INSURANCE EXCHANGE
• Ben Tobin has recently been promoted to president of the Las Vegas division of Brown & Brown. Prior to this, he had been promoted to vice president of sales one year earlier.
Before joining Brown & Brown, Tobin was the top sales representative in the southwest region at Paychex Inc. for three years, No. 1 sales representative four times in the Phoenix District and top 5 percent of the country. With more than 15 years in the human resource capitol management space, Tobin has helped to reshape the landscape around technology, benefits and communication for various organizations across the country. At Brown & Brown he’s continued his success winning back-to-back National Mercury awards in 2018 and 2019 (No. 1 New Business Sales Representative) while achieving Top Gun of the Office in 2019.
At Brown & Brown he has helped to design a state-of-the-art health insurance pool in which he has been part of the development, underwriting and liaison for the Brown & Brown Insurance Pool, currently active in five states. He has been active in the human resource community by serving on various boards like National HR Executive Forums and AZ Talent Co-Op.
Tobin grew up in upstate New York near Rochester. He attended St. Bonaventure University where he was a Division 1 athlete on the swimming and diving team. He has both his undergraduate and master’s degree in business management/marketing.
• Ryan High is the new executive director of the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. He has been influential in the development of the Exchange since he joined as the chief operating officer in 2016. He also guided the Exchange through its recent record-breaking 22 Plan Year Open Enrollment Period on NevadaHealthLink.com as interim executive director, which Nevada ranked the most successful enrollment in the country among state-based exchanges and 17th out of all exchanges in the country (including Washington DC).
RETAIL
• AREA15, the immersive art and entertainment district located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, announces new additions to its executive team.
— Chief Financial Officer Lauren Oberg
Serving as the CFO for AREA15, Oberg brings nearly 20 years of experience as a corporate finance professional within the hospitality, gaming and entertainment industry. Prior to working with AREA15, Oberg worked at MGM Resorts International from 2010 to 2021, where she initially held the position of executive director, corporate finance, until 2013, before serving in the role of vice president, corporate finance, from 2013 to 2021. During her time at MGM Resorts, Oberg played a key role in the evaluation and execution of capital markets transactions for MGM Resorts, CityCenter, MGM China, MGM Growth Properties and T-Mobile Arena. In particular, she was instrumental in originating and executing more than $15 billion in capital markets transactions, including the $1 billion IPO for the company’s newly formed real estate company, MGM Growth Properties. Oberg also was responsible for financial analysis related to strategic developments and acquisitions and played a key role in managing the company’s corporate forecasting model, debt compliance and various banking relationships. Prior to joining MGM Resorts, Oberg served as director of finance for Fontainebleau Resorts. Her prior experience also includes serving as director of financial analysis for Marnell Corrao Associates, as well as exposure to equity research as an equity research financial analyst for Bank of America. Oberg received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Miami. She is a member of the Junior League of Las Vegas, where she previously served on their board as finance vice president and treasurer from 2015 to 2017. In addition, Oberg has a passion for philanthropic activities and has volunteered with various local Las Vegas organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Three Square and Help of Southern Nevada.
— Chief Marketing Officer Meg Parker
As CMO, Parker oversees brand development and all marketing and communications strategies to establish AREA15 as a must-see destination. Together with a marketing team, Parker guides the development of creative campaigns, digital advertising, curated content programs and other marketing strategies to increase visitation and drive ticket revenue. Parker is a member of the corporate executive team and reports to AREA15’s Chief Executive Officer Winston Fisher. As AREA15 looks toward expansion, Parker is responsible for building the marketing and communications initiatives in other markets. Parker brings more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience working with global consumer brands such as Estée Lauder, PUMA, North Sails and Honeywell. During her tenure at PUMA, she worked on two Olympic campaigns with Usain Bolt, oversaw the communications program for two around-the-world Volvo Ocean Races and launched many celebrity-driven product campaigns. Parker received her bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston in political science.
— Head of Entertainment Noah Kessler
As head of entertainment for AREA15, Kessler is responsible for curating and booking all entertainment on AREA15’s campus. Kessler brings more than 15 years of experience to his role, with a strong background working as a concert and festival promoter, entrepreneur, artist and creative strategist as well as the talent buyer for the immersive and interactive music venue and events center, Meow Wolf. Prior to working at AREA15, Kessler became the talent buyer at powerhouse 360-music production company C3 Presents. There, his responsibilities consisted of managing multimillion-dollar festival budgets, booking some of the largest music artists in the world, while curating festival lineups, executing marketing plans and producing large-scale concerts and festivals from beginning to end. Kessler earned his bachelor’s and MBA at the University of New Mexico, where he focused on international business and entrepreneurship.
— Vice President of Business Development Michael Casper
As vice president of business development, Casper’s primary responsibility is to develop and implement strategies for partnership evolution and success, ensuring financial growth and improved guest experiences. In addition, Casper spearheads new business initiatives with a focus on uncovering unique new profit streams, delivering powerful experiences for brand partners and guests. Casper brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise through more than 10 years of experience in hospitality, entertainment venue operations and enhancing guest experiences both domestically and in European markets with his previous experience at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and AEG Europe. During his time at AEG, he opened sports and entertainment arenas in London and Istanbul. Casper received his bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
SPORTS
• Las Vegas Ballpark announced the promotion of Edward Dorville to vice president of retail operations for the Las Vegas Aviators, a professional baseball team of Triple-A West (formerly the Pacific Coast League, PCL). Dorville will be responsible for overall management and retail operations for the Las Vegas Aviators team store at Las Vegas Ballpark.
Dorville has an impressive tenure in the retail industry that includes five seasons with the Las Vegas professional franchise. He was a vital participant in the team’s transition from Cashman Field to Las Vegas Ballpark and has held various roles within the retail department of the organization, including serving as a seasonal retail sales specialist, retail coordinator, team store manager and, most currently, director of retail operations.
In his new role as vice president, Dorville will develop and implement the team’s retail strategy to help maximize store sales, lead and oversee a team of 20-plus team members, and help ensure the overall success of the retail department at the ballpark year-round.
Dorville is entrenched in the community and has expanded his network while working at the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce for the first 10 years of his career. Past ventures include creating a clothing brand and being one of the first retail stores at the Downtown Container Park. He also worked as the operations manager for a notable retail boutique at Harry Reid International Airport and Fashion Show mall. Prior to joining the Aviators, Dorville oversaw general manager responsibilities for Markers & Finders coffee.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Dorville was raised in Las Vegas. He majored in graphic design at the Advanced Technologies Academy, obtained an associates degree in business at the College of Southern Nevada, and a Bachelor of Science in business administration, information systems at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
An avid baseball fan, Dorville played middle infield for Valley and Clark high schools, where he was the lead-off batter. One of his proudest moments was playing alongside his father in a very competitive, fast-pitched softball league in Upper Manhattan at the age of 15.