Total bill for regents’ retreat will be about $8,000

Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005 | 7:06 a.m.

University system regents are sequestering themselves at the MonteLago Village Resort at Lake Las Vegas today and Friday in hopes of fostering board "cohesiveness."

The cost for the two-day workshop: $8,000.

About $3,000 of that price is for hotel rooms for 12 of the 13 regents, even though eight of the people staying at the hotel live in the Las Vegas Valley.

The only regent not staying overnight is valley resident Steve Sisolak. He said because of family obligations he will only be attending today's portion of the workshop.

The event is to run from 2 p.m. today until noon Friday.

Nevada System of Higher Education officials estimated that they will spend $1,600 for a 20-person dinner tonight at MonteLago's Luna Rossa Italian restaurant. The $80-a-person dinner includes all 13 regents, Chancellor Jim Rogers, Vice Chancellors Dan Klaich and Jane Nichols, facilitator Gordon Zimmerman and two staff members running the workshop.

A board development committee included the social component of the dinner and the overnight stay to help regents develop better relationships with each other, committee chairman James Dean Leavitt said.

"I often tell people that board development is the most important committee and the least important committee," Leavitt said.

"Frankly, if you can't get people working with some type of unity and harmony, it disintegrates. We saw that with (the controversy that surrounded the demotions of former CCSN President Ron) Remington and (former lobbyist John) Cummings. After that episode in higher ed history, the board was broken."