AUTO
• Team Chevrolet Las Vegas has appointed its new general sales manager, Ricky Avalos. He brings over two decades of experience, having started his career in 2002 at the age of 18 at a local dealership.
In his new role as general sales manager, Avalos oversees a range of departments, ensuring staff are well-trained and equipped with the necessary skills to succeed. He will play a role in advertising and decision-making for the dealership.
“I’m excited to start this new chapter,” Avalos said. “I believe everyone has a purpose and mine is to help people get into their dream vehicles and build meaningful relationships along the way. I want both my team members and customers to feel like family.”
Avalos joined Team Chevrolet Las Vegas after beginning his career at Team Ford, one of three of locally owned and operated dealerships represented by Team Automotive Group. His move to Team Chevrolet Las Vegas was motivated by the owners, who witnessed his growth first-hand. Avalos said he is eager to represent the Hispanic community and inspire others to follow suit and achieve their dreams.
“Since I was young, my father taught me the importance of striving to be the best at whatever you do,” Avalos said. “Family is important to me. I would not be here without the support of my wife and my team. My community is not well-represented in these roles, and I want to support them by becoming the example. They can achieve anything if they work hard.”
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Avalos is committed to giving back. Every year, he carries on the tradition of Las Posadas, providing meals and toys for children in his father’s hometown.
Avalos’ leadership and skills will support Team Chevrolet as one of Las Vegas’ leading dealerships. Team Chevrolet Las Vegas offers new and pre-owned vehicles to Las Vegas.
FINANCE
• Ryan Whitman, Assurance Practice Leader for BDO USA’s Nevada and Arizona offices, has been selected to serve on the Nevada State Board of Accountancy.
Whitman was appointed to this role by the Nevada governor with input from the state Senate. The board’s mission is to protect the welfare of Nevada citizens by assuring all Nevada CPAs are competent and compliant with professional standards. Whitman will evaluate CPA applicants’ education and experience for licensure over the course of his five-year term. Whitman and fellow board members will work with other state boards to help address issues that arise across the accounting profession, such as ensuring the pipeline of new CPAs serving Nevada remains robust
Operating out of BDO’s Las Vegas office, Whitman is a principal and regional leader of the firm’s assurance practice with more than 20 years of combined experience in public accounting and private industry. The services he and his team routinely provide across the state include Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance, regulatory compliance, internal audit and accounting services. Whitman’s clients are found across numerous sectors, such as gaming, hospitality and leisure, construction, technology and government.
REAL ESTATE
• Longtime Las Vegas Realtors leader Nora Aguirre was installed this week as 2024 president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.
After serving as president-elect for NAHREP last year, she was officially installed March 12 as its 2024 national president at a NAHREP event in Washington, D.C. She will lead the national organization that works to advance sustainable Hispanic homeownership by educating and empowering Hispanic real estate professionals who serve Hispanic homebuyers and sellers, by advocating for public policies that support its mission and by facilitating relationships among industry professionals and stakeholders.
“We’re proud to have Nora representing all of us in this important role,” said Las Vegas Realtors President Merri Perry, who attended the NAHREP event with Aguirre. “We support Nora and NAHREP and its mission of advocating for Hispanic homeownership.”
A first-generation immigrant born in Mexico and raised in North Las Vegas, Aguirre has more than 18 years of experience working as a local Realtor. She serves as CEO of the top real estate team in Nevada for Century 21 Americana. A member of NAHREP since 2008, Aguirre served as founding president of its Greater Las Vegas Chapter in 2017. Her industry accomplishments include being named among the Top 25 Most Influential Women in Real Estate four years in a row, leading a Top 25 Latino Team and being listed among NAHREP’s Top 250 Latino Agents three years in a row.
For more than five years, she has hosted “Real Estate with Nora,” a 30-minute radio program on La Verdad Radio 95.9 FM in Las Vegas covering topics that demystify the real estate market.
For six years, Aguirre served in the Nevada Army National Guard, where she was a drill instructor for at-risk youth in Southern Nevada. She frequently volunteers her time to help veterans and others and has served on the board of directors for the local Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals.
In addition to Aguirre’s leadership role, NAHREP also announced that LVR member and longtime local real estate broker Alex Garza has accepted the position of director of regional operations for NAHREP.
Garza has been involved in NAHREP as a volunteer for more than 20 years. NAHREP serves as “the voice for Hispanic real estate” in the U.S. It has more than 40,000 members and 100 chapters nationwide.
• NAIOP Southern Nevada, an organization representing commercial real estate developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate, honored the best in the industry at its 27 th annual NAIOP Spotlight Awards.
The annual marquee event was held Feb. 24 at Red Rock Resort, honoring top local commercial real estate professionals and businesses for their achievements, projects and deals during the prior year. The event attracted hundreds of chapter members and guests. NAIOP honored the following 2024 Spotlight
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT AWARDS
— Retail Tenant Improvement: The Sundry Food Hall
— Retail Building: Distill Inspirada
— Retail Center:St. Rose Square Retail Center
— Hospitality Tenant Improvement: The Venetian
— Healthcare Tenant Improvement:Lumina Las Vegas T I
— Healthcare Building:Culinary Health Center Durango
— Redevelopment Project: City of Las Vegas, Corridor of Hope
— Multi-Family Project: Auric Symphony Park Luxury Residences
— Mixed-Use Development: Decatur Commons
— Special Use:The Beverly Theater
— Office Tenant Improvement: Hearst Health, Las Vegas
— Office Building:Narrative
— Industrial Tenant Improvement: Crown Mesquite Aluminum
— Industrial Building Build to Suit: Nuro Warehouse Shell Building
— Industrial Building Spec under 250,000 Square Feet: Tropical Speedway Commerce 2
— Industrial Building Spec over 250,000 Square Feet: Vantage North One
— Industrial Park: AirParc Heights
INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT AWARDS
— Financial Firm of the Year: First Savings Bank
— Engineering Firm of the Year: Kimley-Horn
— Brokerage Firm of the Year:CBRE
— Property Management Firm of the Year: CBRE
— Architecture Firm of the Year:EV&A Architects
— General Contracting Firm of the Year: Martin-Harris Construction
— Broker of the Year, Industrial: Higgins Toft Zaher Industrial Team, CBRE
— Broker of the Year, Office: Thill, Dillon & McInerney Office Team, Colliers International
— Broker of the Year, Retail: CNR Retail, CAST
— Developing Leader of the Year:Gitana Cafasso, Burke Construction Group
— Development Firm of the Year: Schnitzer Properties
BOARD AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
— Associate Member of the Year: Micah Durham, Nevada General Contractors
— Principal Member of the Year: Lisa Brady, Prologis
— Trendsetter Firm: Kimley-Horn
NAIOP Southern Nevada is a chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and it comprises more than 700 members serving the Southern Nevada market. NAIOP Spotlight Awards, celebrating its 27th year, recognizes distinguished commercial real estate entities throughout Southern Nevada. The awards program highlights the impact of developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate.