Skancke leaving Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance
As the Review-Journal’s Rick Velotta reported earlier today, Tom Skancke, the CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, is leaving the organization effective April 30.
The GEA’s statement about the departure:
Tom R. Skancke, Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, announced today that, effective April 30, he will pursue new endeavors. He issued this statement:
“I have accomplished what I came here to do, and I’m proud of what we have built here at LVGEA,” Skancke said. “We’ve put this organization on a track to long-term sustainability, and we’ve assembled an amazing team that is ready to take this organization to the next level. As for what’s next, I’m going to get some rest, and then I am going to do something as exciting, interesting, and fulfilling as my work at LVGEA has been.”
Skancke was hired in November 2012 as the president and chief executive officer of the regional development authority. He led the transition as the Nevada Development Authority transformed into the LVGEA. Skancke created the organization’s strategic plan and first-ever Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, grew the budget and investor-base through a capital campaign, built a talented team, and spearheaded new partnerships with key organizations throughout Southern Nevada.
“Tom has been preparing for this for several months, and he made a personal call to go out at the top of his game. He has done what we hired him to do, which is to take this economic development organization, build a team, and put us on a course to more effectively compete in a 21st century global economy,” said Ray Specht, chairman of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance. “Tom has realized his vision for the LVGEA to lead the way. We wish him the best of luck in his next endeavor, and we thank the community for their support as this organization transitions from start-up power to staying power.”
Jonas Peterson, President & Chief Economic Development Officer, will assume day-to-day leadership duties of the organization.
The announcement was met with some skepticism today on Twitter, which is understandable. Skancke’s contract runs through 2017, he’s well paid in his post and we’re in the middle of a legislative session in which the GEA has played an outsized role in supporting Gov. Brian Sandoval’s effort to raise the business license fee to pay for education reforms.
Not only that, but the GEA has been engaged in a high-profile tussle with the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce over tax policy. While the GEA’s board — along with a bevy of other businesses — has supported Sandoval’s plan, the Chamber has remained neutral. Last week, the Chamber’s leadership came in for uncharacteristically strong criticism from Sandoval and Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson, R-Henderson, over a Chamber-commissioned report from the Tax Foundation. The Chamber was forced to issue an apology, and to sever its relationship with the Tax Foundation.
But there’s plenty of reason to believe the GEA’s statement. First, Skancke promoted Peterson to president back in early January, obviously part of a succession plan. Second, Skancke has taken the moribund Nevada Development Authority and created a more professional organization completely integrated into the state’s revamped economic development program. Third, Skancke led the GEA’s board in endorsing Sandoval’s tax plan. And fourth, Skancke said way back in 2012 — when he was first hired at the GEA — that he would likely not stay in the job for a long time, an assertion he’s repeated privately many times since.
But the GEA-Chamber tussle has had an impact at both organizations. For example, representatives of Switch Communications — the giant data storage company where the GEA currently has its offices — quit both the GEA board and the Chamber’s executive committee because of the fight. Missy Young, executive vice president of co-location for Switch-owned Supernap, resigned as chairwoman of the GEA, and Lesley McVay, Supernap executive vice president of facilities services, simultaneously quit the Chamber.
(Inexplicably, however, Young later traveled to Carson City to testify on behalf of Switch in favor of the governor’s tax plan, the exact stance taken by the GEA board that she’d quit.)
Apparently, Switch has decided to not to extend the GEA’s lease for office space in its building along the 215 Beltway at Decatur Boulevard, a lease that cost the GEA nothing, but will now require the organization to move to new headquarters. In an interview, Skancke said the office issue had been developing for months, had nothing to do with his departure from the GEA and added that a new headquarters lease was being negotiated at a location he couldn’t disclose, since negotiations weren’t complete.
Skancke also said that he doesn’t have plans for his post-GEA career, although he’ll continue working on transportation issues with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the state Transportation Board. He’s worked for decades as a transportation consultant, and served on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.
“I’m not leaving, except that I want to,” Skancke said. Peterson will take over the organization after Skancke’s last day, April 30.
