Smith Center was crown jewel in cardiologist’s 20 years on foundation board

Most people look at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and see merely an arts and entertainment facility. When Dr. Keith Boman looks at it, he sees the fruition of many years of work.

Boman, a cardiologist and Summerlin-area resident, is one of the visionaries who worked tirelessly to see The Smith Center built at 361 Symphony Park Ave.

Susan Boskoff, executive director of the Nevada Arts Council, became acquainted with Boman when he served on that entity’s board.

“I think he’s passionate about his community, passionate about the arts and passionate about making sure … all communities have great facilities to bring the work of artists and audiences together,” she said.

Boman is a Las Vegas native. His late father, George, worked for nearly 40 years for Clark County Wholesale, which was on Main Street. His father was heavily involved in civic organizations such as Rotary and was president of the chamber of commerce. His mother, Jeane, spent her free time helping in the area of child welfare.

Boman graduated from Clark High School, 4291 Pennwood Ave., and was its first student body president. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, then went to the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences and completed his post-graduate training at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He returned to the desert to work as a cardiologist.

“He’s the best doctor to work for, ever,” said Deedee Miliani, a front office worker at his medical office. “He’s very calm, very fair … A very kind, good-hearted man.”

Before his work to make The Smith Center a reality, Boman had made an impact on Las Vegas by pushing to make defibrillators a staple in casinos. He said that was an uphill battle.

“This is an odd community,” Boman said. “Implementing something is very difficult, but once they buy into it, it’s, like, full speed ahead.”

He said that was the case with The Smith Center.

“There were a number of times when I thought I was just crazy, spending my spare time working on the project,” Boman said. “It was just me and (Nevada Ballet Theatre founder) Nancy Houssels. … She and I just kept the fire burning for a number of years.”

Boman said they looked for a location for The Smith Center and tried to get public funding.

“It was a very political process,” he said. “Initially, it was going to be room tax … (until Clark County Commissioner) Chris Giunchigliani said, ‘You know, in Reno, they built a ballpark based on a rental car tax.’ ”

It took six years to implement, but eventually bonds were sold based on the rental car tax idea.

Boman was a trustee on the board of directors for the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation for 20 years. He had to step aside when the foundation decided to give The Smith Center $50 million. It later gave another $100 million.

“It was a passion of mine and the best thing I ever got involved in,” Boman said.

Earlier this year, the Reynolds Foundation also pledged to support Super Summer Theatre through a $600,000 grant, to be paid in two installments. The grant is being made in recognition of Boman, who is now retired from the board.

Boman has been in private practice since 1998, which allowed him to schedule his time so he could stay on with The Smith Center project to completion. He said being on the foundation’s board and working with its chairman, Fred W. Smith, for whom The Smith Center is named, was a great opportunity.

“Vegas has been very good to me,” he said. “… The way (the Reynolds Foundation runs) that organization — it’s like a business, without making money — taught me a lot.”

Boman said he plans to wind down his practice as he takes on a new task as a chief medical officer for WellHealth Quality Care. He plans to transition to full time within that company in the next two years. He also is producing the award-winning musical “The Last Five Years” Nov. 6-9 at UNLV’s Judy Bayley Theatre.

Contact Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 702-387-2949.