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
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Set your goals and then keep your options open as best as possible. Not everyone can reach a certain goal sometimes because it's just not possible. For example, 10 people may have wanted to be governor but all 10 can't get elected. Do things that will direct you towards the goals you've set so that you give yourself the best chance of achieving that goal, but keep your options open because things change along the way.
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
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.