LAS VEGAS, June 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The MGM Resorts
Foundation is pleased to announce this year's astonishing array of
industry pioneers on the Executive Panel at the 13th
Annual Women's Leadership Conference. The panel roster will
include: Gretel Perera, co-founder
of Latinas in Tech; Kim Day, long
time CEO of Denver International
Airport; and Patty Arvielo, entrepreneur founder of a break-through
mortgage company that specializes in financing minority
communities. These innovators will discuss how they have each moved
the needle for themselves as well as other women in their
respective professional industries. The conference will be held
Aug. 5 & 6 at MGM Grand Hotel
& Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
Gretel
Perera
Gretel Perera, originally from
Venezuela, is a public relations
professional with more than 16 years of experience. She
currently serves as the Director of Public Relations and Marketing,
managing day-to-day communications for the Latin American region of
Roku, a streaming technology company which provides online media
streaming players, devices and channels. Gretel previously led
communication efforts in Latin
America for the Evernote software company; there she was
part of a small yet powerful team that grew the company's presence
in that part of the world from 2 million to more than 18 million
users over a three-year period.
As co-founder of Latinas In Tech (LiT) ‒ a non-profit
organization for Latina women in the technology industry, Gretel's
passion is to improve diversity and inclusion in the technology
world. LiT has amassed a huge following of more than 5,000
women representing 15 nationalities and 50 top tech companies.
Kim Day
Since 2008 Kim Day has served as the CEO of Denver International Airport ("DEN"), the
20th-busiest airport in the world and the fifth-busiest airport in
the United States. With more than
64.5 million passengers traveling through the airport each year,
DEN is the primary economic engine for the Colorado region, generating more than
$26 billion annually and garnering
the top rating for U.S. large airports by the Wall Street Journal
and SkyTrax.
Under Kim's leadership, DEN has built a robust network of more
than 200 non-stop destinations served, including an ever-growing
list of international cities. Kim led the completion of DEN's
original vision to its current multi-dimensional development, and
is currently spearheading a $1.8
billion public-private partnership to redevelop DEN's
iconic, tented Jeppesen Terminal – a project that will modernize
the facility, improve its security and increase its capacity. She
is also leading expansion of DEN's concourses, adding 39 new gates
over the next two years that will allow all airlines to continue to
grow in Denver.
With more than 35 years of experience – and the daughter of an
Air Force pilot, Kim spent her entire life around planes.
Prior to her appointment at DEN, she served as an architect and
then Executive Director of Los Angeles World Airports. With a
Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell
University and a Masters of Business Administration from UC
Berkeley's Haas School of Business,
she practiced architecture in the private sector for more than 20
years.
Kim has been recognized for bringing DEN well into the
21st century, with relentless passion for the aviation
industry, drive and determination and creativity.
Patty Arvielo
After graduation from high school Patty Arvielo started her
career from scratch in a business in which she had no previous
experience. With over 35 years of experience in the mortgage
industry, she is President and co-founder of New American Funding,
which she helped transform into a national mortgage lender and
servicer that funded approximately $1
billion in home loans monthly and as of 2018 held a
servicing portfolio of $23 billion.
As manager of operations across 204 branches and approximately
3,000 employees, Patty is now a nationally recognized business
expert, and her company is the largest in Latino lending by a large
percentage.
Patty is deeply involved in influencing the real estate
finance industry to better serve American consumers of color who
aspire to home ownership. She serves as a leader of the
National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals
(NAHREP), whose mission is to increase the rate of sustainable
Hispanic homeownership and enhance the quality of their lending
experience. She recently created the New American Dream
initiative to increase homeownership in African-American
communities. Patty is also a champion for women in the
workplace, and many community causes, including Big Brothers Big
Sisters.
Patty is the recipient of numerous professional accolades, among
them Silver Stevie® Award for Woman of the Year (2018), EY [Ernst
& Young] Entrepreneur of The Year ® for Orange County (2016)
and Latinos de Hoy Business Award (2016).
"Our WLC Executive Panel boasts a sensational line-up of
successful women leaders who have each broken barriers in their
respective industries and who are amazing examples to us all. We
are looking forward to listening to the common and unique aspects
of their experiences and challenges, and learning how they have
forged a path to success as they have defined it for themselves,"
said Phyllis A. James, Chief
Diversity & Corporate Responsibility Officer at MGM Resorts
International.
Conference background:
The 2019 Women's Leadership
Conference registration is $549 which
includes the two-day conference and all workshops and lectures, a
networking reception, and continental breakfasts and lunches
catered by MGM Grand Conference Center. Time is also allotted for
attendees to build key professional relationships with others.
The mission of WLC is to provide women, and men who attend, the
developmental tools they need to continuously advance their lives
and careers. Through WLC women from all walks of life are offered a
variety of ways to impact their personal and professional lives,
including networking opportunities, educational workshops and
exposure to other women who can serve as role models, heroes or
mentors.
The conference will offer a wide range of learning
opportunities, career guidance and personal growth tools,
including:
- Exposure to diverse and nationally recognized speakers and
accomplished women role models
- Two days of career-oriented workshops that will give women
hands-on opportunities to develop skills based on their career
needs
- Three distinct learning tracks: Emerging Leaders, Emerging
Executives and Executives
WLC is open to women of all ethnicities, professions/occupations
and social backgrounds, locally and nationally, and men who support
them. The MGM Resorts Foundation is the conference's Presenting
Sponsor. Each year proceeds from the conference after costs are
donated to one or more local nonprofit agencies devoted to the
welfare and development of women and children.
Participating sponsorships are available to organizations or
companies who share the vision and goals of this conference.
Sponsors include but are not limited to: Aristocrat Technologies,
Bank of America, Caesars Entertainment, Cox Communications, IGT,
Prudential. For more information about WLC, please visit
mgmresortsfoundation.org/WLC.
About The MGM Resorts Foundation
The purpose of The
MGM Resorts Foundation is to collect and distribute monies and
assets donated by employees of MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM) for the aid
and support of qualified community nonprofit programs, agencies or
organizations designated exclusively by MGM Resorts' employees. In
addition, the Foundation collects and distributes donations to the
Foundation by third-party non-employees to support charitable,
scientific, literary, and educational activities approved by the
Foundation's Board of Directors and organized by MGM Resorts
employees to benefit qualified non-profit charitable organizations
designated by the Foundation's Board.
Media Contact
Kenthea
Pedraza
MGM Resorts International
Kpedraza@mgmresorts.com
702-692-6898
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SOURCE The MGM Resorts Foundation