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Hubble Smith
By HUBBLE SMITH
REVIEW-JOURNAL
It was a tough year for Alan Waxler, whose ground transportation business depends largely on the health of Las Vegas' convention and tourism industry.
Waxler, president and chief executive officer of AWG Charter Services, said corporate business travel has tumbled with the slowing economy and people are holding onto their money a little more tightly.
"It's just been a very interesting last 24 months with all the stuff going on, a little reality check with September 11," he said.
Waxler was among several business executives who were asked by the Review-Journal to list their New Year's resolutions, either personal, business or both.
"To be a better leader for my staff," he said from Florida, where he was on vacation. "I've always got to improve. Nothing really dramatic."
Tom Schoeman, president of JMA Architecture Studios in Las Vegas, said his business goals are to grow JMA by 12 percent in 2003, establish a second branch office location and acquire two or three acres for a future commercial development site.
He also wants to implement a design and building company, Martin-Schoeman LLC, with $40 million in contracts in 2003.
On the personal side, Schoeman said he wants to quit smoking, exercise five to six times a week, lose 15 pounds, increase his net worth by 20 percent and spend more time with family and friends.
Randy Walker has his work cut out for him next year. As if running McCarran International Airport weren't enough, the Clark County official known for his shrewd financial acumen was put in charge of getting the beleaguered Regional Justice Center finished downtown.
The project's cost has ballooned to about $185 million and it's more than a year behind in the construction schedule.
"One is to get a permanent solution to airport security baggage screening to improve our customer service," Walker said of his New Year's resolutions, "and No. 2 is to get the Regional Justice Center completed. Both are pretty intensive."
Walker said it's been frustrating making progress on the justice center, but he's working on it and hoping to find a break.
"When I look forward to working with the Department of Transportation on (airport) security measures as opposed to the RJC, that tells you something," he said.
Cindy Nevin, executive director of the Nevada Subcontractors Association, is focused on her group's efforts to reform legislation dealing with construction defect litigation, a problem that has driven some of her members out of business.
The subcontractors association has joined with other industry groups to form the Coalition for Fairness in Construction, which will lobby the Legislature next year to write laws that would give contractors the "right to repair" defects, thereby curbing litigation.
Her resolution: "Working with our coalition partners to enact equitable and reasonable solutions to unnecessary construction litigation that brings homeowners and subcontractors to the negotiating table first and not the courtroom," she said.
For Shelli Lowe, the new year will be a time for introspection and re-evaluation of personal relationships, based on advice from a friend.
"I resolve to remember that the people I associate with have an impact on both my life and income," said Lowe, managing director of Integra Realty Resources in Las Vegas. "I plan to be more careful to choose the people I associate with.
"I want to seek quality, respect and growth. I plan on letting go of draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships. There are some people in our lives that should be loved from a distance. In essence, my resolution is to seek pleasure and avoid pain."
For someone who sends a million visitors to Las Vegas each year, Bill La Macchia Jr. is going to practice what he preaches, resolving to get to Vegas more often in 2003.
Other resolutions from the chief operating officer of Milwaukee-based Mark Travel:
- Continue to rekindle and strengthen relationships with business partners;
- Further champion the role of travel agents in servicing customers' vacation travel needs; and (our favorite)
- Be more patient with newspaper reporters.
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