September’s theme was Transportation Innovation.

Why Transportation?

• Our Economy – According to the LVCVA, “In 2016, southern Nevada reported a record-high 42.9 million visitors, up 1.5 percent from the 42.3 million visitors reported in 2015. That number has increased 18.1 percent since 2009 and is expected to grow in 2017.  Spending sourced to these 40-millionplus visitors is estimated to have reached $35.5 billion in 2016, which represents an increase of 16.3 percent compared to the prior year. “
• Our Food Supply – According to Urbanseed, over 95% of our fruits and vegetables are imported in Nevada.  The vast majority of all of our foods are imported.
• Our Energy – According to the U.S. Energy Association, Nevada imports 90% of our energy.

Our September Luncheon Speaker

Daniel J. Fazekas, AICP – Senior Regional Planner at RTC

Daniel J. Fazekas, AICP is the senior regional planner at the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), where he helps lead the implementation of the Southern Nevada Strong Regional Plan and is involved in a variety of regional planning studies. Prior to joining the RTC in 2016, Fazekas was a planner with the City of Henderson where he was instrumental in helping to create its new comprehensive plan, Henderson Strong. He also served as the project manager for Henderson’s STAR Communities program.

Before moving to Southern Nevada in 2012, Fazekas was a planner for Oklahoma City and a transportation planner for the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and a master’s degree in Regional City Planning from the University of Oklahoma.