Officials OK $100,000 salary boost, bonus for LVCVA chief

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter has received a $100,000 annual salary increase and a one-time $127,862 bonus.

And members of the authority's board of directors unanimously believe he deserves it.

Ralenkotter, who has been with the authority for more than 40 years, saw his annual compensation climb to $497,516 following Tuesday's board vote.

The board followed a recommendation from the four-member compensation committee, which wanted to increase Ralenkotter's pay to above the national average for the head of a destination marketing organization.

The raise, retroactive to July 5, brings Ralenkotter to a level that's still below the highest paid convention and visitors authority director of $584,719.

A national survey of the salaries of destination marketing organization leaders determined the average and mean levels as well as the highest salary in the country, but didn't disclose which organization paid its executive the most.

Ralenkotter also is in an unusual circumstance in that the local Convention and Visitors Authority not only markets Las Vegas, but also manages its largest convention center. In most locations, those responsibilities are split.

"In past years, I have been disappointed that Rossi's compensation has not been representative of the work he has done here," said board Vice Chair Chuck Bowling, MGM Resorts International's representative to the board and the chair of the board's compensation committee.

Bowling said Ralenkotter's pay "has been significantly below the average pay of the top executives of the nation's DMOs (destination marketing organizations)."

"Last year, Las Vegas had record visitation numbers," Bowling said. "It's time for us to do our best to make it right."

No one offered a dissenting opinion — except frequent authority critic Ed Uehling during the meeting's public comment period. Uehling said he was outraged at the size of the raise and said Donald Duck would be capable of marketing a destination like Las Vegas.

He also said most of Ralenkotter's 2016 goals were not measurable and therefore meaningless. The goal of increasing visitation by only 1 percent next year is insignificant, he said.

The increase in Ralenkotter's compensation package places him among the top 20 best-compensated public employees according to Transparent Nevada, a website operated by the Nevada Policy Research Institute that publishes the annual salaries of Nevada public officials. The state's three highest paid employees are professors at the University of Nevada, Reno.

In other business Tuesday, the board unanimously approved a $369,720 professional services agreement with Terracon Consultants, Las Vegas, for investigating and remediating hazardous materials at the Riviera, acquired earlier this year by the authority.

Terracon will test potential hazardous materials and recommend an abatement plan and contractor for the eventual demolition of the building, probably in early 2016. Authority officials expect to find asbestos in the structure.

The board also approved spending $349,000 for expenses associated with hosting the CAPA Aviation Americas Summit in April.

Board members also welcomed Clark County Commissioner Susan Brager to the board. She replaces Tom Collins, who resigned from the County Commission last month.

Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find @RickVelotta on Twitter.