The past few weeks have been one of the most unique and difficult periods in the history of Nevada, the United States and the world as a whole. Perhaps most frustratingly, no one knows when the threat of COVID-19—and the mandated shutdown that comes with it—might reach an endpoint. But tough as this time has been, it has also given all of us time for reflection: about our lives, our community and how both should look going forward. We reached out to a wide range of Nevadans here in the Las Vegas Valley and beyond for some of the lessons that have been learned thus far during this unprecedented crisis.
Dr. John Rhodes, MD
Senior Medical Director, Mountain West Region, Southwest Medical Associates
“The situation we are facing convinces me even more so of the great importance of strategic planning, preparedness and the need to work together across the organization and between organizations. Ego has no place in this fight. We’re seeing so many examples of health care providers on the front lines working together to meet this challenge.”
Tony Rodio
CEO, Caesars Entertainment
“The current situation certainly makes you realize that it’s easy to take for granted the civil liberties and privileges all Americans enjoy. However, I think everyone realizes that the actions being taken to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency, including state-mandated closures of all casinos in Nevada, are necessary to protect our health and safety by stopping the spread of the virus. We’re also witnessing again that a crisis almost always brings out the best in people. That starts with the courage and commitment of our medical professionals, first responders and everyone else fighting to save lives and to protect us. We look forward to the day that we are able to reopen and do what we do best at Caesars every day.”
Dr. Nilesh Gokal
Medical Director of Clinical Education, Southwest Medical Associates
“Knowledge is one of our best tools to stay healthy against coronavirus, both within and outside of the health care field. But gratitude is also important. It gives us strength for the fight—gratitude for our colleagues, our counterparts at other health care facilities and hospitals, and for all the unsung workers who are keeping Southern Nevada functioning while we fight this pandemic.”
Elysa Arroyo
Second grade teacher, Red Rock Elementary School
“I’ve learned that teachers are really adaptive, really hardworking and can somehow make things work no matter what the challenges are.”
Desiree Reed-Francois
UNLV Athletic Director
“Disciplined communication has been critical. When you’re far apart and you’re physically distant, you realize the need for closeness and belonging becomes even greater. You have to be even more disciplined in your outreach and your compassion. I’ve also learned the importance of hiring people that aren’t only smart and high-energy and very capable with great character, but also people who are creative and determined.”
Sara Costello
President, Nevada Women’s Philanthropy
“It’s amazing how our nonprofit community has risen to the challenge by being creative, collaborative and adaptive in finding new ways to serve our community and meet the critical needs. Now, more than ever, these agencies need our financial support, so that they can continue to serve their constituents and fulfill their missions.”
Bob Finch
COO, Station Casinos
“An observation, and perhaps it’s something that we’ve always known: When Las Vegas faces adversity, the gaming industry mobilizes alongside our amazing local organizations to rally around our community. Equally important, when our business changed virtually overnight, we saw an incredible effort and tremendous support from our team members, our company’s most valuable asset.”
Kim Foster
Author and host of Please Send Noodles cookbook club
“The thing that has been the biggest eye-opener has been running a little free pantry [for my neighborhood]. Folks coming by to take toilet paper or rice or pasta has really put a human face on the poverty and struggle that folks are going through. There is the couple with the new baby, who left a note after they took nearly everything—because they needed it. And the college student whose grandfather died in January, and his grandma is going it alone; he came to get supplies for her. This level of need has really stayed with me.”
Brayden McNabb
Defenseman, Vegas Golden Knights
“Don’t take normal life for granted. That’s the big thing. [And] all the nurses and doctors—they’ve been unreal. They’re putting their life on the line and risking it all, so big props to them.”
Mike Tierney
Performer, Human Nature
“I’ve realized how much I enjoy actually doing what I do. I miss performing and singing onstage. And I miss that connection with the people I work with. I think you have a lot of people who feel that. … [I’m] hoping that we’ll get back to a time when groups can come together again and just enjoy shows and performances.”
Catherine Cortez Masto
U.S. Senator
“We are living in unprecedented times. But that doesn’t mean that this is a time for fear. I’ve seen over and over again that when things get difficult, people pull together. I’m proud that across the Silver State, people are doing their part to reduce the impact of COVID-19. Here in the Senate, I’m working around the clock to protect the health, safety and economic wellbeing of Nevada’s workers, businesses and families and to make sure the Silver State comes out of this crisis even stronger.”
Marc J. Kahn
Dean, UNLV School of Medicine
“Crisis defines people. Living in Louisiana for the past 25 years, I learned many valuable lessons during Hurricane Katrina. One of these was articulated by my son the day we watched New Orleans get destroyed by the levee breaches. His comment, “I never realized that things could change so quickly,” is both real and prescient. COVID-19 will change all of us. We will refer to time as pre- and post-COVID, just like New Orleanians refer to time as pre- and post-Katrina. We will change what we value, and we will focus on things that are truly important—health and wellness. With Katrina we learned that recovery takes longer than anticipated. We learned that people are important, not money or property. We learned that crisis can bring out the best in people.”
Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry
Nevada National Guard
“Probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is there’s a lot of talent in this state, and it’s critical to get the talent aligned to the role and responsibility. It’s not like I didn’t know that before, but now with this pandemic and what’s going on, you really are watching people rise to the occasion and [seeing] the importance of collaborating and having partnerships, not just within the state in terms of the employees, but also in the community.”
Heather Korbulic
Executive Director, Silver State Health Insurance Exchange/Nevada Health Link
“Health insurance, by its very nature, is intangible. You can’t see it or touch it. Yet, its value is priceless. It provides the care and services to help you recover if you become sick or injured, without creating burdensome financial debt and worry. And while health insurance is something no one, regardless of age, income, current health or life circumstance, should be without, historically, there have been many who believe they don’t need health insurance, especially the young and healthy.
Today, as the global pandemic of COVID-19 rages, our top-line message about the universal need for health insurance has never been more clear: No one is immune, no one is invincible, and everyone needs a health care plan. … As we emerge from the crisis, it is our hope that the value of a quality health care plan, like the value of a healthy world, will never again be taken for granted.”
Fatimah Madyun
Chef de Cuisine, Rao’s
“COVID-19 has taken us away from our peers and our families, but also brought us closer to them. It has given us lots of time to sit with ourselves and see if we really believe that we are the best versions of ourselves. … Personally, I have learned that gardening is my second calling. I could spend all day tending to my fruit trees and playing with my dog. He even helps me pick the weeds in the yard.”
Dina Titus
U.S. Representative
“The Strip will not be the same for now, but it will come back stronger. This will get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. Our city is a resilient one, and soon we will prove that once again.”
Lou D’Angeli
Vice President of Marketing, Cirque du Soleil
“It’s been interesting watching how adaptable my children [11 and 14] are to embracing technology and new ways of learning and interacting with their teachers and classmates. One of the funniest moments was when my youngest was on Zoom, and the class was over and everyone stayed on just to talk, have fun, blow off steam. The class ended up showing each other their pets. It’s been cool to watch children make the best of this situation.”
Forrest Griffin
Vice President of Athlete Development and former light heavywight champ, UFC
“A big thing I learned was maybe an open floor plan wasn’t the best thing. My house is smaller than I ever thought it was. [But combined] my wife and I make a pretty decent second-grade teacher. Not bragging, but I’ve been able to do some geometry and only had to Google it once. But really, I hope the community comes back stronger and people can appreciate this. I watched Governor Sisolak speak, and he was so impassioned. I know as Americans, freedom comes natural to us, but I think we’re learning staying in, staying away and that doing as little as possible is for everyone’s own good.”
Dustin Drai
Vice President of Entertainment and Marketing, Drai’s Nightclub, Dayclub and After Hours
“With this unprecedented situation, I feel that we are all getting accustomed to a new way of life, which includes a mindful approach to how we live our everyday lives. The increase of hand washing and practicing other sanitary measures will carry on even after this crisis is over. … [I’ve also learned about] the importance of family and friends. When times are hard, there’s nothing more important than being able to rely on them for support and comfort.”
André Wade
State Director, Silver State Equality
“We’ve learned that our vulnerable communities continue to be the most vulnerable: our seniors, people living with HIV, LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. There’s a need to make sure that housing is available for them, that they’re able to access education and food. … In one respect you realize how unprepared we were for something specific like COVID-19, but then when you step back, you realize how much information people have compiled, resources; that these institutions are pivoting to respond to the community need. We just hope that they will keep LGBTQ people in mind when they are developing policies and implementing practices.”
Steve Sisolak
Governor
During an April 2 briefing, Gov. Steve Sisolak echoed the sentiments of many Nevadans. His frustration, like other governors: There’s still a shortage of COVID-19 testing kits. Same for much-needed personal protective equipment for medical workers on the front line treating residents who are infected.
“We know that testing more Nevadans is a critical step in battling this invisible enemy. Having additional testing will let us identify areas to focus our stretched medical resources. Unfortunately, access to testing is a problem plaguing our entire nation, not just our state.
We also know that personal protective equipment, or PPE, is critical as we fight this virus on the front lines and in our communities. And we know where the greatest needs is: for our medical professionals as they provide lifesaving care.
But PPE is also desperately needed for our first responders, employees in essential businesses, restaurant delivery drivers, grocery store clerks, child care workers … and the list goes on.
I want to be clear: I think every Nevadan who needs a test should have access to a test. I strongly believe every Nevadan who is waking up every day to continue keeping our state running while others stay home deserve to have the PPE that will keep them safe. If I could make that happen today, I would. I know anyone would.
But I’m not here to point fingers today, because it doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, I can assure you of this: I am doing everything in my power to get us more of everything—whether it’s calling the federal government, organizing the private sector to donate what they can and more.”
Kristen Martini
Attorney, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP
The first week Kristen Martini and her kids—boys ages 6 and 8—were home for the statewide coronavirus shutdown, she tried taking an hourlong conference call in her upstairs office.
“They were playing basketball in the house,” says Martini, an attorney who practices in Las Vegas and Reno. “They had taken some Amazon boxes and stacked them up to make a hoop, and it got rowdy. One of the kids burst in screaming, and I had to shuffle him out, and of course in the midst of all the chaos, the client said, ‘Kristen, what are your thoughts on this?’ And I had to apologize and ask her to repeat the question.”
During those first few stay-at-home days, Martini also came downstairs to an empty box of Wheat Thins—the contents of which had been consumed completely by her sons … before 10 a.m.
“They were sitting in their beanbags by the TV, covered in crumbs, like drunk fraternity guys,” she says. “So by the end of the first week I was exhausted, and I was panicking. I’m a single mother at home. How am I supposed to have a full-time job and homeschool these kids for six hours a day and also sleep and process what’s happening in the world?”
But Martini says an amazing thing has happened during the two weeks since that early chaos: Her kids have adapted to their new normal, to the point where they’ve settled down and settled in, to a routine that not only finds them accomplishing tasks handed down from their teachers, but also helping their mother around the house.
“If it’s a school day, they get up and have breakfast and brush their teeth before they do anything else—without me even asking. They’ve been helping with breakfast—pouring their own cereal—and even helping me cook dinner. They also set the table every night, and they’ve been putting their dishes in the dishwasher.”
Martini has also noticed a change in her boys’ relationship with one another. “They’ve stopped fighting, and they’re playing together.”
And their food choices? “They’re snacking on seaweed and Greek yogurt,” Martini says. “I left another box of Wheat Thins out, like as a test, and it’s still there.”
John Waldron
Executive Director, The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada
“It’s clear how incredibly vulnerable we all are—so much more than we ever realized just going about our daily lives. This virus doesn’t care who you are, what your status is in life, where you come from, what your ethnic background is, whether you’re LGBTQ—it’s totally indiscriminatory in its path through the world, and it’s united us. It’s given us all one thing to focus on, and part of my hope is that in the end, we will see how incredibly united we really need to be as a society, and that when something happens like this, it gives us an opportunity to realize we can come together and work on things.”
Dr. Brian Labus
Communicable disease expert and Assistant Professor, UNLV
“It’s nice that people finally know what an infectious disease epidemiologist is. It’s heartbreaking that they have to. I’ve spent the last 25 years teaching about, and training for, something just like this. I’ve participated in exercises, written response plans and taught outbreak investigation to hundreds of students and public health professionals. Nothing in all that training, or even in responding to hundreds of other outbreaks, prepared me for the reality of this situation. I drove down the Strip heading home the day we closed everything and I just started crying. It’s one thing to test disease control measures in a mathematical model; it’s very different to see them play out in your hometown. I took a picture of the sign at Paris that said, “Stay safe & we’ll get through this together,” because that was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. So I took a deep breath, drove home and got back to work.”
Bob Arum
Founder and CEO, Top Rank Boxing
“All the plans you’ve laid out, all the things you’re going to do are all subject to cancellation for whatever reason. I’ve never seen anything like this, but it reinforces the point that anything is possible, and until an event happens, you can’t count on it. Like everybody else, we’re shut down, praying that our fellow countrymen come out OK and that this will be over at some point and will be something that will live in history for generations about how our country and the rest of the world handled this pandemic.”
Dayvid Figler
Attorney and writer
“Something I’ve known but painfully reaffirmed in these times is just how low a priority our most vulnerable populations of fellow citizens are. Not only are they last in time to be considered—juvenile justice courts were the last to issue administrative safety protection orders, evictions finally stopped (without rent amnesty) mostly by judicial overload, jails and prisons still with no pandemic response—but that our community didn’t bother for emergency plans for these populations. That’s how we came to a desperate (and arguably necessary) measure that resulted in the worldwide broadcast of horrible pictures of people who are homeless hunkering down in parking lot spaces. It’s not because we’re cruel, but because we’ve been lazy in claiming #vegasstrong when we are too often #vegasdistracted. As a community, we haven’t prioritized caring for our most vulnerable in thoughtful ways and this crisis is forcing us to come to terms with that. Hopefully, we’ll learn many lessons and follow a better path.”
Ross Mollison
Founder and impresario, Spiegelworld
“What I’ve learned is no matter how robust you think you are, you always have to check every element of your business to make it even more robust. I think one of the great takeaways is going to be what a great community it is, and how [we] lean on each other. Everybody is going to pull together to get us back going again and … get back where we want to be. It’s such a wonderful city where everybody supports everybody else. Even though we’re fiercely competitive, trying to sell our own tickets and our own hotel rooms, ultimately we’re all together, there, to sell Las Vegas to the world. And that opportunity is never going to be greater than when we get through the current forced hiatus.”
Cami Christensen
President and General Manager, Westgate Las Vegas
“I’ve learned once again that Las Vegans will support each other and stand strong in any situation. The power and resiliency of the human spirt is limitless, and that is being demonstrated in this crisis. The community is rallying in support of the health care workers, first responders and essential workers, as well as those in need to ensure that we come out of this better and stronger than ever.”
Peter Guzman
President, Latin Chamber of Commerce
“I think we learned from 2008, thank God, but we’ve got a lot of learning to do. When we turn this corner, I think it’s critical for people and elected officials to start thinking about what the next tragedy may be and whether we’re prepared for it. And they should start putting protections in place. Every business person understands we always have to be ready to adjust quickly. Maybe we need to build something into our small-business model that better prepares us for moments like this and gives us quick and convenient access to capital.
What you need to prevent, in my opinion, is mass layoffs. When you have mass layoffs, you not only bankrupt a person’s finances, you bankrupt their soul. And when you bankrupt their soul, that leads to other social problems, which ends up costing communities money.”
Shaundell Newsome
Chairman, Urban Chamber of Commerce board of directors; Founder, Sumnu Marketing
“We’ve learned a lot about our independent contractors and the nature of Las Vegas—the entertainers, the barbers, the beauty salon operators, the [gig economy workers] who are not in the small-business space and aren’t in the employee space. They were left out until this last CARES Act piece came in. We learned that they need to have some protection. …
Also, small-business owners are not as much concerned about themselves as we are about our employees. Because you get to know them. You get to know their children, their grandchildren. You celebrate graduations; you mourn deaths. You don’t want your employees to go on furlough or be laid off, and you have no control over it. It’s not just, oh, we want to make money. You lose a lot more than money when small businesses shut down.”
Brittany McCoy
Development director, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
“We’ve learned how important social services are to so many people. I think most of us live in a world where we don’t have to worry so much about money. We have jobs, and even if we live paycheck to paycheck, we keep consuming, because that’s what we all do. And we don’t always consider what a school means to a family.
When my children say they don’t want to go to school, I always tell them it’s a privilege to be able to learn every day. For so many of our families, school is so much more than just a book and a teacher. It’s meals. It’s respite for parents who may be struggling with mental health care. It’s all of these things that a lot of us don’t think about. We have to realize there are so many people who are in this vulnerable state who rely on social services to survive. And what does it look like when their support network starts to crumble, and how do we address that as a community?”
Paul Enos
CEO, Nevada Trucking Association
“I continue to be amazed by the ingenuity and nimbleness of the private sector. The trucking industry starts planning for holiday shopping in August. The rush on consumer goods, from canned vegetables to toilet paper, more than doubled the demand during the Christmas season. The trucking industry and our supply chain partners were largely able to meet these demands, without months of planning.
I am also heartened by the generosity of the business community. The Wynn, Caesars and the Peppermill in Reno donated gloves for our truck drivers. Frey Ranch in Fallon has donated 20 gallons of hand sanitizer that we have bottled to get into the hands of drivers. All levels of government have been flexible and responsive. I am hopeful that some of the new and often easier way of doing things will remain intact when we get on the other side of this crisis.”
Sonia El-Nawal
Chef and owner, Rooster Boy Cafe
“I grew up in Beirut during the civil war, and we had to stay home and not go out, so this is waking up a lot of those traumatic memories on a subconscious level. But back then, you knew who the enemy was; you can hear the gunfire. You can’t see germs. The biggest thing my staff and I have learned is to be hypersensitive in disinfecting our work surfaces, wearing gowns and masks at all times. This is our new normal.”
Melissa Kaiser
CEO, Discovery Children’s Museum
“When we started thinking of business continuity and anticipating a closure, this team of technology-minded folks started really applying our resources and filling in blanks around what that would look like. In that way, my organization was prepared. It was a combination of the skills of the team and then having the tools—we were cloud-based before we went on this extended work-from-home, and I think communication tools were really vital to that. People everywhere have come to adapt to technology—even my 90-year-old father-in-law who had never FaceTimed before. That’s amazing. I don’t think that would’ve been the case 10 years ago.”
Phyllis Gurgevich
President and CEO, Nevada Bankers Association
“Nevada knows how to step up in the midst of a crisis by cooperating, collaborating and solving problems. Among other things, this crisis reminds all of us to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, embracing our history of overcoming challenges and showing our collective spirit.”
Mary Beth Sewald
President and CEO, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce
“It has been impressive to see the coordinated response from the government entities, the private sector and nonprofit organizations. My biggest takeaway is that, at the end of the day, we, as human beings, have to get back to the basics of helping each other and banding together.
Southern Nevada is filled with businesses that have opened their hearts to serve our community, even though they are suffering financially. Many companies—especially our resort partners—are continuing to pay their employees, which is truly a gift to those employees and their families and important to our local economy. Additionally, companies of all sizes have donated a significant amount of food to food banks and shelters to feed those most in need. Others have donated their surplus of personal protective equipment supplies to support our healthcare workers and first responders. And through the leadership of Jim Murren, who is now on Governor Sisolak’s Nevada Covid-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force, companies in the region—especially companies that have international connections—are especially effective in bringing financial and supply resources to our state.”
Lindsley Allen
Creator, Cherry Boom Boom
“Even though I’m seeing lots of people online, it doesn’t take the place of an actual gathering. You can’t replace the human spirit!”
Dr. Wolfgang Gilliar
Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University Nevada
“The opportunity to partner with Clark County and the City of Las Vegas to screen the homeless population for the virus gave our students insight into things that go beyond community health. They saw that their difficult studies and dedication are indeed the ingredients to serve the public in the best way possible. I am so proud of all of the faculty and students who responded to the call without hesitation.”
Brian Howard
Chef and owner, Sparrow + Wolf
“I’ve learned I missed out on a lot at home. I try to have good work-life balance, but obviously in the restaurant industry [it’s tough]… We go for walks every day. My wife’s at home working, and my son’s home from school. That’s a whole new learning curve. How do you handle a child 24 hours a day without sending him to school?”
Phil Burton
Performer, Human Nature
“The majority of people out there are just as good as, or even better than, you expect them to be—that’s a really wonderful development. When we’re in a crisis, the vast majority of people lift their game to help others. When times are good or when people are doing regular things, it feels like there’s a lot of every-man-for-himself [attitudes] out there. But at a time of crisis, the world has really come together—people are sending each other groceries, helping out with masks and things like that, and just coming together even 6 feet away from each other. That’s a really beautiful thing to see.”
Rae Lathrop
Outdoor Advocate
“I have more awareness of how my money gets to the people that I want it to. … I’ve called more restaurants directly for take-out than I ever did before. I’ve tried hard to support businesses directly, like pick-up orders, grocery orders, etc. Each dollar that I spend now carries so much more intention as I weigh how it can make Vegas better.”
Seth Palansky
Vice President of Corporate Communications, World Series of Poker
“Business-wise, what stands out is that businesses are much more like us human beings—week-to-week in terms of paying their bills and staying on top of things. I always assumed they were all saving for a rainy day and were in a better financial sitting than us as individuals. I’ve been shocked by the lack of safety nets for employees and ability to help staffs out and the lack of sick pay and everything else. That’s been a surprise to me.”
Melissa Cipriano
Executive Director, Children’s Heart Foundation
“I am a very social person by nature, so social distancing has been a big challenge. I love to be with friends and family, so our solution has been utilizing FaceTime and Zoom more frequently. … Before this pandemic, I feel most of us took our day-to-day living for granted. I think the biggest thing that stands out for me is the ability to shop or dine whenever it was convenient for my family or me. The shortened hours of stores and closures of my favorite eateries have changed my mindset. What I once felt was a necessity feels more of a luxury at this point.”
Colin Seale
Education equity advocate; Founder and CEO, thinkLaw
“When it comes to education equity, the most exciting part about this is we have pretty much created a new reality where the word impossible means nothing. Every single thing that’s happening right now in Clark County—the speed in which people are moving, the intentionality, the focus level—that was all previously thought impossible.”
Brandon McClenahan
CEO, Art Hard Studios
“I hate to find too big a silver lining and in this big gray cloud, but artists almost immediately started reaching out to each other with these creative projects that we’ve had to put on the back plate for so long. Now that there’s this hiatus from everything else, people are really starting to think, ‘What do I want to make? What’s unique to me? What can I put out in the world?’ Really exciting stuff is coming from the artists that we’ve been building theater and stuff in this community with for 15 years now. It’s inspiring, really.”
Elizabeth Blau
Restaurateur
“I am constantly awed by the resiliency of this city and the power of our local food and beverage community. Many were forced to close early on in the crisis; a few full-service restaurants and cafés are keeping reduced hours and servicing the community with takeout. It’s hard, not particularly profitable, but we are keeping people employed and some of our most at-risk in the city fed. Everyone is helping one another, and the kindness is palpable.”
Troy Heard
Artistic Director, Majestic Repertory Theatre
“My initial thought was, who’s going to want to go back to a theater? Who’s going to be able to afford to go back to a theater in Las Vegas? That has changed some. There is going to be a hunger to connect again.”
