June Cleaver wouldn’t recognize the Nevada business scene in 2003, as more and more young women are following the trails blazed by their elders and taking their places alongside men in leadership roles. Instead of vacuuming the house in high heels and pearls, today’s woman is likely to be chairing a corporate meeting in a power suit, supervising a construction project in a hard hat, or riding a Harley in leathers on her day off.
We received many nominations of women who deserved to be honored as Nevada leaders, and those chosen by our editorial committee were asked to provide brief summaries of their accomplishments. They were also asked the following questions: “Did you have a mentor when you were first starting out? Did you experience any barriers to advancement because of your gender? Do you see yourself as a role model for other women? What advice would you give a young woman just starting out in your field?”
We hope their profiles and their answers provide some insight into what it means to be a businesswoman in Nevada, and we salute these Women to Watch for their accomplishments and their leadership.
Construction
Leah Bryant
In her role as president of KB Home’s Las Vegas division, Leah Bryant is responsible for all divisional operations, including land acquisition, construction, purchasing, customer service, sales and marketing. KB Homes is the largest homebuilder in Nevada, delivering 2,945 homes to families in 2002. Bryant joined Lewis Homes in 1978 in the sales and marketing department and in1989, she was named regional president for the company. When Lewis Homes was acquired by KB Home (formerly Kaufman and Broad) in January 1999, Bryant was named Las Vegas division president for the combined organization, and took on the task of integrating the personnel, computer systems and facilities of the two homebuilders. She now manages more than 360 people. Prior to joining Lewis Homes, Bryant was involved in several fields, including real estate, social work and education.
“Goldy Lewis was one of the founders of Lewis Homes of Nevada, and her sons recognized that she was instrumental in the success of their business. Therefore, their preconceived ideas of what a woman could bring to their business were positive, and they provided me and other women with tremendous opportunities.”
Gwen Scaggiari
Gwen Scaggiari is a partner in Parker Scaggiari, a Las Vegas interior design firm. She worked in the interior design field in the Phoenix area before coming to Nevada in 1978. She has been involved in the interior design of, and planning for, many large corporate projects in Las Vegas, including a wide variety of design projects in excess of 1 million square feet. Scaggiari worked with the Legislative Coalition of Interior Designers-Nevada (LCIDN) to draft the language for a 1995 statute licensing interior designers in Nevada. Today, she holds Nevada registration number 002 as a Registered Interior Designer. Scaggiari is known in the local design community for her contribution to young designers through critiques and presentations at the UNLV School of Architecture and Interior Design Programs, and through her mentorship for the profession.
“One of my mentors when I first started in the design field in Phoenix was Rea Edmondson, who taught me to think outside the box and do whatever is necessary. My first week on the job, a trucking strike in Chicago meant a client’s chairs would be delayed past the date of their open house. Rea flew our service department to Chicago to bring back the chairs in a rental truck, and the client never even knew there had been a problem.”
Kathy Smith
Kathy Smith is president and owner of VPoint Engineers, the largest woman-owned engineering company in Nevada, with 40 engineers and surveyors in offices in Henderson and Reno. VPoint provides land planning, civil engineering and construction staking on municipal and private projects throughout Nevada. Smith’s civil engineering experience started with airport planning and engineering projects for large and small airports in all parts of the state. The VPoint Reno office specializes in municipal projects, including water storage tanks and reservoirs, water supply and well pumping, sewer collection systems, rehabilitation of streets, roads and highways, surface hydrology and storm drain design. The VPoint Las Vegas office is currently working on the Southern Beltway and the Henderson City Hall Expansion, as well as residential projects for master-planned communities, homes and apartments.
“When I was a senior in high school, I really wanted to attend a technical drafting school in Arizona, but the recruiter who spoke to me said women were less likely to complete the school because they couldn’t keep up with classroom work, and most dropped out to get married. So, when his school accepted me and offered me a work program, I turned it down.”
Financial Services
Jackie DeLaney
Jackie DeLaney is founding president and CEO for Sun West Bank, the first bank in the state of Nevada to be organized by a woman. Sun West specializes in banking services and loans for small to medium-sized businesses, professionals, commercial real estate and construction trades. DeLaney, with 29 years of experience in banking, previously served as: executive vice president and chief operating officer for Sun State Bank; president/CEO, Nevada Community Reinvestment Corporation; and vice president/team manager, First Interstate Bank. Memberships and affiliations include: board of directors, Nevada Development Capital Corporation; member, Nevada Bankers Association, American Bankers Association and the Western Independent Bankers Association. She is involved with several community groups, including the UNLV Foundation and UNR Foundation, the Jean Nidetch Women’s Center at UNLV, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Ronald McDonald House of Greater Las Vegas.
“I do think things have improved over time, as more women achieve significant management positions, especially in banking. It is fair to say the men in charge over the years figured out they were better served by selecting and hiring the most qualified person for the job, regardless of gender.”
Lori Haney
Lori Haney started her banking career with First Interstate Bank in 1981. After working her way up through the teller ranks and into sales, she became a financial service manager for FIB’s three Carson City branches in 1993. She went on to a position with Pioneer Citizens Bank in 1997 as a vice president and branch manager. She currently manages Business Bank of Nevada’s Carson City branch. She is also actively involved in the community, and serves on the board of directors of the Carson City Rotary Club and as president of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada. She is involved with the Northern Nevada Development Authority and Western Nevada Development District.
“Weldon Lary, district manager of First Interstate Bank, was a great mentor and influence in my banking career. He once told me, ‘Don’t bring me complaints – bring me solutions.’ To this day, I remember his advice and use it in the work environment as well as in my everyday life.”
Margaret Maul
Margaret E. Maul is the only woman in Nevada to serve as the founder and CEO of a nationally prominent capital management firm. Maul Capital Management, which she founded in 1997, provides clients with comprehensive financial services, including investment planning, portfolio management, retirement planning, fixed-income planning and international investing. A certified financial planner, Maul has earned recognition as one of the nation’s top-producing financial planners since 1979. Under her leadership, Maul Capital Management was recently named one of the best–managed independent investment advisory firms in the nation by the Financial Planning Association. Prior to the formation of Maul Capital Management, she was a senior vice president for investments with Prudential Securities, where she had been a member from 1985 to 1997 of its Chairman’s Council for the top 1 percent of Prudential Securities associates.
“As a woman in the field of finance, there most certainly have been obstacles, and being takenseriously is at the top of the list. Answers given by male advisors are generally accepted, but those given by female advisors generally need to be proven. I would advise any young woman enteringthe field to be patient, have conviction of purpose, stay focused and do what she believes in.”
Healthcare
Erin MacDonald
Erin MacDonald is chief of staff of Sierra Health Services, a diversified healthcare company headquartered in Las Vegas. Through its subsidiaries, Sierra provides and administers the delivery of managed-care benefit plans for employers, government programs and individuals. MacDonald joined the company in 1980, and served as president of the company’s HMO from 1985 to 1992 and as president of Sierra Health and Life Insurance Co., Inc. from 1990 to 1992. She has been a member of the SHS board of directors since 1992, and served as senior vice president of operations for Sierra Health Services from 1992 to 1994, and as president and chief operating officer from 1992 to 2000. MacDonald holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from UNLV and also attended the Harvard School of Public Health Systems Management.
“In any field, there are some basic things you need to succeed and advance, including: having a passion for what you do, since you’ll be doing it many hours per day; learning all you can about your specific area and related fields; remembering that effectively communicating your idea to those who will execute it will help ensure your success.”
Diane Pollard
In addition to her work as president of RPSC Medical Billing Management and director of marketing for Rainbow Medical Centers, Diane Pollard dedicates a great deal of her time to scholarship programs, cultural and community events, women’s organizations and health education programs. The former junior and senior high school teacher has worked to promote education and cultural understanding through art. Along with her husband, Dr. Anthony Pollard, she started the Art for Education program, which funds scholarships for disadvantaged youths in the Clark County School District. For the past 12 years, the Rainbow Dreams Scholarship has provided the financial means for many Las Vegas students to attend college. Pollard helped establish the first Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival, an annual celebration that marks the ending of slavery after the Civil War. Proceeds from the event benefit the Academy of African American Studies in Las Vegas.
“I see myself as a mentor in that I encourage others to be honest with themselves and with others. Honesty, combined with a strong work ethic, are keys to success in any profession. The Rainbow Dreams Scholarships provide financial support to high school students so they can follow their dreams of higher education, and I mentor some of these students.”
Karla Perez
Karla J. Perez was recently named CEO/managing director of Spring Valley Hospital, a 176-bed, full-service acute-care facility scheduled to open in this fall in southwest Las Vegas. Spring Valley Hospital will be the fourth Las Vegas hospital within The Valley Health System, currently comprised of Desert Springs, Summerlin and Valley hospitals. Perez most recently served more than two years as CEO/managing director of Desert Springs Hospital and was instrumental in the successful 1997 launch of Summerlin Hospital, during which time she served as that facility’s chief operating officer. In her new position, Perez will lead business development and physician recruitment efforts, while being ultimately accountable for the hospital’s overall operations and financial performance. Perez has worked in the Las Vegas healthcare community for nearly 20 years, beginning her career in 1983 as a medical records clerk at Valley Hospital.
“I would advise any young person entering the healthcare field, ‘Always be willing to take risks. If you want to move up in your profession, keep your horizons broad and look beyond your comfort zone. You don’t have to be stereotyped.’”
Professions
Leilani Bradford
Leilani Bradford, CPA, founded LL Bradford with her husband, Lance, in 1995. Since then, LL Bradford has become one of Las Vegas’ 10 largest CPA firms, employing approximately 30 employees. Bradford is very involved in the administrative functions at LL Bradford, as well as servicing non-profit clients, such as the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. She also specializes in working with clients who are women business owners, or co-own businesses with their husbands. Bradford serves on the board of directors at the American Help Foundation, a non-profit organization she and her husband founded just after Sept. 11, 2001, whose goal is to improve the quality of life for less fortunate Americans through financial support, counseling, promotion of self-sufficiency and other assistance. Bradford earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UNR, and her first professional experience was at a small accounting firm in Reno.
“There are several women in our office who are pursuing their accounting degrees, and some are pursuing their CPA certification. I am there to encourage them to accomplish their goals and persevere through the rough times. An accounting background is a good foundation for many different types of business areas. I feel the possibilities are endless.”
Pat Lundvall
As a partner at McDonald Carano Wilson and chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, Pat Lundvall has earned a reputation as one of Nevada’s top trial lawyers. She has broad experience in every phase of commercial litigation, from pleading and motion practice through discovery, settlement, trial and appeal. She has successfully represented clients in both judge and jury trials in state and federal court, as well as on appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, she has served as local and coordinating counsel for many complex, multi-district litigations. In 2001 she was board-certified in Civil Litigation by the National Board of Trial Advocates. She is the author of The Rise and Fall of the Antitrust Exemption for the Business of Insurance, as well as numerous publications for professional seminars.
“I would advise young women, as well as young men, starting out in the legal profession to make a choice. Decide whether you want to be well-liked or well-respected by your peers, because you cannot be both in the practice of law.”
Ronnie Sloan
In January 2003, Ronnie Sloan was named a partner and shareholder of Fair, Anderson & Langerman, CPAs (FAL), one of the few female majority-owned CPA firms in the state. Sloan’s position is unique, in that she is not herself a CPA. Prior to joining the FAL team in October 2000, Sloan was employed for nearly 10 years at Jeffrey L. Burr & Associates, a prominent estate-planning firm. There, her extensive management skills and leadership ability propelled her from controller to executive operations director.
Her administrative responsibilities at FAL include staffing and training, with a goal of bringing individuals to the firm who fit in with the corporate culture. Sloan, a native Nevadan, is very involved in the community and volunteers her time to various organizations. She was co-founder of Seeds of Light, a non-profit organization created to provide support to the Mash Village Shelter women’s division.
“I would encourage young people to push the envelope a little bit, stretching themselves to see what they can accomplish. If their company encourages them to do that, they are in the right place. If not, it’s better to find another company.”
Public Service
Lou Gamage
Lou Gamage serves as president of the Nevada Community Foundation (NCF), where she oversees administration of the foundation’s 80 charitable funds, totaling more than $13 million. NCF’s mission is to match donors’ philanthropic interests to community needs. Prior to her employment with the foundation, Gamage served in a variety of capacities during her 18-year tenure with Nevada’s former U.S. senator, Richard Bryan. She served as the senator’s finance director, special projects coordinator, congressional aide, scheduler, constituent representative, personal liaison and political designee. Gamage has been a member of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce for more than 15 years and served on the chamber’s Community Council Board of Directors and as the chairperson of the Speakers Bureau. Gamage volunteers for several organizations, including National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Andre Agassi Foundation.
“My mentor was my mother. As I was growing up, I was surrounded by many examples of her giving back to the community, so it was only natural for me to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I started volunteering as a young girl and have continued public service throughout my life.”
Dr. Jane Nichols
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Dr. Jane Nichols was appointed by the Board of Regents to serve as chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) on September 8, 2000. Prior to this appointment, she held the positions of interim chancellor and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. Before joining UCCSN in 1997, Nichols served as the associate dean of the College of Education at UNR, where she had been a faculty member since 1984 in the department of social work. Nichols earned her doctorate in higher education with a concentration in administration and statistics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also holds a master’s degree in social work with emphasis in administration and casework from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a bachelor of arts degree with distinction in psychology and a concentration in mathematics from Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College.
“I have always tried to reach out and mentor younger women, encouraging them to aspire to be the best they can be. I have found the primary impediment for many women is low aspirations. I hope my job today as chancellor sends a message that all women should consider every job as possible for them.”
Resort/Tourism
Michonne Ascuaga
In 1997, when Michonne Ascuaga was named CEO of John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, she became only the second woman to run a major hotel-casino in Northern Nevada. In her first years at the Nugget, Ascuaga worked in the credit, accounting and marketing departments and eventually managed convention sales. Her current duties encompass overseeing the hotel sales and marketing areas, in addition to her involvement in finance and budgeting. She played a major role in establishing the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off, which brings 300,000 visitors to the Sparks/Reno area each Labor Day Weekend. Ascuaga serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Basque Studies, the Nevada Museum of Art and the University of Santa Clara Board of Regents. She is a trustee of the UNR Foundation and a former board member of the Sierra Arts Foundation.
“Of course, one of my first mentors was and is my father, John Ascuaga. My dad has always introduced me to people and pushed me, even as a young girl. Mary Ann Lanahan, the Nugget’s Convention Sales Director when I started working in that department, was ferocious on going after new business. She taught me how to go after business, which is a skill that serves you well.”
Renee West
Renee West was recently named president and chief operating officer for Primm Valley Resorts, making her one of the highest-ranking female gaming executives in the state. West had served as vice president of human resources at Primm, located at the Nevada-California border, since 2000. Prior to joining Primm Valley Resorts, West served in senior training and employee development roles at both Caesars Palace and Station Casinos. She also served as vice president of product and service delivery for Rapport Leadership International and provided strategic planning and organizational development services for MGM Grand Inc., Station Casinos, Caesars Tahoe, Southwest Gaming, Phelps Dodge Mining, Andronico’s Foods, Beazer Homes, Christopher Homes and Summerlin Hospital, among others.
