Las Vegas Airport Boss to Step Down After 28-Year Career
Rosemary Vassiliadis, the longtime Director of the Clark County Department of Aviation and chief executive at Harry Reid International Airport, announced her planned retirement date of Sept. 12. Vassiliadis has…
LAS VEGAS – JANUARY 12: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) (L) and McCarran International Airport Deputy Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis appear at a news conference after touring a new terminal under construction at McCarran International Airport January 12, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The USD 2.4 billion Terminal 3 is now 50 percent completed. When it opens in 2012, it will allow the airport to handle up to 53 million passengers per year. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Rosemary Vassiliadis, the longtime Director of the Clark County Department of Aviation and chief executive at Harry Reid International Airport, announced her planned retirement date of Sept. 12. Vassiliadis has over 28 years of public service experience, including 12 years as the leader of Harry Reid International Airport. Under the leadership of Vassiliadis, Henry Reid International Airport has emerged as one of North America's top 10 airports for general aviation.
Her term was marked by responding to crises such as 9/11 and COVID-19, as well as major expansions, including the D Gates and Terminal 3. Under her leadership, Harry Reid International has posted record-breaking passenger numbers for three consecutive years and supported major events, including Super Bowl LVIII and the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
"Serving our community has been the honor of a lifetime. I am incredibly proud of the partnerships we've built, the milestones we've achieved, and the foundation laid for the future," said Vassiliadis. "It has truly been an honor to manage the Clark County airport system, which serves as a critical asset in the economic viability for Southern Nevada."
Vassiliadis also introduced innovations in security, making LAS the only airport designated as a TSA "Innovation Airport," piloting advanced screening technologies. As the highest-paid Clark County employee, her compensation reflected the airport's critical role in the region's tourism-driven economy.
She managed five airports in total, guiding a system that now functions as a $35 billion economic engine employing over 18,000 people. Funding for future expansions, including enhancements to Terminal 1 and a redesign of Terminal 3, will primarily derive from airport user fees and slot machine revenue.
"Timing to hand over the reins is prime, with our airport system in solid condition, set up with short, medium and long-term modernization, operating, and strategic plans. Many of those components are already in motion," Vassiliadis told staff.
She has also served on several influential boards, including the Nevada Homeland Security Commission and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. County Manager Kevin Schiller praised her transformative leadership, though details about her successor remain undecided.
