Skancke delays departure from Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance
The outgoing CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance is going to be around a little longer than expected.
Tom Skancke, top officer of the nonprofit economic development organization since its inception in 2013, last month announced plans to resign his position at the end of April. Now, Skancke has been asked to stay until the end of June to assist in the executive transition.
“Our board met on April 2 to discuss Tom’s transition and we agreed to ask Tom to stay in his position of CEO at least through the (Nevada legislative session) and until the leadership transition is complete,” board Chairman Ray Specht said. “We have a few things we need Tom to get done and are grateful to him for agreeing to stay on until those things are complete.”
Skancke, whose annual contract with the alliance is $300,000, said Monday that he had no problem staying on the additional time since he has no immediate employment plans.
The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, successor to the Nevada Development Authority, works as the prime clearinghouse for economic development in Southern Nevada. It has a 42-member board that guides policy and works directly with the governor’s economic development office.
Skancke is recommending that President and Chief Economic Development Officer Jonas Peterson succeed him as CEO.
Peterson joined the alliance in 2013 as chief operating officer, coming from the Santa Clarita, Calif. Economic Development Corp. He has received degrees in community and economic development from Pennsylvania State University and North Dakota State University.
Peterson also is a graduate of Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute and Stanford University’s Executive Program and is a certified business retention and expansion consultant.
In 2010, he was recognized as Arizona’s “Economic Developer of the Year” by the Arizona Association for Economic Development and as the “New Economic Developer of the Year” by the International Economic Development Council.
“Basically, the board asked me to stay on through the conclusion of the legislative session and to help in the executive transition,” Skancke said.
He explained that board committees are expected to weigh in on the selection of a CEO before any appointment.
Skancke said he was growing weary of lengthy work days and is ready to move on to a new challenge.
“The plan is still the same for me now but just delayed by a few weeks,” he said.
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