THE BRIEF
News from the UNLV
Executive MBA Program
Summer 2019
In This Issue
EMBA UpdatesEMBAUpdates 
 
Welcome Cohort 18!
Please join us in welcoming our newest group of Executive MBA students. Cohort 18 is a diverse group of individuals with professional careers that include aviation, banking, law, nursing, and quality engineering to name a few. Learn more about this dynamic group of leaders by visiting their biography page at www.unlv.edu/emba/cohort-18.
 
Student Spotlight
 
Cohort 17 student Frank Corto.

Frank Corto - Cohort 17
Founder & President, Sin City VIP    

Large corporate groups and small wedding parties alike seek out Frank Corto (Cohort 17), founder and president of Sin City VIP, as the "inside-guy" for access to the latest hot spots and biggest special events in the City of Entertainment.
 
Founded in 2002 as a destination management company, Sin City VIP is so much more. Under Corto's direction, a dedicated band of tourism professionals work to create custom Las Vegas experiences for groups ranging in size from two people to sizable corporate outings.
 
Consulting directly with a designated contact of the group, Sin City VIP's planners design a trip itinerary to match the desires of the client. "We handle as much or as little as each group would like us to coordinate," said Corto. From a night on the town to all-inclusive weekend vacations, Sin City VIP assists with hotel bookings, show tickets, club entrance, restaurant reservations, off-Strip excursions and more. "We pretty much let each client pick and choose which experiences the group needs and wants."
 
What puts the VIP in Corto's services? The Sin City VIP business model includes partnering with Las Vegas' most prestigious casino resort properties, as well as high-end restaurants and "hot" clubs. Working together they offer clients red-carpet service. Corto explains that one of the perks of being a Sin City VIP client is the ability to skip the lines at clubs while being personally escorted through the ropes to a designated table complete with customized bottle service. "It's really a great way to kick off the night," said Corto. "You truly get the experience of walking in like a celebrity." Among Sin City VIP's many insider "gets" are access to sold-out shows in addition to impossible-to-get restaurant reservations. "We even provide a personal concierge who can accompany clients throughout their trip if they so desire."
  
Alumni Update

Irene Bustamante Adams - Cohort 5 
Chief Strategy Officer, Workforce Connections
 
Nearly 12 years after graduating from the Executive MBA program, Irene Bustamante Adams (Cohort 5) remains inspired by her UNLV experience. She credits the program for the leadership skills that have taken her through high-profile promotions, a stellar political career, and most recently, recognition as a subject-matter expert on the synergy between education and economic development.
 
Currently Bustamante Adams is the chief strategy officer and deputy director for Workforce Connections, Southern Nevada's Local Workforce Development Board. She is forging a new path to engage Southern Nevada businesses, economic development representatives and education leaders in a cooperative effort that will create a brighter and secure future for Southern Nevada's youth.
 
"About 73 percent of Clark County School District high school graduates do not go on to a four-year college or university," said Bustamante Adams. "We must change the paradigm that says college is the only path forward. And, in doing so, offer both work and educational alternatives."
 
One area of concentration for Bustamante Adams is the implementation of Work Based Learning - an educational approach that uses the workplace or real work to provide students with the knowledge and skills that will help them connect school experiences to real-life work activities and future career opportunities. Of special interest to Bustamante Adams are the challenges faced by those young people who are aging out of foster care.
Truly a trailblazer, in 2010, three years after receiving her EMBA, Bustamante Adams became the first Hispanic to serve in the Nevada legislature. From 2010 to 2018, she represented District 42 in the Assembly, serving as Speaker Pro Tem in her last leadership role.
 
Bustamante Adams comments that during her legislative tenure, male representatives significantly out-numbered female representatives. "Fortunately, my UNLV EMBA experience taught me how to level the playing field," she said. "The legislature was the perfect environment to stretch the negotiation and leadership skills that I learned and practiced with my fellow EMBA cohort members."

Faculty FeatureFacultyFeature  
 
Nikkole Liesse   
Executive Director, Lee Business School
Office of Online and Executive Education 
EMBA Instructor: EMBA 713 Principles
of Marketing Strategy   
  

Nikkole Liesse has a 360-degree perspective of the UNLV Executive MBA program. She's a proud alumna graduating with Cohort 7 in 2009; has served as director of the EMBA program since 2013; and most recently took up the mantle of professor, teaching EMBA 713 Principles of Marketing Strategy. 


This spring, Liesse also was promoted to executive director of Lee Business School's new Office of Online and Executive Education. The new office brings under one umbrella the college's undergraduate and graduate digital learning offerings, executive education, professional certificate programs and its continuing education.


 LEE currently provides online courses, and by consolidating management of its digital programs under one office, "We're developing a laser-clear strategy for what's being offered," said Liesse. "There are still a lot of people right here in the Las Vegas valley who are considering or reconsidering college. Offering the flexibility of online learning, or a hybrid of online and on-campus courses, provides them with quality options for obtaining higher education degrees or career advancement courses."


Liesse is working closely with both technology experts versed in online instructional design and UNLV faculty in the development of the online courses.


She remains at the helm of the UNLV EMBA program overseeing all aspects, including student recruitment, student experience, alumni relations and program marketing. During her tenure with the program, Liesse has increased annual program inquiries by 24% percent and enrollment by nearly 20% percent.


Still a relatively young program with upwards of 300 graduates, UNLV EMBA's reputation has become its strongest marketing tool. "Applications for the program are at an all-time high," said Liesse. "And, we're seeing more and more diverse cohorts comprised of professionals from all areas of business, as well as gender parity rarely seen in EMBA programs."

 
On The Move

Kalen Axam
Cohort 17
Community Relations Manager
The Siegel Group
Bruce Belcher
Cohort 7
Human Resources Director - West Division
MasterCorp, Inc.
Manivone Caballero
Cohort 17
Business and Finance Operations Manager
Nevada State College Foundation
Louisa Choi
Cohort 12
Market Manager
Lyft
Philip Dupree
Cohort 11
Operations Manager
Varex Imaging Corporation
Raymond Fyler
Cohort 15
Equipment Specialist
Brady Industries
Steve Kohon
Cohort 14
Senior Director of Sales, Western Region
Konami Gaming, Inc.
Aerielle Smith
Cohort 14
Project Manager, Hotel Strategy
MGM Resorts International
Andrew Tanner
Cohort 10
Loan Officer
Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc.
Events Events

EMBA Information Session
July 23
6:00 - 7:00 PM
UNLV Main Campus,
EMBA Suite, WRI C-302
Bring along a prospective student or participate as an alumni ambassador. Notify carissa.marquez@unlv.edu if you plan to attend.

EMBA Connect Event - Super Summer Theater's "Chicago"
August 17

Super Summer Theatre
Spring Mountain Ranch
Save the date. Additional details soon to come.

EMBA Information Session
August 20
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Sahara West Library
9600 W. Sahara Ave, LV, NV
Bring along a prospective student or participate as an alumni ambassador. Notify carissa.marquez@unlv.edu if you plan to attend.

EMBA Information Session
September 24
6:00 - 7:00 PM
UNLV Main Campus,
EMBA Suite, WRI C-302
Bring along a prospective student or participate as an alumni ambassador. Notify carissa.marquez@unlv.edu if you plan to attend.


EMBA Smiles
EMBASmiles

Happy birthday to Cohort 17's Nathaniel Klein.
It was double the birthday fun for Cohort 17's Andy Kieatiwong and Amy Waysack.
We all enjoyed the birthday smile from
Erica Suciu of Cohort 17. 
Birthday celebration for Cohort 17's
Ramu Nallamothu.
Birthday greetings to Cohort 17's Andy Locher and Arun Asokan.
We kicked off July celebrating a birthday for James Taylor of Cohort 17.
Carl Adams and Aaron Rodgers were our first Cohort 18 birthday celebrations.
Happy birthday to Cohort 17's Susanne Shultiz and Program Director Nikki Liesse.
We had a blast celebrating with Cohort 18's Donna Haberman.
Congratulations to Dr. Nathaniel Klein of Cohort 17 for completing his residency.
Steve Packard, Andrew Kerzmann and Michael Speagle of Cohort 15 had a chance encounter with professor Michael Sullivan at a Las Vegas Aviator's baseball game.

Nathaniel Klein, James Taylor, Arun Asokan, Christine Tonn, Mark Escoto, and Lisa Curran of Cohort 17 get into character for a presentation.

The 2019 EMBA Alumni Appreciation Dinner was held on May 23rd at DW Bistro. This dinner was held to show our gratitude for those EMBA alumni and faculty that went above and beyond to assist with the recruitment efforts of Cohort 18. Thank you to all who attended.
Click here for the EMBA Alumni Appreciation Dinner Photo Gallery

On May 30th we held an exclusive EMBA Alumni Connect Event at the Las Vegas Ball Park complete with a Giada Signature Experience lunch, talk with Kevin Orrock, President of Summerlin-The Howard Hughes Corporation and Don Logan, COO, Las Vegas Aviators. We finished up the afternoon with a behind the scenes tour of the ballpark.
Click here for the EMBA Connect Event at Las Vegas Ballpark Photo Gallery

Cohort 18 began their first day of class with the Marshmallow Challenge competition. Pictured above is the winning team: Conlin Helvey, Nicole Curfman, Kristen Trbovich, and Brent Gardner.
Click here for the Cohort 18 Marshmallow Challenge Photo Gallery

Alumni and faculty joined us for the Cohort 18 Welcome luncheon on June 5th. Cohort 18 students had the opportunity to meet future instructors and chat with alumni about their EMBA experience.
Click here for the Cohort 18 Welcome Luncheon Photo Gallery