2024 NEVADA EMPLOYERS CONFERENCE: NAE’s BIGGEST EVENT TO DATE

The 2024 Nevada Employers Conference was one for the books! This event, which we’ve hosted annually for 7 years has always been the highlight of our work. This year’s conference affirms just how much we love what we do and it far exceeded our expectations. With nearly 200 business leaders in attendance from all across Nevada, this was the biggest turnout in the conference’s history!

What Were the Highlights of the 2024 Nevada Employers Conference?

The 2024 Nevada Employers Conference featured keynote speakers like Mike Rayburn and LaGina Jackson, introduced innovative tools like E-Verify, and honored Loretta Prentice as HR Professional of the Year. Attendees gained valuable insights on AI, economic trends, and HR compliance strategies, and provided SHRM and HRCI accreditation for attendees.

Influential Keynote Speakers

This year, we heard from several insightful industry experts on a wide range of topics, such as unlocking your potential and exploring the possibilities of AI. These speakers included Mike Rayburn, an acclaimed TED Talk speaker and Carnegie Hall headliner, LaGina Jackson from USCIS, renowned economists Dr. Chris Kuehl and David Schmidt, and Brian Danos, COO of Plan Notice.

Mike Rayburn— Author and Motivational Speaker.

Our first speaker was Mike Rayburn, an acclaimed TED Talk speaker and Carnegie Hall headliner who combines inspirational messages with his unique and zany musical flair. He encouraged the audience to consider the transformational power of living life with a ‘what-if’ mindset. Rayburn boldly told the audience, “Don’t just follow the curve, define it.” His presentation encouraged attendees to consider what gives them a sense of purpose. He then proceeded to entertain the audience with a reggae version of “Friends in Low Places” by Bob Marley and a revised version of “You Belong with Me” from the perspective of an unlucky in love nerd.

LaGina Jackson— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Next, we had the pleasure of hearing from LaGina Jackson from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). She provided essential and highly valued insights on how employers can comply with the labor law requirements for their I-9 employees. Additionally, she introduced a revolutionary online tool which can significantly assist employers with maintaining compliance of employment law, and with managing and ensuring the accuracy of all required forms and information.

Dr. Chris Kuehl— Armada Corporate Intelligence

After Jackson’s presentation, we heard from two highly experienced economists, Dr. Chris Kuehl, Director at Armada Corporate Intelligence, and Chief Economist at the Nevada Department of Employment, David Schmidt on this year’s economic and labor trends. They discussed current challenges and cultural changes within the economy and workforce.

According to Dr. Kuehl, one key shift that we will see impact the national and global economy within the next 6-10 years is what he called, “The Great Wealth Transfer”. This is a phenomenon predicted to come about by the year 2030 when the Baby Boomers, who currently control 72% of the country’s wealth, will retire or begin to pass their wealth onto the next generation.

Kuehl elaborated that this phenomenon may cause governments to find ways to increase inheritance tax, which many people are against as it potentially means this money would be taxed twice. If this happens, boomers may potentially decide to spend their money, rather than pass it on and lose more of it to taxation. This influx of cash in the market would cause an increase in inflation and interest rates as a result.

David Schmidt— Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation

Schmidt followed up with his report on current labor trends within the state of Nevada, which were mixed but not entirely discouraging. One thing he mentioned before running through the numbers, is that the results we are currently seeing today are standard for recovery from most recessions in the past, even ones caused by global pandemics, and that it typically takes about 4 years for these types of trends to come back up.

He reported that Nevada is leading the nation in job growth at 3.4% and ranks 40th out of 51 states in hourly wages with an average of $30.04. However, Nevada also lags in number of average hours worked at 34.1 hours, which puts our ranking at 17 out of 51. This means that despite higher hourly wages, our total weekly earnings rank 39th out of 51 states with a weekly income of $1,024.36.

Overall, Schmidt declared that Nevada’s employment outlook strengths are a high employment growth, a solid job demand, and labor force diversification and participation is ongoing.

Brian Danos— Plan Notice

Finally, we heard from Brian Danos, COO of Plan Notice, an innovative service organization that’s partnering with AI to revolutionize the way people manage retirement. He spoke on the latest developments on the evolution of AI and its impact on the workplace. AI is here to stay and if your business isn’t trying to find new ways to implement it into your workflows or leverage it to your competitive advantage, then you are already behind.

Ultimately, Danos believes AI will transform the way we do so much of our workforce solutions— from allowing businesses to customize onboarding processes, expedite performance management, offer true 24/7 support with the assistance of AI agents and chatbots, and even create predictive hiring methods. Danos’ presentation made clear that even though AI is overwhelming, its possibilities are incredibly exciting!

Congratulations to Loretta Prentice for Being Nominated HR Professional of the Year

At this year’s employers conference, Nevada Association of Employers (NAE) proudly announces Loretta Prentice, PHR, Human Resources Director of Cashell Enterprises, Inc., as the recipient of the 2024 HR Professional of the Year award.

Each year, NAE invites members and conference attendees to nominate exemplary HR professionals who demonstrate outstanding leadership and commitment to the field of Human Resources in Nevada. “We’ve been hosting this conference for 7 years now and it is always the highlight of every year to be able to honor the exemplary HR leaders we have here in Nevada,” says Thoran Towler, CEO of Nevada Association of Employers.

Prentice was nominated by her colleague and successor, HR Manager Courtney Starks, who will assume the role upon Prentice’s retirement at the end of the year.
Starting in 2006, Prentice established the HR department at Cashell Enterprises from the ground up. Over the past 17 years, she has continuously refined and expanded the department, developed best practices for their organization, and ensured excellence and safety for all employees. Prentice is highly regarded for her expertise in safety culture, employee relations, company benefits, and onboarding processes.

“She oversees the entire scope of HR, from onboarding to safety. Anyone that meets her can see that she embodies Human Resources. Her career has been devoted to continually learning and growing,” says Starks.

Prentice has been instrumental in creating the company’s safety manuals, employee handbooks, onboarding packets, and comprehensive HR policies and procedures. “Loretta is very conscientious about safety and being proactive rather than reactive. She is a true advocate for the employees, always investigating to be sure everything has been done in fairness to the employees and the company.”

Starks highlights the profound impact of Prentice’s leadership, stating, “She is an example of patience, class, empathy, tolerance, and consistency. I absolutely know that she deserves the recognition in our field as a leader in excellence.”

As Prentice looks forward to her retirement at the end of the year, she plans to enjoy gardening and spending time with her husband.

We also also extend a special congratulations to the other four nominees: Megan Enyeart of CRBR, Silvia Garcia-Tinoco of Hamilton Company, Heather Sawyer of American International Tooling, and Sheila Van Deusen from North Sails.

Thank You for Joining Us & We Hope to See You Next Year!

The 2024 Nevada Employers Conference not only set a new attendance record but also delivered a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. From introductions to innovative tools like E-Verify and the capabilities of AI, attendees left equipped with valuable insights and strategies to drive their organizations forward.

We extend our heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, Brown and Brown and AmCheck Las Vegas, to the Atlantis Hotel and Spa for hosting us, and to our NAE members and attendees who made this conference such a success! We’re incredibly excited for next year and hope you can join us again!

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