Q&A with Jim Heilmann, general manager of Fashion Show mall

Jim Heilmann has managed shopping centers in Northbrook, Ill.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Tucson, Ariz.; and now, the Las Vegas Strip.

Heilmann, 43, is the general manager of the Fashion Show mall, the Strip retail center popular with Las Vegas-area fashionistas and tourists alike.

He took on the job around Thanksgiving after spending seven years overseeing Park Place mall on the east side of Tucson.

Heilmann’s boss is General Growth Properties, based in downtown Chicago. General Growth runs 120 shopping centers in 40 states, offering 125 million square feet of retail space.

Another well-known local retail space owned by General Growth is The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, not too far from Fashion Show.

Heilmann is a Chicago native who took a job with General Growth as an analyst when he was 26 years old.

He stayed at the job for about two years before securing an assistant manager post at a mall in Northbrook.

Then, it was off to Kalamazoo to redevelop a mall in Michigan, where he worked for five years, before he traded the Midwest chill for the Southwest heat with the manager’s job in Tucson.

“In our business,” Heilmann pointed out, “we tend to move a lot.”

What’s your favorite thing to do to unwind from work or the office?

Spend time with my family. I’m married to my wife, Jennifer, and we have two daughters — Gretchen, who is turning 8, and Gillian, who is 9. We’re still new, making new friends, getting to know Las Vegas. We like to see the sights.

And what do you like so far?

Visiting the Children’s Museum and the Red Rock conservation area. And riding bikes.

Since you’re the GM of a mall known for fashion, how would you describe your own fashion style?

(Laughs) Oh boy, fashion style. I’d say it’s low-key. I dress appropriately for my age. I keep it simple. I would say it’s contemporary to go with a slim fit.

Where’s your favorite place to visit on the Strip?

I’d like to say that I’m spending a lot of time on the Strip, but I haven’t done that. My wife and I, however, spent a couple of days at the Aria and that was great. We really enjoyed it.

What has surprised you the most about Las Vegas since you moved here?

What I really, really like about Las Vegas is that it seems that the business community as a whole seems to be on the same page in a lot of ways regarding growing the business in the city and planning for the future to make Las Vegas continue to improve.

Do you have a favorite lunch place to go to in the mall or on the Strip?

I really like Chipotle. It’s near The Runway. It’s good for a quick lunch.