Dionne is a Senior Human Resources Business Partner for Southern Glazer’s Wine, Spirits and Beer. During her time at Southern Glazer’s, she has advocated for and participated in community relations partnerships and Diversity and Inclusion initiatives nationwide. She is a founding member of CHEERS to Diversity, Nevada Chapter and CHEERS to Black Excellence, National Chapter. Prior to joining Southern Glazer’s in 2014, Dionne held similar roles at Downtown Grand & Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The foundation of Dionne’s professional background comes via an extensive career in retail sales management.

Dionne attended The George Washington University and was born and raised in our nation’s capitol, Washington, DC. Dionne has been a proud resident of Las Vegas since 2000 and married her hometown sweetheart here in 2002. Since relocating to Las Vegas, Dionne has been an active member of our community most recently participating in Leadership Las Vegas class of 2020. As a proud mom of two teenage girls, she considers education and elevating women in the community as not only her passions, but her legacy.

Fun Facts: Dionne enjoys sports and music. She can be heard cheering our Vegas Golden Knights from afar and has an ongoing game of music “tag” with several fellow music lovers.

Lezlie is the Vice President of Guest Experience for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. In this role, she oversees partner relations and leads the convention services, registration services, and customer experience services teams. She is a dynamic executive – passionate about guest service, associate engagement, and leadership development.

Prior to joining the Authority, Lezlie founded LCY Solutions, LLC where she supported both non-profit and for-profit organizations with operational insights, process improvements, executive coaching, and leadership and guest service training. Lezlie acted as the Interim Executive Director for Dress for Success Southern Nevada and supported the organization with operational oversights and fundraising. When our boutique paused in-person services in Spring of 2020, she led our initiatives to navigate contactless suiting and other online services.

Lezlie has extensive experience as a hospitality leader, serving as General Manager/Managing Director for The Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa, and the Vice President of Operations for SLS Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. She spent more than twenty years with MGM Resorts International, most recently as the Vice President of The Mansion and Skylofts, two of the most exclusive, luxury properties in the portfolio. During her time as General Manager for The Signature at MGM Grand, the 1,728 non-gaming, all-suite property was named the “Best Place to Work” by Vegas Magazine.

As a long-time Las Vegas resident and graduate of the esteemed Leadership Las Vegas program, she stays actively involved as a program volunteer. She also serves the community with organizations such as Dress for Success Southern Nevada, Safe Nest, Boys and Girls Club, Shannon West Teen Shelter, Junior Achievement, Rescue Mission, and Three Square.

Dr. Lisa Menegatos is Dean of the Honors College at UNLV. She first joined the Honors College in 2014 as an Assistant Professor in Residence, teaching classes in interpersonal communication, public speaking, health communication, family communication, and gender and sexuality. Lisa moved into a leadership role when she became Assistant Dean of the Honors College in January 2018 and then Associate Dean in July of that year, overseeing HC internships, the Research and Creative Honors thesis program, and course scheduling.

Dr. Menegatos holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University where she embarked on research exploring the interplay between substance abuse and personal relationships. She obtained her MA at UNLV and has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University. Lisa worked as a television news journalist prior to making the shift to academia.

Fun Facts: Lisa is a huge fan of the Las Vegas Aces WNBA team. In addition to going to Aces games, she loves to hike, travel, read, and spend time with her husband and family.

Dr. Kate Zhong is a geriatric psychiatrist, pharmacologist, and trailblazer in Alzheimer’s and brain health research. She is the Director of Innovation and an adjunct professor in the Department of Brain Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Dr. Kate served as the Chief Strategy Officer for the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation. She was the Senior Director of Clinical Research for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health,  where she led the research programs for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. She is the founder of CNS Innovations LLC, a company dedicated to providing consultation services to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Kate is passionate about empowering women and giving back. She serves as a board member for many national and international organizations. She was honored with many awards for her contributions such as the “Minority Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Women’s Chamber’s Commerce of Nevada, “Women of Success,” “Women to Watch,” and “Top 100 Doctor”. She was featured in the PBS documentary “MAKERS: Women Who Make America,” profiling her as one of Nevada’s most influential women.

Jacki has lived in Las Vegas, NV since 1997 and worked at several casino resorts on the Strip including Riviera Las Vegas, Wynn Resorts, Aria Resort & Casino, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. In 2017, she transitioned from a successful career in casino management into Human Resources when she joined MGM Resorts as an Employee and Labor Relations Partner, advising business leaders, advocating for employees, and negotiating with various labor unions. She is a proud MGM Resorts Diversity Champion and was voted “Keeper of the Flame” by her classmates.

While also working professionally, in 2013, Jacki completed her Masters Degree in Business Communications at Bellevue University with a Certificate of Executive Coaching. She is also an active member of her community and currently serves as Treasurer for her community HOA.

Jacki has been involved with Dress for Success of Southern Nevada since 2013, donating her time and resources, and joining the Little Black Dress Club in 2017, after which she served on the event planning committee. She believes staunchly in the mission of Dress for Success, having as a child witnessed her mother struggle to re-enter the workforce and after receiving professional attire and skills, regained her financial independence enough to support her family. It is Jacki’s belief she is a living representative of the powerful, lasting impact Dress for Success has on clients.

Fun Facts: Jacki and her husband Patrick, a retired LVMPD Law Enforcement Officer, enjoy travel to their favorite beach destinations including, Maui, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Bora Bora, Tahiti.

Misti Duplex has worked in national security for 20 years at the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS). She currently leads transformation, strategy deployment, and risk management.

Misti completed a Bachelor of Psychology degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), received a Master of Science degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University (WGU), and is currently in the Doctor of Public Policy Program at UNLV. She obtained Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) certifications. She is a Leadership Las Vegas alumna.

As a Las Vegas native, she is passionate about the community. In addition to Dress for Success, she supports Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada and Shine A Light Foundation. She is a proud mom to her three children.

Jacqueline Estrella (Jax) is a dedicated leader at Cox Business in Las Vegas, where she heads a dynamic team of 24 sales professionals. With a heartfelt passion for creating a workplace culture that values and empowers each team member, Jacqueline ensures that everyone feels heard and appreciated. She is committed to fostering a team environment where all employees can thrive, grow, and achieve great success.

Jax’s journey began on a small farm along the beautiful Oregon Coast, where she grew up with her three sisters. After starting college, she moved to Las Vegas following her father’s job transfer and quickly fell in love with the vibrant community. She settled in Henderson, where she raised her three children, who are now grown and married, and remain her greatest joy.

Family is at the heart of everything Jacqueline does. She cherishes cooking with her loved ones, spending quality time with her six grandchildren, and traveling to create new memories together. Her close-knit group of friends, with whom she enjoys mission trips, hikes, BBQ’s, music, and brunching together, are an extension of her family.

Jax’s leadership at Cox Business is an extension of her uplifting spirit. She believes that when people feel valued and supported, they can achieve great things. Her personal motto, “Small things done with great love will change the world,” reflects her approach to both her professional and personal life.

Paige founded Dress for Success Southern Nevada in 2009, during the Great Recession, when she wanted to empower women to stand on their own.  She innately knew being encouraged by other women and their communities would lift others to be their best selves, professionally and personally. She built the Las Vegas business plan for the international organization and then generated a fully donated space and the infrastructure that has grown to help thousands of women.

As the charity’s first Board Chairwoman and with the goal of generating a consistent support base and revenue stream, Paige conceived the country’s first Little Black Dress Club. This monthly club is a donor program that also serves as a valuable networking source for its members and clients.

A twenty-plus year public relations strategist, Paige is currently the President and Owner of the public relations agency Candee Communications which serves businesses and non-profit organizations that have meaning, purpose, and goals intended to make the world a better place to live, work, play and dream. She focuses her skills on strategic planning, message development, media outreach, and community relations.

A Member of the Women’s Hall of Fame of Nevada, she was also named Silver State’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Luxury Magazine’s Desert Gem. Additionally she is a recipient of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Leadership Award. Paige was President of the Colgate University Las Vegas Alumni Club for 10 years and is a master graduate of Rapport Leadership International. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Peace & Conflict Resolution and Political Science from Colgate University and holds a certification in non-profit management and public relations from UNLV. Paige also studied at American University while working at Amnesty International’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Fun Facts: Paige is a proud wife and mother of twin boys and a little girl.