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Richard Lee has been called Las Vegas'" entrepreneurial prognosticator.
His day job -- most days -- is as director of public relations with First American Title Co. But he also preaches Southern Nevada's gospel of growth and success.
He makes videos. He writes a slick newsletter titled "Development Profiles." He gives speeches. One recent roadtrip had Lee speaking in Honolulu and Omaha in a 24-hour period.
It might be a understatement to say that Lee is bullish on Las Vegas and its No. 1 business. "I think gaming is the most exciting and vibrant industry in the country right now. The potential is both fascinating and awesome," he declares.
He applies many of the same adjectives to the city he came to 11 years ago. Like thousands of others, the father of three brought his family from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in search of opportunity. With a background in the sporting goods business and a marketing and finance degree from BYU, Lee arrived with no firm job prospects. He landed in real esrate.
With six years at First American Title, Lee has enjoyed a bird's eye view of the nation shortest real estate market. Using a network of economists and analysts, he regularly reports on the state of the local economy and predicts future trends.
Lee's views are respected as independent from chambers of commerce or tourism agencies. But make no mistake. He loves Las Vegas. And he vehemently opposes governmental efforts to rein in growth and development such as state Sen. Dina Titus 'proposal to put a ring around the Valley. Before the Las Vegas Democrat withdrew her bill late in the legislative session, Lee told the Business Press, "I'm going do everything in my power to get it out of were and her out of there."
Freelance writer Ken Ward recently sat down with Lee at American Time's Pecos Road office fo talk about economics, politics and Lee's long-neglected golfgame.
You have a list, some of it proprietary, with all the new development planned for this valley, What is that dollar-figure and how does it compare with past years?
Gaming is clearly the jet engine that's pushing this economy. In 1989 and 1990, it started with the construction of 15,000 hotel rooms. In...