On March 14, the board of directors for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) appointed Mike Larragueta as the agency’s next chief executive officer in a unanimous vote.
Larragueta, a former casino executive who most recently served as the vice president of sales for the RSCVA, was the only candidate remaining in the monthslong selection process—fellow candidate Brenda Scolari, current director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, withdrew March 12.
The other finalist, U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte, dropped out of the race in January.
During the meeting, board member Eddie Ableser called the process “bumpy,” and asserted that the “last thing that we and our staff and our leadership need is any inference that this was a selection by default,” according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Notably, an anonymous complaint was levied against Larragueta during the selection process which led to an independent investigation, but the incoming CEO was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.
There has been some internal strife between the board and executives in recent years, and in his initial comments, Larragueta addressed the need to start off on the right foot.
“Communication is key,” Larragueta said, per the RGJ. “We need to know what your priorities are as a board member … so we are all rowing in the same direction.”
Another issue of note was Larragueta’s new contract—previous CEO Charles Harris, who had a rocky relationship with both the board and fellow staff, was subject to criticism after it was discovered that his 2022 contract featured a 35 percent bonus that many felt was excessive.
“We understand the issues with the previous contract,” board member Ben Kennedy said, per the RGJ. “We’ve heard that and we’ll address those in this next contract.”
