8/21/2024
Discovering The Smith Center
Jonathan Halkyard and his wife, Kari
Jonathan Halkyard remembers sitting down for his first Smith Center Board of Directors meeting back in 2008. “I looked around, and I think the majority of the people in the boardroom had schools named after them,” he says. “These were real big shots in Las Vegas at the time, and it’s still that way now. Some of the names are different, but it remains a very impressive group.”
Halkyard, Chief Financial Officer of MGM Resorts International, takes over as Chairman of the Board in the fall of 2024, succeeding longtime Chairman Don Snyder, who stepped down after more than 20 years in the position. Halkyard, who has served two stints on the Board – from its pre-opening phase until 2014, when he moved to North Carolina, and again when he returned to Las Vegas in 2021 – has watched Snyder up close, and says he plans to model his approach after that of his predecessor.
“It's more than just chairing the Board. Don is truly an active participant. You'll see him at The Smith Center a lot, attending performances,” Halkyard says. “And Don really understands the difference between the board and the leadership team at The Smith Center. That team, led by (President and CEO) Myron Martin, runs The Smith Center and leads that organization. The board simply directs and provide some oversight. Not all chairmen understand that, but Don really does.
“He’s also a fantastic communicator, and he’s very effective at managing the Board meetings. He’s great at getting input and comments, but also being very decisive,” Halkyard continues. “And then the final thing is, he's got a good sense of humor, which I think is underrated in boardrooms. It's good to be able to laugh and have fun.”
Regarding the change, Martin says, “For the past 25 years, Don and I have been – to use his words – locked at the hip, so I’m going to miss him as Chairman. But I couldn’t be happier with the Board’s choice to succeed him.”
Halkyard will have an experienced and inspiring group of local leaders around him any time he steps into The Smith Center boardroom, including Snyder, who will serve as Immediate Past Chair. Returning to their positions are Vice Chairman Dr. Keith Boman, a longtime cardiologist for whom The Smith Center’s Boman Pavilion was named; Secretary Mark Tratos, an entertainment lawyer; Treasurer Michael Yackira, former President and CEO of NV Energy; and Member at Large Alan Feldman, former MGM Resorts executive and responsible gaming proponent.
Other notables from the Board’s Executive Committee include tech executive Richard Haddrill and attorney Scott MacTaggart.
“You go down the list, and they’re all just phenomenal people,” Halkyard says, “and that’s the way it should be. An organization like The Smith Center should be able to attract a fantastic group of Board members.”