The name says it all. Nevada’s Power Women are helping to shape the state and working for the betterment of our communities. They are in the trenches day in and day out with the goal of improving where we live and work. They say behind every great man is a woman; we say, behind every great state are several women. We’re honored to include this year’s Power Women in the following pages and we applaud their achievements for the Silver State.
Marilyn S. Burrows
Senior VP & General Manager
Cox Communications, Inc.
What is your area of influence?
Cox is known for its focus on providing tremendous customer service, high impact local community engagement and ensuring a great workplace for employees. As a company officer and local system general manager, it is an honor to support my employees in delivering on those expectations for the Southern Nevada community.
What is your claim to fame?
Cox Las Vegas is leading our company in operating results, which – given our economy and the competition in our industry – is something I’m very proud of our employees for, but I don’t think I can make that a personal claim to fame; maybe my homemade cinnamon rolls?
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
After many professional experiences – market research, working in start-ups, international M&A activity, I’ve found tremendous satisfaction in being an operations leader. Finding and developing talent into an effective operations team has been more satisfying than practically anything I’ve done. It is great to feel I’ve found my personal career “niche”.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
Be tenacious and work hard; be true to your values; don’t forget the job doesn’t love you back; when one door closes, a window always opens; and remember to have some fun along the way!
Carole Fisher
President & CEO
Nathan Adelson Hospice
What is your area of influence?
End-of-life health care and public policy related to hospice and palliative care; leadership and strategic planning; creating an organizational plan that connects the financial goals of the organization to the not-for-profit mission; and developing a team of professionals and volunteers.
What is your claim to fame?
My ability to apply each of my career experiences to new and challenging settings. When the economy took a turn in late 2008, with the guidance of our Board of Trustees, I had to make hard decisions for our organization without impacting the quality of care for patients. We were able to avoid layoffs of clinical staff, keep our focus on patient care, and our foundation has returned to donation levels prior to 2008. In addition, we are still able to provide $1 million in uncompensated care annually to patients and maintain our plethora of free services.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
It’s twofold: First, I am most proud of my family. My husband and I are very close with our children and grandchildren. I am also proud of leading Nathan Adelson Hospice.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
I would advise my daughter, Brooke, to do several things: Know your customer and make them your number one priority; treat your employees with respect; act with integrity; always be prepared for the unexpected and when making decisions always do the right thing. And when all else fails, keep your sense of humor!
Kathy Gamboa
Territory Vice President
University of Phoenix
What is your area of influence?
My purpose is to facilitate life-long learning opportunities. I lead an incredible team of staff, faculty, students and alumni who open doors everyday for themselves and Nevada students. We have an obligation to make education a Nevada priority and I have the privilege of joining other Nevada educators in this crucial effort. I see the future of education as a customized experience tied directly to student needs and the skills employers in the U.S. require to be globally competitive.
What is your claim to fame?
Having a sense of humor and motivating others to deliver results, but in a fun/engaging environment where everyone feels part of the success. As a team, we engage in every interaction with a three pronged approach focused on performance, innovation and rarity to create an exceptional experience in everything we do.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
Creating environments that blend performance and fun. Culture is a large part of what we craft as leaders. Engagement of the team is critical to the culture at our campus and our peer driven committee provides opportunities to volunteer in the community or engage in activities such as Office Olympics.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
Take it on! Women can do anything in the workplace and you are only limited by yourself. When it comes to removing barriers, have the confidence to move forward. The path you choose to take and the spirit to move ahead will drive your forward both personally and professionally.
Carolyn G. Goodman
Mayor
City of Las Vegas
What is your area of influence?
As the mayor of Las Vegas I have the use of the bully pulpit to bring attention to issues. The city charter provides very few powers for the mayor, but I plan to be out front working to improve the quality of life for all Las Vegans.
What is your claim to fame?
Well other than being the mayor of the fabulous city of Las Vegas, some know me from my work in founding the Meadows School in Las Vegas. We built the school from the ground up, and today it is among the top schools in the country. I also have a quiet, reserved husband that some people may know.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
Being elected mayor and my work with the Meadows School are right up there, but I’m probably most proud of my four children. They have all moved back to Las Vegas and have great careers and families.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
To know what you want and then go get it. Work hard and be dedicated and treat others with respect.
Stephanie S. Kruse
Founder & President
KPS3 Marketing
What is your area of influence?
There are two: I have been fortunate to be able to devote my time and also KPS3’s resources to many non-profit health and human services organizations that do remarkable things for people. The second is my longstanding involvement in economic development that has created jobs and economic vitality for Nevada.
What is your claim to fame?
I get things done. KPS3 team members, clients, business colleagues, friends, and family… all know that I get things done, even in sticky, messy, challenging, complex and controversial situations.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
I’ve been able to accomplish my own version of life balance. It’s rich, diverse and enjoyable, from a successful and growing business that was created from a start-up 20 years ago, to a ton of rewarding involvement in community service, to time devoted to friends, family and fun.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
I would tell her to choose a focus for which she has a passion, because passion will help her kindle and rekindle the fire she’ll need to achieve uber-success, whatever that means for her. I’d also counsel her to “be herself”… being real is a lot more effective – and fun.
M. Susan Martinovich
Director
Nevada Department of Transportation
What is your area of influence?
I have the wonderful opportunity to be closely involved in influencing transportation planning, design, construction and policy in the State of Nevada. As well as helping develop national standards and guidelines for transportation systems. I am also part of the oversight teams for funding and implementation of national research studies and products.
What is your claim to fame?
I’m the AASHTO (American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials) President from Nevada and the first female in their 97 year history. I also represented the United States as part of the United Nations safety initiative kick-off of “A Decade of Action”. This is an initiative to reduce the number of world wide fatalities.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
Aside from raising two successful sons, I am proud of being part of the development and adoption of the Statewide Strategic Highway Safety Plan that brings all safety stakeholders together which has resulted in the reduction of fatalities in Nevada each year over the last four, to our current low. I am also proud of helping build the relationships with our transportation partners statewide.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
Trust your instinct. Give yourself options. Smile every second you can even if you don’t want to. And have fun doing whatever you do.
Pat Mulroy
General Manager
Las Vegas Valley Water District & Southern Nevada Water Authority
What is your area of influence?
Since water resources are the underpinning of everything that happens and can happen in Southern Nevada, the area we influence is relatively large. I have recently become the President of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and, in that role, represent all the cities in the country on water issues that have general impact with Congress and the Administration.
What is your claim to fame?
Within Nevada we have been on the forefront of assuring that Southern Nevada has a secure water supply despite phenomenal growth and the worst drought to hit the Colorado River system in recent times. During this period when Southern Nevada was growing exponentially there was always the fear that development would outstrip the available supply – it never happened.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
After over 20 years in this job it is hard to point to just one thing. So here is a quick list of the things that made the biggest impact: the creation of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the long string of agreements on the Colorado River and the most successful urban water conservation program in the United States
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
To be herself and never try to be a man; build your future on a strong set of core values that define who you are (live those values, don’t just espouse them); and most importantly realize that success always comes about as the result of a team effort – never take credit at the expense of your team because if you do, you will fail.
Shelby Sheehan
Evening Anchor KRNV News 4
Intermountain West Communications Company
What is your area of influence?
For the last 13 years I have been working as a news reporter and anchor for KRNV News 4. In addition to anchoring the 5pm, 6pm and 11pm shows during the week, I report on issues in our community affecting children, families and education.
What is your claim to fame?
Our audience has become very aware of News Four’s commitment to focusing on the issue of bullying in our schools through a campaign called “Anchormom”. For the last year and a half I have been encouraging students, parents, teachers and anyone who has ideas or stories about bullying to email me. The response has been amazing and we have been able to do dozens of news stories about bullying.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
I am very proud of the fact that we have helped many students and parents who felt like no one cared what was happening in our schools in regards to bullying. I think our continual coverage of the issue was part of the reason legislation was passed in Carson City to give our school districts more guidance and requirements when it comes to anti-bullying curriculum and reporting.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
I would tell her to do something that makes her feel like she is making a difference. Use all her strengths, intelligence, creativity, determination, and confidence, but combine them with compassion and a sense of humor! There will always be parts of a job you like better than others, but make sure the good ones are the majority, at the end of the day.
Debra Shwetz
Co-Founder
Nothing Bundt Cakes
What is your area of influence?
I am currently the Director of Development for Nothing Bundt Franchising Enterprises. Once our franchisees have signed their lease, I take them through the process of setting up their business, selecting a site for their Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery, lease review, floor plan review, construction coordination and each and every step necessary to purchase everything needed to open their doors. Then I attend and enjoy every grand opening!
What is your claim to fame?
I’m not sure I have a claim to fame; I am very ethical in business and truly enjoy creating and sustaining relationships both personally and professionally. I simply work hard and try to do whatever I do well without any thought of fame.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
I am very proud of starting this business in my kitchen and watching it grow (and me with it) into a 50 unit franchise system. But I am most proud of providing the opportunity to others to experience the dream of owning their own business. I truly care about each of our franchisees and their successes and failures are mine personally.
What advice would you give your daughter entering the business world?
My daughter is in the business world, my business world. She is our Director of Franchising and is charged with all of our franchise sales. If we could go back to before her college days, I would tell her to get a business degree, concentrate in finance, work very hard at something she is passionate about, and to ultimately own her own business.
Sylvia Young
President Sunrise Health System
Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)
What is your area of influence?
As Chairman of Nevada Hospital Association, I have an avenue for patient advocacy, influencing public policy and soliciting stakeholder input on important health care issues. As CEO of Sunrise Health System, I lead an organization of passionate, talented professionals dedicated to improving the health of those we serve.
What is your claim to fame?
I am proud to lead hospitals that have been recognized for excellence by US News, Consumer Choice and The Joint Commission for Accreditation of hospitals. I have been fortunate to mentor many young men and women who are now CEO’s, COO’s and CNO’s; celebrating their success gives me great personal fulfillment.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
Being a “high wire acrobat”. It’s been fun and challenging balancing a demanding career as a health system executive while raising two teenage daughters, being a wife and an athlete who loves the outdoors. Professionally, I’m proud of the hospital leaders who have worked with us and gone on to lead their own hospitals across the country.
What advice would you give your daughters entering the business world?
Work harder and smarter to differentiate yourself; plan your work, work your plan; find a mentor; never compromise your integrity; follow your gut and thank those who have helped you along the way.
