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Steve Sisolak
Steve Sisolak
01:17

Steve Sisolak

State of Nevada

Las Vegas, NV USA

"The key to success isn’t winning all the time; it’s how quickly you get up and move on from your disappointments or failures."

Career Roadmap

Steve's work combines: Government, Politics, and Helping People

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Day In The Life

Governor

I head the government's executive branch in Nevada.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

As governor, I try my best to affect as many people as I can in the best way that I can. However, I can't do everything. Some people may end up disappointed because I can't do everything at the same time. It's difficult for me to say yes to some people and no to others. My staff helps by acting as a sort of gatekeeper for my appointments. Together, we figure out how we can make the most and best impact for our state.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Marketing/Marketing Management, General

    University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

  • Graduate Degree

    Business Administration and Management, General

    University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    Growing up, my parents had always expected me to go to college and get a formal education—I also developed a great work ethic from watching my parents.

  • 2.

    I got a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MBA from UNLV—I was always interested in business because I wanted to work for myself.

  • 3.

    After college, I ran a business that printed and sold advertising specialty merchandise.

  • 4.

    I didn’t know I wanted to go into politics until I lobbied for some marketing and direct sales laws and found that I enjoyed it.

  • 5.

    I ran for Nevada State Senate twice and lost before moving on to the Nevada Board of Regents, which was a better fit for me to get my start.

  • 6.

    After serving on the Board of Regents for 10 years, I was elected to the Clark County Commission in 2008.

  • 7.

    I served as chairman for the Clark County Commission before being sworn in as the 30th Governor of Nevada in 2019.

  • 8.

    As governor, I’m passionate about speaking up and fighting for people who can’t fight for themselves.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Society in general:

    You need to fix everyone's problems.

  • How I responded:

    As governor, I try my best to affect as many people as I can in the best way that I can. However, I can't do everything. Some people may end up disappointed because I can't do everything at the same time. It's difficult for me to say yes to some people and no to others. My staff helps by acting as a sort of gatekeeper for my appointments. Together, we figure out how we can make the most and best impact for our state.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I ran for State Senate twice and lost, which was disappointing. However, I persevered because I still wanted to serve the public, so I found a place that was a better fit for me to get started.