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'' THE RISE OF THE VEGAS FEMALE POWERHOUSE Now more than ever, many of the power positions in Las Vegas are held by women. Is there something in the political or cultural climate that has shifted to make this possible? Jenna Morton: I do have an answer to that, but I don't know if it's the expected answer. It isn't necessarily that it's women leading; it's the people who are best at that moment to do what needs to be done. Betsy Fretwell: I agree with that. I feel very fortunate because I have a lot of men on the [City] Council who voted me in as the city manager. Virginia Valentine had been a city manager before and had filled that role, which a woman had never filled before. It's about performing and being the right fit for these leadership positions. Carolyn Goodman: It's certain that the times have changed and it's a very different era that we're living in, and the young girls today, whatever age they are, feel empowered. Susie Lee: I think also in this community, we're dealing with issues that are traditional mama bear issues. You're looking at a system of education that is underfunded, and we're almost last in the country in graduation rate. We have a mental health system that's in crisis. These are community issues that I really feel women take to heart and feel that they have to try to solve. FEMALE MENTORS IN LAS VEGAS Las Vegas has been considered a male- dominated city, but some of the most interesting and groundbreaking figures in our city's history have been women. Who have been your inf luencers? Punam Mathur: I look at Jan Jones Blackhurst [Las Vegas's first female mayor and currently executive vice president of communications and government affairs for Caesars], and when she ran for mayor, it was an example of one very capable person rising to that top spot. But in that one action, she doubled the possibilities of who could be mayor. Once that happens, then it's a meritocracy. In the gaming industry, for many years only men could be attorneys, and it took the first couple of women attorneys to completely redefine the possibilities for women. Fretwell: Thalia Dondero was a great example of that. When I was a young analyst at Clark County, I listened to her talk about being the first female county commissioner [in 1974] and having all those guys look at her and say, "Start taking the notes." And she's like, "I'm the same as you. Are you kidding me?" Camille Ruvo: There's Patty Becker [chairwoman of Bally Technologies' compliance committee and president of the gaming consulting firm Patricia Becker & Associates]. She has always been humble about her position within the gaming industry, and I like to think that most of the women in this city are very humble human beings. Morton: Obviously, Elaine Wynn is a mentor to several of us. With incredible success, she is very humble, and her focus has always been that it's about success for the entire community. She's worked meticulously her entire life to make the changes that need to be made for this community. Mathur: My Elaine Wynn story was personally a life changer. In interviewing for a position with her, I said to her, "If what you want is what you've witnessed for the last six years, I want to be clear: The reason I left the Chamber [of Commerce] was to be a mom, because I wanted a life that had more in it than just that." She said to me, "You just became more desirable." I tell that story because in one phrase she gave me complete permission to never subordinate my children ever, and that's huge. MAKING IT IN LAS VEGAS None of the women in this room need to wonder if they can break through the glass IN THIS COMMUNITY, WE'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF MAMA BEAR ISSUES... COMMUNITY ISSUES THAT WOMEN TAKE TO HEART AND FEEL THEY HAVE TO TRY TO SOLVE." —SUSIE LEE 128 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 126-131_V_F_Roundtable_MAYJUNE_14.indd 128 4/21/14 5:14 PM