U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E V A D A , L A S V E G A SWILLIAM F. HARRAH COLLEGE OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATION

W I L L I A M F . H A R R A H C O L L E G E O F H O T E L A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

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Along term recruiting partnershipbetween the Harrah Hotel College andMGM MIRAGE was announced as

part of the Company’s 2003 Diversity Reportmeeting held in Las Vegas in February at TheMirage. Thepartnershipincludes a$500,000 giftcommitment tofund theprogram duringa five yearperiod.

“We arethrilled toreceive thissupport fromMGMMIRAGE,” saidCarol C. Harter, President of the University ofNevada Las Vegas. “It presents an opportunityto strengthen a partnership between UNLV andNevada’s most important industry in thepursuit of a goal that all of us share: diversity.We are honored that the Harrah Hotel Collegehas been selected as a key partner in thisdiversity initiative.”

The Harrah Hotel College-MGMMIRAGE partnership will focus on activities inthe areas of recruitment, scholarships, studentinternships, mentor programs and professorexternships. Funding will provide scholarships

to minoritystudents and helpwith expenses torecruit thesestudents.Recruitmentactivities willinclude aggressiveoutreach toSouthern Nevadahigh schools andcommunitycolleges, at careerfairs and at otherlocal events. In

addition, the partnership will include targetedactivities to interest minority students to pursuecareers in hospitality and recruit them fromthroughout the United States to study at theHarrah Hotel College. The College has as itsgoal to increase the number of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic students by 20% eachyear of the five-year recruiting partnership.

“As we look around at our company’scurrent executives, we employ several alumni ofthe hotel college – Bill McBeath, ’87, Presidentof The Mirage, Cindy Kiser Murphey, ’80, ’95MS, SVP of Human Resources for MGMMIRAGE, Scott Sibella, ’88, President ofTreasure Island and Bill Hornbuckle, ’84,President of MGM MIRAGE Online,” saidTerry Lanni, Chairman and CEO of MGMMIRAGE. “To explore our future prospects, welooked into the pipeline of next generationleaders by examining the current student bodyat the hotel college. We found that UNLV,home to the world’s finest hotel college, is asource of many of our best and brightestexecutives, and they’ve been diligently workingon issues related to diversity. Together, we willaggressively recruit bright minority students,both locally and nationally.”

To assist with this initiative, the HarrahHotel College will partner with UNLV’s Centerfor Academic Enrichment and Outreach(CAEO). CAEO provides comprehensiveprograms to increase student admission,retention, and graduation rates in secondary,undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

See “Recruiting Partnership” on page 4

The Harrah Hotel College held its first AcademicRecognition Luncheon this past April 9, 2003. The

Academic Recognition Luncheon provided theopportunity to congratulate students who were therecipients of scholarships. This year over 190 students inthe College received a scholarship. The event was verysuccessful with almost 150 students, families, faculty andhonored guests in attendance. The grandparents of onestudent traveled from California to celebrate theoccasion. Also in attendance were several scholarshipdonors representing the American Hotel and LodgingAssociation, the Founders Club, Park PlaceEntertainment, and MGM MIRAGE.

Claudine Williams, Chairman of Harrah’s Las Vegaswas the keynote speaker. Mrs. Williams established the

Shelby Williams Scholarship Endowment in 1978 inmemory of her husband to benefit the Harrah HotelCollege, and continues to make additional gifts to helpdeserving students each year. In fact, she presented acheck for $10,000 to Stuart Mann, Dean of the Collegeat the luncheon. Mrs. Williams praised the educationprovided by the college and suggested that students wereembarking on a future career that would be wonderfullysatisfying.

One of the students, Aja Beard, was a featuredspeaker who reflected on the meaning of receiving ascholarship. She spoke to the financial challenges ofobtaining an education at one of the best hospitalityprograms in the country. Her final point summed up the

Academic Scholars & Faculty Receive Recognition

Mrs. Claudine Williams meetsHau-Yin Leung, recipient of theShelby Williams MemorialScholarship.

Dean Stuart Mann and Bill McBeath ‘87 at the public announcementof the UNLV-MGM MIRAGE partnership.

Recruiting Partnership Establishedwith MGM MIRAGE 2003, Issue II

See, “Academic Scholars & Faculty” on page 3

As the global hospitality industry fightsto climb out of a severe downturn as

a result of recession, acts of terrorism,war, SARS, and a slower than forecastedeconomic recovery, our students havebeen significantly affected by thisstruggle. The demand for hotel roomnights has been weak since early 2001.The number of tourists visiting Las Vegasand the number of conventioneers hasdeclined as well. The impact of thisslowdown has been employee layoffsand a reduction in gaming revenues andretail sales.

Most hotels have had to implementlayoffs or reduced work schedules.Because of these pressures on the staffingneeds of hotels, our students are facingconsiderable uncertainties. Many tryingto complete their 1,000 hours of workexperience are finding employmentdifficult. Those seeking to find aninternship site for their three-creditacademic requirement are also findingopportunities scarce. In my fifteen plusyears as a director or dean of a majorprogram in hospitality, this year has beenthe most difficult that I have seen forstudents in the hospitality job market.

At the state level, the impact from thereduction in gaming and retail salesrevenues is a budget gap between stateneeds and state revenues. For UNLV, astate institution wherein we rely on alarge percentage of our funding from thestate, budgets are stressed. We have hadhiring freezes at a time when there arenot enough faculty members to teach theneeded classes. This is occurringconcomitant with the numbers ofstudents attending UNLV increasing.Last semester we had significant difficulty

in arranging a schedule that foundclassrooms and instructors to hold all ofour necessary classes.

We have been engaged in a facilitiesmaster planning process for the entiretyof UNLV for the past year. Consultantshave been assisting the university incoming to grips with an annual rate ofgrowth of seven percent projecting38,500 students in 2010. Our current335 acres yield limited opportunities foradding to the number of buildings thatcould accommodate this expectedgrowth. Included in this plan however,is our proposed "hospitality campus".A new hospitality academic building anda conference center hotel with significantmeeting space would enhance ourabilities to satisfy the growing demandfor classrooms as well as the growingneeds of the university to accommodateguests for scientific and professionalmeetings.

While we struggle with the realities ofthe economic world, we are confident ofthe future. While our students faceuncertainty upon graduation, most ofthem eventually find jobs in thehospitality field to begin their careers. Asthe economy improves we are sure thatthese students will be able to movequickly up the career ladder and becomethe base of support that we need tosustain our ability to provide a premiereducation to our students. In this andfuture issues of Premier you will readabout many of our alumni who areimportant executives and awardwinners. These individuals havesucceeded in difficult times and providean inspiration as we strive to get betterin tough times.

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DEAN’SMESSAGE

Stuart Mann, Dean,William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration

HARRAH HOTEL COLLEGENATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

William Allen, IIIFleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

George E. Baggott, CFSPSouthern Nevada Movers, Inc.

Debi BenedettiSanta Rosa Golf & Country Club

Elizabeth BlauElizabeth Blau & Assoc.

Stan BromleyFour Seasons Hotel

Andrew J. C. CherngPanda Restaurant Group

John R. Donovan, Jr.Aramark

Deirdre FlynnNorth American Association

of Food ManufacturersDouglas K. Fryett

Fryett Consulting GroupRichard J. Goeglein

Evening Star Hospitality, LLCRobert N. Grimes

AccuviaWilliam J. Hornbuckle, ’84

MGM MIRAGEVan V. Heffner

Nevada Hotel & Lodging AssociationNevada Restaurant Association

Michael J. HislopII Fornaio America Corporation

E. Dean McClainThe Gillman Group

Stephen G. MichaelidesWords, Ink

Richard MirmanHarrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

Jim MooreMoore Ideas, Inc.Paul B. Mullen

MICE North AmericaLinda Novey-White

Linda Novey Enterprises, Inc.Douglas Parker

Leonard Parker Co.Larry Ruvo

Southern Wine & SpiritsRon Shiflett

Marriott International Western RegionJames B. Singerling, CCM, CEC

Club Manager’s Association of AmericaArch Stokes, Esquire

Stokes & Murphy, P.C.Susie Southgate-Fox

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.John F. Sweeney, RRP, ISHC

RCI Consulting, Inc.SENIOR ADVISORS

Taketoshi TakemotoAce Denken Co., Ltd.

Claudine WilliamsHarrah’s Las Vegas

The officialnewsletter of the

William F. HarrahCollege of Hotel

Administration

“In my fifteen plus yearsas a director or dean of a major

program in hospitality, this year hasbeen the most difficult that

I have seen for students in thehospitality job market.”

“In my fifteen plus yearsas a director or dean of a major

program in hospitality, this year hasbeen the most difficult that

I have seen for students in thehospitality job market.”

perspective of many scholarship recipients. “Iwould like to say thank you again to thescholarship donors and also UNLV for all thefinancial help they have given me. When I aman alumna I will not forget your positive impacton my college experience and look forward tothe opportunity to give back to the future

students of thehotel college.”

Theluncheon alsooffered theopportunity torecognizeoutstandingfaculty

achievements for the year. Receiving the BoydAwards for excellence were Dr. Gail Sammons,’87 MS, for teaching, Dr. Andrew Feinstein,’91, ’95 MS, for research and Ms. KathleenNelson, ’94, ’96 MS, for service. Dr. Feinsteinwas also selected as the recipient of theOutstanding Graduate Faculty award.

Each scholarship student was alsorecognized at the event. Students and theirscholarships were announced to the audienceand came up to be personally congratulated bythe Dean of the College. Certificates were alsopresented to each scholarship recipient to markthe occasion. The Academic RecognitionLuncheon was a wonderful opportunity to bringstudents, families, faculty and scholarshipdonors together. The development of scholar-

ships represent atrue partnershipbetween theuniversity andindustry. We hopeto continue thisevent and addmore scholarshipopportunities forstudents in thefuture. If you wouldlike to be ascholarship donor please contact DeborahYoung at (702) 895-3148 ordyoung@ccmail.nevada.edu.

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from “Academic Scholars and Faculty” on page 1

Dean Mann presents ProfessorKathleen Nelson the BoydAward for Service.

Jaime Garcia meets the Deanand Ms. Williams.

One of the most confusing things about having gone to a

college or university is what you are supposed to be called

afterward. Obviously, you are a graduate, but are you an

alumnus? An alumni? We thought we would help you

explain with some definitions:

An alumnus is a male who has

graduated from a school. For

example: If you are an alumnus of

the William F. Harrah College of

Hotel Administration, you are one of

the smartest, handsomest men around

and should be a member of your

alumni association.

An alumna is a female who has

graduated from a school. For

example: If you are an alumna of the

William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, you

are one of the smartest, most beautiful women around, and

are being pursued by at least one alumnus who wants you

to be a member of your alumni association.

Alumni, the plural of alumnus, are men or a group of men

and women who have graduated from a school. For

example: If your friends are alumni of the William F.

Harrah College of Hotel Administration, they probably

know another alumnus who knows

an alumna.

Alumnae, the plural of alumna, are

women who have graduated from a

school. For example: If your friends

are alumnae of the William F.

Harrah College of Hotel

Administration, they probably know

another alumna who knows at least

one alumnus and possibly two

alumni.

Now that you know all of this, here is

what matters: you went to the William F. Harrah College

of Hotel Administration, and you know others who did.

Tell them to get involved and show their pride as

members of the UNLV Alumni Association!

Rebel Words

Like many of mycolleagues at Harrah’sEntertainment, Inc., I’dnever thought aboutjoining the gamingindustry.

That changed fouryears ago, when mycolleague and mentor,Harvard businessprofessor Gary Loveman,was named Harrah’s chiefoperating officer. Gary’smove to Harrah’sprompted me to thinkabout the gamingindustry for the firsttime. Within the year, I’dleft a consulting positionwith Booz Allen &Hamilton in New Yorkto join Gary and Harrah’s.

It was the perfect challenge for me, as Ilooked for the next step in the evolution ofmy career. At Booz Allen, my specialty wascustomer relationship management; for agaming company, nothing is more importantthan the relationship the casino and itsemployees have with each customer.

For a Chief Marketing Officer, there’s nogreater dream than working for a companywhere marketing is king, as it is at Harrah’s.Under Gary Loveman, our philosophy hasbeen a simple one: don’t just build a world-class gaming company; build a world-classmarketing company.

Marketing skills areat a premium in manyindustries, includingfinancial services, theindustry in which Ispecialized at Booz Allen.But gaming offered afascinating fusion I couldfind nowhere else – themarriage of marketingexpertise with theoperational skills requiredin running a labor-intensive casino resort.

Gaming also offeredtechnologicalopportunity. For years,regulators across thecountry had requiredcasinos to install systemsthat monitored the play

occurring each day on casino floors. To amarketer, finding these systems was anunparalleled opportunity to gather detailedinformation on the habits of millions of ourcustomers. These systems, and the data theyproduced, helped us create a system thatcould not only reward customers, but predicttheir potential worth to our company – andentice them to become loyal Harrah’scustomers.

But, perhaps most importantly, gamingoffers one great reason to stay - our businessis all about having fun. Four years afterjoining Harrah’s and the gaming industry, Istill can’t imagine doing anything else.

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Because of CAEO’s success in recruiting andretaining minority students, the Center willhelp the College design a program that willnot only attract students currently enrolled inhigh school, but also will work with those inmiddle schools and non-traditional studentsto encourage them to pursue a degree in theHarrah Hotel College.

“CAEO has an outstanding track recordof recruiting and graduating minority students

and students from disadvantagedbackgrounds,” said Stuart H. Mann, Dean ofthe Harrah Hotel College. “This partnershipwill allow us to maximize resources byallowing each of our academic units to focuson what we do best. Together, we hope tointerest minority students in the manyexciting opportunities in the hospitality andleisure services industries and prepare them tobecome future industry leaders.”

by Richard Mirman

Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

Chief Operating Officerand Senior Vice President

of New Business Development

Harrah Hotel CollegeNational Advisory Board Member

from “Recruiting Partnership” on page 1

The official newsletter ofthe William F. HarrahCollege of HotelAdministration

Office of the Dean4505 Maryland ParkwayBox 456013Las Vegas NV 89154-6013(702) 895-3161

Stuart H. Mann, Dean

James Busser, Associate Dean

Shannon Bybee, DirectorUNLV International Gaming Institute

Audrey McCool, Assistant Dean for Research

Pearl Brewer, DirectorGraduate Studies

John Stefanelli, ChairpersonFood and Beverage Management

Robert Woods, ChairpersonHotel Management

Patti Shock, ChairpersonTourism & Convention Administration

Deborah Young, Director of Development

Judy Nagai-Allison, Director of Alumni Affairs

Alumni AssociationBoard of Directors

ChairmanJames Germain, ’75USA Hosts

Events/ActivitiesStacy Bloom, ’90Kinko’s

Christine Paskvan Kiely, ’90Clear Channel Taxi Media

Fundraising/DevelopmentWilliam McBeath, ’87The Mirage

Anthony Santo, ’84Park Place Entertainment

MembershipFayyaz Raja, ’92, ’95Raja Enterprises

Special ProjectsMarcus Threats, ’87, ’99 MBAThe Mirage

Strategic PlanningCraig Schaefer, ’95Acres Gaming

UNLV is an AA/EEO InstitutionProduced by UNLV Publication/Reprographics

Why I Chose to Work in this Industry

U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E V A D A , L A S V E G A SWILLIAM F. HARRAH COLLEGE OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATION

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tephen G. Michaelides, a member ofthe Harrah Hotel College National

Advisory Board, has been named the 2003recipient of the American Business MediaCrain Award. Michaelides, a long-timeeditor of Penton Media’s RestaurantHospitality magazine, joined the companyin 1966 as assistant editor. In 1970, he wasnamed editor and held that position untilbecoming associate publisher in 1991.

While he left the company topursue other interests in 1998,Michaelides’ articles continue toappear in Restaurant Hospitality.

The Crain Award, now in its34th year, is given annually byAmerican Business Media, theassociation for business-to-business information providers,to an individual who has made outstanding

contributions to the developmentof editorial excellence in thebusiness press. The award wasestablished by a grant from theG.C. Crain, Jr. Foundation andhonors the late G.D. Crain, Jr,founder of Advertising Age, theflagship magazine of CrainCommunications Inc.

National Advisory Board Member Wins Crain Award

Stephen Michaelides

Harrah’sEntertainment Inc.Donates CorporateArchives to UNLV

Hundreds of photographs, publications,documents, and artifacts chronicling the

65-year history of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.are now housed in UNLV Lied Library’s specialcollections, thanks to a donation by the LasVegas-based gaming company.

“We are thrilled that Harrah’s chose todonate these materials to UNLV,” said PeterMichel, director of special collections. “Harrah’shas a long history in Nevada and in the gamingindustry. Having its corporate archives housedat UNLV is a valuable research asset for UNLV,enhancing its already established position as aninternational center for the study of gamingand the gaming industry.”

The collection, now known as the“Harrah’s Archive,” is part of the GamingStudies Research Center housed in the library’sspecial collections.

Join The UNLV Alumni AssociationKEEPING ALUMNI MEMBERS

CONNECTEDBy Raja, ’92 HA, ’95 POS

Membership Chair, Harrah Hotel College Alumni Association

Ibelieve it is important that UNLV Alumni Association members maintain a strong connection toUNLV. By becoming an active member of the UNLV Alumni Association, you make a difference

in the lives and college careers of thousands of students. Your membership fees help fundscholarships, improvements for the campus and communication for the Alumni.

The Alumni Association provides hundreds of thousands of dollars for scholarship aid forstudents in every academic department. Because of the generosity of the alumni and friends,UNLV has helped numerous dedicated students to continue their dream to become the best thatthey can be.

The UNLV Alumni Association is your connection to UNLV. The strength of our universitycomes from the thousands of individual men and women, who are alumni members, dedicated tothe enhancement and development of our continuing education. They make a difference every dayby helping future Alumni enhance their educational experience and environment.

It is the desire of the Harrah Hotel College Alumni Association to help in achieving its strategicgoals to provide financial support for programs and promote fellowship among the alumnimembers, students and faculty of the college. By participating and maintaining membership, youwill make a big difference.

For more information on how you can become an active member of the Alumni Association,please call us at 702-895-3621 or 1-800-829-ALUM for out of town residents. If you have internetaccess, you may visit our website at www.unlv.edu/alumni.

Annual Membership is $55.00 or $90.00 for Joint Annual Membership (you and yourspouse), which includes your membership in the Harrah Hotel College Alumni Association.

The next Alumni Reception in Las Vegas will be during the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) on September 16, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Additional detailswill be sent by email. Be sure to subscribe to our alumni e-newsletter by sending your request to judy.nagai-allison@ccmail.nevada.edu.

Save the Date: Alumni Reception

S

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Nearly 200 alumni and friends gathered atthe 2nd Annual UNLVino Alumni

Brunch to celebrate this year’s industryachievement awards and to reunite for theweekend. The brunchtook place at RisquéUltra Lounge, the newnightclub in the ParisHotel Casino. Thisfashionable venue was awonderful location,providing a social andcasual atmosphere forattendees to interact andmingle while samplinggourmet crepes andpastries and enjoying mojito cocktailsfeaturing Montecristo Rum.

Attendees hadvery favorableresponses to this year’sbrunch. “I highlyrecommend attendingthe annual alumnibrunch,” said MikeCarosielli, ’02.“Networking withinthe industry has neverbeen easier and it iswonderful to enjoyexquisite food in aspectacular room fullof UNLV alums with

similar career paths.” Mike was also pleased toreunite with hotel college professors as well asmany alumni. “I already have the brunch inmy calendar for 2004!”

Another former student, Allison Verrino,’99, flew cross-country to attend. “It is a funevent and makes for a memorable weekend. Iwould definitely recommend this event for allalumni.”

Just asalumni enjoyUNLVinoand theAlumniBrunch, manyinstructorsand professorsalso make it apoint toattend each

year. “I think the event is heldduring a great time of year tocome to Las Vegas,” saidProfessor Gail Sammons, ’87

M.S. “Everyoneenjoys visiting andit is always greatto ‘touch base’with formerstudents.”

Six awardswere introducedby Dean StuartMannat theAlumni

Brunch. The Alumnus of

the Year award wasgiven to BillHornbuckle, ’84,Executive Vice-President ofMarketing, MGMMIRAGE. The awardwas presented by JimGermain, ’75, Harrah Hotel College AlumniAssociation Board Chairperson.

The Professional of the Year selected by theLeisureStudiesProgram wasgiven to AmyHyams, ’94,’00 Ph.D.,Coordinatorfor the UNLVDivision ofEducationalOutreach. InAmy’s

absence,the award was accepted by James Busser,associate dean.

The Industry Executiveof the Year selected by theFood & BeverageManagement Departmentwas awarded to DickRivera, President/COO ofDarden Restaurants, Inc.

Professor AndrewFeinstein, ’91, ’95MS, presented theaward to ChrisPlunkett in Dick’sabsence.

The IndustryExecutive of the Yearselected by the HotelManagementDepartment wasawarded to John F.Sweeney, ExecutiveVice-President forRCI Consulting, Inc.

The award waspresented by PearlBrewer, departmentchairperson.

The IndustryExecutive of the Yearselected by the Tourism& ConventionAdministrationDepartment wasawarded to Manny

Cortez, President/CEO of the Las VegasConvention & Visitors Authority. The awardwas presented by Patti Shock, department

chairperson. The Dean’s Medal of

Distinction was awarded to DickRivera of Darden Restaurants.Each year, one of the honorees ofthe event receives this award. It isgiven to an individual industryprofessional or executive of theyear who has throughout his orher career demonstratedexcellence in management andoperations; demonstrated a focuson the development of human

resources; demonstrated continualparticipation in thegovernance oforganizationsrepresenting theindustry served; anddemonstratedexemplarycontributions to theprestige and publicimage of the industryserved.

UNLVino Alumni Brunch A SuccessU N I V E R S I T Y O F N E V A D A , L A S V E G A S

WILLIAM F. HARRAH COLLEGE OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATION

(L-R) Manny Cortez, Stuart Mann, JohnSweeney, Bill Hornbuckle and ChrisPlunkett.

Bill Hornbuckleaddresses the group.

Rebecca Seipp, ’98 and Brad Henryenjoy the event.

John Sweeney accepts his award fromPearl Brewer.

Alumni Bryan Page of Page Wine Cellars andJosh Wand of Montecristo Rum, proudly displaytheir wine and spirits to faculty members Donand Kathy Bell.

Chris Plunkett accepts the Dean’sMedal of Distinction award on behalf ofDick Rivera of Darden Restaurants.

Friends had the opportunity to catch up with oneanother.

Doctors and lawyersprobably have the

toughest college curriculum,but future golf professionalsaren’t far behind.

Just ask Bill Moore,director of UNLV’s ProfessionalGolf Management (PGM)course that started last August(702-895-3865 orbill.moore@ccmail.nevada.edu).“It’s by far the most difficultundergraduate program I haveever come across,” Moore says.“It’s 12 months a year for fourand-a-half years. There are twocurriculums: the golf trainingprogram which includeslearning about merchandising,food and beverage, teaching,grass and everything else aboutthe golf business and theacademic curriculum which isabout 15 hours per semester. Inaddition to those, students must pass theplaying-ability test within 4 years, and that’s noteasy.”

There are plenty of people interested in thecourse, but few are willing to put in the timeand effort. Moore gets plenty of phone calls,many from older people with degrees who arelooking to slide right in.

“I tell them that it’s four-and-a-half yearswhether they have a degree or not,” Moore says.“They have no idea how tough this really is.”

Moore adds that these graduates step right

into top jobs.But there is acatch: You dohave to knowthe game—and play itwell.Admissionrequirementsinclude ahigh schoolGPA of 2.5,as well as agolf handicapof 8 or less(and it ischecked -Moore hasalready hadto turn awayapplicants).

Theprogramrequires 124

credits—47 in general education, 43 recreationmajor, 28 in Professional Golf Managementconcentration and 6 electives, so it’s not justgolf, golf and more golf. Upon completion,students receive a Bachelor of Science degreewith a major in Recreation and a concentrationin PGM.

Still interested? Moore hopes so. “We have15 students this time and we’re hoping for 50new ones next year.”

Moore has been working with localcompany Walters Golf and says the

arrangements “have been awesome. They havemade a commitment to our program, and we’remaking a commitment to the students.”

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ON THE JOB TRAINING:

How do you audit this class?

Don’t Miss Your E-Newsletter from the CollegeHave you been receiving the college’s monthly e-newsletter? If not, visit http://www.unlv.edu/Tourism/alumni.htmto sign up. Don't forget to update all your contact information so you can stay connected to UNLV.

Bill Moore, director of the Golf Management Program.

To help recruit academically talentedminority students to study hotel

administration and culinary artsmanagement at UNLV, a dual degreepartnership has been established with FortValley State University in Fort Valley,

Georgia, a historically black college. Forthree years at Fort Valley, students willstudy in the area of Foods and Nutrition,then transfer to UNLV to pursue a degreein either hotel administration or culinaryarts management. After completing both

programs of study, students will receive adegree from each institution. Studentscompleting a degree in business at FortValley may also earn a second degree inhotel administration by completing anintensive one year program.

Fort Valley State University Partnership

A WEDNESDAY IN THE LIFEOF A UNLV/PGM STUDENT

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Fundamentals of business writing

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Hospitality finance11:00 – 12:00 p.m. Golf operations and

management12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Mandatory study for

Golf Professional Training Program (GPTP)

2:30 – 6:00 p.m. PGM team practice or league competition

6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Dinner7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Student association

meeting (coat and tie required) once a month or mandatory GPTP study sessions on other Wednesdays of the month

9:00 – 10:30 p.m. Voluntary study hall (mandatory for first year students)

Reprinted with permission from Vegas Golfermagazine, January 2003.

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The Learning Channel’s popular program Trading Spaces recentlyvisited Las Vegas and a Harrah Hotel College alumnus, Kenny

Horowitz, ’95, and his wife Samantha were among the localparticipants. Utilizing his education in the hotel industry, Kennyworks as a server at Bellagio’s famed Aqua restaurant.

Trading Spaces is a one-of-a-kind decorating show that lets twosets of neighbors swap keys and transform a room in each other’shome. With a limited budget and two days to complete the project,each couple is not allowed back in their homes until the room hasbeen redecorated.

Kenny and wife Samantha (also a graduate of UNLV) and theirgood friends and neighbors, the Velasquezes, were joking around

one evening and decided to go on-line and sign up to be on theshow. “Our neighbors are huge Trading Spaces fans and we thoughtit might be fun to see if we could get chosen,” said Horowitz. “Wewere surprised when we got a call from the show’s producer sayingwe were being considered as finalists.”

The field kept narrowing and soon, Kenny and Samanthawere one of the six couples chosen for the Las Vegas show. Theprogram was filmed in January and aired during the weekend ofMarch 28 – 29.

“It was a really good experience,” said Horowitz. “We learnedsome tricks of the trade and had a blast during the filming. It’samazing what can be accomplished in two days’ time.”

Hotel Alumnus Appears on Popular Television Program

The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) LasVegas Chapter attended the annual national conference held in

Boston February 19 - 22. This year, the chapter took 21 students toproudly represent UNLV. The conference was held for the purpose ofleadership enhancement for minorities, providing job and internshipopportunities for students, and networking between students andindustry leaders. Through the educational workshops that wereconducted, the conference provided many opportunities for all of theambassadors to seek their future career paths.

In addition, NSMH Las Vegas Chapter was awarded Best Chapterof the Year, Best Publicity of the Year, and Best Exhibit of the Yearamong the 30 chapters nationwide. These awards are the result ofvolunteer work, community outreach, educational workshops,effective membership drives, and property tours. The organization hasthe potential to grow even more in a society where diversity is stronglyappreciated, and these awards are just the beginning. As Mr. Wildon

Lacro, NSMH president, said,“We will set the bar to improveour organization and exceedexpectations for the comingyears.”

Finally, NSMH Las VegasChapter would like to thankDean Stuart Mann for funding$1,500, CSUN for funding$1,500, and the Silent Auctionparticipants last October (the silent auction raised $2,800). The 4thAnnual Silent Auction will be held this fall during the HomecomingFootball Game tailgate event. If you would like more information onsupporting NSMH or to donate items to the silent auction, pleasecontact the group at nsmh@hotmail.com or Dr. Corsun, facultyadvisor, at (702) 895-4967.

Student Chapter Wins Awards in Boston

NSMH members receive award for bestexhibit of the year at the nationalconference.

As I write this, SARS continues to spread throughout China withalmost half of the provinces reporting cases. In Hangzhou, where I amliving, several cases of SARS have been reported. Many universitiesand schools were closed in Beijing, sending thousands of studentsback to their hometowns. But, in Shanghai, students are not allowedto leave campus. If they do break the policy, they are not allowed toreturn to campus and may be removed from the school registry. Thegovernment is actively trying to contain and control the disease, adifficult task in a crowded country with over a billion people. I amsure we will see many more aggressive tactics if the disease continuesto spread.

Throughout China, people are full of fear and their ignorance ofthe disease is causing many to panic. The travel industry has almostcome to a standstill in Asia with many hotels reporting occupanciesbelow 10% and tourism is suffering everywhere. Several of theinternational English teachers in our building have returned to theirhome countries as a result of SARS.

I feel that it is important to stay here to continue working with

the hospitality industry. In the last couple of weeks, I have discussedSARS with my tourism students, met with several hotels offeringadvice, and am in early discussions with the Zhejiang HotelAssociation to develop a strategy for their three hundred memberhotels to combat the negative economic impact of SARS. Additionally,during presentations, I have stressed the importance of improving theoverall levels of sanitation quality in tourism operations. While thegovernment works to end the spread of the disease, members of thetourism industry must join together to develop new policies andindustry practices that will help a struggling industry rebound fromthis devastating event.

The faculty of Zhejiang University has been very good to myfamily and me over the past few years. It is in these times of troublewhen it is important for friends to help and support each other. Thus,while Lisa and I will be evaluating the situation on a regular basis, Iwill be staying as long as practical and taking appropriate measures toensure our personal safety. Thank you again for your thoughts andconcern. Andy Nazarechuk, ’79, ’85 MS

SARS Impacts International Tourism

College faculty participated in the “GamingManagement Symposium Series”

sponsored by the University of Macau. This wasone in a series of invited presentations that theUniversityof Macausponsorsthroughoutthe year.The topicsfor thissymposiumwere:CasinoRegulations,ProblemGambling,CasinoSystems andTechnology, Casino Customer RelationshipMarketing, and a presentation about theprogram at UNLV.

The college welcomes Yong-Kwan Kim toUNLV. Professor Kim will spend the year

as a visiting professor from Korea. His officewill be located in the Stan Fulton Building.

Adjunct Professor David Saxe, ’93 ispictured with comedian/actor Pat Morita.

David is a local show producer for David SaxeProductions and teaches the hotelentertainment class. Pat was a guest speaker inclass.

Students from Clark County high schoolsparticipated in the UNLV Be A Rebel Day

program, sponsored by Park PlaceEntertainment to encourage them to continuetheir education by enrolling in college. A few

students are shownhere with Bill Wright,second from left, vicepresident for operations

at Bally’sLas Vegas.Bill is amemberof theclass of ’90 and was keynotespeaker for the day.fff“There are many talented highschool students here in SouthernNevada,” said Stuart Mann, deanof the William F. Harrah Collegeof Hotel Administration.“Programs like Be A Rebel Dayprovide opportunities for them tolearn about the many career

options in the gaming and hospitality industriesand the importance of a college degree to theircareers. We are grateful to Park PlaceEntertainment for helping to make thisimportant program possible,” said Mann.

Students in the Quantity Food Management(FAB 467) class take a break from preparing

authentic Italian dishes, which was one of manythemed lunches offered during the semester-long lunch series. Each lunch was held in theBoyd Dining Room, and was planned around aspecific theme. This Italian theme was expressedthrough menu items, décor, service style, andoverall ambiance. This course is the “grandfinale” of their academic experience. It brings alltheir previous learning experiences together,helping them prove they really can “do the job.”On this occasion, guests from GES ExpositionServices enjoyed the student-prepared andstudent-served meals. Following lunch, CEOPaul Dykstra presented to students interested inconvention management.

Welcome, Chef “Shag” Dale Shigenaga,CSC. Chef Shag began his studies as a

Culinarian while stationed in the United StatesAir Force. Upon retiring from the Air Force hereceived his bachelor’s degree from the HarrahHotel College in1990. Hecontinued hisculinary careerworking at theFlamingo Hiltonand The Mirage.While working atThe Mirage, heobtained hisassociate’s degreefrom CommunityCollege of SouthernNevada Culinary program in the spring of1995.

Chef Shag began his Kitchen Managercareer at the Community College of SouthernNevada in August 1995, when it opened itsnew $10 million kitchen facilities. Whileworking there, he obtained his AmericanCulinary Federation (ACF) certification as aCertified Sous Chef. Winning numerousmedals while competing in sanctioned local andnational ACF culinary competitions, both inhot food, and hot food served cold categories,as well as in the Baron Galand KnowledgeBowl, he is also the proud recipient of the ACFPresidential Medal. Though his job entailsmaintaining UNLV’s kitchen facilities, hisinterests are still centered on expanding theknowledge of fledgling new students in theculinary field.

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College News

Back, left to right: Andy Nazarechuk, Stuart Mann,Pearl Brewer, Ed Polivka. Front: two University ofMacau graduate students.

WILLIAM F. HARRAH COLLEGE OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATIONU N I V E R S I T Y O F N E V A D A , L A S V E G A S

10

John Bowen, Director of the GraduateProgram, received one of the four UNLVFoundation Distinguished Teaching Awards.He has been selected to serve as Dean of theConrad N. Hilton College of HotelAdministration at the University of Houstonand will begin his position for the 2003-04academic year.

Professor Pearl Brewer has been namedDirector of the Graduate Program beginningthis summer. She previously served asDepartment Chair for Hotel Managementfor three years.

Food & Beverage Professor AndrewFeinstein, ’91, ’95 MS, received the Sam &Mary Boyd Distinguished Research Award. Healso received the Distinguished ProfessorAward, Graduate Education. In addition,Andy received a travel grant from theUniversity Faculty Travel Committee.

Professor Lesley Johnson, ’99 Ph.D. was afeatured speaker at the 6th Annual SunriseHospital Pediatric Conference. Pediatriciansfrom around the country attended thisnational conference. Her presentation topicwas “Weighty Issues in Pediatrics”. Lesleywill also present a paper titled “The BottomLine of Diabetes” at the HawaiiInternational Conference on Business inJune. In addition, Lesley received a travelgrant from the University Faculty TravelCommittee.

Graduate student Clark Kincaid receivedthe Graduate Teaching Award.

Professor Curtis Love, Tourism &Convention Department, received the 2002-2003 UNLV Alumni Student Focus Award.

Tourism & Convention Professor KathyNelson, ’94, ’96 MSreceived the Sam & MaryBoyd Distinguished ServiceAward.

Hotel ManagementProfessor GailSammons, ’87 MSreceived the Sam & MaryBoyd DistinguishedTeaching Award.

Professor Stowe Shoemaker, HotelManagement Department, received theBarrick Scholar Award.

Professor Bob Woods has been named thenew Department Chair for HotelManagement beginning July 1.

STUDENTCONGRATULATIONS

The 21st Annual UNLV AlumniAssociation Mitzi Hughes ScholarshipRecognition Luncheon was held on April10 to recognize outstanding students whoreceived scholarships for the 2003-2004academic Year. The Mitzi Hughes ScholarshipRecipients included Drea Parenti, ’04—

Food & Beverage Department, LeahLaderas, ’04 (pictured below)—Tourism &Convention Department. Award recipientswere asked to invite a faculty member toattend to thank them for their support. Dreainvited Professor Lesley Johnson, ’99

Ph.D. LeahinvitedProfessorCurtis Love,who alsoreceived aStudent FocusAward at thisevent.

Recipients of the UNLV Alumni AssociationWilliam Paulos Hotel Scholarships wereKimberly Foley, junior, Greg Miller,senior, and Yukiko Takagi, senior. WilliamPaulos, ’69 is a committed donor andsupporter of UNLV and its variousprograms. Kimberly invited Professor EllisNorman and Yukiko invited Professor GailSammons, ’87 MS.

Alumna Christian Hardigree, J.D., was awarded the Hotel Management Department (HMD)UNLV Hotel Professor of the year for 2002-2003. The Hotel Association sponsored therecognition by sending out nomination forms to UNLV Hotel College students and askingthem to nominate an outstanding HMD professor and explain why they are worthy of thisrecognition. “Hardigree received the most nominations and the students had commendablecomments,” said UNLV Hotel Association president Natalie Binder. “Hardigree was the hardestprofessor I’ve ever had, but I learned so much in her class and you can tell that she really takesan interest in her students,” said one of the nomination forms. Hardigree was awarded a plaqueon behalf of the Hotel Association as well as a two night’s stay courtesy of Caesars Palace. Lastyear’s HMD Professor of the year was Dr. Wanda Costen.

Alumnus Bill Paulos meets the Paulos Scholarshipaward recipients

Congratulations

The 1970sJoseph V. Baldini, ’70 After spending 20 yearsin the Food and Beverage industry, Josephmoved to Portland, OR and then Tacoma, WAand pursued careers in other fields. Presently heis a parts service manager. He also spent 7 yearsinvolved with the Puget Sound Chapter of theNational Association of Investor Clubs. He ismarried with two sons, a daughter in-law andone grandson.

The 1980sJohn Maksimik, ’80 John works forOrgill/Singer & Associates and recently earnedthe Certified Risk Manager designation fromCertified Risk Managers International.

Edward Chaaya, ’81 Upon his graduation,Edward was appointed as a corporate traineewith Hyatt International. He has spent most ofhis career with Hyatt and other internationalchains in Dubai United Arab Emirates.Presently, he is the General Manager forHoliday Inn Resort Safaga City Red Sea Egypt.

Ron Shratter, ’83 Ron is president of EliteHospitality Group, an executive recruiting firmin Atlanta, GA specializing in the HospitalityIndustry. He can be reached atEHGroup@aol.com.

Lee Brucks, ’84 Lee also holds an AS degree incomputer science from Hesser CommunityCollege and just completed his MBA at RivierCollege in New Hampshire. He and his wifeCathy have two children, Austin and Carissa,and reside in Nashua, New Hampshire. Heworks for BAE Systems in the BusinessManagement Division.

Sharon Flax Mars, ’84 Sharon lives in theBritish Virgin Islands and works as the RoomsDivision Manager for the Little Dix Bay Resort.She also owns and operates a company calledTropix Limited, a vacation home/villa propertymanagement company. This company alsoprovides location services for photo shoots,commercials, and movies.

Tony Santo, ’84 Tony, a 22-year veteran of thegaming industry, was recently named SeniorVice President of Park Place EntertainmentCorporation’s Western and Mid-South regions.

In this role, he oversees the operations of adozen Park Place casino resorts in Nevada,Mississippi, Indiana and Louisiana. Tony is alsoa member of the Harrah Hotel College AlumniBoard.

Andrew Meckler, ’86 MS Andrew was namedtavern operations director of TimbersHospitality Group, the company operatingseven Southern Nevada Timbers Bar and GrillRestaurants.

Timothy Morrissey, ’86 Timothy has workedfor the State of Nevada for 10 years and hasbeen in supervision for three and a half years.He supervises the Southern NevadaAdjudication section in Las Vegas, which is partof the Department of Employment, Training,and Rehabilitation and the EmploymentSecurity Division.

Greg Schall, ’86 Greg, who resides in NewYork, is the VP of Lodging for Stuart DeanCompany, the largest restoration andmaintenance company in the industry.

The 1990sChristian E. Hardigree, ’93 Christiancurrently teaches courses in the Harrah HotelCollege, including Hospitality Law (401) andLabor Management Relations (408). She will bestarting a new Hospitality Employment Law(402) class in the Fall. She also practices lawwith the law firm of Parnell & Associates,mainly from a civil defense perspective.

Jarrett Kratchman, ’93 Jarrett opened theRitz-Carlton New York, Central Park asDirector of Finance and Quality. His first child,named Alyson Brook Kratchman, was born inJune 2003.

Joseph Miller, ’94 Joseph is the Director ofBusiness Development for Infosys Corporation.He is a specialist for business critical applicationand infrastructure management and currentlylives in West Hills, California.

Brad Packer, ’95 Brad is the Director ofPublic Relations for Noble Hotels and Resorts,with properties across the country. Beforemoving to Florida in 2001, he was thePublic Relations Manager for The VenetianResort Hotel Casino.

Bryan Page, ’95 Page Wine Cellar’s 1999 PageRed Table Wine recently received a score of 93in the May issue of Wine Enthusiast. While atUNLV, Bryan, owner of Page Wine Cellar, wasvery active in the Food and Beveragedepartment, chef of the Wine Club, and taughtin the Summer Studies in Switzerland programfor two years.

Gregory Dye, ’96 Gregory was promoted tofield craftsman by Las Vegas Handyman, Inc.His duties will include residential repairs,carpentry, plumbing, electrical work andvarious other services.

Wanda Jong Lewis, ’98 Wanda recently movedto Palm Springs, CA. She can be reached atwjonglewis@yahoo.com.

Chris Smith, ’98 Chris is the InternalCommunications partner in the HumanResources department at Harrah’s RinconCasino in Valley Center, California. In this role,he handles employee relations issues, benefits,recruiting, training and development, andcommunications. He recently received theCompany Chairman’s award for outstandingteam performance in 2002.

Brad Mark, ’99 was elected to the board ofdirectors for The Las Vegas Speedway Children’sCharities.

The 2000sAmy Byro, ’00 Amy has been a pastry chef atthe Rincon Casino Resort in San Diego for justabout 6 months and had the opportunity tohelp open this new resort. Previously, Amyworked for the Rio in Las Vegas.

Hanako Nagano, ’00 Hanako currently worksat the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spain Dana Point, CA where she is theHousekeeping Manager. She lives in Aliso Viejoand hopes to move back to Las Vegas in thefuture.

Irma Jamin, ’01 Irma was recently recognizedas the “Employee of the Year” by the LeMeridien Chicago. This recognition includes anopportunity to attend a special companyconference overseas to represent the LeMeridien Chicago.

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Alumni Updates

William F. Harrah College of Hotel AdministrationOffice of the Dean4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 456013Las Vegas, NV 89154-6013

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NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

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LAS VEGAS NVInside

MGM MIRAGE Partnership 1Scholars & Faculty Recognition 1Dean’s Message 2Rebel Words 3Mirman: Why I Chose this Industry 4Crain Award Winner 5Harrah’s Donates to UNLV 5UNLVino Alumni Brunch 6On the Job Training 7Hotel Alumnus on Television 8SARS 8Student Chapter Wins Awards 8College News 9Congratulations 10Alumni Updates 11

It’s not too late to purchase your UNLV Harrah Hotel CollegeAlumni Directory. Find out where all your college friends are thesedays. Orders are being accepted until early September. Please contactthe Directory Customer Service department at (800) 877-6554 toplace an order.

Dean’s Associates Gold

William P. McBeath ’87

GES Exposition Services

The Williams Foundation

Dean’s Associates Silver

Tola and Marcia Chin

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar/Roy’s Restaurants

Konami Gaming

Dean’s Associates Bronze

George and Linda Baggott

Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll

Richard and Andrea Goeglein

Stuart and Doreen Mann

Dean and Peggy McClain

Paul and Kathy Mullen

Robert Murray

Linda Novey Enterprises

RCI Consulting

Dr. Gail Sammons ’87 MS

Dr. Skip Swerdlow

Dr. Cheri Young and

Dr. David Corsun

Deborah Young and

Michael Green

Dean’s Associates Roll of HonorCreated in 2002, Dean’s Associate members of the Harrah Hotel Collegeprovide a much-needed, ongoing source of unrestricted revenue for theCollege. We are pleased to recognize these founding members who havemade contributions during this fiscal year:

For more information, pleasecontact Deborah Young,

Director of Development, at(702) 895-3148 or

dyoung@ccmail.nevada.edu.