Speaker

Debra Solt serves as the Director of Workforce Training and Development for Vegas PBS and the new Desert Meadows AHEC, which launched in November 2014 under the Vegas PBS Workforce Initiative.  She was responsible for the development and implementation of Vegas PBS’s Workforce initiatives and directly contracts with local business and industry, as well as works with students and workforce service providers to develop individual learning plans to retrain individuals for entry in today’s workforce.   Ms. Solt is known nationally and internationally as a specialist in partnering with business and industry for the development and implementation of customized workforce programs that produce measurable results for clients and the community-at-large.  Programs have ranged from adult literacy to administrative management and ethics, have been designed and delivered in traditional and non-traditional learning platforms, and have crossed all industry sectors and management levels.  She has been recognized and commended for her vision, dedication, passion, and commitment to building better communities through workforce education, training, and community service and was recently named one of Las Vegas Business Press’ 2014 Women Who Mean Business and was also named Vegas Inc.’s Women to Watch for 2013. She was recently appointed by Nevada’s Governor Sandoval to the Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates (JAG)  Board of Directors.   Prior to joining Vegas PBS, Ms. Solt spent over fourteen years in higher education in Nevada and Washington State.  In Nevada, Debra served as Grant Writer, Director, Interim Dean and Program Developer for the College of Southern Nevada’s Workforce and Economic Development Division.  Among her many roles at the CSN, she also served as a Campus Site Administrator/Program Developer and ACT Center Director, trainer, facilitator for strategic planning, team builder, and business consultant.    Ms. Solt attributes her success in Workforce Development to her ability to: build and maintain critical resource networks through collaboration and partnership with government and business leaders at local, state and national levels; identify critical needs and skill gaps; and identify and implement solutions.  Solt coins her marketing strategy as one of “Marketing through Infiltration” and received the 2004 O’Callaghan Public Sector Award Recipient at the Annual Henderson Economic Development Awards Ceremony.  She currently holds elected and member positions to include:  Current Governor’s Cabinet Member of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District of Kiwanis International and Conference Selection Committee;  President of the Kiwanis Clubs of Southern Nevada Foundation, 2008/9 Past Lt. Governor, Division 28 of the Cal-Nev-Ha District of Kiwanis International, Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas Strip  - Past President and Honorary Member and Club Counselor of the Kiwanis Club of Neon Lights Las Vegas, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Business Council Immediate Past President, Current Member Customer Service Excellence Committee  - Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Small Business Excellence Awards Committee of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and Member of the We Care Committee of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Henderson Economic Development Resource Partner Group, Nevada State SHRM Council – Workforce Readiness Committee Chair, and  member of the Nevada Adult Literacy Coalition.  Ms. Solt is a 2012 Graduate of Leadership Las Vegas and has also served Southern Nevada’s business community as a Member of the Business Education Committee for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Nevada Restaurant Association, Member of the Nevada Hotel Association, Scholarship Committee for the Nevada Hotel & Restaurant Foundation, Board of Advisor for the Henderson Business Resource Center, Member of the Southern Nevada Human Resource Association, Member of the Nevada Task Force on Entrepreneurialism, Member of the Nevada Food Safety Task Force, and has sat on multiple other state, local and national task forces.  Solt regularly speaks locally and nationally on workforce and education topics and issues. Solt relocated to the Las Vegas are in July 2000 and has two daughters and three grandchildren and one grandchild on the way - all residing in the Las Vegas area.