The Neon Museum Board of Trustees welcomes new members, confirms new officers
LAS VEGAS – Jeff Victor and Michele Quinn have joined The Neon Museum Board of Trustees. The board also approved a new slate of officers who will take office July 1. Stevi Wara, senior vice president of sales and marketing special projects at Hilton Grand Vacations, will serve as board chair, taking over for Uri Vaknin whose tenure included notable achievements including the museum receiving its national accreditation from American Alliance of Museums and conducting a search for a new executive director. Joining Wara as officers are Adam Barthelmess, president of Clear Channel Outdoor Las Vegas, as vice chair; John Restrepo, principal of RCG Economics, as treasurer; and Tim Hunter, senior counsel at Travelers Insurance Company, as secretary.
“The leadership of The Neon Museum’s Board of Trustees is integral to the continued success and future growth of the museum,” said Aaron Berger, executive director of The Neon Museum. “The addition of Jeff and Michele bring to the board a breadth of experience in the hospitality and arts industries that will help to build partnerships and enhance our collaborations. The Board and staff are excited to welcome the new members and begin strategically plotting the museum’s educational initiatives, expansion opportunities, while continuing to ensure an unforgettable guest experience.”
With over 35 years of professional business management experience, Jeff Victor has worked in a variety of entertainment segments including concerts, festivals, special events, stage shows, and amusement parks and attractions, the majority of which have been in, or associated with, the casino/hospitality industry. For the past seven years, he has served as vice president of operations for Circa Hospitality Group and its properties including The D Casino, the Golden Gate Casino, the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center, and Circa Casino. He previously served as president of the Fremont Street Experience for nearly a decade. A father of three Nevada-born sons, he is active on various professional and community organizations, including as a member of Young Presidents Organization, graduate of Leadership Las Vegas, founding member of the Downtown Vegas Alliance, board member of Fremont 
Street Experience, and board member of Las Vegas Business Academy.
Michele Quinn has built a career as a gallerist and private art consultant, specializing in post-war and contemporary art. She has served as curatorial advisor for some the largest private and corporate contemporary art collections in the country. After a successful art career in New York City, working for high profile institutions such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Brooke Alexander and Gemini GEL at Joni Weyl, Quinn returned to her childhood home of Las Vegas in 2003 to explore new opportunities for her contemporary art interests and elevate the city’s status as a cultural arts destination. Through the years, Michele Quinn/MCQ FINE ART has served as the art consultant to several major corporate collections, including Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts and Station Casinos. She is a certified member of the Women’s Business Enterprise, a previous board member and current member of the Association of Professional Art Advisors, and a prior member of ArtTable, a leadership organization for professional women in the arts. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Art Museum at Symphony Park and transitioned to the Board of Trustees for the Nevada Museum of Art in 2018 when the two entities merged.
Editor’s notes: High resolution photos of new officers and board members can be downloaded online. Interviews with Executive Director available; please coordinate with Amy Maier at amy@twgpr.com.
ABOUT THE NEON MUSEUM:
Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment. Fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), The Neon Museum has been ranked No. 1 in Las Vegas Weekly’s list of “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History,” Nevada’s “Best Museum” by MSN, No. 1 Pop Culture museum and one of the 10 Best Museums in Las Vegas by USA Today’s 10best.com, “One of the Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” by Forbes.com, one of the “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” by Vegas.com; one of “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” by VacationIdea.com; and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor. On its 2.27-acre campus, The Neon Museum has an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard; the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non-operational signs; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The museum collection also includes nine restored signs installed as public art in downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, and arts conservation represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects. For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit www.neonmuseum.org. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.
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