New chamber chairwoman emphasizes Las Vegas resiliency

By Richard N. Velotta (contact)

Fri, Dec 11, 2009 (3 a.m.)

Courtesy photo

McMillian

The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce doesn’t expect any philosophical changes in its government advocacy role under its new leadership and will await word on whether Gov. Jim Gibbons will call a special session of the Legislature before working on any policy position.

The chamber inducted new leadership Dec. 3 at a lunch at the Four Seasons. New Chairwoman Kristen McMillan, vice president of external relations for the western region of CenturyLink, said officers would wait to see what transpires on a special session before moving ahead.

McMillan, the new head of the board that directs the nation’s third-largest chamber of commerce, said one of her goals for 2010 would be to help Las Vegas businesses rebuild confidence in the wake of the recession. She invited fellow members to develop a “new attitude” of resilience.

“At the root of all success is confidence,” McMillan told the more than 100 people who attended the lunch.

“Confidence is what led to the formation of this chamber almost 100 years ago. It’s what enabled Depression-era dam workers to start their families and launch successful small businesses. It’s what fueled our economic expansion in the ’80s and ’90s and made this desert town an international megadestination. And it is in fact the one characteristic that will usher us through this seemingly endless economic dreariness,” she said.

McMillan said confidence doesn’t come from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong.

“Not fearing to be wrong, sometimes against the odds, standing confidently and thinking optimistically and even copping an attitude,” she said. “Thriving on doing what others say we can’t or what some say we shouldn’t. It’s in our DNA, and let’s face it, it’s what makes us who we are. I call it the Las Vegas way: confidence rolled in optimism and wrapped in attitude.”

McMillan and new board members have taken one-year terms. Other 2010 board members include Chairman-elect Michael Bonner, an attorney with Greenberg-Traurig; immediate past Chairman Steve Hill, CalPortland; Vice Chairman of Government Affairs Hugh Anderson, Anderson & Delutri at Merrill Lynch; and Vice Chairman of Finance Kevin Orrock, Howard Hughes Corp.

Other board members: Kevin Burke, Burke & Associates; Vicky VanMeetren, St. Rose Dominican Hospital; Richard Worthington, the Molasky Group; Michael Yackira, NV Energy; Bob Ansara, Ricardo’s of Las Vegas; Jay Barrett, Marnell Corrao Associates; Bob Brown, Las Vegas Review-Journal; former Sen. Richard Bryan, Lionel Sawyer Collins; Tim Cashman, Foghorn Consulting; Doris Charles, Wells Fargo Bank; Cornelius Eason, Workforce Connections; Corey Jenkins, Savmore Rent a Car; Bart Jones, Merlin Contracting & Developing; Bill Nelson, Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern; Karla Perez, Valley Health System; Gina Polovina, Boyd Gaming; Kevin Rabbitt, GES Exposition Services; Larry Singer, Grubb & Ellis; Bruce Spotleson, Greenspun Media Group; John Wilson, MedicWest Ambulance; Nancy Wong, Arcata Associates; and Michele Tell Woodrow, Preferred Public Relations.