UNLV announces 36 members of panel to choose new school president

By Paul Takahashi

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014 | 6:50 p.m.

UNLV has formed a search committee to find the next president of Nevada’s largest university.

Nevada Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Page this afternoon announced the 36 people who will sit on the committee.

Nevada’s higher education leaders have tasked this group with conducting a national search to find a permanent replacement for former President Neal Smatresk, who took the helm of the University of North Texas, near Dallas, earlier this month. Former Hotel College dean and Las Vegas business leader Don Snyder is serving as UNLV’s acting president in the interim.

The search committee consists of six regents, who are voting members, and 30 advisers, who are nonvoting members.

There are four regents from Southern Nevada and two from Northern Nevada. The advisory members consist of students, faculty, administrators, alumni and community leaders representing primarily business and the health care industry. The next UNLV president will oversee several major campus initiatives, including the creation of a new top-tier medical school and on-campus football stadium.

“We’re very excited,” Page said. “We have a pretty diverse and hard-working committee who will help us find the next great president of UNLV.”

Here are the members of the committee:

Regents

• Mark Doubrava, chairman

• Cedric Crear

• Jason Geddes

• Kevin Page

• Rick Trachock

• Michael Wixom

Advisory members

• Tony Alamo, M.D., Nevada State Gaming Commission

• Robert Boughner, Boyd Gaming Group

• Brendan Bussmann, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center

• Nate (Joe) Bynum, UNLV professor of theater

• Kirk Clausen, Wells Fargo Bank

• Juan (J.D.) Duhart, UNLV graduate student in life sciences

• Ken Evans, Urban Chamber of Commerce and Air Force graduate

• Juanita Fain, UNLV vice president of student affairs

• Liam Frink, associate professor of anthropology

• Brent Hathaway, dean of UNLV’s Lee Business School

• Pam Hicks, Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program and former Clark County School District administrator

• John Hunt, UNLV Alumni Association Board of Directors and local attorney

• Thomas Jingoli, Konami Gaming

• Sandra Johnson, UNLV Alumni Board of Directors

• Ken Ladd, retired U.S. Bank executive

• Greg Lee, Eureka Casino Hotel

• Greg McKinley, Cragin & Pike Insurance

• Kristin McMillan, Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce

• Marta Meana, dean of UNLV’s Honors College

• Connie Mobley, associate dean of UNLV’s dental school

• Pat Mulroy, retired president of the Southern Nevada Water Authority

• Perry Rogers, PR Partners and UNLV Foundation Board trustee

• Vicki Rosser, UNLV professor of educational psychology

• Tony Sanchez, NV Energy

• Judy Smith, Reprographics/Design Services and member of UNLV’s classified employees

• Michael Wilde, Assistant director of finance for UNLV's center for academic enrichment and outreach

• Michael Yackira, NV Energy CEO and UNLV Foundation Board trustee

• Missy Young, Switch SUPERNAP and chairwoman of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance

• Carolyn Yucha, dean of UNLV’s nursing school

• Undergraduate student representative, to be nominated by the student government