Takeaways – Life. Lessons. Learned.
On this episode of Takeaways, I had the privilege to connect with Tina Quigley, who became the President and CEO of LVGEA (Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance) as of February 2022. Prior to that, she was CEO of the RTC (Regional Transportation Commission) for 14 years. In addition to her career accomplishments, Tina is also a licensed pilot. Although she does not currently fly planes, she has been flying successfully in the community and continues to be a leader in Las Vegas every day.
If Not You, Then Who?
Tina’s second-born son was born with a liver problem that required him to have a liver transplant and she didn’t know if he was going to make it for the first two years of his life. Today he is healthy and successful. However, the extreme stress and many sleepless nights exposed Tina’s most extreme and vulnerable sides. This event made her more aware of her own capability to deal with stress, her strength as a fighter, and her natural abilities to lead.
Tina has been called a fighter for good reason. On this podcast, she shared her mantra: “If not you, then who? If not now, then when?” If you see something that is not right, it is up to you to force the conversation. Tina is someone who will go to bat for the gaps that cannot be ignored.
Key Takeaway: Know When to Lead and When to Listen to Bring People Together
When Tina first came to Las Vegas, she worked at McCarran International Airport, (now Harry Reid International Airport). During her time there, the Director of Aviation at that time shared inspiring and insightful words that stuck with her. “Never forget that you work for the community.” The lesson was the tax payers in this community were really the source of her paycheck. This perspective impacted her and focused her work ethic to this day.
Tina is someone who loves to work and enjoys being a high-performance leader; something that is truly part of who she is. When she became the leader of LVGEA, she made it her mission to make sure the entire community knows what LVGEA is and how it impacts the community. In order to do that, Tina connected with others and went on a listening tour. She gathered insights to better understand the role of LVGEA within the community, both the good and the bad. It’s the LVGEA’s responsibility to connect the right companies to the right municipalities. In order to do that, it’s important to understand the priorities of the municipalities and the businesses they are interested in attracting. As the leader of LVGEA, Tina is the ‘dream catcher’ for businesses that want to come to the Greater Las Vegas area, and the ‘director’ connecting them to the right people in the region. I am a Tina fan and I am excited to see what is in store for Las Vegas’ economic growth under Tina’s leadership.
Takeaways From This Episode
Other Key Takeaways in this episode include:
- Growth will happen in Las Vegas, but it needs to be responsible growth
- Las Vegas is still young and there is opportunity to learn from the leaders of the past
- It’s important to be aware of our problems, but also celebrate our wins
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