The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents today appointed the first four members to the UNLV Campus Improvement Authority (Authority) Board of Directors: NSHE Regents Cedric Crear, James Dean Leavitt and Michael Wixom, and Don Snyder, UNLV executive dean for strategic development.

Nevada lawmakers established the Authority with the passage of Assembly Bill 335 during the 2013 Nevada Legislative Session. It brings stakeholders from public and private sectors together to assess the need for and feasibility of a large events center on UNLV's campus, and to evaluate possible design, size, cost and financing options.

The 11-member board of directors will include representatives from NSHE, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Clark County Commission, the hospitality industry, and appointments by Nevada elected officials including the Governor and legislative leadership.

"The formation of this board represents a vital step forward for Nevada higher education and the communities we serve," said Regent Kevin J. Page, chairman of the 13-member Board of Regents. "The collective experience and energy of the individuals we appointed today will be a great asset to the Authority during this process of determining the feasibility of an events center on the UNLV campus."

The Board of Regents was required to appoint the first four members on or before Aug. 31, and all other groups must appoint members by Sep. 30. The appointments will expire Sep. 30, 2015.

The Campus Improvement Authority Board will meet regularly starting in October and is expected to prepare a final report by the end of September 2014 for consideration during the 2015 Legislative Session. Membership will include:

• Four members appointed by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents (one can be an officer of UNLV and not a Board of Regents member)
• One member from the Board of County Commissioners (a member or officer who is not also on the LVCVA board)
• One member from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Board of Directors (appointee must not also sit on Board of County Commissioners)
• One member appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval
• One member appointed by Nevada Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick
• One member appointed by Nevada Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis
• Two members nominated by the LVCVA Board who hold executive positions in the tourism/hotel/resort industry in Clark County. They will be appointed by the previously seated nine Authority board members.

"The events center is a large, complex, and important project -- significant on many levels for the campus and our community," said Snyder, who leads the UNLVNow project. "The Authority ensures that stakeholders from the public and private sectors are directly engaged in the planning and development process."

An economic impact report by Mark Rosentraub of Michigan's Center for Sport Management indicates that a 55,000-plus seat events center on UNLV's campus would bring $393.2 million in direct economic benefit to the community. For more information on the UNLVNow, visit the website.