Announced 2025 as “Year of Small Business” and Chamber initiatives to help businesses thrive in 2025
For Immediate Release
December 12, 2024
Contact: Cara Clarke (702) 743-9362 cclarke@vegaschamber.com
Las Vegas, NV – Janet Uthman, Vice President and Market Leader for Cox Communications was sworn in as the 2025 Chairwoman of the Vegas Chamber today in front of an audience of 900 business and community leaders at the organization’s Annual State of the Chamber Luncheon at Wynn Las Vegas. Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley administered the oath of office to Uthman and the trustees as one of her first official acts since taking office last week.
During the luncheon, Uthman outlined her priorities for the state’s largest business association for the coming year. She declared 2025 as the Year of Small Business, announcing new initiatives to help local small business stabilize, grow, and succeed. The priorities she outlined include:
· Representing small businesses throughout the entire Nevada Legislature in 2025 and making sure their voice is heard as lawmakers consider legislation and public policies
· Providing access to the Chamber’s association 401(k) plan to help businesses comply with the new state mandate beginning July 2025 that requires most employers with five or more employees to provide a retirement plan
· Launching the Chamber’s new Small Business Resource Center with a dedicated full-time employee to connect small business members with information, resources, and access to assistance to help their business grow and thrive. The Chamber will also better connect small enterprises with the opportunity to do business with larger companies
· Successfully opening the Vegas Chamber’s new headquarters at the Carolyn G. Goodman Plaza across from City Hall in Fall 2025
Additionally, the Vegas Chamber showcased its 2024 accomplishments under the leadership of Betsy Fretwell, Founder and CEO of C4WARD. 2024 accomplishments included:
· Adding 600 new Chamber member businesses in 2024
· Assisting more than 100 women and minority-owned businesses through the Vegas Chamber Leadership Foundation’s EDGE program
· Hosting the largest Washington, D.C. Fly-In in Chamber history with more than 300 Nevada business and community leaders
· More than 90% of Vegas Chamber-endorsed candidates winning their races in the 2024 general election