WC Podcast

Dr. Brenda Martin-Mitchell, interim superintendent of the Clark County School District (CCSD) and a new member of the Workforce Connections Board, shares her journey from growing up in Iowa to leading one of the nation’s largest school districts. After 30 years with CCSD, starting as a special education teacher, she’s now focused on building trust in the community and attracting top educators. She...

Major General Ondra Berry, Adjutant General for the Nevada National Guard and Vegas Chamber Trustee, joins the show to share his inspiring life story. He grew up in Evansville, Indiana, and East St. Louis, Illinois, and his experience of traveling 45 minutes to attend high school left a lasting impact on him. His grandmother was crucial in encouraging him to continue his college education. His car...

Special guest host Scott Black, North Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem, talks with John Entsminger, General Manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), on the show. John grew up in Colorado and studied at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He specializes in Environmental Compliance, Water Rights, and Native American Law and has worked at SNWA for 23 years, starting as an Environmental Complian...

Hector Fernandez, CEO of Aristocrat Gaming and LVGEA board member, shares his inspiring journey from Guatemala to Los Angeles. His mother’s sacrifices enabled him to attend a private school, shaping his path to success. Hector attended Claremont McKenna College and discovered his passion for business through an internship at Ernst & Young. He believes in the importance of skills, leadership, p...

Shannon Petersen, Executive Vice President at Nevada State Bank and a board member of LVGEA, began her journey in a small Northern California town. She discovered her passion for economics and finance while studying at UC Santa Cruz. Shannon's banking career took off unexpectedly during her thesis work at the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco, laying the foundation for her leadership at N...

Vince Ciminise, Senior Vice President and Commercial Loan Manager for Valley Bank of Nevada and a Vegas Chamber Board of Trustees member, joins the show to share his journey from studying accounting to a successful banking career. He highlights his role at Valley Bank, managing a team responsible for generating new business and supporting small businesses with loans and financial advice. He discus...

Lori Calderon, General Manager of Recruiting at Empire Caterpillar, shares her career journey from St. Louis to Northeast Missouri State, where she started in Human Resources and Recruiting. With over 30 years of experience, Lori is passionate about connecting people with careers. She discusses Empire Caterpillar's role in construction, emphasizing integrity and cultural fit in recruiting. Lo...

Dr. Marc Tedoff, founder of the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Institute, joins us to share his inspiring journey and career insights. Growing up in Sea Cliff, Long Island, Dr. Tedoff attended college in upstate New York before starting his professional life as a paralegal. Torn between law school and teaching, he chose the latter, beginning as a teacher aide at a Special Education school special...

Joining the show is Glenn Christenson, managing director of Vestland Investments and longtime LVGEA board member, who shares his journey from public accounting to the casino industry and his deep commitment to philanthropy. Born in Honolulu and raised in Iowa, Glenn shifted from aspiring to play college basketball to pursuing a career in accounting and finance, earning his MBA from Ohio State Univ...

Denette Suddeth, the Regional President and head of Commercial Banking for PNC Bank joins the show today. Having moved from Southern California as a child, Denette attended local K-12 schools. She shares her journey, starting her career at UNLV while working for Nevada Title Company, and gives us a glimpse into her typical workday. Denette discusses the strategies PNC Bank uses to drive business g...

Vincent Saavedra, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building Trades and a Workforce Connections’ Program Committee member, joins the show. Born and raised in Fontana, California, Vince comes from a hard-working blue-collar family. After moving to Las Vegas, he joined the Iron Workers Union Local 416. Vince discusses the 19 construction unions that are part of the Southern Nevada...

Former US Congresswoman Shelley Berkley joins the show today.  Born in New York, Shelley moved to California at 12, but once her family stopped in Las Vegas, she knew she had found her home. She attended John C. Fremont School and was part of the first graduating class at Valley High School. Shelley then went to UNLV, where she was even the school mascot! Shelley's passion for public service...

Joining the show, Tom Andrulis, the founder of Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS) and a Las Vegas native, discusses the city's remarkable growth. His entrepreneurial journey began at 16 when he started working in food service. Over time, he transitioned through various jobs, eventually finding his way into the technology sector as a game tester, which ultimately inspired him to establish h...

Gourav Pani, President of US Independents at GoDaddy, joins the show to discuss his role overseeing the division dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship among small teams of 10 or fewer employees. He reflects on his diverse background, from growing up in India to studying in Singapore and Indiana, and now residing in Seattle. Gourav underscores the significance of the Microbusiness Summit in Las...

Joining the show is Ivan Ferraz, Senior Vice President of the Southwest division at Wells Fargo, who recently shared his remarkable journey from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the United States on the show. After graduating college, he faced challenges while adjusting to life in the U.S., working various jobs to make ends meet. He pursued further education at Cal State Los Angeles, earning degrees in e...

Joining us today is Kim Dung Ho, the founder and owner of Kim Photography, LLC. Kim takes us through her remarkable journey, from her childhood in Vietnam to her unexpected transition from a pharmacist at Roche Pharmaceuticals to pursuing an MBA at Cal State San Bernardino, ultimately leading to the establishment of Kim Photography, LLC. She candidly discusses how her initial hobby of photography...

Joining the show today is Evelyn Garcia Morales, a remarkable individual serving as the Executive Director of the Fulfillment Fund Las Vegas, President of the Clark County School District Board of Trustees, and Member of the Workforce Connections’ Program Committee. Evelyn reflects on her upbringing in Los Angeles, California, alongside her two older siblings. Her parents, immigrants from Jalisco,...

Tyler Corder, Chief Financial Officer for Findlay Automotive Group, joins the show today to talk about his roots in a rural part of Central Montana, growing up on a wheat farm, and his time at Montana State University where he earned his business degree.  His career kicked off at General Motors Acceptance Corporations (GMAC), where he started by collecting past-due car payments. Tyler's dedic...

Jill Rowland-Lagan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Boulder City Chamber, joins the show today to talk about growing up in Boulder City, venturing off to college to earn a degree in court reporting, bringing her back to Boulder City as an entrepreneur.  She talks about her passion for entrepreneurship and how Boulder City supports small businesses despite the pandemic. Jill highlights the uni...

Betsy Fretwell, the founder of C4ward Strategies and the newly appointed chair of the Vegas Chamber Board of Trustees, joins the show to talk about her upbringing in South Carolina and her academic journey at the University of Georgia, where she earned her graduate degree in Public Administration before finding her way to Las Vegas. She discusses her significant roles with the City of Las Vegas an...

 Richard Derrick, City Manager of the City of Henderson, joins the show today to share his hometown pride and insights into leading Henderson through the pandemic. A UNLV accounting graduate, he worked in the casino industry and the school district before joining the City of Henderson for the last 25 years dedicated to public service.  He reflects on navigating economic challenges during COVID-19...

Dr. Joe Hardy, Mayor of Boulder City, joins the show today to share his extraordinary journey starting with his upbringing in Reno, Nevada. He talks about being a construction foreman at age 13 while living in Utah. He will share his collegiate journey from BYU in Utah where he met his wife of 51 years, to the University of Reno (UNR), and finally to Washington University where he earned his PhD,...

Kumud Acharya, President of the Desert Research Institute (DRI), joins us for an insightful conversation today. Born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, his journey began with an inspiring educational pursuit. After earning his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering in India, he sought further knowledge in the US, culminating in a Ph. D. in science and aquatic ecology, with a graduate degree in Env...

Leila Melendez, Chief Executive Officer at Workforce Solutions Borderplex, joins the show today to talk about her upbringing in El Paso, Texas and what led her to her career path in Economic Development. Leila talks about the changes that have taken place since becoming the Chief Executive Officer. She discusses the impact of the Workforce Situation Room podcast, and the Best Places for Working Pa...

**For the subtitled video, please visit our YouTube channel: (25) Episode 31 (100th Episode overall in Spanish): Carmen Gladys Cauchi Andrade - YouTube   In this special 100th episode, Carmen Gladys Cauchi Andrade, mother of Jaime Cruz, joins the show to share her inspiring life story. Born and raised in Peru, Carmen's journey began in the Peruvian Mountains, where her grandparents embarked o...