FALL 2021

Dean's Leadership Council Spotlight: Fletch Brunelle Born and raised in Las Vegas, H. Fletch Brunelle, chair of the Graduate College’s Dean’s Leadership Council, remembers a time when 200,000 residents made up the Las Vegas community, a sharp contrast to today’s 2.2 million. “I watched this town grow from a very small town to the unbelievable destination that it is today,” Brunelle said. “This city is really quite imaginative and the standard-bearer for tourism.” The two-time UNLV alumnus, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1987 and a Master of Business Administration degree in 1994, today serves as vice president of marketing and sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). He recently sat down with the Graduate College to talk about graduate education, supporting UNLV, and community involvement. How has graduate education made a personal impact on you? Initially I didn't think graduate education was going to be meaningful for me. During my undergraduate journey, I worked and went to school full time while at UNLV and changed majors literally five times before landing on an accounting degree. I worked at the Dunes hotel in a finance role at that time and found the business world was not as black and white as some of my business classes portrayed. Upon graduating from UNLV I was hired at the LVCVA as a research coordinator. During my first few years in research, I was talking to Rossi Ralenkotter, former LVCVA president and CEO, and I asked him for his guidance on what he thought I could do next to help expand my horizons. His comment was, “Well, I went back to school and got a master's degree from UNLV. It was a good start for me. So I would suggest that you give that a try.” I really didn't think I wanted to go back to school. I had just gotten married, my wife was pregnant with our first child, and thinking about working full time and going to school full time was not very appealing. Rossi’s next comment was “Listen, go take one class. See how it is. See if you like it. If you don't, you'll figure something else out, but give it a try.” I started my MBA journey in July 1991 and found that, for me, the graduate program helped me think more strategically about business and human interaction. What led you to join the Dean’s Leadership Council? As a community, it has been noted that Las Vegas has had difficulty attracting and retaining educated individuals in our workforce. With approximately 37% of the workforce in Las Vegas directly employed in tourism, we run the risk of impacts from economic shocks such as those created by COVID or the Great Recession. I believe that graduate college education is the key to expanding our labor force and economical base beyond tourism. Las Vegas needs more graduates from UNLV, undergrad and grad, so as to retain a workforce that is attractive to business in the community. We have made progress but there is more work to be done. What have you learned about graduate education at UNLV that others would be interested to know? If you were to ask people in the community about the Graduate College and its programs, they'll probably name the law school, dental school, and medical school, but they don't realize that there are currently 185 graduate programs. I think we need to do a better job of telling people what we're about. How can others support graduate students and why does that support matter? The best way that we can help graduate students financially – help fund their education efforts. We need to invest in students and their efforts to expand the knowledge and education of the work force in Southern Nevada. Secondly, we must be present and support students at different Graduate College events. Attending events will help educate the broader community on how they can help support graduate students and what students’ goals are during and after graduate school. As an alum, why has supporting UNLV been so important to you? I believe UNLV helps us build our community through education, arts, and sports. As a relatively young university in the state of Nevada (the University of Nevada, Reno was founded in 1874) we can build a legacy of partnership in the community at large. What other ways are you involved in the community? As a native of Las Vegas who has raised a family in the community, I have thankfully had the opportunity to participate in school boards (Our Lady Of Las Vegas, St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton, Bishop Gorman High School), coach Little League Baseball, and held positions on other neighborhood community boards. I have also been a mentor for various colleges at UNLV and other programs. Is there anything else that you’d like to share with our UNLV Graduate College community? To the students, remain positive in your approach to education and life. People like to be around positive actions and thoughts. To the business leaders, please support the UNLV Graduate College as they are our next leaders in our great city.