3 inducted into Nevada Business Hall of Fame

By Rich Coleman

Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.

Hundreds of people packed the Mirage’s Grand Ballroom on Thursday night to honor three Nevadans who have helped Las Vegas prosper.

Business leaders Donald Snyder, Phil Satre and the late Barbara Greenspun were inducted into the Nevada Business Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognizes Nevada’s top business leaders, and inductees are chosen by the UNLV College of Business Executive Advisory Board. Past inductees include Sam Boyd, Jerome D. Mack, Howard Hughes Jr., Steven Wynn and Hank Greenspun, Barbara Greenspun’s husband.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was in attendance and said he was happy to see local businessmen and women celebrating the success and contributions of the inductees.

“These are the movers and shakers right here, and they all believe Las Vegas is a wonderful place to live,” Goodman said. “They’re all great supporters of the university system and trying to do the right thing by the community.”

The ceremony began with the induction of Barbara Greenspun, who was described as the silent force next to her husband, Hank.

She assisted him in running the Las Vegas Sun, starting Las Vegas’ first TV station, KLAS-TV, and founding the city’s first cable station, which is now Cox Communications. The couple also founded UNLV’s College of Urban Affairs, which contains the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies.

She was also an advocate for many nonprofits and community causes and was the founder of the Barbara Greenspun Women’s Care Center of Excellence and the Sun Summer Camp Fund.

With siblings Brian, Daniel and Susan watching in the audience, Jane Gale, accepted the award on behalf of her mother, who died in June 2010.

“Of all the honors my mother received...this is probably the one she would love the most, because she really prided herself on being a businesswoman,” Gale said. “She was the one who checked the bill at the end of the meal to make sure we were charged properly. As generous and kind as my mother was, she made sure it was fair and it was correct.”

Satre, former chairman of the board of Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., was then honored.

Satre joined the company in 1980 as vice president, general counsel and secretary of Harrah’s, now Caesars Entertainment. He was named president and CEO of the company in 1984 and was elected chairman of the board in 1997.

Since then, he has become chairman of the board of NV Energy, a director of Rite Aid Corp., a director of Nordstrom Inc. and chairman of the board of International Game Technology.

He is also the director of the National Center for Responsible Gaming, chairman of the National World War II Museum Board of Trustees and a member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees.

In accepting his award, Satre made mention of the numerous people who helped him along the way toward his success as a businessman. He stressed the importance of having good relations with employees and peers.

“Those are the people who I think make executives successful, and I’m grateful to all of them,” Satre said.

The ceremony came to a close after the induction of Donald D. Snyder, who was most recently appointed interim dean at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.

“He’s an old friend and a great supporter of our downtown efforts. In particular, he is a force behind the Smith Center for the Performing Arts,” Goodman said.

Synder has played an integral role in the center since 1996 and is now the chairman of the board.

Snyder served from 1987 to 1991 as chairman of the board and CEO of First Interstate Bank of Nevada, which would later become known as the Bank of Nevada. He was the president of Boyd Gaming from 1997 to 2005. He now sits on the board of NV Energy, Tutor Perini Corp., Switch Communications Group, Bank of Nevada and its parent, Western Alliance Bancorporation.

Colleague Rick Darnold presented the award to Snyder and referred to him as his mentor, a community leader and a “consumate professional.”

“He’s described as collaborative,” Darnold said. “He builds relationships and takes account the thoughts and opinions of others. He’s a consensus builder and develops strong bonds.”