, including:

o Investing in economic development and diversification, strengthening our workforce development systems and increasing the availability of good jobs.

o Increasing and sustaining funding for community services, program, and projects without adding tax burden to residents and businesses.

o Getting Nevadans their hard-earned federal tax dollars back to benefit them.

o Stimulating the local economy by spending tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in additional federal grant funding through hiring, purchasing goods and services, etc.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber is asking Nevada’s Congressional Delegation to proactively help identify, steward, and advocate for grant opportunities and best practices to secure additional grants for the betterment of all Nevadans.

• The Vegas Chamber is also asking that members of the federal delegation direct organizations and policy makers who solicit them for assistance with federal grant funding to join the Vegas Chamber, LVGEA, Council for a Better Nevada, Nevada GrantLab, and others in advocating for and supporting improvements/updates to policies and processes within Nevada that continue to inhibit federal grant awards in the state.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• The Nevada State Legislature has made many improvements to how the state handles federal grants, including investing in grants infrastructure and beginning to streamline grant processes.

• The Vegas Chamber, working alongside numerous partners, successfully advocated for several key improvements to the State’s grants system during the 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023 Legislative sessions. The bills were focused on improving processes, removing staffing limits and restrictions to what type of grants the state would be able to apply for at the federal level.

• During the 2023 Legislative Session, Assembly Bill (AB) 361 was passed and signed into law by Governor Jospeh Lombardo. AB 361 is designed to improve Nevada’s federal grants process by matching the state application standards with the federal grant application standards.

• Building on its recent momentum and successes, Nevada should further expand its grants infrastructure and reduce grants-related bureaucracy, while significantly expanding collaboration with local governments, nonprofits, and leaders in the philanthropic and business community.

• In 2020, Nevada GrantLab, a nonprofit, was formed to assist nonprofits and the public in identifying, applying for, and administering federal grants that will benefit Nevadans. To date, the organization has helped community partners secure more than $60 million in new funding to benefit Nevadans.

• Capturing available federal grants must be a priority for the State of Nevada and its local governments and the private sector. Stakeholders will need to continue to advocate for a fair distribution of Federal grant monies to and within Nevada.

Sources: Obtaining and Maximizing Federal Grants in Nevada, the Nevada Advisory Council on Federal Assistance’s Report to the Governor and Nevada State Legislature; The Pew Charitable Trust; The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities; The Lincy Institute at UNLV; and Nevada GrantLab.

INTERSTATE 11

ISSUE POSITION:

• Nevada’s business community has a legacy of supporting the construction and long-term funding of a regional multimodal and intermodal federal transportation system that promotes connectivity, increases productivity, reduces congestion, and improves safety.

• A strong and reliable federal transportation system means economic stability, job creation and business growth for Southern Nevada.

• The Vegas Chamber supports the use of a variety of funding and financing options for Interstate 11 (I-11), such as reinvesting transportation taxes, grants, financing, and user fees. As a priority for the region, efforts must continue to secure funding for the initial construction to occur between Las Vegas and Phoenix.

• In addition to the initial funding of I-11 construction between Las Vegas and Phoenix, Nevada’s Congressional delegation has been supportive of legislation that would extend the future I-11 through Nevada to Interstate 80 (I-80) and south toward Arizona’s southern border.

• The Vegas Chamber supports efforts to secure federal funding for the construction of local and regional projects such as I-11.

• The funding of I-11 is a critical transportation infrastructure component for the further development of the nation’s transportation system. The construction of I-11 would allow for a fully integrated federal highway system in the Southwest.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber is requesting the funding for I-11 be accelerated due to the economic needs of the region. A regional priority is to fund the construction of the initial segment of I-11 between Las Vegas and Phoenix. The funding of this first segment is vital to the overall success of the project, and an essential step in bolstering the Southwest Triangle Megapolitan Cluster.

• The Vegas Chamber also supports the designation and funding for the Northern Nevada Corridor, which is part of the overall I-11 project to connect the region by an integrated highway system.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND STATUS OF THE I-15 WIDENING PROJECT:

• The original designation of I-11 between Las Vegas and Phoenix was approved by the 113th Congress and signed by President Barack Obama on July 6, 2012. I-11 is part of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP- 21).

• This new north-south transcontinental corridor through the region will connect communities, enhance economic diversification efforts, increase capacity, improve safety, travel time, and strengthen commercial capabilities.

• The corridor as proposed will include an upgraded highway facility but could be expanded to include other modes of transportation, such as rail.

• I-11 was originally designated as 15 miles of freeway through a $318 million project that was completed in 2018. It runs between the Nevada-Arizona border to near the Henderson Interchange.

• The I-11 Las Vegas Metropolitan Area PEL Study began in early 2021, utilizing information and analysis already underway from the Tier 1 EIS process.

Source: Maricopa Association of Governments, Nevada Department of Transportation.

• An Alternatives Development Report completed in May 2021 determined that western and central corridor alternatives for I-11 will need further study as part of the planning and construction process. As part of the analysis study process, an eastern corridor alternative was eliminated for any further analysis in the PEL study.

• In June 2022, NDOT announced that the central corridor alternative was selected as the preferred choice. This option would utilize U.S. Highway 95 through Clark County. The central alternative was chosen over a western corridor alternative that would have used the 215 Beltway from the Henderson Interchange to U.S. 95 in the northwest.

• ADOT is simultaneously working on the components of I-11 that would go through Arizona. They have broken the project into two parts.

• Part one is the 280-mile section that would run between Nogales and Wickenburg. I-11 Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, the final environmental impact statement for the proposed route was completed and approved in November 2021. The proposed corridor would include a combination of both new and existing roadways for this portion of I-11.

• The second component per ADOT is a 200-mile stretch from Wickenburg north to the Arizona border, which would use U.S. Highway 93. As part of the plan, U.S. 93 would be brought to interstate highway standards.

• Per ADOT, Subsequent Tier 2 environmental studies would narrow the corridor down to 400-footwide alignments, or routes. A Tier 2 EIS has been programmed for study from Buckeye to Wickenburg.

• NDOT recently announced that I-11 signage soon will be added to the stretch of U.S. Highway 95 running from the Henderson Interchange to Kyle Canyon Road northwest of Las Vegas. That is approximately 30.5 miles of highway from the Nevada-Arizona border to Kyle Canyon.

• The next segment planned to be designated part of I-11 is U.S. 95 from Kyle Canyon to Mercury. To bring that stretch of U.S. 95 to interstate code, any at-grade on-and-off-ramps must be reconstructed.

INTERSTATE

ECONOMIC IMPACTS:

• The Federal Highway Administration estimates that $170 billion in capital investments are needed to address the road infrastructure needs of the nation.

• I-11 could lead to dramatic, positive changes for Nevada, including new job creation and a significant means for diversifying and strengthening the local economy. It is expected that I-11 will create more than 240,000 jobs, an economic impact between $4-24 billion, and travel benefits of $26-39 billion.

• I-11 could help expand freight trucking, trade, and manufacturing and distribution centers in Nevada. The state has manufacturing strengths in areas such as gaming, metals, agriculture, and plastics. The geographical location of Las Vegas is ideal in establishing and/or expanding ground and air transportation distribution centers.

• I-11 would connect communities, enhance economic diversification efforts, increase capacity, improve safety, travel time, and strengthen commercial capabilities throughout the region. It would provide greater connectivity in Arizona through areas such as Maricopa County, Wickenburg, Phoenix, and Tucson, as well as to the United States/Mexico Border.

• In addition to the initial segment from Las Vegas to Phoenix, the Vegas Chamber also supports the expansion of the Northern Nevada Corridor that would link Las Vegas and Reno and stretch I-11 to the United States/Canadian border. While the project is still in the early phases, regional and federal partners must work together to address issues and concerns that other vested groups may have to move forward to make I-11 a reality.

• Also, this project is important to international trade. I-11 would be a very important segment to the CANAMEX Corridor, as this project has the potential to connect the world’s fastest emerging economies in Latin America and Asia.

• Southern Nevada is part of the Southwest Triangle Region, which includes Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Las Vegas is $96 billion, Phoenix-MesaScottsdale is $202 billion and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana is $796 billion. This region is expected to be the strongest and most robust region in the United States.

• I-11 would also support economic growth with land ports of entry such as Otay Mesa, California; Nogales, Arizona, and provide additional needed corridors for water ports in both the Western United States and Mexico including the Port of Guaymas and Port of Oakland. The development of this corridor along with the I-15 will open additional economic development opportunities and increase the necessity of our inland port, the Port of Nevada.

• I-11 would improve travel safety and time management by providing relief for congestion along the already at capacity I-5 corridor and the 1-15 corridor.

• I-11 would provide an opportunity to leverage existing resources to stimulate job growth and expansion, not only in the crucial area of tourism and travel, but also in the development of other industry sectors such as healthcare and technology. Priority targeted industries of both Nevada and Arizona include advanced manufacturing, aerospace, agriculture, healthcare, information and computer technology, mining and materials, renewable energy, tourism, and transportation.

Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, U.S. Senate

INTERSTATE 15

ISSUE POSITION:

• Congestion relief of Interstate 15 (I-15) along critical points will not only increase the easy flow of tourist traffic to and from Las Vegas but will continue to provide a critical artery to logistics facilities throughout Clark County.

• Construction of major enhancement by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) along I-15, between Tropicana and Spring Mountain, is well underway.

• Just north of Las Vegas, Phase 3 of NDOT’S I-15 construction initiative is under construction. Motorists traveling from Las Vegas to Utah have seen the progress being made on the $71.5 million lane widening project.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber is requesting funding for the widening of the I-15 corridor and for the widening to expand further along the I-15 to better accommodate the millions of people that travel between Southern California and Nevada.

• The need to examine and study the possibility of identifying additional travel routes independent of I-15 corridor for commercial traffic and movement of goods and products between California and Nevada.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND STATUS OF THE I-15 WIDENING PROJECT:

• Over 40 million people visit Las Vegas annually, with about 25 percent of those traveling between Southern California and Nevada.

• During busy holiday weekends and peak travel times, travel time can exceed the four and half hours to almost ten hours between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

• In December 2021, California Governor Gavin Newson and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced a $12 million allocation to widen 5-miles of I-15 by the California-Nevada Border, which has been completed.

• The funds were used to repave and restripe the right shoulder for use as a third lane between the border and the California Department of Food and Agriculture station during peak traffic periods between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

• While this 5-mile stretch helps alleviate some of the bottlenecks that drivers experience, it is not a long-term solution to address the ongoing mobility and congestion issues along I-15.

• To further help with traffic flow, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) also installed a ramp meter and directional signage at the Primm Boulevard onramp to I-15 southbound.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS:

• Widening the I-15 provides an opportunity to increase the efficiency of one of our primary arteries of people and goods traveling between Southern California and Nevada, it also would serve to mitigate risks of supply chain complications such as the closure of the I-15 outside of Victorville for 48 hours.

• The I-15 provides opportunities to increase the connection with the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana megapolitan cluster and provides an opportunity for Las Vegas to serve as a connecting point between the Southwest and Mountain Megapolitan clusters.

• The I-15 will also provide support for economic growth to the Southwest Triangle by providing more efficient access to water ports like the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles.

Sources: California Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.

NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

ISSUE POSITION:

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was created in 1935 to be a neutral arbiter in the field of labor law. However, over the course of the last several presidential administrations that focus has changed from being one of a neutral arbiter to one that is supportive of growing the national labor movement.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber believes that employers, regardless of size or industry, need predictability so they can plan, and operate. No employer or employee wants uncertainty. Instability arises when the government enacts constant changes, additional costs, and burdensome mandates that hamper employers’ ability to operate, hire, and survive.

• The Vegas Chamber believes that federal labor should be predictable, steady, and fair as it relates to the regulatory environment. This is important to creating a healthy and stable business climate.

• That is why it is imperative that policies from the NLRB are balanced and fair for both employers and organized labor. The Vega Chamber will continue to advocate for Biden Administration board appointees who understand the complexities of business ownership and will allow job creator to rebuild and strengthen the economy.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• Under the Biden Administration, NLRB has undertaken an approach that many employers and business organizations consider to be onerous and burdensome to employers, while primarily benefiting organized labor.

• This focus has continued under the direction of Jennifer Abruzzo, General Counsel to the NLRB. The General Counsel serves as the NLRB’s prosecutor. In August 2021, Abruzzo issued a 10-page guidance memo that outlines her priorities by highlighting what types of cases must be presented to the Office of General Counsel’s Division of Advice.

• President Biden’s two appointees to the NLRB are Gwynne Wilcox and David Prouty. Wilcox’s background is a union attorney and Prouty previously served as the general counsel for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ.

• There is growing concern that the NLRB is becoming aggressive in undoing reforms that were adopted over the last several years in favor of policies that are geared more towards organized labor.

• This includes the NLRB reconsidering prior rulings. These actions are being perceived as creating an unbalanced approach to national labor policy that will impact both small and large employers across the nation, including those in Nevada.

• The General Counsel has announced a proposal to how workers cast their votes to unionize or not. Currently, when workers decide to join a union, they typically do so by secret ballot, where no one knows how they vote.

• The General Counsel, however, wants to change this process and mandate a “card check” process. This would allow union organizers to publicly solicit workers to sign a card indicating their choice to unionize or not. National business organizations believe that the adoption of a “card check” will remove the privacy that currently exists with the secret ballot process.

• For example, the National Labor Relations Act does not require employers to recognize a union based on signature cards. However, the NLRB General Counsel is seeking to revive a longdiscredited case known as Joy Silk.

• Under the Joy Silk doctrine, if an employer refused to recognize a union based solely on signature cards, the NLRB could seek an order forcing the business to the bargaining table without any secret ballot election. This would allow unions to organize workplaces faster and easier but would also move the protections that are provided under the NLRA.

• In addition, the definition of an employee was redefined as a result of Razak vs. Uber Technologies Inc. During this case Uber drivers sued to demand wages and overtime as written in the Fair Labor Standards Act. During the case it was defined that drivers under the agreement are not employees of Uber but are independent contractors. This will have a national impact and affect the several business models that are currently in place.

• In March 2024, U.S. Chamber of Commerce won a major legal victory for after the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas vacated the NRLB joint employer rule.

• The case was based on NLRB’s recent rule that would make it easier for the agency to declare joint employment status existing in business relationships in scenarios such as franchising, contracting, and supply chains. This is a significant policy shift and precedent that has been in place for decades. As a result of the rule, employers would find themselves facing liability for workers they do not employ and workplaces they do not actually control.

Sources: American Association Bar, National Labor Relations Board, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE ACT

ISSUE POSITION:

• Organized labor has proposed a conglomeration of their top priorities from the past 30 years with the recent reintroduction of the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO) Act of 2023 (PRO) Act (S. 567/H.R. 20).

• This piece of legislation would require employees to pay union dues regardless of their personal preference, exacerbate labor disagreements between employers and employees, and disrupt the economy. For these reasons, the Vegas Chamber is in opposition to passage of the PRO Act.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

The Vegas Chamber has a long history of supporting balanced, fair, and practical labor policies at both the state and federal levels of government. However, the Chamber does not believe that the PRO Act follows those principles and opposes the bill as it would negatively affect Nevada’s employers and employees’ relations.

The Chamber’s priority is to ensure predictability, stability, fairness, and transparency in the workplace. The Chamber will continue to work with the Nevada Delegation and other congressional members to demonstrate the PRO Act will negatively impact employees by removing their choice to whether to join unions and being required to pay union dues, along with other factors that will impact Nevada’s job creators and employees. The Chamber believes that it is the individual’s right to decide on joining membership and not be mandated by legislative action.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• This legislation would impact employees’ rights in many ways. It would require employees to pay union dues regardless of affiliation or participation, it would change the private ballot system, and impose California’s system of when determining status of independent contractors. It would also expand joint-employer liability, prohibit mandatory arbitration agreements, and allow secondary picketing and strikes.

• Labor groups have advocated for the passage of this legislation as organized labor has been seeing declining membership levels for the past 65 years. Union membership has fallen to a new low of 10.1 percent in 2022 at the national level.

• The PRO Act is being presented to Americans as a positive change in favor of workers, however, it would override 27 states’ right-to-work law. Nevada has been a right-to-work state since enacted in 1953.

• The PRO Act has many concerning provisions that would fundamentally change the structure of Nevada’s labor laws.

• Along with many of the concerning components for employees under the PRO Act, it is believed that the employers will be placed at a significant disadvantage as the union contracts will carry more weight during negotiations if the provisions of the PRO Act are passed by Congress and signed into law by the President.

• Per the PRO Act, employers would be required to provide unions with additional information about employees, which many would argue is a violation of an employee’s privacy.

• Another provision of the PRO Act is that it would require employers to make their equipment available to employees for union business. This would include the use of their computers, email systems, phone lines, and other equipment at the workplace.

• The PRO Act would also subject employers to heavy civil penalties, ranging from $500 to $100,000. These fines could be imposed on either the business or individuals that work at the company.

• In June 2023, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions advanced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act with party line vote of 11-10 party-line vote. The House of Representatives has not taken any legislative action on the bill.

• There has been significant pressure by national special groups onto the White House to pass this legislation as soon as possible.

Source: NFIB, U.S Chamber of Commerce

Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce

March 8, 2023

To the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly opposes H.R. 20, the “Protecting the Right to Organize Act.” Members who do not cosponsor this bill will receive credit for the Leadership component of their “How They Voted” rating.

Numerous elements of the PRO Act by themselves would be objectionable to the business community; taken as a whole they would result in exceedingly negative consequences for employers and employees alike.

The PRO Act would abolish any sense of balance between union rights and employer rights in labor organizing and negotiations by explicitly eliminating employers as a party in elections to determine if a union would represent that employer’s workforce. Moreover, a secret ballot election through which the employees chose not to be represented by a union could be overturned if enough employees signed cards saying they supported that union.

H.R. 20 would also potentially take away workers’ traditional opportunity to ratify a first contract. If the newly recognized union and the employer cannot agree to a first contract through negotiation and mediation, an arbitration process would result in a contract without employees’ being able to vote on that contract.

This bill would also effectively repeal the Taft-Hartley Act, labor law reforms enacted 75 years ago to rein in some of the most abusive union organizing tactics of that era. Unions could once again engage in secondary boycotts and picketing, meaning that they could target any employer doing business with a targeted company even if those employers have no connection with the union. This would allow for the disruption of entire segments of the economy, a phenomenon that was common in 1947 when the law was passed.

Another key provision of the Taft-Hartley Act allowed states to pass right-to-work laws, meaning that workers could no longer be fired for not paying union dues. Twenty-eight states have enacted rightto-work laws. By repealing the Taft-Hartley Act, H.R. 20 would invalidate all states’ right-to-work laws currently in place.

Moreover, the PRO Act would codify the National Labor Relations Board’s unworkable definition of joint-employer liability as prescribed in its 2015 Browning-Ferris decision, which was based on “indirect” or “potential” control of another company’s employees. It would also codify and nationalize the restrictive definition of independent contractors as defined in California’s deeply flawed statute known as AB 5 that has made using or operating as an independent contractor extremely difficult in that state. In addition, this bill would reinstate the Department of Labor’s “persuader” rule, which was intended to deprive employers of legal representation during union campaigns, a rule that a court found “defective to its core.”

H.R. 20 would codify bad labor policy and failed efforts at reform. The Chamber strongly urges Members of Congress not to cosponsor this bill.

Sincerely,

Neil L. Bradley

Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer and Head of Strategic Advocacy U.S. Chamber of Commerce

PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENT, AND CONSERVATION

ISSUE POSITION:

• Nevada’s public lands are of immense economic benefit to our state, enriching the quality of life for residents through various recreational activities like hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking.

• Over 80 percent of Nevada’s land is federally owned and managed, offering abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation. However, this unique situation also presents challenges for economic development in urban areas.

• To strike a balance, Nevada’s Congressional delegation and stakeholders have a remarkable history of collaborating on public lands bills. These measures allow for sensible economic development while preserving critical areas for hunting, hiking, camping, and wildlife habitats.

• Federal legislation can address affordable housing needs in Southern Nevada and designate land for conservation and recreation.

• Numerous other legislative considerations are in progress throughout the state, particularly in the Vegas valley, to address the region’s distinct land use requirements.

• Local management and conservation efforts are vital to safeguarding natural landscapes and fostering sustainable growth for Nevada’s business community.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber urges members of Congress and the Nevada community to continue supporting efforts across the state to update public land use to align with population growth trajectories and current environmental needs.

• The Vegas Chamber seeks support for federal public land legislation that thoughtfully balances economic development and conservation concerns in Southern Nevada.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• Notably, the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA), passed with bipartisan support in 1998, serves as a successful model for Southern Nevada.

• The legislation permits the sale of Bureau of Land Management-owned public lands in the Las Vegas Valley for development, with proceeds primarily dedicated to conservation and public parks throughout Clark County and the entire State of Nevada.

• In June 2024, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto reintroduced the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, S.. 4457, which contains provisions to foster both economic development and conservation efforts in Southern Nevada.

• The legislation will allocate 25,000 acres for development over the next 50 years and contains conservation provisions that sets aside 2 million acres for preservation and outdoor recreation.

Source: Office of U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Porter Group

Tuesday June 4th, 2024

Cortez Masto Reintroduces Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) reintroduced her Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act. The bipartisan legislation will protect over 2 million acres of public land for conservation and recreation while allowing Clark County to grow responsibly, build more housing for hardworking Nevada families, and support economic development across the region. This text would be the largest conservation bill in Nevada history.

“This legislation will protect our lands, lower housing costs, and support responsible economic development,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ve spent years championing this bill and will continue to push for commonsense actions that will help Las Vegas grow responsibly and combat climate change, while preserving millions of acres in Clark County for conservation and outdoor recreation.”

“A significant amount of work has gone into this legislation over the last few years, but especially this last year as we have worked to support both environmental protection and responsible development,” said Tick Segerblom, Chair of the Clark County Commission. “The Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act reflects pressing priorities for our region which includes access to additional land to increase access to affordable home development while also ensuring that the beautiful landscape of our region remains protected for future generations. This balance is not easy to achieve, but we thank Senator Cortez Masto for her commitment to working with Clark County and our residents through this bill and look forward to this becoming law.”

“Conserving America’s public lands is a key strategy to ensure the future for wildlife and the health of our communities. The historic protections this bill will bring are a positive step forward. We thank Senator Cortez Masto for striking the right balance and advancing conservation priorities including permanently protecting key areas within the Desert National Wildlife Refuge as Wilderness and expanding protections for Red Rock Canyon and Sloan Canyon National Conservation Areas. These designations will add to the Senator’s conservation record securing designations for Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, PistoneBlack Mountain and Numunaa Nobe National Conservation Areas, and several Wilderness areas,” said Jocelyn Torres, Interim Co-Executive Director at the Conservation Lands Foundation.

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Cortez Masto for listening to her constituents who cherish Clark County’s vast public lands and want them protected for generations to come,” said Shaaron Netherton, Executive Director, Friends of Nevada Wilderness. “This bill would be the single largest designation of Wilderness acres in the state’s history, ensuring continued public access and critical habitat and cultural resource protection on more than 1.6 million acres. After years of leading a collaborative effort to secure permanent protection of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge from military expansions that would impact public access, Friends now looks forward to working with Senator Cortez Masto to get this bill passed and make that protection a reality.”

“Nevada HAND, as the largest affordable housing developer in the state, is grateful for U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s work on the Clark County lands bill. We fully support the Senator’s draft legislation, which represents a concerted effort to unite Southern Nevada stakeholders in prioritizing long-term conservation, economic development, and the acceleration of affordable housing development,” said Audra Hamernik, Nevada HAND President & CEO.

This updated legislation will allow Clark County to responsibly develop a net 25,000 acres over the next 50 years, while preserving over 2 million acres of land for conservation and outdoor recreation. It was crafted with input from conservationists, city and county officials, business leaders, tribal leaders, and wildlife and recreation interests.

The Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act:

Prioritizes the use of federal land for conservation, recreation, and other public purposes

This text sets aside over 2 million acres of federally-owned land in Clark County for habitat conservation, outdoor recreation, and cultural and landscape preservation.

Specifically, it includes a 56,000-acre expansion of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a 9,290-acre expansion of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, full wilderness designations to nearly 1.3 million acres of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, and 324,048 additional acres of wilderness in Clark County.

This text also identifies nearly 359,000 additional acres for wildlife habitat preservation and reserves 120,657 acres for 4 designated off-highway vehicle recreation areas.

Encourages affordable housing development

This bill would allow for the development of more affordable housing, and would make it easier for local governments to reserve federal land, build more housing supply, and partner with affordable housing developers.

Allows Clark County’s economy to grow while protecting our natural resources

The bill allows Clark County to develop up to 25,000 acres for affordable housing and business growth over the next 50 years.

Combats climate change

This text provides Clark County with the long-term planning mechanisms to implement sustainable growth, environmental mitigation, efficient water use, and clean energy development.

Promotes Tribal Self-Governance and Economic Opportunities

This text fosters greater tribal self-governance and helps enable traditional and cultural uses of regional tribal land through the inclusion of 45,146 acres held in trust for the Moapa Band of Paiutes and 3,156 acres for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe.

Source: Office of U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ISSUE POSITION:

• The Vegas Chamber has identified workforce shortages as one of the top issues concerning employers including small businesses in Nevada. It is important to support initiatives between employees and the Small Business Administration, which can assist business owners with the connectivity to relevant workforce needs including technical assistance and training.

• The Vegas Chamber has supported programs that provide minority, women, and veteran businesses owners opportunities to succeed as entrepreneurs. The Vegas Chamber supports efforts by the Small Business Administration to empower small business owners and provide financial and technical assistance where necessary to encourage thriving entrepreneurial culture.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber supports federal assistance in increasing capital to Nevada’s employers as many continue to pivot and adjust their business plans because of the growing inflationary costs, ongoing supply chain challenges, and the compounding effects of workforce and labor shortages.

• There is also a need to support the expediting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness as well as providing forgiveness for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). The Vegas Chamber supports the Small Business Administration in their efforts to modernize and align programing with the other federal agencies to ensure seamless assistance is provided to small businesses when it comes to addressing workforce needs and shortages.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• Nevada was one of the top states in receiving Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, averaging $12,200 per business. This loan amount was nearly double the national average.

• The basic terms for EIDL included up to $2 million dollars in loans issued directly by the SBA for a term up to 30 years at an interest rate not to exceed 4%. Business owners are responsible to pay back the loan even if their business fails or closes.

• Small businesses need loan forgiveness from small EIDL loans under $100,000. They also need access to capital and more options by the federal government to secure loans, especially in the first two years of operations.

• The SBA administered the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided forgivable loans to small businesses to help them retain employees and cover essential costs like rent and utilities. Many businesses in Las Vegas benefited from this program.

• SBA 504 and 7(a) Loan Programs help small businesses in Las Vegas access funding for major purchases, like real estate or equipment, or for working capital. The SBA often works with local lenders to provide these loans.

• The SBA collaborates with local resource partners, such as SCORE Las Vegas, the Nevada Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and the Women’s Business Center, to provide mentoring, training, and other resources to small businesses.

• The Chamber supports The SBA’s focused efforts on ensuring that minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses have access to the resources and funding they need to succeed within their community..

Source: Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Porter Group, Reno Gazette Journal, Small Business Administration, Small Business Majority, Washington Post, Yelp

SOUTHERN NEVADA WATER RESOURCES

ISSUE POSITION:

• The availability and sustainability of water resources are essential to Southern Nevada. The ongoing drought within the Colorado River Basin and the impact to Lake Mead are of great concern to the region’s economic stability.

• Southern Nevada’s business community relies on adequate and stable supplies of water for operations and development to support a vital economy.

• Impending water shortages underscores the critical need for more water conservation among all water users, including businesses, industries, and residents.

• The Vegas Chamber supports conservation initiatives, maintaining water delivery systems and sources, and planning anticipated future water needs of the Las Vegas Valley to mitigate drought impacts.

• The Vegas Chamber supports federal assistance for large scale water recycling projects, drought contingency planning, conservation programs, and collaboration with other basin states to address declining water levels in Lake Mead.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

The Vegas Chamber is requesting that federal leadership prioritize water conservation and effects from climate change and make federal funding available for projects that mitigate the impacts of drought or conserve water in the Colorado River Basin.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• The Colorado River Basin spans approximately 246,000 square miles, through the seven “Basin States” of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as into the country of Mexico.

• The Colorado River Basin is the world’s fifth largest economy and generates $1.4 trillion in economic benefits annually. The river serves some of the country’s largest population centers: Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, and Las Vegas.

• Nearly 5.5 million acres of irrigated land, 40 million municipals users and 16 million jobs rely on water from the Colorado River.

• Declining water levels along the Colorado River not only affect agricultural and municipal uses but also impact hydroelectric power for over a dozen states in the western United States.

• Nevada is entitled to 300,000 acre-feet of water annually. In years of shortage, Nevada and Arizona are required to take less water from the Colorado River under several river agreements, while California does not need to take any reductions in the first round of cuts, which is referred to as “Tier 1”.

• Since 2000, the Colorado River region has been experiencing a historic, prolonged drought that has impacted storage basins, inflows, and other environmental resources. While the wet winter does help ease some constraints along the Colorado River, it does not address more than 20 years of drought conditions.

• Lake Mead, the reservoir where Nevada accesses its Colorado River allocation, has been reduced to 33 percent of capacity because of drought conditions and reduced inflows. Water levels have fallen more than 170 feet since the onset of the drought.

• The water level at Lake Mead as of August 2024 is 1,063 ft. Lake Mead reached its lowest level of 1,040 ft. in July 2022, which was its lowest since the lake was first filled following the construction of Hoover Dam in the 1930s.

• Much of the West is experiencing drought in some form, and Nevada is often in a situation where the majority of its land is experiencing “severe” to “exceptional” levels.

• In 2021, the federal government declared a shortage on the Colorado River for the first time in its history, triggering cutbacks in water deliveries to Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico.

• The following year, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation asked Basin States to conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet of to help slow the declining water levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. If the states were unable to agree on a plan, the Bureau of Reclamation would step in to impose water cuts on the states.

• In May 2023, Nevada, California, and Arizona, which make up the Lower Basin states, voluntarily agreed to reduce their collective use from the Colorado River by 3 million acre-feet through 2026.

• The federal government is supporting this effort and other western drought resiliency measures with more than $15 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

SOUTHERN NEVADA’S DROUGHT RESPONSE:

• Beginning in the early 1990s and continuing today, Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) has entered into various local and interstate agreements to bank water supplies.

• Southern Nevada has more than 2 million acre-feet of water banked for future use, which represents approximately a decade of supplies for Southern Nevada.

• SNWA’s Water Smart Landscapes Program has yielded remarkable water savings for Southern Nevada by removing 223 million square feet of grass and conserving over 176 billion gallons of water since the program began in 1999.

• In 2015, SNWA began operations of a new water intake in Lake Mead. The new intake draws water from the deepest and coldest part of Lake Mead and offers better water quality, thereby decreasing treatment costs.

• In 2020, SNWA completed its Low Lake Level Pumping Station near Lake Mead which ensures that Nevada can access its Colorado River allocation even if Lake Mead’s water levels fall below 1,000 feet.

• This is important as the original pump station is no longer operational because of the low water levels at Lake Mead. This intake valve first began supplying Southern Nevada customers in 1971. There are a total of three intake valves at Lake Mead owned and operated by SNWA.

• In Southern Nevada, 99 percent of all indoor water use that reaches the sanitary sewer is captured, treated, and reused.

• In 2023, Southern Nevada consumed just 187,000 acre-feet of water, and the region’s use is on pace to remain at record-low levels in 2024.

• Conservation remains an important effort to mitigate local drought impacts. The SNWA is prioritizing conservation initiatives, with a focus on reducing consumptive uses and targeting water waste.

• From a State Legislative perspective, the Vegas Chamber joined with SNWA to pass legislation in 2021 prohibiting the irrigation of non-functional grass beginning in 2027. Southern Nevada will save billions of gallons by replacing this unused grass with water efficient landscaping.

• During the 2023 State Legislative Session, the Vegas Chamber supported AB 220, which increases water conservation efforts and allows for the establishment of a voluntary program for property owners on a septic system to connect to the municipal sewer system at no cost to the homeowner.

• The SNWA is participating in a major reuse project with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The SNWA anticipates that 20,000 - 40,000 acre-feet per year will be available to the SNWA in exchange for funding participation.

Sources: Southern Nevada Water Authority, U.S. Drought Monitor, Western Area Power Administration

THE ROLE OF THE MODERN GAMING INDUSTRY

ISSUE POSITION:

• The Vegas Chamber supports and recognizes the vital role played by the modern casino gaming industry in Nevada’s economy and community. As one of the driving forces behind Nevada’s prosperity, the gaming industry generates substantial economic benefits, provides numerous employment opportunities, and contributes significantly to the community. Embracing innovation and fostering growth, the gaming industry continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of entertainment and leisure.

• The gaming industry remains a cornerstone of the region’s tourism sector, attracting visitors from across the globe to experience the world-renowned hospitality and entertainment that only Las Vegas can offer. The dynamic blend of gaming, hospitality, dining, and live entertainment creates a unique and unforgettable experience that keeps visitors returning year after year. Moreover, the revenue generated from gaming helps fund essential public services, infrastructure projects, and educational initiatives, bolstering the overall well-being of Nevada residents.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

As a result of the gaming industry’s substantial contributions to our state’s economy, the Chamber urges Congress to take specific actions to enhance the gaming landscape in Nevada. The Vegas Chamber advocates for the following measures:

• The Vegas Chamber encourages the development of sensible and streamlined regulatory processes to ensure compliance while fostering innovation and investment in the gaming industry. By reducing unnecessary bureaucratic burdens, the industry’s competitiveness can be enhanced on a global scale.

• In regard to federal tax policy, the Vegas Chamber continues to support fair and equitable tax policies that strike a balance between generating essential public revenue and fostering a businessfriendly environment for the gaming industry to thrive, such as increasing the threshold amount on slot winnings by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• Congresswoman Dina Titus, NV-1 is advocating that the IRS raise the tax threshold on Slot Winnings. Under current policy by the IRS, slot machine jackpot winnings of $1,200 or more require a W-2G tax form. This threshold has not been updated since 1977.

• Congresswoman Titus is advocating that the threshold be increased to $5,000 before a W-2G tax form is required to be completed and submitted to the IRS.

• IRS Advisory Council’s (IRSAC) recently recommended that the threshold amount be increased because of inflation and the increased number of W-2G tax forms that are being submitted to the IRS on an annual basis.

Source: American Gaming Association, Nevada Resort Association

February 5, 2024

The Honorable Danny Werfel Commissioner Internal Revenue Service

1111 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20224

Dear Commissioner Werfel,

We write regarding the recently released IRS Advisory Council (IRSAC) Public Report published in November 2023. We support the recommendation included in the report that calls for an increase of the reporting threshold for slot machine jackpot winnings to account for inflation and urge you to take action to implement it.

As you may know, slot machine jackpot winnings of $1,200 or more require a W-2G tax form The antiquated threshold, which has been static since 1977, has led to a significant increase in the number of W-2G forms filed each year, with more than 21.2 million of these forms filed in 2022 Due to inflation, this leads to increasing compliance burdens on taxpayers and significant operational costs for casinos that are providing family-sustaining jobs in our states. Furthermore, unlike other forms of tax information that report actual income, W-2G forms only capture a singular jackpot and do not report on a patron’s ultimate taxable gain or loss from slot play. As the IRSAC report notes, raising the threshold to account for inflation “will streamline and enhance the quality of information collected and enable the IRS to focus its enforcement resources on those taxpayers most likely to have year-end net slot winnings.”

The IRSAC report also notes that it is entirely within the agency’s authority to make this change via regulation. We urge you to follow the IRSAC’s recommendation and exercise your authority to raise the threshold for slot machine jackpot winnings to $5,000 and to consider periodic increases to the threshold based on inflation. Taking this action will align with the IRS initiative to strategically use data to improve tax administration and modernize tax reporting for our constituents.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Guy Reschenthaler

Dina Titus Member of Congress Member of Congress

Source: U.S. House

of Representatives

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT REAUTHORIZATION

ISSUE POSITION:

• The Vegas Chamber recognizes that the ongoing workforce shortages in today’s labor marketing is impending business growth for both small and large businesses This is regardless of size or industry of the business throughout Nevada.

• Shortages abound across all industries including gaming, manufacturing, education, childcare and health care. Shortages in one industry compound shortages in another. For example, where children and home-health workers are in short supply, Nevadans are forced to stay out of the workforce to care for families.

• The Chamber believes that federal legislation must align with workforce development investments and economic development efforts by local communities. Legislation should be focused on creating a pathway for residents to attain sustainable careers in an ever-changing labor market.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

• The Vegas Chamber supports federal legislation to modernize and expand access to programs such as the federal apprenticeship program, which helps to appropriately train workers to join new job markets, which includes the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

• The Vegas Chamber asks that Congress to work with business chambers and economic development organizations to seek solutions to help encourage a healthy, well trained, and motivated workforce to support today’s economic demands and tomorrow’s growth through legislation that enhance programs and supports direct client services.

• Many employer organizations in Nevada support legislation that will help the employment of traditionally underrepresented working populations such as immigrants, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and the formerly incarcerated.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• Congress is considering the reauthorization the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) through the passage of H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act (“ASWA”) and the draft by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (“HELP”) Committee.

• The passages of ASWA contained provisions that will foster alignment and workforce growth for Nevadans, but there are also provisions that will have unintended consequences that will negatively impact communities throughout Nevada.

• Several of those provisions include:

• A new proposed WIOA Title I 50% minimum training expenditure requirement that neglects to take into consideration the actual needs of customers in the American Job Centers (AJCs). Most participants require some level of supportive services like tools, uniforms, transportation, rent assistance and childcare.

• A new proposed WIOA Title I 10% additional set aside at the state level called Critical Industry Skills Fund, that further reduces the resources available to participants at local AJCs. This new fund is in addition to the existing 15 percent state set aside called Governors Reserve Fund. Existing regional Industry Sector Partnerships in Nevada are already addressing these needs.

• A new designation process for local workforce areas that allows Governors to change local areas without consent of local elected officials from the cities and counties who ultimately hold the fiduciary responsibility for the WIOA Title I funds.

• A new proposed limitation for funding work experience (WEX) activities for WIOA Title I participants. A WEX activity is a critical step before larger investments are made in training activities for participants. The change means only 50 percent of the WEX cost could be covered by WIOA Title I funds. The rest of the cost would have to be covered by other means.

• The current Senate draft bill to reauthorize WIOA does not contain the first of the four issues listed above, for which we are grateful. It does however still contain versions of the other three issues:

• The additional state set aside of 10 percent.

• The new designation process for local areas. The Senate version is more specific and allows Governors of states under 5 million people (25 states, among them Nevada), to create a single area statewide designation.

• It also allows Governors of any state size other options for redesignation, without needing consent from the local elected officials who hold the ultimate fiduciary responsibility of the WIOA Title I funds.

• The new WEX funding limitation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Workforce Connections

The

Honorable Catherine Cortez Masto

United States Senate

520 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Re: Status of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Reauthorization

Dear Senator Cortez Masto:

The Vegas Chamber (“Chamber”) is the largest and broadest-based business organization in Nevada, representing thousands of job creators, and is focused on helping Nevada businesses succeed and grow. Throughout its history, the Chamber has continuously advocated and supported public policy programs and legislation that fosters economic growth and workforce development initiatives at all levels of government.

The Chamber believes that federal legislation must align with workforce development investments and economic development efforts by local communities. Legislation should be focused on creating a pathway for residents to attain sustainable careers in an ever-changing labor market.

In our meeting in March 2024, I shared with you the status of the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (“WIOA”) as a board member of Southern Nevada’s Local Workforce Development Board, Workforce Connections. Since that time, there have been additional developments with the passage of H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act (“ASWA”) and the draft by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (“HELP”) Committee that I would like to share with you.

The passages of ASWA contained provisions that will foster alignment and workforce growth for Nevadans, but there are also provisions that will have unintended consequences that will negatively impact communities throughout Nevada. Several of those provisions include:

• A new proposed WIOA Title I 50% minimum training expenditure requirement that neglects to take into consideration the actual needs of customers in the American Job Centers (“AJCs”). Most participants require some level of supportive services like tools, uniforms, transportation, rent assistance and childcare.

• A new proposed WIOA Title I 10% additional set aside at the state level called Critical Industry Skills Fund, that further reduces the resources available to participants at local AJCs. This new fund is in addition to the existing 15% state set aside called Governors Reserve Fund. Existing regional Industry Sector Partnerships in Nevada are already addressing these needs.

• A new designation process for local workforce areas that allows Governors to change local areas without consent of local elected officials from the cities and counties who ultimately hold the fiduciary responsibility for the WIOA Title I funds.

• A new proposed limitation for funding work experience (“WEX”) activities for WIOA Title I participants. A WEX activity is a critical step before larger investments are made in training activities for participants. The change means only 50% of the WEX cost could be covered by WIOA Title I funds. The rest of the cost would have to be covered by other means.

The current Senate draft bill to reauthorize WIOA does not contain the first of the four issues listed above, for which we are grateful. It does however still contain versions of the other three issues:

• The additional state set aside of 10%.

• The new designation process for local areas. The Senate version is more specific and allows Governors of states under 5M people (25 states, among them Nevada), to create a single area statewide designation. It also allows Governors of any state size other options for redesignation, without needing consent from the local elected officials who hold the ultimate fiduciary responsibility of the WIOA Title I funds.

• The new WEX funding limitation.

The Senate version also adds additional responsibilities for local workforce development boards to form multiple new additional standing committees, without any additional dedicated funding. While well-intentioned, standing committees, as proposed in the draft legislation, will require the diversion of staff time, attention, and related resources towards inward-facing administrative activities.

That means serving fewer constituents, which is not productive for economic development initiatives in Southern Nevada or across the State, rather than on cultivating external partnerships with employers and other stakeholders in the wider community. As a board member of Workforce Connections and President of the Vegas Chamber, it essential that these resources go back into the community and help Nevada’s families in their pursuit of sustainable careers.

Thank you for your time and consideration on these requests to address the ongoing concerns associated with WIOA reauthorization and allowing me to share with you the significant impact it will have in Nevada. If I can provide any further assistance or information on the legislation, please contact me at 702.575-8020. I appreciate the opportunity to provide these additional comments with WIOA and the impact it will have in Nevada.

Sincerely,

Mary Beth Sewald President & CEO

YUCCA MOUNTAIN NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY

ISSUE POSITION:

• With the increased interest in the revival of the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, The Vegas Chamber continues to oppose the transportation and storage of any nuclear waste in Nevada because of the potential negative effect it could have on the safety and health of the residents and visitors of Southern Nevada.

• The Vegas Chamber believes that storing nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository site could pose a national security threat and hurt the tourism-based economy of Southern Nevada, which supports approximately 386,200 jobs and has an estimated annual economic activity impact of $85.2 billion.

• The Vegas Chamber is also opposed to the temporary storage of any nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, which includes reprocessed fuel.

• As historically proposed, public roads and railroads would be used to transport nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, as nuclear waste because of its weight can only be transported by rail or truck. Project plans have indicated that as many as three trains and two trucks a week would pass through Clark County as they transport nuclear waste for storage at Yucca Mountain.

CHAMBER’S CALL TO ACTION:

The Vegas Chamber supports continued efforts by Nevada’s Governor and Congressional delegation to ensure that no nuclear waste is stored at Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. The Vegas Chamber is also opposed to any transport of nuclear waste in Nevada, regardless of the radioactive level of the nuclear waste because of security, safety, and health concerns.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• Many members of the House, both Republican and Democrat, have renewed interest in reviving the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility in 2024. This has been driven by Members of Congress that have nuclear energy facilities and interim storage facilities in their communities. One advocate for restarting the program is House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, WA-5.

• In April 2024, there was a hearing by the House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security. The hearing, “American Nuclear Energy Expansion: Spent Fuel Policy and Innovation” provide Nevada’s Delegation opportunity to express their continued opposition to the project.

• Congresswoman Dina Titus, NV-1 along with Congressman Steven Horsford, NV-4, and Congresswoman Susie Lee, NV-3 have introduced the “Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act”, H.R. 1051 and with U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto introducing S. 404, which would require the U.S. Secretary of Energy to obtain written consent from state, local and tribal governments for the storage of any nuclear waste in their community.

• Nevada’s continued opposition from its Congressional Delegation have resulted in the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations declaring it effectively dead.

• Previously, the Obama Administration had effectively terminated the funding for the development of Yucca Mountain by amending the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, which was passed in 2011.

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had followed President Obama’s plan to close Yucca Mountain by discontinuing its review of the application to begin construction at Yucca Mountain.

Source: Office of Congresswoman Dina Titus

YUCCA MOUNTAIN NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY

CONTINUED...

• President Biden himself has stated, “I assure you as president there will be no storage at Yucca Mountain, period, And it’s not just because of the instability and possibility of earthquakes, but because of the transportation to Yucca Mountain.”

• The Infrastructure Investment Act of 2021 has created incentives for nuclear power, which could increase the amount of nuclear waste that is being produced. The Act provides a production tax credit for existing nuclear energy units, like the ones received by wind and solar farms.

• Most recently, there has been increasing opposition to proposed nuclear waste storage sites in Texas and New Mexico. As a result, this has kept Yucca Mountain as the leading option for the growing stockpile of radioactive material scattered around the country.

• SAFETY CONCERNS:

• Any incident with the transport or storage of nuclear waste could have a severe and negative economic impact on Southern Nevada’s economy and the safety of more than 2 million residents within 100 miles of the Yucca Mountain Site and approximately 40.8 million annual visitors.

• The storing of 77,000 tons of nuclear waste less than 90 miles from Las Vegas is a concern to the business community and residents because of potential terrorist threats, environmental impact, transportation challenges and the safety of storing nuclear waste material.

• More than 70,000 metric tons of high-level nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel is stored in more than 77 reactor sites across the country. That number increases by more than 2,000 tons each year as result of the ongoing production of nuclear energy.

• Regarding the transportation and storage infrastructure at Yucca Mountain, there has been no construction of waste disposal tunnels, receiving and handling facilities. Also, the appropriate waste containers and transportation casks have yet to be developed and are not available to use. In addition, the railroad lines to transport the nuclear waste to the storage site have not been constructed.

• Transporting waste to Yucca Mountain puts the general public at risk. More than 123 million people live near the proposed truck and train routes, which would be used to deliver waste to Yucca Mountain. Those routes travel through 703 counties in 44 states.

• The reprocessing of nuclear waste requires a large amount of water, which is a concern since the region is in a severe drought. This is a concern to businesses, local governments, residents, and regional water agencies. The State of Nevada has refused to issue those water rates for the project.

• There are concerns about the seismic activity in the region, which questions the logic of storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. Nevada ranks as the fourth highest in seismic activity in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey.

• Concerns also exist for improper implementation of outlined safety procedures by the DOE and their contractors.

• The DOE has admitted to improper labeling of radioactive waste shipments to the Nevada National Security Site, leading to concerns of increased presence of toxic metals such as chromium.

POLITICAL FACTORS:

• Advocates for Yucca Mountain to be a nuclear waste storage site include U.S. Senators and members of Congress whose states have numerous nuclear power plants, such as Illinois, Washington, and South Carolina.

• Opponents to Yucca Mountain include the Nevada State Legislature, several members of Nevada’s Congressional delegation, Vegas Chamber, several Nevada business associations, and most Nevadans.

Source: United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nevada’s Attorney General, Congress.gov

Source: US Infrastructure

FEDERAL LEADERSHIP

• President & Cabinet

• Senate Leadership

• House Leadership

President of United States Joseph R. Biden

The Cabinet

The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet’s role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments —the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.

In order of succession to the Presidency:

Kamala Harris

Vice President of the United State

Antony Blinken Secretary of State

Dr. Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury

Lloyd Austin Secretary of Defense

Merrick Garland Attorney General

Deb Haaland Secretary of the Interior

Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture

Gina Raimondo

Secretary of Commerce

Julie Su

Acting Secretary of Labor

Xavier Becerra

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Adrianne Todman

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Pete Buttigieg

Secretary of Transportation

Jennifer Granholm

Secretary of Energy

Dr. Miguel Cardona

Secretary of Education

Denis McDonough Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Alejandro Mayorkas Secretary of Homeland Security

Michael Regan Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Avril Haines Director of National Intelligence

Katherine Tai United States Trade Representative

Linda Thomas-Greenfield

United States Ambassador to The United Nations

Jared Bernstein Chair of The Council of Economic Advisers

Isabel Guzman Administrator of the Small Business Administration

Shalanda Young Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Dr. Arati Prabhakar

Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

Jeff Zients Chief of Staff

William Burns Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

President of the Senate

118th Congress, 2nd Session

Senate Leadership:

The floor leaders and whips of each party are elected by a majority vote of all the senators of their party assembled in a conference or, as it sometimes is called, a caucus. The practice has been to choose the leader for a two-year term at the beginning of each Congress. The majority and minority leaders are the elected spokespersons on the Senate floor for their respective political parties.

United States Senate

Majority Leadership StructureDemocrats 118th Congress, 2nd Session

United States Senate Minority Leadership StructureRepublicans 118th Congress, 2nd Session

Vice President of the United States Kamala D. Harris

President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-WA

Majority Leader

Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY

Minority Leader

Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY

Minority Whip

Senator John Thune, R-SD

Majority Whip

Senator Richard Durbin, D-IL

Speaker of the House

118th Congress, 2nd Session

Rep. Mike Johnson, LA-4th

Elected by the whole of the House of Representatives, the Speaker acts as leader of the House and combines several roles: the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the role of leader of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected member of the House. The Speaker of the House is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President.

House Leadership:

The majority party members and the minority party members meet separately to select their leaders. Third parties rarely have had enough members to elect their own leadership, and independents will generally join one of the larger party organizations to receive committee assignments. A party caucus or conference is the name given to a meeting of or organization of all party members in the House.

United States House of Representatives

Majority Leadership StructureRepublicans

118th Congress, 2nd Session

Majority Leader

Rep. Steve Scalise, LA-1st Represents Republicans on the House floor.

Majority Whip

Rep. Tom Emmer, MN-6th Assists leadership in managing party’s legislative program.

Republican Conference Chairman

Rep. Elise Stefanik, NY-21st Heads organization of all Republican Party members in the House.

Republican Policy Committee Chairman

Rep. Gary Palmer, AL-6th Heads Conference forum

United States House of Representatives

Minority Leadership StructureDemocrats

118th Congress, 2nd Session

Democratic Leader

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, NY-8th Represents Democrats on the House floor.

Minority Whip

Rep. Katherine Clark, MA-5th Assists the Majority Leader.

Democratic Caucus Chairman

Rep. Pete Aguilar, CA-33rd

Heads organization of all Democratic Party members in the House.

Assistant Democrat Leader. Rep. Joe Neguse, CO-2nd Assists leadership in managing party’s legislative program.

RESOURCES & INFORMATION

• Recommended Dress Attire Guide

• Health and Wellness Guide

• Museum Guide

• Restaurant Guide

• Retail Guide

• Metro Map

• National Mall Map

• Smithson Mall Map

RECOMMENDED DRESS ATTIRE GUIDE

Sunday, September 15

Las Vegas Raiders vs Baltimore Ravens Football Game Raiders Gear

Monday, September 16

Welcome to Washington, D.C. Reception at Union Station, Presidential Lounge Business Casual

Tuesday, September 17

Policy Meetings at the Willard InterContinental Hotel Business Attire

Vegas Night at the Capitol at Capitol View at 400 Business Casual

Wednesday, September 18

Congressional Meetings at the Willard InterContinental Hotel Business Attire

Thursday, September 19

Delegation Group Photo on The Capitol Business Attire

Policy Meetings at the JW Marriott Hotel Business Attire

Nevada State Dinner at the Conrad Hotel Black Tie

Provided as a courtesy

HEALTH & WELLNESS GUIDE

CVS Pharmacy

717 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005

202.737-9525

CVS Pharmacy

1275 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004 202.638.4583

Walgreens

1155 F St., NW Ste. 975, Washington, D.C. 20004

202.969.8814

MedStar Health – Urgent Care at Capitol Hill

228 7th St., SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

202.698.0795

Open 24-hours

Minute Clinic – CVS Pharmacy

1275 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004 202.638.4583

George Washington University Hospital 900 23rd St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20037 202.715.4000

Open 24-hours

Washington, D.C. Health Department 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 Main Number: 202.442.5955

Fax: 202.442-4795

TTY: 711

Website: https://dchealth.dc.gov/ Email: doh@dc.gov

Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30 am-5:30 pm, except holidays

Provided as a courtesy

MUSEUM

GUIDE

Smithsonian Museums

Admission is free of charge at all museums and the zoo. Timed-entry passes are only required at the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Zoo.

Anacostia Community Museum

Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

1901 Fort Place, SE Washington, D.C. 20020

202.633.4820

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sculpture Garden open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Independence Ave and 7th St, Washington, D.C. 20560

202.633.4674

National Air and Space Museum

Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

655 Jefferson Drive, SW Washington, D.C. 20560

202.633.2214

National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Chantilly, Virginia

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway

Chantilly, VA 20151

703.572.4118

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

1400 Constitution Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20560

1844.750.3012

National Museum of African Art

Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

950 Independence Ave., SW Washington, D.C. 20560

202.633.4600

National Museum of American History

Friday through Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20560

202.633.1000

National Museum of the American Indian Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20560 202.633.1000

National Museum of Asian Art Freer Gallery Friday through Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 1050 Independence Ave., SW Washington, D.C. 20560 202.633.1000

National Museum of Natural History Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20560 202.633.1000

National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum Wednesday through Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. F St., NW &, 8th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004 202.633.1000

National Postal Museum Friday to Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202.633.5555

Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 1661 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 202.633.7970

Smithsonian Institution Building (Castle) Open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 1000 Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, D.C. 20560 202.633.1000

Smithsonian’s National Zoo 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20008 Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 202.633.4888

Provided as a courtesy

RESTAURANT GUIDE

1789

A luxe scene for refined seasonal American fare. It is the quintessential dining experience.

1226 36th St., NW

Washington, D.C. 20007 1789restaurant.com

202.965.1789

Fig & Olive

Upscale restaurant and bar serving seasonal Mediterranean fare.

934 Palmer Alley, NW

Washington, D.C. 20001 figandolive.com

202.559.5004

HipCityVeg

Vegan take on burgers and chicken wraps offered in a counter-serve setting.

712 7th St., NW

Washington, D.C. 20001

hipcityveg.com

202.621-8057

Le Diplomate

Bustling brasserie serves classic French fare and drinks amid a zinc bar, tile floors and sidewalk cafe. 1601 14th St., NW

Washington, D.C. 20009 lediplomatedc.com

202.332.3333

Old Ebbit Grill

Iconic tavern offering American meals, including popular oyster specials, in Victorian-style digs. 675 15th St., NW

Washington, D.C. 20005 ebbitt.com

202.347.4800

Reren Lamen and Bar

A low-key choice for Chinese-style ramen made with fresh noodles, plus dumplings and Asian entrees. 817 7th St, NW

Washington, D.C. 20001

rerenlamen.com

202.290.3677

Sfoglina

Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Italian restaurant providing elevated fare at a good price 1099 New York Ave NW

Washington, D.C. 20001

Sfoglinapasta.com

202.628.1099

Succotash

Star chef Lee’s classy eatery melds Dixie & Asian flavors in curry succotash, fried chicken, and ribs.

915 F St, NW

Washington, D.C. 20004 succotashrestaurant.com

202.849-6933

The Smith

NYC offshoot for upscale American eats, specialty drinks and brunch in hip, upbeat surrounds.

901 F St., NW

Washington, D.C. 20004 thesmithrestaurant.com

202.868.4900

Provided as a courtesy

RETAIL GUIDE

CityCenterDC

Large, modern shopping center with high-end retailers and sophisticated restaurants.

825 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Macy’s

Macy’s has the latest fashion brands on women’s and men’s clothing, accessories, jewelry, beauty, shoes and home products.

1201 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Nordstrom Rack

Offers a wide range of products from shoes, clothing, jewelry, makeup, dresses and more from top brands.

555 12th St NW Suite C120, Washington, DC 20004

T.J. Maxx

Retail chain featuring stylish brand-name apparel, shoes & accessories.

601 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Tysons Corner Center

Massive mall located in Virginia with hundreds of upscale stores and major department stores.

1961 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons, VA 22102

Provided as a courtesy.

Source: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MARY BETH SEWALD

President & CEO - Vegas Chamber

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

BETSY FRETWELL

Chair of the Board of Trustees

C4WARD Strategies

JANET UTHMAN

Chair-Elect of the Board of Trustees

Cox Communications

PAUL ANDERSON

Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Trustees

Boyd Gaming Corporation

HUGH ANDERSON

Chair of the Government Affairs Committee,

Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Hightower Las Vegas

MICHAEL BOLOGNINI

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees

MFB Enterprise

GINA BONGIOVI

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees

Bongiovi Law Firm, LLC

TYLER CORDER

Chair of the Membership Committee

Findlay Automotive

MICHAEL FEDER

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees Dickinson Wright

LORI NELSON-KRAFT

Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

ELLEN SCHULHOFER Brownstein

TERRY SHIREY

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees

Nevada State Bank

CHRIS WILCOX

Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee

Eide Bailly, LLP

RYAN WOODWARD

National Technical Institute

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MARY BETH SEWALD President & CEO - Vegas Chamber

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

JEREMY AGUERO Applied Analysis

BRANDON BARKHUFF NV Energy

MAJOR GENERAL ONDRA BERRY Nevada National Guard

DANIELLE BISTERFELDT

The Howard Hughes Corporation

JAN JONES BLACKHURST

Caesars Entertainment Board of Directors

JUSTIN BROWN Southwest Gas

KERRY BUBOLZ Vegas Golden Knights

VINCENT CIMINISE Valley Bank of Nevada

MICHAEL CROME Las Vegas Raiders & Allegiant Stadium

JAIME CRUZ Workforce Connections

TERESA DI LORETO

Nevada Military Support Alliance

VICTOR FUCHS Helix Electric

CHUCK LEY Cornerstone Merchants

DR. REX LIU, D.D.S. Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Inc.

NAPOLEON MCCALLUM Las Vegas Sands Corporation

BILL NELSON BDO

SHAUNDELL NEWSOME Sumnu Marketing

KARLA PEREZ Valley Health System

TINA QUIGLEY Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance

LARRY SINGER Newmark

VJOLLA TARJAN Wells Fargo

BRYANT THORNTON Republic Services

DR. KEITH E. WHITFIELD University of Nevada, Las Vegas

MICHAEL WOODFIELD J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

MARY BETH SEWALD

President & CEO - Vegas Chamber

HUGH ANDERSON

Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees Hightower Las Vegas

BETSY FRETWELL

Chair of the Board of Trustees C4ward Strategies

JANET UTHMAN

Chair-Elect of the Board of Trustees Cox Communications

PAUL ANDERSON

Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Trustees Boyd Gaming Corporation

SARA BAKER AMR/Medic West

MICHAEL FEDER

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees Dickinson Wright

GINA BONGIOVI

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees Bongiovi Law Firm

MICHAEL BRITT Red Rock Resorts, Inc.

MARK BROWN Miracle Flights

MARYKAYE CASHMAN MC Squared Consulting

TIM CASHMAN

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees The Cashman Companies

LISA DE MARIGNY Terra West Management Services

CRAIG GALATI LGA Architecture, Inc.

JASON GRAY

MGM Resorts International

DAVE HOWELL Wells Fargo

KARLOS LASANE

Caesars Entertainment Corporation

CHAD LEAVITT Findlay Automotive Group

SCOTT LEEDOM Southwest Gas

TODD MASON Wynn Resorts

MEGHAN MCLEAN Fair, Anderson & Langerman

ERIN MCMULLEN MIDBY

Vice Chair of the Government Affairs Committee Boyd Gaming Corporation

GEORGE F. OGILVIE III, ESQ. McDonald Carano

JOHN O’REILLY

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees O’Reilly Law Group

GRETA SEIDMAN BIZPAC Chair Opportunity 180

JENNIFER SIMICH Republic Services

TODD SKLAMBERG Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center

CRAIG STEVENS Cox Communications

DREW TEITELBAUM Allegiant Travel Company

Chase Whittmore Las Vegas Sands Corp.

TED WIENS, JR.

Past Chair of the Board of Trustees Ted Wiens Tire & Auto