Institute board changes leaders

By Nicole Lucht

Friday, June 19, 2009 | 3 a.m.

A founding member of Nevada Cancer Institute is stepping down as chairwoman July 1 to let the new CEO better run the organization.

Heather Murren and her late brother-in-law Dr. John Murren, a lung cancer researcher and physician, are among the co-founders of the institute. Her husband, Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Mirage, is also a co-founder.

Replacing Murren at the institute is time-share kingpin Stephen Cloobeck, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas-based Diamond Resorts International.

Board member Bruce Deifik said Murren stepped aside to take a break from her leadership duties, but will remain involved in the institute and will stay on the board of directors.

“She’s not leaving,” he said, adding that she will keep her office at the institute.

Deifik is president of The Greenspun Corporation. The Greenspun family publishes In Business Las Vegas.

“She was doing everything,” he said, adding that she was often doing the work of a CEO.

Deifik said he is “very happy” Cloobeck will take over as chairman.

Murren said she wanted to make sure that the leadership role was left in capable hands.

Murren said Cloobeck’s experience on the board and his other philanthropic involvement, along with his “strong financial and global expertise and national presence make him uniquely qualified to lead” the institute and take it to the next level.

“I am very proud and touched to be able to entrust my duties as chairman to someone as dedicated to the mission of the (institute) as Stephen is,” Murren said. “He is not only passionately committed to serving those in our community touched by cancer, but also to advancing science and finding a cure.”

Cloobeck has been on the institute’s board since 2003 and headed its buildings and grounds committee.

“We are grateful to Heather Murren for her leadership and dedication to (the institute) during the eight years in which she served as chairman,” Cloobeck said. “I look forward to leading (the institute) toward its goal of becoming a national center of excellence and continuing to grow (the institute) into a research and treatment facility that Nevadans — and the nation — can be proud of.”

The board recently replaced Dr. Sandy Murdock as CEO with Dr. John Ruckdeschel, a lung cancer doctor who was one of the original consultants for the institute, and described himself as a good friend of John Murren.

“When (the board) came and hired someone who was a real CEO, someone who has done this before, it became clear to (Heather and Jim Murren) that the role that Heather had to take on, which is to be both board chairman and CEO during that interim period, had created a set of ... relationships and expectations throughout the organization that was going to be very confusing for people,” Ruckdeschel said.

“She said, ‘Look, I need to back away from that completely so people aren’t wondering which direction to go on various issues.’ And she said, ‘The only way to do that is to step back into the board role.’ ”

The mission hasn’t changed, with one exception: To be even more successful, Ruckdeschel said.

It was clear on Murren’s part that she needed to back away so Ruckdeschel could run the institute, he said.

“She needed to back away from both of the jobs and let it be very clear that (I am) the CEO and (am) running the place,” Ruckdeschel said. “She is not a shrinking violet, she will remain incredibly active in the organization going forward. We’re on a pathway to make decisions, get things done now in ways that are more business savvy, and I think are good and positive for the institute, the state, the county and at the end of this, the patients.”

Cloobeck reverts to a more traditional role of chairman, Ruckdeschel said.

There is no term set for the chairperson. It is reviewed annually.

In 2003 the state Legislature established the institute as Nevada’s official cancer institute.