Public education is expensive — about 150 percent more expensive than it was 50 years ago. Public education is also ineffective, especially for low-income and minority students. An ineffective but expensive public education not only means that resources are being wasted, but that young minds are being wasted as well. In Nevada, and across the nation, large achievement gaps … [Read more...] about Nevada Behind the Curve on Charter Schools: Silver State Continues to Miss Real Educational Opportunities
Engineers: Making Green by Going “Green”
They can design skyscrapers to withstand earthquakes, devise highways through mountains and make water flow uphill. Yet for all the modern-day magic engineers can conjure, nothing they dream up could insulate them from the economic storm stubbornly hovering over Nevada and its development community. “What we have done is got lean and mean,” says Michael Holloway of … [Read more...] about Engineers: Making Green by Going “Green”
Office Summary: Third Quarter 2009
Las Vegas The Las Vegas Valley office market reported its fourth consecutive quarter of negative net absorption, suggesting the amount of space being vacated continues to outpace move-ins. Office market inventory expanded by 214,600 square feet during the past quarter, reaching 49.5 million square feet. Additions to the market were concentrated in the south and southwest … [Read more...] about Office Summary: Third Quarter 2009
December 2009: Business Indicators
The national recession continues, though some signs of recovery give heart that things are on the move. For one, the U.S. Index of Leading Indicators, a six-month-ahead forecast, has been on the upswing over the past five months, suggesting that spring 2010 may see the end of the national recession. On the other hand, the Southern Nevada Index of Leading Indicators, … [Read more...] about December 2009: Business Indicators
Do you think your business will be in a better position this time next year?
“Thanks to our latest marketing campaign, we’ve catapulted our message of diversifying Las Vegas to a national level. Due to our business-friendly environment, the Nevada Development Authority has been continuously bringing in new companies from all over the country, gearing us up for a great 2010 and beyond.” Somer Hollingsworth • President and CEO, Nevada Development … [Read more...] about Do you think your business will be in a better position this time next year?
Make Charitable Giving a Part of Your Company’s Culture
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” - Norman MacEwan Dozens of non-profit organizations throughout the state are struggling to meet the needs of thousands of clients. With missions ranging from feeding the homeless to finding cures for diseases, the common denominator seems to be that the need is always greater than the available … [Read more...] about Make Charitable Giving a Part of Your Company’s Culture
The Shrinking Dollar: Silently Stealing Your Assets
We’ve all seen photos of people in third-world countries pushing wheelbarrows full of money to the market because their currency was worthless. Think it couldn’t happen here? Americans like to believe their country is “too big to fail”, just like the financial institutions that were seemingly fail-proof. However, statistics present another, more disturbing reality. Make sure … [Read more...] about The Shrinking Dollar: Silently Stealing Your Assets
Healthcare Check-up: In Critical Condition
From town hall meetings to tea party gatherings, citizens all over Nevada have jumped into the debate on healthcare reform with a vigor seldom seen in the political landscape. As a frantic Congress attempts to draft and pass some kind of reform legislation from a number of bills that have been put forward, many Nevadans have taken to the Internet and to the streets to make … [Read more...] about Healthcare Check-up: In Critical Condition
Compensation Packages: Business Tightening Their Belts
The good news for Nevada employers in the area of compensation is that the recent turbulent economic times have not only shown them to be more resilient than many around the country but left them leaner and more efficient – and poised for a stronger year in 2010. Among the hard-earned lessons learned through adversity has been how to creatively lower the cost of employee … [Read more...] about Compensation Packages: Business Tightening Their Belts
Legislature Performs Poorly: Rankings Show Few Legislators Protect Taxpayers
Democracies function best when voters are well informed about the voting records and policy positions of incumbents. Without such knowledge, voters are unable to hold politicians accountable for their performance. Most voters do not have the time to follow the performance of their elected representatives at all levels of public office. Hence, the success of representative … [Read more...] about Legislature Performs Poorly: Rankings Show Few Legislators Protect Taxpayers
Office Market: Slow to Recover
Just a couple of years ago Nevada was booming, economic growth was accelerating, construction was busy statewide and every sector of commercial real estate was scrambling to keep up. Then the recession hit, and everything slowed, and all those projects were still out there, some as raw land, some half-completed, some gone into foreclosure or receivership and some sitting … [Read more...] about Office Market: Slow to Recover
Industry Focus: Bankers
Executives representing banking institutions recently met at the law offices of Holland & Hart in Las Vegas to discuss issues facing banking in Nevada. In light of the turmoil surrounding the industry, banking has been a hot topic for the past couple of years. Connie Brennan, publisher of Nevada Business Magazine, served as moderator for the monthly event designed to … [Read more...] about Industry Focus: Bankers
November 2009: Around the State
Nearly Half of U.S. Companies Now Auto-Enroll Workers into 401(k) Plans According to Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a recent study found that 47 percent of surveyed companies now auto-enroll employees into their defined contribution plan. Additionally, one-third of those that don’t auto-enroll employees are beginning to consider auto-enrollment. This trend could mean that defined … [Read more...] about November 2009: Around the State
Charlie Nguyen: University of Phoenix
Campus Director, Las Vegas Campus Las Vegas, NV Number of Employees: 142 Years in Nevada: 1 Years with Company: 5 What inspired you to get into education? Empowerment comes through education. What inspired me is knowing that education changes lives – it opens the doors to opportunities, adds value to the existing workforce and ultimately improves our community. At … [Read more...] about Charlie Nguyen: University of Phoenix
A New Approach to Patient Education: Using Technology to Communicate Better
The challenges a physician must deal with are not simply limited to the proper diagnosis, treatment and care of patients. Add to that the stresses of managing a practice; HR, billing, operations, marketing…and it is understandable that important responsibilities that impact overall patient care can suffer. Unfortunately, even the most skilled physicians are not … [Read more...] about A New Approach to Patient Education: Using Technology to Communicate Better