SPRING ISSUE 2022
Business Magazine Susan P. Clark, First women President of the US Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. in the 109 year history
FEATURE ARTICLE MEET Inuential
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Women Leaders In Nevada
2022 Nevada Women's Hall of Fame Inductees and Pioneer Award Inductee
Vol.20 No.1
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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER The Women’s Chamber celebrates 20 years as the state women’s chamber in the 158 year history of Nevada. The Women In Power Business Magazine was created in 2005 and originally designed for digital only for members. Three years ago, 2017, the Women in Power Business Magazine© established a print version of the magazine with a Nationally recognized women leader on the cover to inspire other women to reach for their dream. Inside each issue we recognize five influential women in Nevada and two young professional Women to Watch in Nevada with distribution to members and nonmembers locally, nationally and globally. The magazine will continue to celebrate five influential women in the state of Nevada with inspiring and educational articles to support you on your journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. From living younger longer to branding tips, to why interaction is so important and many more, my hope is that you will find motivation within these pages and feel guided to become a better you and to stay on the cutting edge of the future. We spotlight women entrepreneurs who are successful and dedicated to providing the best business practices, professional services, and community excellence in Nevada and around the World . They are staying on top of cutting-edge business, leading in their respective fields, and are fully committed to serving their community. These are influential women to watch in Nevada, read and follow for their success and accomplishments. This is a very special Issue, we added all the 2022 Women’s Hall of Fame Inductees to celebrate March 2022 Women’ s History Month. Thank you for allowing us to lead, motivate and celebrate you ... one issue at a time.
June L. Beland Publisher of WIPBM President and CEO Women's Chamber of Commerce of Nevada
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WOMEN IN POWER Business Magazine
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SPRING ISSUE 2021
Published by Women's Chamber of Commerce of Nevada© All rights reserved
Business Magazine
Vol.20 No.1
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SPRING ISSUE 2021
First Female CEO in the 109 year history of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Executive Board Dolores Campuzano-Pignatello Berenice Church Anita Laruy Patricia Lee Summer Clark-Webb Rita Vaswani
FEATURE ARTICLE MEET Inuential
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Women In Nevada
Business Magazine
Vol.20 No.1
www.womenschamberofnevada.org
First Female CEO in the 109 year history of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
FEATURE ARTICLE MEET Inuential
2021 ATHENA International Awards Scholarship for “At Risk” high school Students
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Women In Nevada
October 22, 2021
2021 ATHENA
Publisher June L. Beland
International Awards Scholarship for “At Risk” high school Students
October 22, 2021
Editors Laura Fairchild Marie R. Scrofani Editorial Top Five Influential Women In Nevada Ericka Aviles, Felicia Ortiz, Doreen Spears Hartwell, Laura J Thalacker and Candice Wiener Nevada WHOF Inductees St Jude’s Ranch For Children, Dr. Kate Zhong, Anna Billings, Julie Houchins, Dr. Alexandria Lightning, Jan-Ie Low, Sonia Petkewich, Wendi Schweigart Photographer Elite Photography Group Designed By Infinity Business Media Group Magazine Printed by AA Printing Service, Inc Fairchild Marketing Group Kevin Fairchild Laura Fairchild Distribution Print and Digital Events and Paid Subscription
Reach over 500 High Profile Women’s Chamber of Commerce Members Reach 1.7 Million Chamber Members Nationally & Internationally Reach 17.1 Million Readers Digitally via Issuu.com, Social Media Platforms, and Email Databases
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Disclaimer: The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada dba WCCNV ©, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. WCCNV, the Publisher and its Affiliates have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information was correct at time of publication. WCCNV, the Publisher and its Affiliates do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party or advertiser for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from accident, negligence, or any other cause. All articles are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on, or construed as legal advice and the views expressed are not necessarily those of the WCCNV Magazine. WCCNV Contact us at 4441 Zev Court, Las Vegas, NV 89121 Ph: 702-733-3955
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Cover Story pages 14-15
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5 INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN NEVADA
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SUZANNE P. CLARK
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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AWARD INDUCTEE
Ericka Aviles, Felicia Ortiz, Doreen Spears Hartwell, Laura J Thalacker and Candice Wiener
First women President of the US Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. in the 109 year history
Non-profit St Jude’s Ranch For Children
PIONEER AWARD INDUCTEE
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Barbara Buckley
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MINORITY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD INDUCTEE Dr. Kate Zhong
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LEADERSHIP AWARD INDUCTEES Anna Billings, Dr. Alexandria Lightning, Jan-ie Low Julie Houchins and Sonia-petkewich
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD INDUCTEE Wendi Schweigart
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Ericka Aviles is a dynamic and passionate leader and connector in the Las Vegas community as well as the international travel and t o u r i s m industry. Born in El Salvador a n d immigrating as refugees to Las Vegas with her family at the young age of six, her accomplishments started at a very young age, with learning how to speak English. She went on to be the first in her family to graduate from high school and college and now is seen by many as a role
ERICKA AVILES Owner of Ericka Aviles Consulting LLC
model in the community. Ericka has distinguished herself by her wide array of experience in sales, marketing and communications as well as her tremendous work ethic, ability to foster relationships and develop partnerships. Some of her many recognitions include being awarded with the Rising Star Award by the Las Vegas Hospitality Association (LVHA) in 2014, along with a 2015 nomination by the Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), as a Women of Distinction in the tourism industr y. She was also recognized by El Tiempo Newspaper as a Hispano Destacado (Distinguished Hispanic) in the Las Vegas community.
focus is connecting and engaging local business and government organizations with the Hispanic and Latin American community/markets at both a local and international level. Via sales, marketing, public relations and public outreach initiatives, Ericka works one on one with her clients on developing strategic plans, s u p p o r t i n g a n d ex p a n d i n g c u r r e n t initiatives and offering a fresh set of eyes and new ideas.
Ericka's ongoing curiosity and zest to learn, grow and support her community both personally and professionally, recently led her to form her own company- Ericka Aviles Consulting LLC. Her company's main
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President and CEO of PM Consulting Solutions
Ms. Ortiz is the President and CEO of PM Consulting S o l u t i o n s, a company she founded in 2014 focusing on Project Controls/Man a g e m e n t consulting which serves national and international clients. With more than 20 years of professional experience under her belt, Ms. Ortiz has successfully established herself as a leader in the field of project controls, software selection and technology project management. PM Consulting Solutions is one of the few Hispanic female owned-businesses successfully operating in the field of technology. Prior to launching her own firm, Ms. Ortiz co-founded Foresee Consulting in 2011 as her first dive into
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FELICIA ORTIZ
entrepreneurship. She has also served as a Solutions Architect and Budget Director for Tishman Construction helping oversee the construction of the mega $9 billion MGM City Center project. As the daughter of an educator, Ms. Ortiz has always been passionate about education and equity and has committed herself to helping future generations in her community. She is currently the President of the Nevada State Board of Education, member of the WestED Board of Directors, and a member of the NM Highlands University Foundation Board. She also sits on the Cox and Nevada State College School of Education Community Advisory Boards. Ms. Ortiz received her Masters in Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management and received her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from New Mexico Highlands University.
W O M E N IN N E VA DA
A native New Mexican, Ms. Ortiz is originally from Las Vegas, New Mexico but has called Las Vegas, Nevada home for the last 20 years where she lives with her fourlegged baby (English bulldog mix), Milagro Ortiz. Felicia's passion is to help others and give back to the community; she does this through her involvement in non-profit organizations. She currently serves as pastpresident of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America, is a member of the Latino Network of Southern Nevada, the Latin Chamber of Commerce, and is active in organizations. She also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and other community organizations. Felicia hopes to continue to be a role model and inspiration for the younger generation and help the community to thrive by growing her business and giving back.
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Doreen S p e a r s Hartwell co-founded Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. in 2014 with Laura Thalacker, a friend and accomplish ed attorney with whom she worked for over 14 years at Nevada's then-largest law firm. Doreen has practiced in the area of business and commercial litigation in Nevada since 2000. Her litigation practice includes employment law, trade secret, non-compete claims, real estate, trust-probate matters and a wide range of other business-related disputes. D o r e e n h a s s u c c e s s f u l ly d e f e n d e d employers in cases involving wrongful termination, breach of contract, discrimination and/or harassment in violation of Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA and state employment statutes. She also has substantial experience in successfully bringing breach of contract, trade secret, non-compete and trust and probate claims on behalf of her clients.
DOREEN SPEARS HARTWELL Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. Attorney at Law
Doreen is the Chair for the Lawyer Representative Coordinating Committee for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and is a former Lawyer Representative for the Nevada United States District Court. She is a 2010 graduate of the Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Las Vegas program, a past president of the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association and the current chair of the LVNBA's Attor neys in the Schools Prog ram (www.lasvegasnba.org). In 2021, Doreen was named to Lawdragon's list of 500 Leading U.S. Cor porate Employment Lawyers. She is listed in both Best Lawyers in America (Las Vegas)® and Mountain States Super Lawyers for Commercial Litigation. Doreen, who has an AV Preeminent rating by MartindaleHubbell®, has also been recognized by her peers as one of Nevada's Legal Elite® since 2012. Doreen is the chairperson of the Pro Bono Advisory Council for the Legal Aid Center of Souther n Nevada (LACSN) ( h t t p s : / / w w w. l a c s n . o r g ) . S h e wa s appointed to the Nevada Supreme Court's Access to Justice Commission in February 2014 and remains a member of the commission today. As one of the founding members of Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd., Doreen remains committed to providing bono legal services to deserving individuals
through the LACSN. Doreen has received various awards for her pro bono work, including the 2014 “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” Award from the LACSN, 2008 Attorney of the Year from the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association, 2008 Bank of America Local Hero Award, 2005 Judge Sally Loehrer Pro Bono Service Award, and 2001 Myr na Williams Children's Pro Bono Award. Since 2004, Doreen has served as a supervising attorney for the Clark County Law Foundation's Trial by Peers Program (TBP). TBP is juvenile diversion program run where students prosecute or defend students accused of misdemeanor offenses in the courtroom before actual judges and juries of their peers. TBP is an excellent program with a 25+ year history and which has served as a model for juvenile diversion p r o g r a m s a r o u n d t h e c o u n t r y. (https://www.clarkcountylawfoundation.o rg/trial-by-peers/). Doreen, who is originally from Connecticut, attended Fairfield University where she earned a B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish. In 2000, Doreen obtained her J.D. from McGeorge School of Law with honors and moved to Las Vegas to begin her distinguished legal career.
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LAURA J THALACKER Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. Attorney at Law
Laura Thalacker has been practicing managementside employment law in Nevada since 1994, and exclusively represents employers in employment law compliance matters and litigation. Prior to co-founding Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. with her longtime friend and colleague, Doreen Spears Hartwell, Laura worked for over 17 years at Nevada's largest law firm, where she was a partner in the firm's Litigation Department. Laura is ranked for employment law in Chambers USA and, in 2021, Lawdragon named her to its list of 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers. She has been included in The Best Lawyers in America since 2010. In 2018, 2016, and 2015, Laura was recognized by The Best
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Lawyers in America as Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law (Management) and Litigation (Labor and E m p l o y m e n t ) . S h e i s r a t e d “AV Preeminent” by Martindale Hubbell and, in 2013, was recognized as one of the “Top 50 Women Attorneys” in Mountain States Super Lawyers. Laura's practice involves representing employers in Nevada, throughout the U.S., and worldwide. A cer tified Senior Professional in Human Resources, Laura takes a pro-active, preventative and strategic approach to helping clients comply with a myriad of complex, and sometimes c o n t r a d i c t o r y, f e d e r a l a n d s t a t e employment laws. Laura takes prides in her accessible and down-to-earth approach with clients. She explains complex legal issues in practical and understandable terms, and is skilled in listening to clients and understanding and achieving their objectives for legal representation. In the area of human resources compliance and counseling, Laura advises employers on a wide array of workplace issues including discipline and termination,
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reductions in force, leaves of absence, p r e ve n t i o n o f d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a n d harassment, social media use, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, drug testing, confidentiality and noncompetes. Laura also drafts employee handbooks, policies, and employment contracts. She further provides training to employees, managers and executives on various human resources topics. In addition to working with employers on legal compliance and litigation prevention, Laura defends employers in employmentrelated litigation in Nevada state and federal courts. Laura has represented employers in a variety of cases, including litigation alleging discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, violation of leave of absence laws, wage and hour violations, breach of contract, and non-compete and trade secret violations. In her administrative practice, she defends employers before federal and state agencies such as the E E O C, t h e N e va d a E q u a l R i g h t s Commission, the United States Department of Labor, and the Office of the Nevada Labor Commissioner.
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Candice Wiener is the CEO of All Pro Media and the Publisher of Real Vegas Magazine with 15+ years in the print magazine media sector. Candice is an accomplished and respected media professional who is born and raised in Las Vegas. She helps local businesses and
CANDICE WIENER Publisher Real Vegas Magazine
individuals grow their brands and get exposure i n t h e L a s Ve g a s c o m m u n i t y. S h e i s powerful in her respective field and uses her optimism, positive attitude and formidable strength in media and marketing background to best promote her clients. She works tirelessly for h e r a d ve r t i s e r s a n d encourages everyone she meets to work hard to succeed and help the l o c a l L a s Ve g a s community in whatever ways they can. She has a sweet disposition and no matter the levels of success she achieves, she maintains a humble and kind spirit toward all of those who know her well. Candice is inspired daily by her 2 grown
daughters, boyfriend, her mother, and her granddaughter, who is a 5th generation Las Vegan. In what little free time she affords herself, she enjoys spending time with her large, extended family and granddaughter. She enjoys traveling to the beach, cooking, listening to music, writing, singing and advocating for abused and neglected children, and has dreams of eventually starting her own 501 c3 to help impact the lives of families and children alike victimized by abuse. She also aspires to one day write a memoir of her interesting life story and growing up in Las Vegas in a media and mob affiliated family. Her grandfather was the longest tenured attorney in all of Southern Nevada and represented many mobsters, the Rat Pack and more, and the Wiener family has extensive ties to the Nevada State Senate and UNLV. She's extremely proud of her native roots that run deep in Las Vegas.
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A CENTURY Into Operating, The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Gets Its
FIRST
Female CEO SUZANNE P.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday appointed Suzanne P. Clark as CEO, effective March 11, 2021. In taking the job, Clark will become the first woman to helm the organization in its 109-year history. Clark, who has served as t h e U. S . C h a m b e r ' s president since 2019, will retain her title along with that of CEO. She will s u c c e e d T h o m a s J. Donohue who has been in the role for 24 years. The U. S. C h a m b e r o f Commerce is the world's largest business federation and it represents more than 3 m i l l i o n b u s i n e s s e s, including state and local chambers and industry associations. While in her current position, Clark led a multiyear effort aimed at strengthening the U.S. Chamber's influence, advocacy and impact, in addition to modernizing its work and attracting new members to the organization. She is also credited with helping improve relationships with state and local chamber of commerce organizations. As president, she leads a team of nearly 500, advocating for businesses to foster a strong economy.
"I am honored to lead the U.S. Chamber at a time when our members need us most," Clark said in a statement. That need runs deep: Some 30% of American small businesses say they likely won't survive 2021 without additional government assistance, according to a recent Federal Reserve Bank survey that was conducted six months into the pandemic. With around 30 million U.S. small businesses, that means that some 9 million are at risk of permanently shuttering. "American businesses are dealing with the uncertainty of the pandemic, the challenges of a recession and uneven
recovery, stark shifts in government leadership and policy, and nearconstant disruptions being driven by
rapid technological advancement," Clark added. "Along with those challenges come tremendous opportunities for businesses to serve people and communities in new ways, to create a stronger and more competitive economy, and to innovate for the future.” Clark has served in a wide array of senior leadership roles at the Chamber from 1997 to 2007, including executive vice president and chief operating officer. Prior to rejoining the organization in 2014, Clark acquired and led financial information firm Potomac Research Group. Before that, she served as president at the advisory services company National Journal Group where she led the company through digital transformation.
In a post on the U.S. Chamber's website following the announcement of her appointment, Clark penned her vision for the future of the organization. "As I prepare to take up the mantle of leadership as the next president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, I look to all of those businesses, big and small, for the inspiring examples they set and for the i d e a s a n d innovations they continually put forward," she wrote. "Because forward is the only direction to go.” U. S . C h a m b e r B o a r d C h a i r Christopher Lofg ren said in a statement, "Clark has the deep management experience within the leadership of the U.S. Chamber, and a timely and powerful vision for how the organization can par tner with American business to expand the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's global impact and influence for years to come."
Clark's appointment is aligned with the recent trend of more companies tapping women to serve in the CEO position. While the number of female CEOs has nearly quadrupled in the last decade, according to executive recr uiting fir m Crist Kolder Associates' annual volatility report in 2020, there's still a long way to go to bridge the gender gap. Of the 682 CEO positions at S&P 500 and Fortune 500 companies at the time of Crist Kolder's report, just 44, or 6.5%, were held by women in 2020, up from 6.1% in 2019, 4.9% in 2018 and a meager 1.9% in 2010.
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees NON-PRO FI T ORG ANIZ AT ION INDU CT E E AWA RD ST. JUDE'S RANCH FOR CHILDREN Accepting on behalf of St. Jude's Ranch for Children Dr. Christina Vela, Chief Executive Officer
History St. Jude's Ranch for Children wasn't a place so much as a dream in the mind of one well-meaning man. ”What if we could build a place for neglected children?”. He wondered. “How much good could we do?” A lot! For 50 years, St. Jude's Ranch has provided a safe, nurturing home with therapeutic residential treatment services to thousands of abused and neglected children in Nevada. St. Jude's Ranch has made and continues to make a difference by creating new lives with new hope for these children. St. Jude's Ranch for Children was instituted in 1966, construction began in 1967 and later that year, Eddie – a boy from Elko, Nevada – became the first resident. The Ranch wasn't big or fancy, but the kind people of Southern Nevada quickly embraced the organization and its mission. The St. Jude's Ranch Women's Auxiliary was established and became the largest and most active support group in the Las Vegas area with more than 300 members. Publicity that had surrounded the Nite of Stars helped bring new supporters to the Ranch family. OUR PROGRAMS Therapeutic Residential Foster Care, Transitional Living, Pregnant and Parenting Teen, Child Focus Sibling Preservation, Housing and Support Services, Career opportunity Scholarship Fund, Coming soon-the Healing Center 2022
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
P I O N E E R AWA R D IND U C T E E BARBARA BUCKLEY Executive Director of Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
17th Annual Nevada Women’s Hall of Fame 2022 Pioneer Award Recipient Barbara Buckley is the Executive Director of Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) corporation, providing free legal advice, representation, and advocacy for individuals who cannot afford a lawyer. Barbara spent her entire legal career with Legal Aid Center, beginning as a staff attorney in 1989. After handling individual cases and major class actions, Barbara became executive director of Legal Aid Center in 1996. Since that time, Barbara has created many new programs including a partnership with William S. Boyd School of Law, where all first-year law students are trained to teach legal classes to the public, a Family Justice Project, and a Children's Attorneys Project. Legal Aid Center also runs the Civil Law Self-Help Center and the Family Law Self-Help Center where every year, tens of thousands of litigants have access to legal information and forms so they can properly represent themselves in court. Barbara also served as the Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly from 2007 through 2010, the first woman in the state's history to hold this position. From 2001 to 2007, she served as Majority Leader of the Nevada State Assembly. Barbara began her legislative service upon her election in 1994, after testifying before the Legislature on behalf of legal aid clients. She received many awards and honors, including the Most Effective Legislator in the Assembly in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, the 2010 Transparent Courthouse Award from the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, the 2012 Best Public Servant Award, the 2013 Emerge Nevada Woman of the Year and UNLV College of Liberal Arts Alumni of the Year, the 2013 Child Advocate of the Year, the 2014 Jurisprudence Award from the Anti-Defamation League of Las Vegas, the 2016 Pro se Committee's Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award and the 2017 Clark County Democratic Lawyers Caucus 3rd Annual Susan Scann Award for Outstanding Service in Politics and Law. Barbara received her J.D. degree summa cum laude from the University of Arizona School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
MIN O R I T Y L I F E T IM E A C HI E V E M E N T IND U C T E E DR. KATE ZHONG CEO of CNS Innovations LLC
Dr. Kate Zhong is a geriatric psychiatrist, pharmacologist, and brain health advocate. She joined UNLV in 2020 as the adjunct professor within the department of Brain Health. Dr. Zhong is the CEO of CNS Innovations LLC, a company dedicated to providing innovative consultation services to advance prevention, diagnose and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Zhong served as the Chief Strategy Officer for Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP), a foundation devoted to improving and accelerating clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease. Prior to joining GAP, Dr. Zhong was the Senior Director of Clinical Research for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health from 2010 to 2016. She led the development of comprehensive clinical research programs treating patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. While working as the medical director for AstraZeneca, Dr. Zhong led multiple global clinical trials in CNS therapeutic areas. Dr. Zhong has been a scientific consultant for multiple pharmaceutical and biotech companies in United States, Canada, and Asia. Dr. Zhong received her MD degree from West China University of Medical Sciences in Sichuan, China. She earned her master's degree in pharmacology and completed her residency care in Psychiatry at University of Toronto. She is a fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada.
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
L E A D E R S HI P IND U C T E E S
ANNA BILLINGS General Manager of Anne Fontaine Boutique
Anna Stewart Billings is the general manager of Anne Fontaine Boutique in the Caesar's Forum Shops. She is a philanthropist, leader, educator, mother, wife, and grandmother. She has been in business for over 40 years. She started with her daycare center in California and then in England when her children were small. Then she started working in retail sales and found her passion for fashion. While in Texas she became the sales trainer for fashion in one of the leading retail store conglomerates. The regional director from Cache brought her to Las Vegas where she became manager and then recruited to Mondi as a sales trainer. She went to work for a high-end Western store and was recruited to David's Bridal where she was the number 1 sales store in the region and trainer. Anne Fontaine recruited her to build the Las Vegas flagship store and she has exceeded all sales goals with revenue accomplishments, community outreach, building clientele, and charitable contributions that outshine any retail establishment in the country. She attributes her success to her mom who taught her how to stay focused, have fun, and always said, " If you want it, go get it and if you don't like it then change it".
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
L E A D E R S HI P IND U C T E E S
DR. ALEXANDRIA LIGHTNING Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Owner of Lightning Medical
Dr. Alexandria Lightning was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Alexandria completed her undergraduate degree at Indiana University in May 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Alexandria has almost 10 years of experience as a registered nurse in various settings including Medical-Surgical, Telemetry, Long Term Acute Care (LTAC), Long Term Care, Pediatrics, Pre/Post OP, disaster relief, and primary care. While living in Los Angeles, Alexandria worked as a staff nurse practitioner in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) but was quickly promoted to Regional Clinical Supervisor, overseeing 20 clinicians (MDs, PAs, NPs) in best clinical practices, quality indicators, and documentation. Alexandria also worked in Hawthorne, CA as a solo nighttime (overnight) provider for an urgent care/ occupational health clinic where she treated urgent needs and injuries, sutured wounds, ordered and interpreted X-rays, and prescribed medications. She then transitioned from her permanent position to becoming a locum tenens provider in which she traveled to various medical clinics to help provide continuity of care. Alexandria holds 5 state nursing licenses: CA, IN, NV, TX, AZ. Alexandria now owns her successful primary care practice in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is accepting new patients.
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
L E A D E R S HI P IND U C T E E S
JAN-IE LOW President, Golden Catalyst, LLC.
Former Commissioner, White House Initiative on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Jan-Ie Low held multiple strategic and senior-level positions in human resources for 12 years with Fortune 500 companies AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile USA. With a passion to take the entrepreneurial plunge, Jan-Ie left corporate America in 2005 and started SATAY Thai Bistro & Bar. In 2021, SATAY celebrated its 16th year and was named by TripAdvisor® as one of the highest-rated Asian restaurants in Las Vegas. In the course of organizing special events at SATAY, Jan-Ie launched Golden Catalyst, a public relations, event planning, and marketing firm specializing in multicultural segments. Established in 2008, Golden Catalyst continues to organize business summits, conventions, and political events nationwide. Her signature city-wide celebration, CNY in the Desert™, celebrated its 10th year in 2021 and was named by Forbes Magazine as “One of the Top 8 Places in the United States to Celebrate Chinese New Year”. As a college intern and as a young professional, Jan-Ie experienced the significant impact that true mentorship can make. Paying this forward is a top priority and at any given time, she is coaching and mentoring students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs.
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
L E A D E R S HI P IND U C T E E S
JULIE HOUCHINS Senior Director of Early Education at United Way of Southern Nevada
Julie Houchins works as a Senior Director, Early Education at United Way of Southern Nevada, which is an Organizations company with an estimated 150 employees; and founded in 1956., their management level is Director. Julie graduated from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2004 and is currently based in Las Vegas, United States. Julie has 25 years experience working in early childhood education beginning as a teacher for Head Start, moving to public school and corporate childcare. I have held several different roles from teacher to the director to regional manager and now working back in the non-profit world as a program manager supporting Head Start; public school and private childcare programs.
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
L E A D E R S HI P IND U C T E E S
SONIA PETKEWICH
CEO, Taurean Consulting Group; Founder, Wolf Pack Las Vegas; Manager, Las Vegas IT Roundtable
Sonia prides herself on being an advocate for women in technology as well as women entrepreneurs. She supports several organizations with direct leadership, mentorship, volunteerism, and guidance, remaining dedicated to advancing women in our local community. This includes maintaining a hands-on relationship with Tech Impact since their arrival to Las Vegas in 2015, serving as a mentor for young students taking their first steps toward becoming IT professionals, providing lunch and learn sessions and Friday sessions, dedicated to helping them cultivate their soft skills and become more marketable. She has forged relationships with large gaming and hospitality organizations, making internships possible and even absorbing some of those costs into her own company. She is consistently gathering, connecting, and lifting up the women she encounters. She has a knack for interviewing and uses it to quickly determine what a woman may need, and then finds a way to make the impossible possible. She is on the board for LV Techies and is instrumental in organizing events that put schoolage girls in front of IT professionals in the community, giving them first-hand interactions and the ability to ask questions about their stories. This is crucial in showing these young women that what they see, they CAN be.
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Women’s Hall Of Fame Inductees
YO UN G P R O F E S S I O N A L
WENDI SCHWEIGART Founder, Project Marilyn, Inc. Director Of Marketing, NDL Group, Inc.
Wendi Schweigart, founder of Project Marilyn, Inc., and director of marketing at NDL Group, Inc., finds inspiration daily through the memory of her mother, who passed away of cancer in 2011. She founded Project Marilyn, named after her mother, in April 2019 after reading an article about 'the homeless period' in a magazine. “It highlighted a cause known as period poverty,” she says. “As a grown woman, I never thought about what a homeless person does when they get their period,” she says. “Two in five women cannot afford period supplies in a given year due to lack of income. However, the subject of a person's period is still taboo, so it's often ignored.” Schweigart also is proud of her family's construction company, NDL Group, Inc., which is the founding sponsor of (and donates space to) Project Marilyn. Schweigart also is on the leadership board and does charitable work (such as Real Men Wear Pink and Construction vs. Cancer) with The American Cancer Society. “A female leader never needs to diminish another woman's light; we all shine differently and those differences are what make us successful,” she says.
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