Name: Paul B. Ranslow
Title: President
Company: Sierra Nevada College
Location: Incline Village
Years in Nevada: 37
Years with company: 1
Type of business: Four-year liberal arts college
Biggest business challenge: Private (independent) colleges face the challenge of attracting resources for students and faculty. Tuition and fees cover only a fraction of the cost of education and we are always looking for generous individuals who believe education is a fundamentally important investment. We have had some of the most generous and philanthropic donors I have ever known.
If you could start over and choose a different profession, what would it be? I would still be in education because it makes such a positive difference for young people. I am an amateur architect and enjoy reading about home design.
How do you spend you time when you’re not working? I enjoy reading (mysteries, biographies and architecture) and exercising. My wife Stephanie and I like to take walks together.
Little-known fact about yourself: I designed and built my own home in Oregon 25 years ago and have since remodeled three other homes.
Best business advice: People respond positively to honesty in relationships; they do not always like the honest truth, but in the long run, it is the best policy.
What would you like your legacy to be? I hope people will say that Stephanie and I worked with dedicated and talented people to help Sierra Nevada College become the best small college it could be.
Do you think Nevada’s educational system adequately prepares students for college?
According to data compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Nevada students rank below national averages in proficiency. However, statistics rarely tell the entire story. This is a rapidly growing state with a great deal of in-migration and a huge teacher shortage. In addition, there are many fine Nevada high-school graduates who are ready for a rigorous college program. Our task is to ensure that even more young people graduate from high school prepared for further study.
Name Patrick Schlosser
Title Chief Operating Officer
Company Clark and Sullivan Constructors
Type of Business Commercial building contractor
Location Reno, Las Vegas and Sacramento
Years in Nevada 25 years
Years with Company 20 years
Biggest Business Challenge:
Finding qualified people for both the office and the trade labor.
What do you like best about your job?
The people in construction are the best. Every day we deal with high-dollar decisions that affect our bottom line, but at the end of the day people in construction will give the shirts off their backs to help someone else even if they don’t know them
If you could start over and choose a different profession, what would it be?
I’m truly not interested in anyone else’s job, but if I had to choose, I would go back to being a farmer. I was born and raised on a farm and there is a great satisfaction to watching things grow and raising animals. Milking cows would be out of the question, as it ties up your life too much.
How do you spend your time when you’re not working?
I enjoy spending time with my wife and family. Outside of that, I enjoy playing golf. My game isn’t anywhere close to where I would like it to be, but that just leaves room for improvement.
Best Business Advice :
I like the saying, “If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting.” People need to analyze their lives with that wisdom in mind.
What would you like your legacy to be?
That I was always fair and honest with my business dealings whether we agreed or not and that I tried to treat people the way they wanted to be treated.
What differences have you noticed in building in Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada?
Southern Nevada is moving at about warp 5 speed with no indication of slowing down. I believe the labor force in Northern Nevada is a little more quality conscious. Speed can cause that.
Name: Howard Winters
Title: Founder and chief executive officer
Company: Payroll Solutions Group, Limited
Type of Business: Professional Employer Organization
Locations: North Las Vegas
Years in Nevada 17
Years with Company 6
Biggest Business Challenge
The biggest risk entrepreneurs face is when their company engages its first employee. Our ability to educate the market about this reality is the biggest challenge we face. We are a relatively new industry, particularly in this state, and few employers have an accurate grasp of the value proposition we offer.
What do I like best about my job?
It is not a job to me, but a passion. In my way, I am improving the quality of life for employers, who in turn are the backbone of the country. As a leader in my company I have an opportunity to mentor and shape the lives of others positively.
How do you spend your time when not working?
I enjoy spending time at home with my wife and two golden retriever children. I have recently become a fairly ardent, if unskilled, golfer. I have returned to an earlier passion for aviation and am pursuing an instrument rating.
What would you like your legacy to be?
That I made a difference in the lives of many ordinary people. I would also hope that the communities our company works in would recognize us for the contributions we make to help the poor, the needy and children.
Favorite Business Book?
Good to Great, by Jim Collins and The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber
Best Business Advice
There are only two things we have in life that mean anything: our integrity and our relationships, both personal and business. You only get one chance at your integrity, so you need to make sure you always have the right values. It’s tough to find good friends, so be sure to cultivate your relationships and make sure you are always working to be a great friend.
Name: Joy Kay Hearn
Title: Vice President/Escrow Manager
Company: TitleOne of Las Vegas, Inc.
Type of Business : Title and escrow company
Location : Las Vegas
Years in Nevada: 12 years
Years with Company: 6 months
Biggest Business Challenge: The biggest business challenge with being a startup title and escrow company is conveying to the customer that even though we are not be an international company; we do have international underwriters and therefore offer the same level of insurance as other established companies in Nevada.
What do you like best about your job? I enjoy the challenges that commercial transactions present, because they are always different. Being able to work with the customer and underwriter to overcome challenges and close the transaction is very rewarding.
If you could start over and choose a different profession, what would it be?
A stay-at-home mom. Caring for your family is very rewarding, but children grow up so quickly. My children are now in college and high school and are very involved with friends and sports, so they are rarely home.
How do you spend your time when you’re not working? I have a wonderful family, husband of 23 years and two children. We all love the outdoors. We have a condo in Brian Head, Utah and spend as much time skiing/snowboarding/ATV/hiking as we can.
Little-known fact about yourself: My entire family is involved in community development in one form or another, and my children seem to be following in my footsteps. My daughter is going to UNLV College of Engineering to be a civil engineer. My son is taking drafting classes in high school and loves it.
Best Business Advice : Hard work and a good work ethic will take you wherever your dreams lead. Aim high, as it is a big world and you can do anything.
What would you like your legacy to be? That I was a fair and good boss to work for, as well as a good wife and mother.
