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A 2018 Woman To Watch Sandra Beaver, IGT CFO - North America Gaming and Interactive We would like to congratulate IGT’s Sandra Beaver, Chief Financial Officer - North America Gaming and Interactive, for being named among VEGAS INC. 2018’s Women to Watch. You are making an impact every day through your commitment to excellence, support of our community, and dedication to mentoring. We salute you and all the other women being honored! Visit IGT.com
© 2018 IGT.
Congratulations M. Magali Mercera for being named one of 2018's Women to Watch by Vegas Inc.
Pisanelli Bice is proud to congratulate Ms. Mercera, whose prowess as a commercial litigator is matched only by the passion she brings to representing pro bono causes.
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FROM OUR SPONSOR Silverton Casino Hotel would like to congratulate the Women to Watch honorees. We celebrate your outstanding achievements that have made a strong impact in our community. You have demonstrated significant accomplishments that are unparalleled in Las Vegas and each of you serves as a role model to all. It is our honor to host this year’s Women to Watch event inside Veil Pavilion at Silverton Casino Hotel. Our dedication and loyalty to this community has grown over the past 20 years that we have been in business. With more than 1,500 slot and video poker machines and an 117,000-gallon aquarium, Silverton Casino Hotel is not just a place to stay and play in Las Vegas, it is an overall dining and entertainment experience. We are dedicated to providing the best customer service for every guest that visits us. Silverton is home to a variety of restaurants, including Seasons Buffet, the 24-hour Sundance Grill, award-
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FROM THE EDITOR
winning Twin Creeks Steakhouse, Mi Casa Grill Cantina, and our newest addition, WuHu Noodle as well as Starbucks and Johnny Rockets. There are several bars and lounges offering a great place to gather after work or before a show at Shady Grove Lounge, Mermaid Lounge and Flare Bar. In addition to the flagship 165,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Silverton Casino offers 90,000 square feet of gaming, including the Sports Book powered by CG Technology. Congratulations to all of this year’s Women to Watch award winners. We look forward to seeing all of you successful women here in southern Nevada flourish and achieve more in the coming years.
Our 11th annual “Women to Watch” section recognizes 12 women whom we believe are going to make a difference in the coming months. This year’s honorees were chosen by a group with a unique perspective on the honor: previous Women to Watch reviewed all the nominations and offered their top choices. They chose leaders in business, philanthropy and more. It’s an esteemed group of women that VEGAS INC is honored to profile. We wish to thank judges Jill Bell, Renee Coffman, Jocelyn Cortez, Souzan El-Eid, Nadia Hansen, TaChelle Lawson, Kimberly Miles, Lilian Tomovich and Dee Wirth. Being chosen as a Woman to Watch is an honor; choosing the Women to Watch is hard work and we appreciate their help. These events couldn’t happen without the support of the business community, so a special thanks to Sephora and the Silverton is in order for helping us honor these women with an event at the Veil Pavilion. So read on. We’re thrilled to introduce you to the women on the following pages, as their diverse backgrounds and bright futures make Southern Nevada a better place for all of us.
Craig Peterson craig.peterson@gmgvegas.com
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Vistage is proud to sponsor The Las Vegas Women CEO Luncheon
Hosted by Vistage Chairs — Virginia Knudsen, Angelina Galindo and Tonya Twitchell. Las Vegas Women CEO Luncheon March 6, 2018 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Red Rock Country Club | 2250 Red Springs Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89135 About Vistage Vistage is the world’s foremost executive coaching and business advisory organization, exclusively for top business leaders. Envision: the most comprehensive services. Leading-edge resources. A global network of more than 22,000 peers. That’s just scratching the surface of how Vistage members work through challenges and seize opportunities. Find out how we’ve earned our track record of helping member companies surpass their competition 2.2x faster. Learn more at vistage.com.
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Vistage Worldwide, Inc. 18_261_5985 • Photography Leslie Sullivan Photography
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Sandra Beaver • Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for North America Gaming and Interactive, IGT •
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s a 12-year-old in her native Mas- also shaped the youngster’s career sachusetts, Sandra Beaver re- path. members watching videos about “Thanks to my mother’s friends, I was stocks and trading with her mother, a able to intern at Staples Inc. in their inrole model vestor relations department throughout who attended high school and college, and by the time night school I went to college I couldn’t imagine doand went on ing anything else,” said Beaver, who to serve as double-majored in finance and economhead of invesics at the University of Massachusetts, tor relations Amherst, and also completed a profesfor a number sional designation in relational database of companies, management at UCLA. which not only Beaver joined IGT (then GTECH) in inspired her November 2002 as a financial analyst. daughter to work and study hard, but She relocated to Southern Nevada in
2015, and is now responsible for financial Committed to mentoring the next planning, reporting and oversight of a generation of women in gaming, Beaver business unit which generates more than is working with industry organization $1.4 billion in annual revenue. Global Gaming Women to launch a Lean Most recently, Beaver was instru- In networking circle for female employmental in structuring and executing the ees, and was also recently nominated to $825 million sale of IGT’s social casino serve on IGT’s executive diversity and platform, DoubleDown, in Q2 2017. She inclusion council. also provided professional leadership “From a personal perspective, my with the launch of IGT’s PlaySpot mobile 7-year-old daughter is a leukemia surviwagering solution with MGM Resorts vor, so I am active with local organizaInternational, and also played a critical tions that support her care, and am also role in the successful integration of IGT looking forward to the American Heart and GTECH in 2015. Association’s Go Red For Women lun“For IGT, 2018 will be a year of execu- cheon,” Beaver said. tion and delivery,” Beaver said. — Danielle Birkin
Colleen Birch • Senior Vice President of Revenue Optimization, The Cosmopolitan •
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hen Seattle native Colleen Palace as a front desk agent on the 4 2016. JA’s profile. Birch moved to Southern p.m.-midnight shift, which allowed me “I partner with every department “As the mother of two children, being Nevada to finish her college to take a full course of classes during across the resort to look for revenue- involved in an organization that starts education at UNLV, she found her pro- the day,” Birch said. “An early mentor enhancing opportunities,” said Birch, the financial-literacy conversation so fessional path helped me realize I’d be a stronger ho- who is constantly seeking more cost- early seemed like the perfect fit for me,” when she entelier if I moved around the resort, so I effective channels to drive earnings. said Birch, who has also come full circle rolled in hotelspent time in housekeeping and reserA volunt eer with Las Vegas Res- in terms of mentoring by participating centric courses, vations prior to settling into a focus on cue Mission and the Shannon West in UNLV’s mentor program in which she going on to revenue management.” Homeless Youth Center, Birch is also once served as a mentee. earn a degree Birch joined The Cosmopolitan as di- a seven-year board member of Junior “Aside from being a mom, it’s one of in hotel adminrector of revenue management in 2009 Achievement of Southern Nevada the things I’m most proud of, and menistration. — a year prior to the property’s grand and the organization’s current chair- toring is definitely a two-way relation“I began my opening — and has served in her cur- woman, gearing up for the impending ship.” hotel career rent capacity as senior vice president launch of a capital campaign to raise — Danielle Birkin at Caesars of revenue optimization since January funds for a facility that will elevate
Deborah Brenner • Founder and CEO, Women of the Vine & Spirits •
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eborah Brenner founded Women Brenner, who hails from New York and of the Vine & Spirits in March holds bachelor’s degrees in English and 2015 to advocate for diversity Journalism from the University of Delaand equality with a commitment to em- ware. power women It was during a trip to Napa and Sowho work in noma, when she realized the women in wine and spirthe wine industry were under-recogits. nized. Compelled to tell their stories, she “I realized authored “Women of the Vine: Inside there was a the World of Women Who Make, Taste void in the aland Enjoy Wine,” which Wine Spectator cohol bevermagazine named a critical read in 2007. age industry Eight years later, Brenner revived the that needed to brand, organizing the inaugural Women be filled,” said of the Vine & Spirits Global Symposium
in Napa at The Meritage Resort and Spa. Due to the event’s success, Brenner and the advisory board created a year-round alliance, Women of the Vine & Spirits. “This year, we are also launching our first All-Female Bartender awards, and will also be advocating in Europe for the first time at our European Summit in London in June,” Brenner said, adding that various events are in the planning stages with local resorts. “Las Vegas is one of the largest markets for our members and we are honored to be working with companies such as Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Caesars Entertain-
ment and MGM Resorts International.” Brenner also spearheaded the creation of the Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation to offer scholarships and award money to help women advance their careers in the fields of food, wine, spirits, hospitality and viticulture as well as foster gender diversity and talent development. “Many studies have found that companies with more female leaders are more productive and profitable,” she said. “Gender parity in business is not only about doing what is right, it’s about results and the bottom line.”
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Julie Cleaver • Vice President of Land Planning and Design, Summerlin, The Howard Hughes Corp. •
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hen North Carolina native Julie Cleaver graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her career path was still uncertain. “I assumed with my business degree that I would end up working at a bank, and that didn’t seem very interesting to me,” said Cleav-
er, who took a summer job at an interior landscape firm, interviewing landscape contractors, nursery business owners, landscape architects and land developers. “I knew I wanted to do something in one of those fields so I enrolled in some horticulture and landscape architecture at Ohio State University and pursued a degree in landscape architecture. As I worked with developer clients, I discovered a love for all kinds of land development,” she said. Cleaver joined The Howard Hughes Corp.’s then-parent company, The Rouse Co., in 2004. She assumed her current
post in 2007. “In a nutshell, I am the chief planner for Summerlin and responsible for all current and forward planning for the community,” said Cleaver, who is instrumental in creating the framework for Summerlin’s growth and has overseen the planning for six villages spanning more than 3,000 acres. “Summerlin is one of the largest master-planned communities in the country, and with close to 5,500 acres left to develop over the next 20 to 30 years, the real challenge will be how to maintain our leadership role in innovative and rel-
evant planning practices to enhance our brand.” This year, Cleaver said much of the focus will be on the continuing evolution of Downtown Summerlin. “Shortly, we will break ground on Las Vegas Ballpark, a 10,000-capacity baseball stadium for the Las Vegas 51s, and a new luxury apartment complex will also begin to take shape,” said Cleaver, who is active with numerous professional organizations and a supporter of the Goodie Two Shoes organization. — Danielle Birkin
Angela Go • Audit Principal, Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern CPAs •
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orn in Michigan and raised in Chicago, Angela Go spent more than a decade as a manager in the retail arena. “I enjoyed my career in retail, but knew I would have more opportunities to advance in a different field, and accounting, specifically auditing,
appealed to me because I like to solve puzzles and I like variety,” said Go, who holds an associates degree in science from Wilbur Wright College, and a certificate in human resource management as well as a degree in accounting from the University of Phoenix. “The customer service and human resource management skills I learned in the retail industry translated well into the accounting profession, which is constantly evolving with changing regulations and standards.” Go joined Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern CPAs in September 2006 as a junior au-
dit associate, and assumed her current position as audit principal in July 2017, responsible for client relations, oversight of audit teams, on-the-job training of associates, professional development and technical consultation for the firm, which has 85 employees with offices in Las Vegas, Reno and Salt Lake City. “In 2018, PBTK plans to continue to grow and expand, especially into the Reno market,” said Go, now a certified public accountant who earned the certified fraud examiners designation and became a certified information systems auditor.
As vice president of the Young Professionals Society, Go has assisted with the adopt-a-charity program in support of organizations such as St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Baby’s Bounty and Blue Star Mothers of America, and has also participated in numerous pajama drives for the foster care program at Olive Crest. As one of seven women in upper management with PBTK, “I try to be a positive role model for other young women who are seeking careers in competitive fields like business and accounting,” she said. — Danielle Birkin
Rosaura Gonzalez • Vice President of Sales, NRT Technology Corp. •
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orn and raised in Nicaragua, Rosaura Gonzalez always dreamed of traveling the world. “This is one of the reasons I pursued an international business degree at UNLV,” said Gonzalez, who moved to Southern Nevada in 1996, and also completed an executive program in global management and negotiations from Thun-
derbird School of Global Management, ing a large portfolio of accounts in the earned an MBA from Instituto Europeo Western region of the U.S. and Latin Campus Stellae in Spain, and is currently America, as well as product strategy and pursuing a Ph.D. from the Universidad placement, and business development. Central de Nicaragua. “I am motivated to push the boundarIndeed, Gonzalez served in various ies of innovation in partnership with my capacities in international sales with Bal- casino customers while expanding our ly Technologies (now Scientific Games), customer base with increased speed prior to joining NRT Technology Corp. as and support,” Gonzalez said. “Pendan account executive in May 2015, pro- ing regulatory approval of the merger moted to vice president of sales in June between NRT Technology and Sight2016 for the company, which provides line Payments, NRT Sightline™ will be a payment-processing, cash-handling and global leader in the design and developcash-management products, services ment of enterprise platforms for the caand solutions to the casino industry. sino industry. Every year, NRT and SightHer responsibilities include manag- line enable more than 1 billion physical
and digital commerce experiences at over 600 casino properties worldwide.” A believer in giving back to the community, “Social responsibility is a big part of my life,” said Gonzalez. “Every year I speak at Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly’s annual Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit and also help to raise funds for a global charity to build schools for underprivileged children in rural areas. I’m also a member of the program advisory committee for a local business college program — education is an important aspect of my life, as you never stop learning.” — Danielle Birkin
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Christiana Houck • Director of Learning Solutions, Aristocrat •
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s a child growing up in Southern Nevada and Central Florida, “My role-playing with dolls was about teaching, and once technology became a thing, I found myself being an early adopter and eager to play with the latest gadget,” said Christiana Houck, Ph.D, PMP, who joined Aristocrat as curricu-
lum developer in December 2007. Four promotions later, Houck serves as director of Learning Solutions — a post she has held for two years — and has developed and directed technical training for approximately 900 employees, 300 systems customers and several hundred customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean with a team of 14 training professionals. Under her tenure, she has increased training options for customers, updated trainer skills and reduced program development time. Over the past year, Houck — who holds degrees from the
University of South Florida, Lesley University and Capella University — has enabled the company’s global workforce to train anywhere with any device; doubled learning solutions revenue; introduced four new revenue-generating product certifications for customers; and updated instructional techniques to improve learner engagement. “As a director, I set strategy, oversee that programs meet business needs and keep an eye out for the latest instructional technology,” said Houck. “I also spoke at eLearning Guild conferences and served as chair of the diversity and
inclusion committee for Las Vegas during the launch year — we have some fun plans for increasing awareness at Aristocrat and are working to make it an employer of choice for the LGBTIQ community and our veterans.” A mentor of young female professionals with Aristocrat’s Leadership Circle and a member of the company’s community involvement committee, Houck also supports Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Three Square, Hero School and Heaven Can Wait. — Danielle Birkin
M. Magali Mercera • Associate Attorney, Pisanelli Bice •
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orn in Mexico and raised in Puerto Rico, M. Magali Mercera moved to the U.S. — by herself — at the age of 16, with the goal of attending college and law school. To that end, Mercera earned a degree in business administration from UNR and went on to earn her juris doctorate from UNLV,
garnering an affinity for business litiga- ments by continuing to litigate highly tion. complex cases and also shape business “Working in business litigation, there litigation law in Nevada. are so many moving parts,” said Mercera, “I’m fortunate to be at an amazing law who joined Pisanelli Bice in 2011. firm where I have received phenomenal Mercera focuses her practice on com- support, mentoring and training to be mercial disputes ranging from breach the best litigator I can be,” said Mercera. of contract and fiduciary duty claims “I think mentoring is such a big part of to property and construction disputes. learning and advancing in the practice She has experience with all aspects of of law.” litigation from discovery through moMercera is also committed to pro tion practice and trial and has helped bono work with the Children’s Attorney Pisanelli Bice earn prestigious awards Project (CAP). Through this project with and national recognition. In 2018 she Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, loplans to build on the firm’s achieve- cal attorneys provide counsel, advice and
representation to abused and neglected children who have never before had representation. Mercera has been working with this program since 2010 and plans to continue her work throughout 2018. “I’ve worked as a volunteer CAP attorney since my first year practicing law, and represent children in foster care,” said Mercera, who always looks for a silver lining, and views failures as learning experiences. “I believe it is critical for these children to have a voice in their situation and their future.” — Danielle Birkin
Gwen Migita • Vice President of Social Impact and Chief Sustainability Officer, Caesars Entertainment •
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wen Migita’s father always told her she could make a good living at anything, as long as she loved what she did. Migita took those words to heart, and found her niche as a young girl in her native Hawaii. “I became interested in activism at the age of 12, ,” said Migita, who came to Southern Nevada in 2002 after
living in Honolulu, Guam, Seattle, Portland, Tunis and Salzburg. “I was fortunate to formalize my role with environmental and social responsibility at Caesars Entertainment 12 years ago.” Indeed, Migita originally joined the company as market research manager in 2004, shifting her focus into corporate responsibility and sustainability functions several years later. In this role she manages a team of directors, managers and contractors over inclusion and equity, philanthropy, sustainability, community involvement and responsible gaming, and is also re-
sponsible for social and environmental responsibility strategy, policies, stakeholder relationships and key initiatives. “Our public measure includes thirdparty recognition and we’ve received over 140 accolades in the last decade around corporate responsibility, most recently the Civic 50 as one of the most community-minded companies in the country,” said Migita, who holds a degree in marketing from the University of Washington and one from UNLV. “We also have the most Green Key-certified resorts among any gaming company in the world, and have the first and longest-standing perfect score from the
Human Rights Campaign in the gaming industry, at 11 years as a Best Place to Work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.” Looking ahead, the company has announced an initiative for gender-equality by 2025, a triple-A score on its carbon, water and supplier engagement with CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) and the 15-year anniversary of its responsible-gaming program, according to Migita, who is active in the Asian-Pacific Islander community and supports organizations related to counter-trafficking, immigration and food insecurity. — Danielle Birkin
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Vickie Shields • Provost and Executive Vice President, Nevada State College •
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he first in her family to attend col- hooked,” said Shields, who admitted she lege, Idaho native Vickie Shields has always loved school, and went on to discovered her career path dur- earn a masters and a Ph.D. in communiing her junior cation and media studies from The Ohio and senior State University, and completed the years at Boise management development program at State UniverHarvard Graduate School of Education. sity, where “All I wanted from that point on was to she earned a be a college professor.” degree in comShields relocated to Southern Nemunication. vada and assumed her current position “I got the of provost and executive vice president opportunity to of Nevada State College in June 2017. teach college In this capacity, Shields is responsible classes with my professors, and I was for oversight of the college’s academic
vision and ensuring the quality of academic programs and working across the college to implement processes that support accreditation. “As provost, I also oversee student affairs and must ensure that the college has the infrastructure and systems to empower staff to be effective in their efforts in student on-boarding and acclimation to competitive college life, retention, and timely graduation based on a student’s personal objectives and circumstances,” Shields said. In 2018, her goals include improving graduation rates, and pushing for a new
degree in informatics/data science to prepare the Southern Nevada workforce for future anticipated growth in the fields of health, data and business. This year, construction will also continue on two new facilities. “We are planning the building and programming for our first residence hall, a 250-bed facility,” said Shields, who supports charitable organizations that help lift women in their lives, particularly those affected by domestic violence, poverty and homelessness. — Danielle Birkin
Christina Vela • Executive Director, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children •
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self-described helper who has always loved children, Southern California native Christina Vela was the first member of her family to earn a college degree. “As a teen mother, I knew higher education was necessary to accomplish my goals and be self-sufficient,” said Vela, who
holds bachelor’s degrees in sociology and Mexican-American studies from California State University, Northridge, and went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration from UNLV after moving to Las Vegas more than 16 years ago. “I wanted to help other young women take steps to accomplish their goals, and I got my first job as a social worker working with teen mothers living in foster care, and that was the beginning of a career committed to helping, serving and being inspired by children, young people and their families.” Vela joined St. Jude’s Ranch for Chil-
dren as executive director in August Southern Nevadans to consider that 2017, having previously worked for the “at-risk” children are “at-promise” for a agency from 2010 to 2013 as chief pro- better life and brighter future. She also gram officer. aims to provide more opportunities for “I am hopeful that this year will be children and young people to be menone of continued focus on our quality tored, coached and exposed to life exprograms, and to answering the ques- periences that can help break the cycle tion of how else we can help children of abuse and homelessness. and young people in need,” said Vela, She also supports other local organiwho works steadfastly with community zations that serve youth such as Court partners, philanthropists and advocates Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in support of the agency’s mission and Foundation, Classroom Without Walls longevity. and Children’s Defense Fund. She hopes to create a call-to-action — Danielle Birkin for the community by encouraging
Meena Vohra • Medical Director, Children’s Hospital of Nevada at UMC •
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native of New Delhi, “I always wanted to join the Army, but growing up in India, the only way women could serve in the Army was if they were in the medical field,” said Meena Vohra, who went on to become a physician, but never did make it to basic training. Instead, she attended GSVM Medical College in Kan-
pur, India, also completing a rotating internship and pediatric residency at LLR and its associated hospitals in Kanpur. She then came to the U.S. and completed a pediatric internship and residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan; a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at Children’s Hospital of Michigan; and earned a Physician Executive MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She joined University Medical Center in October 1991 as the medical director of the Pediatric ICU on staff as the only pediatric critical care physician. She has served as chief of the Department of
Pediatrics since 1996, and as medical director of Children’s Hospital of Nevada at UMC since January 2010, when it was formally recognized. “I feel a responsibility to care for our community’s youngest and most vulnerable,” said Vohra. Vohra was instrumental in the development of the hospital’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program for children with severe traumatic lung injury — the only program of its kind in Nevada — as well as the development of a program to help children with muscular atrophy gain access to a recentlyapproved new drug which helps slow
down the progression of the disease. She helped to develop the only freestanding sedation unit in the state and helped with the introduction of pediatric robotic surgery. She is currently working on bringing a pediatric hematology/ oncology program and bone marrow transplant unit to Children’s Hospital. Looking ahead, Vohra envisions the development of a separate free-standing building for Children’s Hospital of Nevada so critically ill children and their families have better access to state-ofthe-art medical care. — Danielle Birkin
JULIE’S TRULY A WOMAN TO WATCH. SHE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A WOMAN TO ADMIRE, TREASURE AND APPLAUD.
Julie Cleaver
Congratulations to Summerlin’s own Julie Cleaver for being named to Vegas Inc.’s 2018 Women to Watch. Your dazzling talent and professional commitment to the Las Vegas community inspires all of us at The Howard Hughes Corporation.
UMC thanks Dr. Meena Vohra for her unmatched dedication to providing pediatric patients with the high-quality, specialized care they deserve. A children’s champion devoted to healing young lives, Dr. Vohra continues to serve as a role model through her determination, compassion and commitment to caring for our community’s youngest—so they can be vital members of our community for years to come.
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