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“TRIBUTE TO MANNY CORTEZ” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Senate section on pages S7417 on June 24, 2004.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO MANNY CORTEZ
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a man who has had a tremendous impact on southern Nevada, my good friend, Manny Cortez.
I haven't known Manny for years; I have known him for decades. In the 1970s, when I was in State government in Nevada, he was elected to the Clark County Commission. Since those days our paths have crossed many times. He has served on the board of governors of the University Medical Center, the Las Vegas Valley Water District, and other local agencies.
For the past 21 years, he has been the driving force behind the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority--first as a member of the board of directors, and for the last 13 years as President.
It is no exaggeration to say that Manny Cortez is one of the visionaries who made Las Vegas what it is today--the convention and entertainment capital of the world.
In 1991, the year he assumed the leadership of the Convention and Visitors Authority, we had about 21 million visitors in southern Nevada. This year we are on track to almost double that number, with more than 37 million visitors. This is due in no small part to the brilliant promotional campaigns of the Convention and Visitors Authority.
Under Manny's watch at the LVCVA, our town has seen amazing changes. When he took the helm in 1991, the first of the new mega resorts, The Mirage, had just opened a few years earlier. We had about 73,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas.
Within the next few years we witnessed the completion of other major resorts, including the MGM Grand, Bellagio and Mandalay Bay. Today, we have 130,000 hotel rooms, along with three major convention centers.
When our Nation was attacked by terrorists on 9/11, the tourism industry took a serious hit. But Manny didn't panic, and under his steady leadership, Las Vegas bounced back.
Manny has been honored many times, by many groups. Travel Agent magazine named him as its Person of the Year in 1999, calling him ``one of the most astute marketers in the tourism industry.'' He was recently named to the U.S. Commerce Department's Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. But I think the recognition that means the most to Manny is the Clark County Elementary School that was named in his honor in 1999.
Manny has also been a leader of the Hispanic community in Las Vegas. His prominence in the city has sent a clear message that in southern Nevada a person can go as far as their dreams and their talent will take them.
Manny has lived in Las Vegas since 1944, when I was growing up down the road in Searchlight. I feel like I have known him all my life. So it is hard to believe he turned 65 a few months ago and that he is retiring at the end of this month.
It is true, though. Manny is leaving the LVCVB, but he is leaving it in good hands. He recently said that his biggest challenge over the last few years has been to stay out of the way of the great team he has assembled, so they could do their jobs. That is the kind of attitude that has made Manny Cortez such a beloved figure in our community.
I salute my old friend on his retirement, and I look forward to our paths crossing for many more years.
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