Christina M. Hixson
Christina M. Hixson graduated from high school in Clarinda, Iowa, borrowed money from her uncle, and moved to Omaha, Neb., to attend business school. After seven months, she went to work for Ernst F. Lied, a car dealership owner in Omaha. In 1960, she joined Lied in Las Vegas as his assistant. After Lied's death in 1980, Hixson became the sole trustee of the Lied Foundation Trust and turned the Lied Foundation Trust into one of the largest foundations in the state of Nevada at that time. Hixson has a special understanding of young people who, like her, come from challenging family backgrounds and are willing to work hard. When she first started her career, she believed that "if you worked hard and stayed on the job, you could make it... Today, you need education first, then you have to work hard to make it. I don't really give gifts, but I do offer opportunities."
Ernst F. Lied
Ernst F. Lied was born in Columbus, Ohio, graduated high school in Kansas City, Mo., and attended the University of Kansas for two years, where he played on the golf team and remained a fine golfer his entire life. He ultimately graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1927. Lied became a Buick dealer in Omaha, Neb., and during World War II, when automobiles were not manufactured, he established Lied Precision Tool. When automobile manufacturing resumed, Lied Buick was ranked third in the country for the number of cars sold. In 1958, he retired from the automobile business, began acquiring vacant land in Las Vegas, and engaged in the development of small shopping centers and a motel. He always enjoyed the challenge of making a deal. Lied established his charitable foundation in 1972, and upon his death in 1980 at 74, nearly his entire estate funded the Lied Foundation Trust. The Lied name has been emblazoned on an array of wonderful projects and has implanted the influence of his resources in a host of communities and countless lives. Lied Foundation Trust has enhanced the capabilities of many schools and enriched the quality of many lives.