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Home , 60 Miles an Hour, Carolyn Goodman, Irwin Molasky, Jackie Gleason, James Burrows, Marilu Henner

FEATURE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY METELLUS

In this, Luxury's first ever “Power Influencer” issue, we present to you an impressive array of individuals who’ve been integral in enriching our community in the areas of gaming, education, arts and culture, hospitality, philanthropy and development.

april 2016 | luxurylv.com 53 FEATURE | POWER INFLUENCER

STRATEGIC THINKING PROCESS

Donald Snyder’s success is a result of taking tough jobs, solving problems and building consensus

BY MATT KELEMEN

Donald Snyder left his position as acting president In a city where mavericks traditionally played with of the University of , at the end of their cards close to their chests, Snyder made it a 2015 to make way for incoming president, Len Jessup, point always to lay his on the table face up. Although but he continues to serve as presidential adviser for he arrived in Vegas with his family via Reno, Nev., as strategic initiatives. president of First Interstate Bank—which later was consolidated into Wells Fargo—his experience coming The co-founder of Bank of Nevada and prime mover into an unfamiliar situation and building consensus to behind the development of The Smith Center for the tackle tough problems worked to his benefit in the still- Performing Arts has been active with the university young city. since shortly after arriving in Las Vegas in 1987, but that initial involvement only would be the beginning of what “A lot of what I’ve done over the years I categorize would become a wide spectrum of community service more as community building,” he says, crediting his and philanthropic endeavors. wife Dee’s involvement with the Discovery Children’s Museum as the Snyders’ first foray into Vegas “I got involved from a business point of view,” said volunteerism and philanthropy. “This is building the Snyder. “The first job I had, being the CEO of the type of community that we need that we didn’t have largest bank in the state, was recruiting talent to move a chance to do when we were growing so rapidly. The here from other places. analogy I often use is its hard to change tires on a car going 60 miles an hour, and this economy was very “I could get the executive excited about the professional much like that. The need and the opportunity to get challenge, but then the executive would go home and involved with the community and effect some change talk with his family, who would say very much what my was possible and rewarding.” family said to me, ‘You want us to move where?’” Snyder formed relationships with other Vegas influencers, Snyder went from initially seeing the things Las Vegas such as and , but his most needed in order to become a major city that would enduring friendship would prove to be with William attract professional talent, to becoming fully immersed Boyd of . Impressed by what he witnessed in helping materialize them. Along the way, he became as a client of First Interstate Bank—Snyder’s advocacy one of the most influential and trustworthy figures in was a key factor in moving the bank’s headquarters from the upper echelons of Las Vegas’ post-’80s business Reno to Vegas—Boyd asked Snyder to form BankWest and nonprofit circles, serving on 15 corporate boards. of Nevada with him, starting with assets of $8 million.

54 luxurylv.com | april 2016 UNLV Vice President for Government Affairs, Diversity Initiatives and Compliance Luis UNLV Interim President Don Snyder addresses the Valera, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, UNLV Interim President Don Snyder during campus Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents, visit, Sept. 22, 2014. (R. Marsh Starks / UNLV Photo Services) Nov. 18, 2014 (Aaron Mayes/UNLV Photo Services)

BankWest later became Bank of Nevada, and its parent “But I think that flexibility in terms of approaching holding company, Western Alliance Bancorporation, is situations not only gave me a diverse career as a banker, now worth more than $13 billion. but also the ability to take a banking background and apply it successfully to other things like the gaming Boyd then encouraged Snyder to get involved with industry and academia.” what would become the Experience. Downtown’s , including Boyd Gaming’s Boyd later asked Snyder to serve as president of Boyd and Fremont -casinos, and Main Street Gaming Corp., an office he retired from in 2005. But Station, had lost clientele and revenue to new resorts his involvement in FSE led to him being asked to on the Strip, and Boyd had confidence in Snyder’s attend a 1994 meeting regarding the city’s need for a approach to problem-solving. Snyder agreed under performing arts center. two conditions: the parties involved had to agree to go through a business-planning process and the “People like Steve and Elaine Wynn and (then The principals—industry icons such as Boyd, Jack Binion, Howard Hughes Corp. president and CEO) John Jackie Gaughan and Jeanne Hood—had to be at Goolsby hosted what I call the first community action the table because tough decisions were going to have meeting,” said Snyder. “Steve Wynn stood up at the to be made. meeting and said, ‘We’re the largest community in North America that doesn’t have a world-class Key elements of Snyder’s strategic thinking process performing arts center, and we need to change that.’” include assessment, clarity and consensus, creating a vision—“What do you want to be when you grow At the time, Snyder was working on FSE with Wynn and up?”—and defining success. his colleagues, and Goolsby sat on the board at First Interstate Bank. “I think being a banker and having the opportunity to be thrust into some difficult situations that I had no “Being at that meeting and hearing that message, knowledge of forced me to develop a learning style and being around the people who were committed to and then a leadership style that could be applied to the cultural side of that made my commitment, from a different situations,” said Snyder, adding that making it business point of view, just kind of fit in,” said Snyder. a point to take on the toughest challenges early on in “It was relatively easy to then say, ‘This is something his career made him a go-to person. that will make a difference.’”

april 2016 | luxurylv.com 55 FEATURE | POWER INFLUENCER

UNLV Interim President Don Snyder gives the annual State of the University Address, Sept. 18, 2014. (R. Marsh Starks / UNLV Photo Services)

Snyder, who now serves as The Smith Center’s But it’s Snyder’s service as a board member of chairman of the board, oversaw the 18-year process, Nathan Adelson Hospice that Molasky is personally and when it was time to add a full-time professional grateful for. to the team of volunteers, he brought in current CEO and President Myron Martin. “Don came on the board at a very challenging time for the hospice,” said the chairman of the Molasky “Don Snyder is the single most gifted leader I have Group and Hospice co-founder. “He took charge ever known,” said Martin, who described Snyder’s and turned it around financially so that thousands leadership skills as unmatched and considers him of patients will be able to have dignified end of life, “the best mentor I’ve ever had… There would be no regardless of their ability to pay. I am forever grateful, Smith Center without Don Snyder. His tireless efforts and I am proud to call Don Snyder my friend.” made this extraordinary gift to the community possible. When the history books are written about Snyder served as chairman of the board at the this period in Nevada history, Don Snyder will hospice for several years, and considers both deserve his own chapter, if not his own book.” Molasky and Boyd as mentors. He is committed to “developing the next generation of leaders and Martin said countless nonprofit organizations owe community builders” as well, which next-generation Snyder a great debt of thanks, a sentiment with business leader John Tippins appreciates. which Molasky agrees. “Don has inspired me on many levels,” said the “He has always been a leader in business, creating founder and CEO of boutique real estate company opportunities and jobs in the gaming industry,” Northcap. “He inspires me, as well as others, said Molasky. “His commitment to UNLV set a tone in being a finisher—and a really good one. The for excellence, and he paved the way for it to have community is a better place because of Don Snyder. super-computing power—something which will Who wouldn’t aspire to do a quarter of what he has benefit the university and legions of students.” done for the community?”

56 luxurylv.com | april 2016 NANCY HOUSSELS KEEPS LAS VEGAS ON ITS TOES

The distinguished, spirited 81-year-old visionary continues her quest to ensure all in the community have access to the art of dance...and more

BY BOBBIE KATZ

For the past 44 years, Nevada Ballet Theatre co-founder Nancy Houssels has been at the forefront of the Las Vegas community as one of its most ardent cultural ambassadors. Known as a trailblazer and a visionary, her accomplishments are attributable to the fact that, by nature, she likes to lead when we dance.

A former dancer herself who performed worldwide in theater and on television as part of the famed dance team of Szony and Claire, including in the de Paris show at the Hotel and as the closing act in Les Folies Bergere at the Tropicana. Houssels co-founded Nevada Dance Theatre with dancer-choreographer Vassili Sulich in 1972. Now called Nevada Ballet Theatre, she remains the driving force behind the city’s oldest and largest ballet company as its co-chairwoman, along with Wendy Plaster.

“Even after I retired and married J. Kell Houssels, then president of the Tropicana, chairman of the Showboat hotel, and vice president of the Union Plaza Hotel, I still took lessons from Vassili, who was the lead dancer at the Trop, until I got pregnant,” Houssels recalled about the company’s inception.

“Every Sunday, he gave a free dance concert at Judy Bayley Theatre at UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), and dancers from the Strip would voluntarily take part, even buying their own costumes. He got these kids back to their roots; most were ballet-trained. I was seven months pregnant and showed up at a concert with family and . I was amazed at what Vassili had done and felt that it was something worth developing.

“I told Vassili afterward that we needed to do something with it,” she continued. “I called together friends and community leaders, and held a meeting at my house. Those 15 people each contributed $1,000 and became grand founders of the Nevada Dance company. Vassili became the artistic director. For a long time, we lived hand-to- mouth until the next performance, and the Judy Bayley Theatre—which, at that time, was the cultural center of the whole city—let us perform there free for a while. Then the university opened Ham Hall. The dance company grew slowly, attracting bigger and bigger audiences. The locals liked the diversion from the Strip.”

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Nancy Houssels performing at the Dunes Hotel, 1966 of the private money to the project—$200 million. Along with the Reynolds Hall and Cabaret , the $500 million venue, which opened in March 2012, houses Nevada Ballet Theatre—thanks to Houssels’ efforts—as well as the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

As co-chairwoman of the board of NBT, Houssels is involved in the business affairs of the company. She makes sure the company is financially sound, its policies are in place, and the company is run with good business practices and ethics. The board also blesses the proposed ballets and, if they are not financially feasible, sends them back to the drawing board. NBT currently operates on a $4.6 million annual budget.

“It’s been interesting all these years,” she laughed. “There’s something always fresh and new, as well as problems to be solved. That’s what I like most—solving problems. Being at The Smith Center has raised the whole level of the company. Our 30-plus dancers love it, too. We bring in guest choreographers and use their work, and even rent whole national productions.”

As a staunch advocate of dance, Houssels has remained steadfast in providing access to the art form to all in the Las Vegas community and has been a true champion of arts education, especially with children who hail from underprivileged communities. Houssels implemented the ballet’s first education and outreach program, and lead the charge for the funding of NBT’s acclaimed education and outreach program, Future Dance, now celebrating its 24th th Nancy Houssels celebrates her 80 birthday with year. With her guidance and direction, the program has grown members of Nevada Ballet Theatre, Feb 21, 2015 Photo credit: Cashman Photography significantly during the past two decades. With all of its initiatives combined, it serves more than 16,000 Clark County students. The Nevada ballet performed at UNLV for 40 years. Houssels remembers that in the beginning, the university gave them a studio “In 1979, Vassili and I started a little school in a small shopping that was an old basketball court and their first office was a hallway center on Maryland Parkway, which was the beginning of NBT’s with a Pepsi machine, but they were thankful for both. affiliated dance academy,” Houssels said. “In 1993, I went to the Lied Foundation and was given funding by Christina Hixson, who “UNLV sustained us for many years,” she expressed. “Then John helped us develop our education and outreach program, Future Goolsby, the president of The Howard Hughes Corp., gave us the Dance. We began bringing in children who had no exposure to land to build our corporate offices, warehouse, studio and academy dance and couldn’t pay for dance lessons. in Summerlin. In 1996, when we got a new artistic director, our name was changed from Nevada Dance Theatre to Nevada Ballet “Today, it is one of the longest-running outreach programs in the Theatre because we started moving toward presenting more state. Every May, we have a big Future Dance performance at classical ballet, and the new name more accurately reflected our The Smith Center, and all 16 involved Clark County schools repertoire at that time.” perform. At the end of the performance, several outstanding kids are awarded scholarships to NBT. There is one girl from Future Previously, however, in 1994, Houssels had gone to Goolsby with Dance who is actually an apprentice in the company now.” her idea that Las Vegas needed a world-class performing arts center. Goolsby agreed, and he and Houssels began meeting, Additionally, Houssels has been a champion for women’s and subsequently getting Steve and Elaine Wynn involved. The duo children’s causes in the city, including The Shade Tree and the also began to gather their forces. In the year 2000, they brought Children’s Service Guild. in Don Snyder, whom Houssels credits with being the force that got The Smith Center for the Performing Arts built. He involved Houssels has received numerous awards and accolades throughout the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation founded by the late billionaire the years for her efforts. And, she has set the stage for keeping media entrepreneur Donald Reynolds, which contributed the bulk Las Vegas on its toes in the cultural arena for many years to come.

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THIS YEAR’S “POWER OF LOVE GALA” CELEBRATES TONY BENNETT’S 90TH BIRTHDAY

Keep Memory Alive’s annual Power of Love gala on May 21, 2016 promises to be yet another unforgettable, star-studded evening.

BY MARSALA RYPKA

“At the 16th gala in 2012, we celebrated Muhamad Ali’s 70th birthday; at the 17th in 2013, we celebrated Quincy Jones’ and Michael Cain’s 80th birthday; and this year at our 20th, we’re going to celebrate Tony Bennett’s 90th birthday,” says Larry Ruvo, senior managing director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada.

Ruvo's tireless dedication has resulted in a state-of-the-art medical center in Las Vegas for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and Multiple System Atrophy, the disease that claimed his friend, Chef Kerry Simon’s life last September at age 60.

Raising more than $250 million to build and fund the services and clinical trials offered at the Cleveland Center Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which opened in 2009, is not something Larry Ruvo and his wife Camille envisioned. But the tragic loss of a loved one has a way of infusing special people with a greater purpose and stretching them beyond anything they thought possible.

The seed that germinated and became Larry’s philanthropic brainchild was planted back in the mid- when his parents, Lou and Angie Ruvo, moved with their nine-year-old son from Niagara Falls to Las Vegas and opened the Venetian Pizzeria on Fremont Street with just nine tables.

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Larry Ruvo and Tony Bennett at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

Their reputation for having the best home-style Italian food in town grew, and eleven years later they bought a parcel of land on West Sahara and built the Venetian Ristorante, which for decades was a Las Vegas culinary landmark.

Larry says his mother, who is now 92, was the first celebrity chef in Las Vegas. In addition to a huge local following, celebrities like , Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Vic Damone, and Robert De Niro were fans of Angie Ruvo’s cuisine.”

“My parents set a great example,” says Larry. “They were great to their employees and they never said no to any charity. Their spirit of giving was known throughout the community. Every philanthropic gene I have, I inherited from my mom and dad.”

Throughout the years, Larry Ruvo gained the same reputation as his parents for being generous, compassionate, and always helping the community. But in 1989 it was his father, Lou, who needed help.

“My dad started experiencing some health issues. I took him to Health opened nearly seven years ago, the facility has had more multiple doctors in town, but we couldn’t get an answer,” says than 55,000 patient visits and completed more than 40 clinical trials. Larry. “It was only when we went to that he was finally Last year, the National Institute of Health and the National Institute diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.” of General Medical Services awarded the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Center for Health, in partnership with UNLV, an $11.1 million On February 18, 1995, the first anniversary of his father’s death, grant to establish a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence to Larry invited 35 friends to dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, tackle Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Spago, to celebrate his life. By the end of the night, Larry’s friends had given him $35,000 for Alzheimer’s research. That was the start “We have a world-class operation here,” says Larry. “If my dad were of what would eventually become the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo alive, he wouldn’t have to leave Las Vegas. He would gladly have Center for Brain Health. sacrificed his life in order for us to do what we’re doing to improve the lives of thousands of people. “I was an only child and my dad was my best friend,” says Larry. “I didn’t want anyone else to suffer like we did because early “Most people don’t know that the Lou Ruvo Center conducts the detection and intervention are important.” most clinical trials, and has the largest number of in-house brain specialists, who see the largest number of patients in America. Larry and Camille Ruvo worked hard to turn what seemed like an People come from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Canada, and impossible dream into a reality. Since the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Mexico to see the team of experts we have assembled.”

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The progress made since the firstPower of Love gala 20 years “It was amazing,” he says. “One day we were in Florence at the ago is impressive. Academia Gallery sitting under Michelangelo’s iconic statue of “David” when Andrea goes up to the podium and starts speaking “When Tony Bennett took a tour of the facility last year, he in Italian. We didn’t understand what he was saying until he said our said ‘Larry, Muhamad Ali had Parkinson’s; Quincy Jones had names, which is the same in any language.” brain surgery; Michael Caine lost a dear friend to Alzheimer’s; Gloria Estefan’s father had MS; and Andrea Bocelli’s grandfather Larry, a modest man who cares more about the work than being died of Alzheimer’s. I don’t have that in my family. Why did you acknowledged for the work, says he was speechless when choose me?’ Andrea and Veronica, surprised him and Camille with the Bocelli Humanitarian Award in front of their family and friends. “I said, “Tony, besides being an amazing singer, you’re an accomplished artist. And art has proven to be a stimulating “We accepted it on behalf of all the incredible doctors component for our patients as well as their caregivers, and is part and administrators at the clinic,” says Larry. “It was an of our curriculum. You’re 89 years young, and you just got off a overwhelming moment.” tour with Lady Gaga. You’re the perfect poster child for not retiring on the couch.” To honor Bocelli for all he has done, Larry commissioned and personally paid to have Gualtiero Vanelli create a magnificent “Retiring?” said Tony Bennett. “All my friends who retired are dead. life-size sculpture of the opera singer with marble from the same The secret is to keep growing, creating, and learning. As long as quarry as Michelango’s “David.” Bocelli, who was at the Lou Ruvo you’re alive you should stay active, whether it is singing, painting, Center for Brain Health on December 6, 2015 for the unveiling and walking, doing puzzles, playing cards, whatever.” installation, was deeply moved.

At last year’s Power of Love gala, honorees Andrea and Veronica Larry Ruvo is from humble beginnings, but he has created a life rich Bocelli graciously offered to tour Italy for six days with the highest beyond measure. It’s interesting to note the important role wine bidder and have dinner at their home in Forte dei Marmi, says Larry. has played in his life. His great-grandparents were bootleggers who “Ten couples bid $200,000 each and rather than lose almost $2 sold homemade wine, and Larry has achieved great success in the million, Andrea and Veronica invited everyone to come. wine and spirits business.

Wolfgang Puck, who hosted that first dinner in 1995 honoring Lou Ruvo, lost his mother to Alzheimer’s in 2004. In 2012, he launched of wines with all the proceeds going to Keep Memory Alive.

In March 2016, actress Diane Keaton, who is friends with Dr. Jeffrey Cumming, the director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, launched a wine called The Keaton, with a portion of the proceeds going to Keep Memory Alive.

When Italians make a toast, they say, Salute, “Here’s to your health.” We should all salute Larry and Camille Ruvo for offering patients top-notch care that respects their dignity and gives them and their families hope.

This couple has had a profound influence on Las Vegas. They’ve not only made Lou and Angie Ruvo proud; they make all of us proud. Larry and Camille Ruvo, Sculptor Gualtiero Vanelli and Andrea Bocelli

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NOT-FOR-PROFIT PIONEER Julie Murray’s Moonridge Group paves the way for maximizing the impact of charitable donations in Las Vegas

BY CHRIS CARNEY

Las Vegas has no shortage of influencers. People who, through money, force of will, or an ability to discover and nurture talent have changed the face and culture of the city. These are the bigger than life personalities that shape one of the most famous cities on the planet.

While it can be argued that Julie Murray, CEO of the Moonridge Group, has had as much influence on Las Vegas as anyone during the past few decades, many Las Vegas residents have never heard her name.

So exactly who is Murray, and what makes her a compelling force in Las Vegas? Born in Apple Valley, Calif., Murray has lived in Vegas since she was 6 years old. In the decades since, she has become the face of Vegas’ charitable giving and philanthropy.

She has made it her life’s work to help those in need and to bring a voice to those who are too often ignored. She has done this by founding, running and advising a wide variety of charitable and philanthropic organizations.

Murray’s first big project in Las Vegas came in the form of the “I Have a Dream Foundation,” which “adopted” 55 at-risk children and “committed itself to stay involved in their development through high school and beyond.”

From there, she worked closely with the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation to secure funding for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a K-–12 charter school that gives Las Vegas students from the most at-risk neighborhoods a great education.

It was with the co-founding of Three Square—as in three square meals a day—that her impact on Las Vegas truly began to reach epic heights. Three Square is a revolutionary food bank that has become the model for organizations across the nation.

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While she still acts in an advisory role to many of these organizations, it was an opportunity that arose as a result of the economic crisis of 2008 that saw Murray become an influencer on par with the most famous names in Las Vegas.

In the wake of the recession, the money that charities relied on to serve the community was disappearing at the same time the need for their services was rising. Instead of panicking, Murray turned tragedy into opportunity and formed The Moonridge Group. Julie Murray and Mayor Carolyn Goodman at The Moonridge Foundation The Moonridge Group is not a charity, but rather an organization ribbon-cutting, Feb. 29, 2016 that advises both corporations and private citizens on ways to Photo credit: Talbot Snow maximize the impact of their charitable donations. Think of it as a financial planner for philanthropy.

Murray helps companies and individuals do more with less. She passionately believes that if philanthropists begin to look at their giving as an investment, the rewards are greater, and the monetary outlay will have a much more positive impact on their communities—and we all will be the better for it.

I have had the true pleasure of speaking with Murray on several occasions, and if there was one person in Las Vegas who truly deserves to be named an influencer, it is Murray. Of course, she would be the first to dismiss the accolades and turn the focus to where it belongs: on the work she does making Las Vegas a better Three Square event with Carlos Santana place to live.

AN AMAZING RIDE The Howard Hughes Corp.’s Kevin Orrock is proud to call Summerlin home

BY SABRINA CHAPMAN

“Define Summerlin? That is a great question. For me, it is home,” said Kevin Orrock, president of Summerlin for The Howard Hughes Corp, the company that developed the remarkable community.

Home is a single syllable word that has influenced the greatest artists, poets and musicians of all time. Quite frankly, it affects every living organism since the beginning of time and will continue to do so for infinite centuries to come. For some, it is where the heart is; for others it is a lifelong journey of Odyssey proportions to find. And for the current 100,000-plus residents living in Summerlin and the tens of thousands who will move in the future, home is especially sweet because of one man’s integrity and dedication to overseeing and shaping one of the most acclaimed master planned communities in the country. That man is Kevin Orrock.

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Orrock began his journey in Pioche, Nev., a small mining Today, The Howard Hughes Corp., which trades on the town with a population of just over 1,000 residents located Stock Exchange under the symbol HHC, is a 180 miles north of Las Vegas. After moving several times new and even more dynamic company headquartered between the East and West coasts, he chose Vegas. Or, in , Texas. Orrock now oversees all functions perhaps, Vegas chose him, betting on Orrock’s potential of Summerlin, and under his leadership, Downtown to become one of the greatest influential leaders in the Summerlin, a vibrant, world-class dining, shopping future of its landscape. and entertainment center, opened in the heart of the community, a milestone Orrock counts as one of his career In 1974, Orrock started his career with The Howard Hughes pinnacles and an important distinction for Summerlin as Corp. working in the accounting department of the Desert the only master-planned community in southern Nevada Inn hotel-casino. At that time, the resort was owned by with its own downtown. Howard Hughes and had a buzz of celebrity guests and performances, including the likes of Frank Sinatra and “It’s been an amazing ride with The Howard Hughes Corp. Edgar Bergen. Prior to the settlement of Hughes’ personal and Summerlin. I am so proud of everything we stand estate, Orrock managed its entire cash portfolio. He for and the achievements of my amazing team that describes the experience as an amazing opportunity and works so hard to continue to grow and evolve both the a defining moment that significantly shaped his career. community and brand as the premier place to live in Southern Nevada.” As the decades passed, the Hughes organization went through various mergers and acquisitions. Orrock’s role For Orrock, the project has a very personal tone. transitioned and grew. He was named treasurer in 1991, a time when Summerlin was in its infancy. In 1996, when The “I live, breathe and work in this community 24 hours a day, Rouse Co. acquired The Howard Hughes Corp., he retained seven days a week. When I’m driving home, I look at all an executive role, managing financial operations in Nevada. the defining features, community aspects, landscaping, In 2004, General Growth Properties (GGP) acquired The street scenes, parks, the quality and variety of homes, the Rouse Co., and Orrock moved to operations, where he mountains and Red Rock Conservation Area, and I feel supervised land development activities in Nevada. proud to call Summerlin my home,” he said.

Jeanne Hamrick, Kevin Orrock at dedication of Bishop Kevin Orrock with Summerlin management team at The Cliffs Gorman High School, 2007 groundbreaking, 2015

64 luxurylv.com | april 2016 THE BASIC PRINCIPALS OF SUCCESS: Four Kids From Basic High School Go On to Become Great Influencers

BY MARSALA RYPKA

hat could a U.S. senator; an attorney who fought for the integration of elementary schools in Las Vegas and helped rewrite Nevada’s gaming licensing laws; and two Hollywood writers and producers, who created some of the most iconic in television history, have in common?

Each of these four men were from humble Nevadan roots, yet went on to accomplish extraordinary things.

As it turns out, Sen. , Attorney Frank Schreck, and brothers Glen and Les Charles, credited with such television hits as “Taxi” and “,” all attended Basic High School in Henderson, Nev. Back then, the population of Henderson was 5,000—and, like the “Cheers” theme song states, it was a place “where everybody knows your name.”

The Charles brothers found fame and fortune in the entertainment industry. Reid became senate majority leader and one of the most powerful men in the country. And Schreck became a leader in Nevada’s civil rights movement and a gaming commissioner, and is currently a well-respected attorney at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

Each in their own way has left an indelible mark on American society. Here is a brief glimpse into the lives of these four men who have influenced our laws, our culture, our hearts and our minds.

FRANK SCHRECK | GLEN AND LES CHARLES | HARRY REID

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FRANK SCHRECK The Activist Attorney

“Glen and I were both born in 1943 and graduated from Basic High School in 1961,” said Frank. “My sister Cookie, who was four years older, was in the same class as Harry Reid. And Glen’s brother, Les, was five years younger than us.”

In his senior year, Schreck captained the basketball team and earned a basketball scholarship to University of Southern California. His government teacher and mentor, Michael O’Callaghan, who later became governor of Nevada, talked him out of going, though.

“Mike said, ‘Frank, you’re not big enough or good enough to make it a career. Why don’t you go to college back East and get some culture?’ And he and my mother filled out applications for Harvard and Yale.”

Schreck was accepted by both universities, but chose Yale.

“I was probably the first native Nevadan to go there,” he said. “I had to work and take out student loans, but it was life-changing. Classical composer Quincy Porter and his wife would show up and play the cello and violin in the dining room; Robert Frost would read poetry in the sitting room; and Arthur Miller, who married Marilyn Monroe, gave an unaccredited course in playwriting. It was heady stuff for a boy from Henderson.”

After Yale, Schreck decided to go to the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, one of the top colleges in the country. When he told his parents, there was dead silence.

“It was 1965, and the Free Speech Movement was in full swing. Every night, the major TV networks showed thousands of students on the Berkeley campus protesting the Vietnam War.

“My parents were thinking, ‘He spent all this money to go to Yale, and now he’s going to the hotbed of communism,’” laughed Schreck.

66 luxurylv.com | april 2016 “The first two years, I argued with antiwar demonstrators, “I called Rudy Duncan, one of the women who was , saying ‘Our flag, right or wrong.’ and told her I wanted to represent the group ,” said Schreck. My third year, I went to a rally at a military induction center where Joan Baez and a bunch of antiwar protesters were Duncan went on to become a famous welfare activist, who arrested. I saw a cop hit a girl with his baton, and I heard her organized many protests, including the one on March 6, 1971. head crack. That’s when I realized I was on the wrong side. I She and more than 1,500 people, including Donald Sutherland, went from, ‘Sign me up for the infantry,’ to ‘Hell no, I won’t go!’” Jane Fonda, Cesar Chavez, Dr. Benjamin Spock and civil rights leader Rev. Ralph Abernathy marched on the . Schreck became an activist and helped start the West Oakland Legal Switchboard. That same year, Mike O’Callaghan ran for governor, and Schreck helped his former teacher with his campaign. “We recruited over 200 lawyers who offered pro bono legal aid to poor blacks who were being arrested on suspicion by “Our headquarters was on Charleston and 15th Street, in an racist cops and held for days,” he said. “The police chief sent empty vacuum cleaner shop,” he said. “Money was so tight, my us a letter congratulating us for reducing suspicion arrests by mother pawned her engagement ring to pay for fliers. No one 80 percent.” expected Mike to win.

After graduating Berkeley in 1970, Schreck moved back to “Then one day, bankers Perry Thomas and Jerry Mack came to Las Vegas to practice general law, but he quickly got involved visit, and I thought we might have a chance. I knocked on doors with civil rights issues. in West Las Vegas, and we got 97 percent of the black vote. The rest is history. My mentor and hero became governor; also my “Las Vegas was a segregated community, and race riots were friend Harry Reid, at age 30, became the youngest lieutenant happening in the high schools. Common sense told me kids governor in history.” needed to be integrated much earlier, before prejudice set in on both sides,” he said. One of the first things O’Callaghan did was appoint Schreck to the Gaming Commission. His mother, who belonged to the League of Women Voters, volunteered him to write briefs for a federal case that the “I was about to turn 27,” said Schreck, “and guys like former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Gov. Grant Sawyer and Al Bramlet, head of the Culinary Union, filed on behalf of six black elementary schools. The school whose body was found in the desert a few years later, saw me district fought it, and people picketed his house. as an inexperienced punk because I was 25-30 years younger than anyone who’d held that position. I had to laugh because I “We took the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and was an attorney, and the person I replaced was a gynecologist.” won. It was one of the greatest accomplishments of my career,” said Schreck, who went even further, threatening to file a lawsuit if there wasn’t at least one black person on the school board.

Schreck also represented the first fair housing case in Las Vegas.

“I got a call from a white guy who rented a two-bedroom apartment for $250 a month. When the landlord saw he had a black roommate, the rent went up to $800. Ironically, the black man was a maître d’ at Caesars Palace and made more money than the white guy, who was a waiter. I sued on their behalf, and the Nevada Fair Housing Act was passed making discrimination illegal.”

Then there was the group of single black mothers who were arrested for protesting a 75 percent cut in welfare. Frank Schreck on Nevada Gaming Commission, 1971

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During the time Schreck was a commissioner, from 1971– Hyatt Farber Schreck provided 12,000 pro bono hours, 1975, he tried to bring Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, who was and 320 employees participated in 32 Good Karma loosely portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1995 movie Volunteer Projects, helping those in need. And, the Las Casino, before the Commission for licensing, knowing Vegas office was recognized for providing pro bono his mob ties would disqualify him. services to abused and neglected children in the Clark County foster care system. During the past 45 years, Schreck has helped rewrite gaming regulations and offered counsel to clients like Schreck has done many things to be proud of, including Caesars Entertainment Group, , MGM being on the Nathan Adelson Hospice board, but as he Resorts and Station Casinos. looked out the window of his office on the 16th floor of the at the city he has In 2008, his law firm merged with a firm in so greatly influenced, his face lit up as he reminisced that handles corporate partnerships, real estate and about his days as an activist-attorney who fought for the acquisitions, and believes in the same thing Schreck underdog. does—giving back. “Even a seemingly small act can have an enormous In 2014, 70 percent of the attorneys at Brownstein impact,” he said.”

GLEN AND LES CHARLES threw us out. We couldn’t believe the words they used.” The Creatives Glen and Les both received a liberal arts degree at the University of Redlands.

“Our parents were Mormons from farming communities “We thought about writing novels,” said Glen. “It in Idaho and Utah, who came to Las Vegas on their never occurred to us to write for TV.” honeymoon,” said Glen. “I guess glamour got the better of morality because they were on the dance floor at a Strip With the Vietnam War draft breathing down hotel, and Ava Gardner was dancing next to them, and his neck, Glen joined Schreck at Berkley,

Glen and Les Charles they said, ‘We’re moving here.’” but he only stayed a year. He ended up spending five unfulfilling years as a “Dad was a keno dealer; mom was a schoolteacher,” said copywriter at an ad agency, and Les Les. “Las Vegas was a charming place to grow up. There was equally unhappy as a substitute were lots of churches, but it was also the end of the Bugsy teacher. Siegel era, and there was a Rat Pack, gangster influence.” One day in the early 1970s, Les Both Charles brothers played sports at Basic High and called and asked Glen if he’d ever remember boating on Lake Mead with Schreck’s family. seen “The Show,” and their parents taking them to see shows on the Strip, “M.A.S.H.” or “.” like ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie Glen hadn’t so he checked them out, McCarthy. and he and Les decided to try their hand at writing episodes for sitcoms. “We’d listen to Bergen, Jack Benny, and Burns and Allen on the radio,” said Glen. “Then TV came along. When They spent a year submitting spec someone in the neighborhood got a TV, 50 people would scripts until they were finally hired to cram into their living room and watch the one channel on write an episode for “M.A.S.H.” that was that tiny black-and-white set with the dim picture.” directed by .

“We loved comedians like Jackie Gleason and ,” “My parents and I watched the show with said Les. “And we’d sneak into the lounges on the Strip Glen and Les’ parents,” said Schreck. “We and watch Shecky Green and Don Rickles until someone were all so proud of them.”

68 luxurylv.com | april 2016 After that one episode, Glen and Les got jobs as scriptwriters for “Mary Tyler Moore,” then story editors and producers for a spin- off called “Phyllis” with Cloris Leachman.

In 1978, they were hired to produce the last season of “The Show.”

“It was surreal,” said Les. “Bob was appearing at the Riviera, so we flew home to Vegas to see the guy we’d grown up watching on TV, Cheers cast whose show we were about to produce.” “We weren’t afraid to have long scenes where people talked. Today When “” ended, Glen and Les produced you have to deliver a joke immediately or cut to some action,” said a new called “Taxi,” which was directed by James Burrows. Glen. “We had faith the actors and writers would capture peoples’ interest. In some ways, it was a forerunner of ‘Seinfeld.’” “When Danny DeVito read for the part of Louie, he looked at the script and said, ‘Who writes this shit,’ and we knew he was the By the end of the first season, Cheers“ ” got seven Emmy guy,” laughed Glen. nominations and won Best Comedy. Glen and Les won for writing; James Burrows for directing; and Shelley Long for lead actress. “Marilu Henner was a delight,” said Les. “ was untrained and eager to learn. was the daddy of the “We were devastated when Nick Colasanto, who played Coach, cast, and Chris Lloyd was wacky Reverend Jim.” died,” said Glen. “We wrote the part for a younger bartender we named Woody long before we met , which “‘Taxi’ was like high school,” said Glen. “The cast did something seemed like kismet. Then Shelley Long quit, and we got lucky with together every night, except for . We knew Kirstie Alley. something was weird because his contract required his alternate persona, Tony Clifton, to appear on the show. When Andy was “When Ted decided not to renew his contract, we knew the show Tony, he never broke character.” was over,” said Les. “There was enormous pressure to give the 40 million viewers a great last episode, which I hoped we did. We “It was the strangest thing,” recalled Les. “Andy was a shy guy brought Diane back, and the show ended the way it began, with who didn’t smoke or drink. Tony was an obnoxious jerk who chain- Sam alone in the bar.” smoked, drank Scotch and had hookers in his room.” We worked 12 to 14 hours a day back then, but we were young After four years of “Taxi,” Glen and Les formed a production and stupid, and we didn’t realize how tough it was,” said Glen. company with James Burrows. Together they produced “Cheers,” “Looking back, we did some good things.” Both brothers agree which aired in 1982. “Cheers” was the best 11 years of their careers.

“The network had trepidations about a sitcom in a bar, but the show wasn’t about people drowning their sorrows with drink; in fact, Ted HARRY REID Danson played a recovering alcoholic,” said Glen. “‘Cheers’ was a home away from home, where people felt welcome. We wanted to The Politician use unknown actors, and there was a three-month writers’ strike, so we had time to cast the right people, who went on to have Where one is born doesn’t necessarily determine where one ends enormous careers. up. Certainly that’s the case with Reid, one of the most powerful men in Washington, D.C., who grew up in the small mining town “NBC only committed to 13 episodes. We didn’t think the show of Searchlight, Nev. would be renewed because we were at the bottom of the ratings. But , the head of the network, was committed to “The isolation and dwindling prospects there could dent your quality TV, and he gave us time to gain viewers.” pioneer spirit and take a toll on your family,” he said in his book, The Good Fight, about his birthplace that “never quite became a “The truth is, NBC was in trouble and had nothing to replace ghost town, but sure tried.” us with,” laughed Les. “We were allowed to experiment and take chances. We introduced the cliff-hanger that kept people The two-bedroom shack where Reid was born on Dec. 2, 1939, wondering if would get together.” was built of chicken wire and railroad ties soaked in creosote oil to

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After college, Reid studied law at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Returning home, he worked 75 hours a week as the Henderson city attorney, and like Schreck, he took on cases in his private practice that no one else would touch.

He served two years in the Nevada Assembly and, in 1970, he was elected lieutenant governor, which allowed him to work with his mentor and friend Gov. O’Callaghan.

In 1977, Reid was appointed chairman of the Nevada Senator Harry Reid with President Obama Gaming Commission, where he worked so hard to rid Las Vegas of organized crime and mobsters like Anthony keep the termites out. There was no indoor bathroom, and Spilotro and Lefty Rosenthal that bomb threats became in the winter, Reid said the hike to the outhouse seemed a commonplace. mile away. After more than 100 jury trials, he was elected to the U.S. There wasn’t a telephone, a television, a doctor, dentist or House of Representatives in 1982. In 1986, he was elected church in town, and electricity in Searchlight was unreliable. to the Senate where he has served as minority and majority There were, however, 13 brothels, and a one-room leader, and will continue to do so until he retires in 2017. schoolhouse that went to eighth grade. Higher education had to be found elsewhere. THEIR LEGACY When Reid was 13, he started hitchhiking 45 miles to get to Basic High School, which he said seemed like Times Nevada has every right to be proud of these four men Square compared to Searchlight. Sometimes he stayed whose roots were nurtured here, and who went out into with relatives or friends, like Schreck. the world and made their mark.

In high school, Reid got involved with football, baseball Schreck was a forerunner of integration in Nevada. He also and boxing. He could assess situations, recognize his helped transform Las Vegas from a Mob-run town into the opponents’ weaknesses and, though he was wiry, he could world-class gaming destination it is today. hit hard and take a punch. His black eyes, bloodied nose and broken ribs were badges of honor. The Charles brothers share a place in television history as creators of some of TV’s best sitcoms. “Cheers” When he was a junior, he fell for sophomore Landra Gould, alone earned 117 nominations and won 28 Emmys. whose parents didn’t approve of their only child dating a For 11 years, viewers spent Thursday nights with the boy from nowhere who had nothing. friends they came to love at the neighborhood bar. We laughed—and when the show ended—we cried. Then along came politics. Reid’s humble beginning shaped him into the fierce, hard- “My most important election was junior class treasurer,” working, dedicated man he is today. He has done so much said Reid. “It was the first time I was ever elected to through the years, including going up against the federal anything, and the confidence it gave me at a crucial time in government to stop nuclear waste from coming to Nevada my life was immeasurable.” and fighting to stop social security from being privatized under the Bush Administration. In 2008, he started the In his senior year, Schreck’s sister Cookie convinced Reid Nevada Clean Energy Summit, where the most influential to run for student body president, and his government leaders and top policymakers gather in Las Vegas every teacher suggested he become a lawyer. year to discuss solutions for clean energy.

Reid was 20 years old and a student at Southern Utah This glimpse into these men’s lives may serve as inspiration, University when he and Landra eloped in 1959. Six for as Olympic Gold medalist Wilma Rudolph said, “Never decades, five children and sixteen grandchildren later, he underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of still sings his wife’s praises as the most wonderful woman the human spirit. The potential for greatness lives within he’s ever met. each of us.” o

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