2007
Ann Lynch strived for more than 40 years to improve the accessibility and quality of health care and education in Southern Nevada through her work at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, the PTA and countless other community, health and educational organizations. She helped to establish the Sunrise Children's Hospital Foundation, the Baby Your Baby Program and the Health Care Coalition for Nevada. Her work in instituting immunizations for children in Clark County Schools has saved countless lives.
Dr. Giuseppe Pizzorno, VP of Operations, Associate Director for Translational Research and Division Head of Drug Development for Nevada Cancer Institute, received his Medical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science degrees from the University Of Genoa, Italy and joined Yale's Comprehensive Cancer Center faculty of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Pharmacology Research Unit. He was one of the early visionaries and creators of the Nevada Cancer Institute. This scientist's work has helped in the development of new anti-cancer therapies through Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. In addition, he is helping to mentor a future generation of scientists by developing a novel science camp for children.
Dr. Anthony Pollard, founder of Rainbow Medical
Centers, looked at the growth of Las Vegas and positioned his
clinics to ensure quality medical care was provided for all rapid
growth areas. This caring physician identified special needs
affecting our population and developed programs in diabetes,
anxiety/depression, health at work and 90 day coverage for
workers. He started the "Rainbow Dreams Scholarship" for
Clark County students 17 years ago and has coordinated five
Juneteenth Festivals. His work has sponsored the Black Nurses
Association's Western Regional Symposiums.
2008
Rod Davis, MBA, FACHE, President/CEO, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, Nevada's only not-for-profit, non-tax-supported acute health care provider for over 17 years. Under his leadership, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals worked with Barbara Greenspun Women's Care Center of Excellence and launched Henderson's only open heart surgical and pediatric intensive care center programs. This pioneer in health care has stressed quality as a hallmark of St. Rose operations with highly successful results, winning top national awards such as a five-star rating by Health Grades and top patient satisfaction in the US. He was named one of the most respected CEO's in the country.
Steve Schorr, Vice President of Cox Communications, is
a well known and respected broadcast journalist both in Nevada and
Nationally. He is known as a promoter of community change and
a leader and liaison to all local, state and federal elected
officials. This multi-talented community leader was a
broadcast journalist and news anchor for KLAS-TV as well as
stations in Richmond and Philadelphia, winning Emmy Awards,
National Freedom Foundation Awards, Armstrong Award for
Broadcasting and inducted into the inaugural class of the
Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Through Cox, he has focused on
finding homes for orphaned special needs children, founded and
spearheaded Healthy Kids & Families, helped create Nevada Child
Seekers and was honored as a Nevada Points Of Light
recipient.
Barbara Greenspun, founder of the Barbara
Greenspun Women's Care Center of Excellence, mother of four,
grandmother of ten and great-grandmother of four. She spent
much of her life as the silent force next to her husband, Hank
Greenspun, helping to run the Las Vegas Sun newspaper,
starting the valley's first TV station, KLAS-TV, and founding the
city's first cable station, now Cox Communications. She also
helped her husband develop the first master planned community in
Southern Nevada, Green Valley. They founded the Hank
Greenspun School of Journalism and the Barbara Greenspun Lecture
Series at UNLV. She helped to found the Sun Summer Camp
Fund. She received so many local state and national awards,
that they can't all be listed. Her guidance, support and
insight have helped numerous non-profits in our community.
2009
Paula Francis, evening news anchor and medical
reporter for KLAS-TV, has a long history of supporting both
education and health care in our community. Paula started the
"Buddy Check" program which has saved countless lives by making
women aware of the need for monthly breast self-exam for breast
cancer. She is on the cutting edge of all medical news
bringing the facts to her viewers to save lives. She has
helped numerous non-profits and has received humanitarian awards
for her work on behalf of women and children.
Dr. Florence Jameson, physician of
obstetrics and gynecology with a thriving practice and
founder/creator of Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada.
She has recruited physicians, nurses, medical assistants, lab
technicians, social workers and more to donate their time for the
first organization to offer free medical care for the un-insured
and under-served in our community. She now has over 300
volunteering. Support from St. Rose Dominican Hospitals,
Universal Health Services and HCA, in addition to Nevada's Attorney
General and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman have helped Dr. Jameson
to further her medical outreach.
Claudine Williams, Chair of Community
Affairs of Harrah's Entertainment, was co-owner of the Silver
Slipper Casino, President and General Manager of the Holiday
Casino, Chair of the Board of Harrah's Las Vegas, Chair of the
Board of Nevada Commerce Bank, UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees,
Cox Communications Advisory Board, Clark County Public Education
Foundation Board and the Nevada Restaurant Association Educational
Foundation Advisory Board. Her support of education and
health care extended her philanthropic efforts. She was
instrumental as a commissioner with the Nevada State Commission on
Tourism, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Las Vegas Chamber
of Commerce and so many other community civic and non-profit
organizations, that there is not enough room to list them and the
local, state, national and international honors she received.
Her work as a philanthropist was legendary.
2010
Dr. Timothy Wilson, pediatric dentist and
owner of two Star Smiles Children's Dentistry offices in Las Vegas,
is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and
residency at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. As
part of Dr. Wilson's philanthropic efforts, he treats disadvantaged
children in Nevada and throughout South America and has been named
"The Ambassador of Smiles." He was recently recognized by the
Operation Smile Foundation in Beverly Hills with an award for
philanthropy for children.
RobertFisher, President
and CEO of Nevada Broadcasters Association, has been seen and heard
for over 15 years on his weekly public affairs radio show,
"Observations," on 25 stations and his weekly TV show for eight
years on five stations. He was instrumental in getting legislation
passed by the Nevada Senate and Assembly to classify trained and
certified broadcasters as "first responders" during and
emergency. He was also instrumental in bringing Amber Alert
to our state and serves as the State Amber Alert Coordinator and
Chair of its review committee. The Attorney General of the
United States presented him with the first Amber Alert Media Award
in Washington, DC. He is an original member of the Nevada
Homeland Security Commission where he serves as Chair of the
legislative and rural counties committees. Bob is involved with
numerous non-profits and has served on two boards with the Las
Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and as founding clergy for Midbar Kodesh
Temple in Henderson.
Larry Ruvo, Senior Managing Director of Nevada's
largest wholesale liquor, wine and beer importer and distributor,
has been in business for over 40 years. He is well known in
Las Vegas for his ongoing support of charitable organizations, many
of which are associated with education and children. Larry
helped to establish the Meadows School and is a Trustee for the
UNLV Foundation. His numerous philanthropic endeavors go from
Nevada to an international scope. After losing his father to
Alzheimer's disease, Larry made it his mission to make progress
towards a cure for it and other neurological diseases. He
established The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
and the Keep the Memory Alive organization to fund research and
change medical history. The center has become the world's
epicenter for neuro-cognitive research, hosting numerous
international symposiums and seminars. He has been knighted
and recognized by President Bush to serve as a member of the
prestigious Advisory Committee to the Arts and co-chair the George
W. Bush Presidential Center. Larry has received numerous
leadership and philanthropist awards from numerous
organizations.