This is True®
by Randy CassinghamRandy Cassingham’s Honorary Unsubscribe Recognizes the Unknown, the Forgotten and the Obscure People who Had an Impact on Our Lives
Manuel J. Cortez
A resident of Las Vegas, Nev., since 1944, Cortez was a four-term County Commissioner, served on the Boards of the University Medical Center, the Las Vegas Valley Water District, and the Metropolitan Police Department. And he was a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. But it was his last job which left an indelible mark: for 13 years, he was president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. His job: help promote Las Vegas as a tourist destination. During his tenure, tourism to Vegas grew from 21 million visitors in 1991 to 37 million visitors in 2004. During that time, one thing stands out as key to that growth: Cortez put in place a suggested new slogan for the gambling and entertainment town: “What happens here, stays here.” The American public — and comedians — quickly adopted it, but with a notable change: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” (The official version is still “here”, though.) Travel Agent magazine named him U.S. Person of the Year for 1999, calling Cortez “one of the most astute marketers in the tourism industry.” Manuel “Manny” Cortez died in Las Vegas on June 18 from a heart attack. He was 67.
From This is True for 18 June 2006
Now Available: Honorary Unsubscribe books
The early write-ups from This is True's popular Honorary Unsubscribe feature are now available for your Kindle (or Kindle software for your smartphone, tablet, or computer) as low-cost ebooks. See details on Volume 1 (covering 1998 through 2000) and Volume 2 (covering 2001 through 2003). The honorees truly are the people you wish you had known.
About the HUs
About This is TrueSubscribe Free
to This is True
Oldest: Digital sound pioneer Thomas G. Stockham Jr
Newest: Staying in Vegas Manuel J. Cortez
Prev: Olympic trailblazer Neroli Fairhall
Next: The ever-hungry Robert Carrier
Copyright 1998-2012 ThisIsTrue.Inc, all rights reserved. May not be copied or archived without express, prior, written permission. "This is True" is a registered trademark of ThisIsTrue.Inc, Ridgway Colorado.