Las Vegas chamber names Nevada State Bank CEO as new chairman

The Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce installed a new chairman Wednesday, one who plans to use his new position to help Las Vegas become a world-class city.

Nevada State Bank president and CEO Terry Shirey was sworn into the chamber by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman at its annual installation luncheon Wednesday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

“Now’s the time to be aspirational as a city and as a business community,” he said. “I really want to tap into that visionary leadership we have in the community and talk abo ut where we want to go next.”

Role

Mike Bolognini, 2018 chamber chairman, welcomed Shirey at the chamber’s luncheon.

“(Past chairmen have) contributed to shaping Southern Nevada, our community and the chamber itself,” he said. “I know we will be in great hands under Terry’s leadership.”

As chairman, Shirey will set the chamber’s vision and advocate for the local business community in the 2019 legislative session.

“Businesses are what are driving the growth here in Las Vegas,” he said. “At the legislature, I can bring a voice of someone who is in business, who’s a good representation of what the chamber is. I can carry that perspective with me.”

Goals

Shirey will hold the chairman position for a year, and has a laundry list of goals to accomplish in that time to help Las Vegas become a “world class city” — one that has a vibrant small business community, a diverse economy, robust education opportunities, and first-class medical care.

He plans to expand funding for local medical schools, such as the UNLV School of Medicine, and help UNLV become a tier-one research university.

“Other cities that are world class have multiple medical schools. … That’s the lifeblood of the intellectual community,” Shirey said. “A highly-educated workforce makes it much easier for businesses to hire the employees they desperately need. It leads to a better quality of life for all residents.”

Shirey also wants to introduce more pilot programs that help the city develop industries and new smart-city technology and continue to promote the city’s pro-business climate.

“We have tremendous momentum right now. … We need to stay focused on not taking for granted the pro-business climate in Nevada that has allowed the tremendous success that we’ve seen,” he said.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.