About the Chamber
Advocacy. Community. Engagement.
We're here to support
business goals.
As the largest business support organization in Nevada, the Vegas Chamber is focused on helping Nevada businesses succeed and create jobs. We are the voice of business – your voice – helping to amplify the needs, challenges, and we’re here to help!
MISSION:
Our mission is to CULTIVATE: We are here to cultivate the growth and success of our
businesses and our community, through passionate and effective advocacy.
Serving Vegas for Over 100 Years
Vegas Chamber History
From its humble beginnings as a small business organization to its current status as a dynamic advocate for commerce, the Chamber’s history is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of Las Vegas as our city has transformed from a dusty town into a global entertainment and business hub.
1929
Work on Boulder Dam breaks ground. Chamber leaders, as well as its founding members, have been in discussions and negotiations to ensure that Southern Nevada receives a major boost in its struggling economy from the dam’s construction.
1931
Chamber officials campaign to have the ban on gaming lifted. Mayme Stocker’s Northern Club is officially the first Southern Nevada gaming license procured.
1933
With heavy pushing from Chamber leaders, the first post office and federal building were erected in Las Vegas.
1941
The U.S. Army Air Corps Gunnery School opened in the space now occupied by McCarran International Airport. The Chamber and Senator McCarran are instrumental in the gunnery school’s formation.
1945
Chamber president Maxwell Kelch rallied the business community to launch the Livewire Fund, which was a pivotal moment in establishing Las Vegas as a vacation and tourist destination.
1955
UNLV opens. Chamber president Archie Grant lines up business support for the school, helping to raise the money necessary to purchase the land.
1983
Chamber leaders create Las Vegas Events to attract non-gaming visitors to the region and diversify entertainment options.
1993
The Chamber spearheads workers’ compensation reform, reducing the financial burden placed upon small businesses.
1998
The Chamber advocates passage of school bonds to fund $3.5 billion for school construction and renovation. It also helps to pass a quarter-cent sales tax increase for a second intake pipe in Lake Mead to ensure future access to our water supply.
2001
The Chamber leads efforts to defeat a four percent business profits tax initiative. The initiative was later ruled unconstitutional.
2005
The Chamber helps pass an eight percent cap on property tax for businesses.
2007
The Chamber helps pass critical legislation to fund $1 billion in highway projects.
2010
The Chamber works alongside Senator Harry Reid to create language for the Small Business Jobs Act, which the Small Business Administration refers to as “the most significant piece of small business legislation in over a decade.”
2011
The Chamber celebrates its centennial year.
2012
The Chamber rebrands to the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce to encompass its position as the voice of the greater Las Vegas business community. The Metro Chamber is instrumental in the designation of Interstate 11 to connect Phoenix to Las Vegas.
2013
The Metro Chamber is a key player in securing Tule Springs National Monument, Nevada’s first national monument.
2016
The Chamber is a founding partner of the Fuel Revenue Indexing coalition, helping to pass legislation to fund local infrastructure products necessary for the region’s future growth and development.
2017
The Chamber convenes the statewide business community during the 2017 Legislature to defeat a number of bills detrimental to businesses in the state.
Here to Serve You
Team Directory
Our dedicated team makes all our events, advocacy, and community thrive. Whether you’re a colleague looking to connect, a client seeking assistance, or simply curious about the talented individuals who drive our success, this directory is your gateway to our team.
Shaping the Future
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees plays a pivotal role in overseeing the strategic direction, policies, and decisions for our future. Their wisdom, expertise, and unwavering commitment provide the foundation upon which we build success and progress.
Current Executive Committee
Betsy Fretwell
Immediate Past Chair
C4WARD Strategies
Michael Bolognini
Principal
MFB Enterprise
Tyler Corder
Chief Financial Officer
Findlay Automotive
Lori Nelson-Kraft
Senior VP of Communications
Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Current Board of Trustees
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- Jeremy Aguero – Principal, Applied Analysis
- Brandon Barkhuff – Vice President-General Counsel, NV Energy
- Caroline Bateman – General Counsel, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA)
- Danielle Bisterfeldt – Vice President of Marketing-Summerlin, The Howard Hughes Corporation
- Michael Britt – Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Station Casinos
- Justin Brown – President, Southwest Gas
- Mark Brown – Chief Executive Officer, Miracle Flights
- Kerry Bubolz – President and CEO, Vegas Golden Knights
- Vincent Ciminise – Loan Manager, Valley Bank of Nevada
- Richard Constable – Executive Vice President, Global Head of Government Affairs & Social Impact, Madison Square Garden
- Jaime Cruz – Executive Director, Workforce Connections
- Teresa Di Loreto – Executive Director, Nevada Military Support Alliance
- Victor Fuchs – President, Founding Partner, and Managing Member, Helix Electric
- Jan Jones-Blackhurst – Board Member, Caesars Entertainment Corporation
- Chuck Ley – President/CEO, Cornerstone Merchant Services
- Dr. Rex Liu – Owner, Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
- Napoleon McCallum – Director of Community Development, The Las Vegas Sands Corporation
- Lori Nelson-Kraft – Senior Vice President of Communications, Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
- Shaundell Newsome – Founder, Sumnu Marketing
- Karla Perez – Vice President, Valley Health System
- Dr. DeRionne Pollard – President, Nevada State University
- Tina Quigley – President & CEO, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA)
- Amanda Signorelli – Co-Owner, Golden Steer Steakhouse
- Joyce Smith – Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking, MidFirst Bank
- Brigadier General Lawrence Sullivan – Brigadier General, Nellis Air Force Base
- Vjollca Tarjan – Director, Lead Commercial Relationship Manager, Wells Fargo
- Bryant Thornton – Market Vice President, Republic Services
- Brigadier General D. Rodger Waters – Brigadier General, Nevada National Guard
- Dr. Keith Whitfield – President, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
- Lori Wilkinson – Vice President, Employee Benefit Consultant, Piper Jordan a Brown & Brown Company
- Michael Woodfield – Market Executive, J.P. Morgan Chase and Company
Emeritus Board of Trustees
- Jay Barrett; President – The JABarrett Company
- Michael Bonner; Managing Shareholder – Greenberg Traurig
- Bob Brown; President and Chief Executive Officer – Opportunity Village
- Sen. Richard Bryan; Former Partner – Fennemore Craig
- John Guedry; Former CEO – Bank of Nevada
- Steve Hill; Chief Executive Officer – Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
- Fafie Moore; Executive Vice President of Southern Nevada – ERA Brokers Consolidated
- Bill Noonan; Former SVP of Industry & Governmental Affairs – Boyd Gaming Corporation
- James Prather; Vice President of Digital Strategy – Las Vegas Review-Journal
- Larry Singer – Senior Managing Director – Newmark
- Bruce Spotleson; Vice President of Fund and Partner Development – The Neon Museum
- Vicky VanMeetren; Special Assistant to the Dean, Genesis Business Development – Roseman University of Health Sciences
Past Chairs
- E. W. Griffith – 1913-14, 1916-18
- Dr. Roy Martin – 1915, 1923-28
- Henry Lillis – 1919-22
- A.W. Ham – 1929
- S.R. Whitehead – 1930
- O.W. Yates – 1931
- James Down, Sr. – 1932
- A.C. Grant – 1933-34
- S. J. Lawson – 1934
- A. S. Henderson – 1935
- Harvey Luce – 1936
- O. A. Kimball – 1937
- Robert Griffith – 1938
- C. D. Baker – 1939
- Bob Kaltenborn – 1940
- Marion Earl – 1941
- Rev. Charles Sloan – 1942
- Harve Perry – 1943
- Maxwell Kelch – 1944-45
- Bill Moore – 1946
- Paul McDermott – 1947
- James Down, Jr. – 1948
- Spencer Butterfield – 1949
- Vern Willis – 1950
- Dick Ronzone – 1951
- A. C. Grant – 1952
- Edmund Converse – 1953
- M. J. Christensen – 1954
- Howard Cannon – 1955
- James Young – 1956
- Hames Henderson – 1956
- Grant Stewart – 1958
- Tom Underhill – 1959
- Dr. R. E. Robinson – 1960
- Sam A. Boyd – 1961
- Bob Jones – 1962
- Ray Curley – 1963
- Walt Casey – 1964
- Robb L. Johnson – 1965
- Frank Scott – 1966
- Gaylord Prather – 1967
- W. Bruce Beckley – 1968-1969
- George Boman – 1970
- James Cashman, Jr. – 1971-72
- Herb Stout – 1973-74
- Zack Taylor – 1975
- Harley Harmon – 1976
- Charles Ruthe – 1977
- Mark Smith – 1978
- Berlyn Miller – 1979
- Frank Johnson – 1980
- Tom Wiesner – 1981
- Fred Lewis – 1982
- Bill Heinrich – 1983
- Phil Arce – 1984
- Elaina Blake – 1985
- Dave Vlaming – 1986
- James Cashman, III – 1987
- Jeffrey A. Silver – 1988
- Peter Thomas – 1989
- Claudine Williams – 1990
- Bill Martin – 1991
- Bob Maxey – 1992
- Denney Weddle – 1993
- David Smith – 1994
- Ted Wiens, Jr. – 1995
- John O’Reilly – 1996
- Diane Dickerson – 1997
- E. Edward Crispell – 1998
- Robert Forbuss – 1999-2000
- Bill Wells – 2001
- Jay Kornmeyer – 2002
- Lou Emmert – 2003
- Tim Cashman – 2004
- Hugh Anderson – 2005
- John Wilcox – 2006
- Larry Kifer – 2007
- Fafie Moore – 2008
- Steve Hill – 2009
- Kristin McMillan – 2010
- Michael Bonner – 2011
- Kevin Orrock – 2012
- Jay Barrett – 2013
- Bruce Spotleson – 2014
- Bob Brown – 2015
- John Guedry – 2016
- William Noonan – 2017
- Michael Bolognini – 2018
- Terry Shirey – 2019
- Tom Burns – 2020
- Gina Bongiovi – 2021
- Michael Feder – 2022
- Paul Anderson – 2023
Behind the Scenes Heroes
Chamber Volunteers
Volunteers are one of our most valuable resources at the Vegas Chamber to help businesses succeed! These members support, connect, and guide fellow members how to maximize Vegas Chamber membership. Get acquainted with our fantastic volunteers below!
Prospectors
The Prospectors are comprised of long-standing Vegas Chamber member volunteers which include past Chairmen, council members, and committee officers. They serve as hosts for many Chamber events bringing with them a strong foundation of volunteerism, as well as Chamber and community knowledge.
- President: L. Joe Coppedge – Mushkin Cica Coppedge
- Ace Fair – Fair Solutions Inc.
- Bob Werner – Furniture Market
- Carl Rowe – CLARITY Advisors to Management
- Chuck Ley – Cornerstone Merchant Services
- Elie Morrie – Signature Real Estate Group
- Chris Crooks – Newmark
- Edward Domanico – AET Environmental
- Fafie Moore – ERA Brokers Consolidated
- Howard Skolnik – Howard Skolnik LLC
- Jim Marsh – Jim Marsh Automotive
- Larry Singer – Newmark
- Wm. Allen Kaercher – Kaercher Campbell & Associates
Ambassadors
Ambassador Application – Click Here
The Vegas Chamber Ambassadors are a team of professionals from the chamber membership who donate their time to assist new members maximize their Vegas Chamber investment. They are a group of motivated members who act as the welcoming arm of the Vegas Chamber by sharing their experiences and introducing new members to Chamber events and resources. Ambassadors are charged with extending the hand of friendship to both new and current members, greeting them with an enthusiastic handshake and award-winning smile, making welcome calls, attending ribbon cuttings, hosting Business After Hours and attending (assisting as needed) with Chamber events. For more information regarding Chamber Ambassadors, please contact the Membership department at 702.641.5822.
- Allison Wax – Coldwell Banker Premier Realty (Chair PC Member)
- Becky Stonebarger – The Beacon Center Inc
- Camille Spenner – Merit Lending (Co-Chair)
- Cari Byers – Premier Showgirls
- Carlos Sidney – New York Life Insurance Company
- Lisa DuPere – Revels Nevada Henderson
- Gina Maceo – America First Credit Union (PC Member)
- Kim Dung Ho – Kim Photography (PC Member)
- Kristi Lutzenberger – Auntie2Hands
- Michael Carter – Carter Investments
- Romeo Villafania, Jr – America First Credit Union (PC Member)
- Rose Falocco – HomeSmart Encore Real Estate
- Sophia Peranteau – Optomis Insurance and Benefits
- Tad Dillard – Xerox by Elan Office Systems
Pictured here from left to right: Carlos Sidney, Romeo Villafania, Jr, Kristi Lutzenberger, Camille Spenner, Gina Maceo, Kim Dung Ho, Allison Wax, Becky Stonebarger, Rose Falocco, Cari Byers, Tad Dillard, Mike Carter. Absent: Lisa DuPere and Sophia Peranteau
Government Affairs Committee
The Chamber’s legislative and policy priorities are developed by its Government Affairs Committee. This is a group of Chamber members who analyze issues and make determinations that guide the Chamber’s positioning on matters to promote fiscal responsibility at the state and local government levels, improve our education system, and strengthen the business environment and economy in Southern Nevada. The committee also makes decisions regarding the endorsements of candidates and political contributions.
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Hugh Anderson, Chairman of Committee, Hightower Las Vegas
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Michael Feder, Chairman, Dickinson Wright
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Paul Anderson, Chairman- Elect, Board of Trustees Boyd Gaming Corporation
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Gina Bongiovi, Immediate Past Chair, Board of Trustees, Bongiovi Law Firm
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Michael Britt, Red Rock Resorts, Inc
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Michael Bolognini, MFB Enterprises
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Mark Brown, Miracle Flights
- MaryKaye Cashman
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Tim Cashman, The Cashman Companies
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Lisa de Marigny, Omni Limousine, Inc.
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J.T. Foley, Las Vegas Sands
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Betsy Fretwell, Switch
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Craig S. Galati, LGA, Inc.
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John Guedry, Bank of Nevada
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Keith Hansen, Allegiant Travel Company
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Dave Howell, Wells Fargo
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Karlos LaSane, Caesars Entertainment Corp.
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Chad Leavitt, Findlay Automotive Group
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Scott Leedom, Southwest Gas
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Todd Mason, Wynn Resorts
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Meghan McLean Fair, Anderson, & Langerman
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Erin McMullen Midby, Boyd Gaming Corporation
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George F. Ogilvie III, Esq., McDonald Carano LLP
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John O’Reilly, O’Reilly Law Group
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Damon Schilling, AMR/Medic West
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Greta Seidman, Opportunity 180
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Jennifer Simich, Republic Services
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Craig Stevens, Cox Communications
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Judy Stokey, NV Energy
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Sasha Sutcliffe-Stephenson, MGM Resorts International
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Todd Sklamberg, Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center
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Ted Wiens, Jr., Ted Wiens Tire & Auto
Leadership Las Vegas Council
The Leadership Las Vegas Council maintains the recruitment and selection process for incoming classes, as well as oversees individual committees to determine curriculum, day planning and alumni activities.
Immediate Past Chair
Gordon Absher ’09
Dignity Health
Alumni Communications
Greta Beck-Seidman ’11
Nevada HAND
Alumni Communications
Clay Buck ’17
Boys & Girls Clubs of So Nevada
Selection Chair
Edgar Carranza ’10
Backus, Carranza & Burden
Executive Director, Foundation
Cara Clarke ’07
Leadership Foundation of Greater Las Vegas
Program Communications / PR Chair
Mike Disbennett ’14
Wide Awake & The Glenn Group
Council Chair
Alan Diskin ’03
American Red Cross
Program Manager
Lisa Gough
Leadership Foundation of Greater Las Vegas
Alumni Chair
Erin Keller ’16
Nevada State College
Assistant Selection Chair
Tami Miramontes ’08
Eide Bailly LLP
Assistant Selection Chair
Tim Mullin ’10
Vegas Golden Knights Foundation
Alumni Higher Level Membership
Debi Nutton ’10
Immediate Past Curriculum Chair
Brian Rice ’09
Boys & Girls Clubs of So Nevada
Recruitment Chair
Craig Rosen ’16
Desert Research Institute
Curriculum Chair
Lisa Santwer ’13
Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada
Alumni Higher Level Membership
Josh Swissman ’10
Station Casinos
Assistant Curriculum Chair
Robert Torres ’15
Colliers International
Alumni – Events
Shannon Steiner ’16
American Preparatory Academy
Engagement
Dennis Sponer ’99
Engagement
Krista Clar ’14
MGM Resorts International