Veteran economic developer Somer Hollingsworth to retire

Somer Hollingsworth, executive vice president at the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, will retire March 31 after nearly 20 years with the LVGEA and its predecessor organization, the Nevada Development Authority, officials said Wednesday in a statement.

Hollingsworth led the NDA as president and chief executive officer for many years and has helped shepherd the transition from the NDA to the LVGEA during the past two years.

“This has been an amazing run,” Hollingsworth said in the statement. “I grew up here in Las Vegas, and I have watched this place transform from a town in the desert to a huge, globally competitive city. It’s been incredible to play an active role in that transformation. Over the years, I’ve worked with many great people in my time here, and we’ve had a lot of fun working to improve this state. This is an exciting time for Southern Nevada, and it’s an exciting time for me too. I’m ready for the next chapter in my life.”

Hollingsworth first joined the organization in 1995 after a career in banking and consulting.

“For the past few decades, Somer Hollingsworth has been synonymous with economic development in Southern Nevada,” Ray Specht, chairman of the board of the LVGEA, said in the statement. “He has been a true believer in the promise of our region, and his work is visible in this county in the form of the hundreds of firms he has assisted in relocating or expanding during the past 20 years.”