Dimmed ballroom lights, live music, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and an outdoor pool with a podium at the end set the stage for VEGAS INC’s annual 40 Under 40 awards, presented Thursday to Southern Nevada's most successful and influential people under age 40.
“This is a group of winners that are really influential in shaping the community we live in today,” said Greenspun Media Group Publisher Gordon Prouty, who emceed the event.
The 16th annual awards, held at Red Rock Resort, drew about 400 people, including friends, family and media members in addition to the award winners themselves.
Among award recipients in attendance was John Anzalone, 39, the principal of Sierra Vista High School.
Dressed in a gray three-piece suit with a plaid shirt and orange boutonniere, Anzalone, joined by about 15 guests, including family and Clark County School District leaders, was the first award winner from the School District since 2012.
“We work really hard and it’s awesome to have somebody representing the School District,” Anzalone, a life-long Las Vegan, said.
Anzalone, who was the principal of Eldorado High School from 2012 to 2015 before moving to Sierra Vista last summer, said his rapid escalation through the teaching and administration ranks was fueled by his desire to help “as many people as possible.”
“I would probably say to everybody out there, get yourself to a point where you can help the most people,” he said. “As a teacher I was a little confined, I felt like I was helping a few hundred kids. But I wanted to help a few thousand.”
Jessica Peralta, who owns and operates 13 Fit4Mom fitness locations across the Las Vegas Valley, was a registered nurse before opening her first Las Vegas gym in 2012. Her business, which caters to women from pregnancy through nearly a decade after giving birth, aims to provide a community in which “mothers are supported and comfortable in their own skin.”
Standing at a table Thursday with her husband, Steven, Peralta, dressed in a black top and gray skirt, called her award “humbling.” She credited her success to strong support from family, friends and the community and recommended the same for mothers like herself in pursuit of their dreams.
“It’s about finding that support group for every aspect of life,” Peralta said. “It empowers you and helps you to make your dreams come true.”
Greg Duffield, 39, began as an entry-level teller with Bank of America as a teenager before moving up the ranks to senior vice president of retail services.
Duffield, whose Las Vegas office manages 400 employees handling up to 200,000 calls per month, stood “in awe” Thursday night after accepting his 40 Under 40 award.
“It’s surprising and humbling,” he said. “Very inspirational.”
Among award recipients missing was nightclub DJ Steve Aoki, 38, who plays over 300 shows annually. Aoki, born in Newport Beach, Calif., has made Las Vegas his home since 2010, where he regularly performs at major venues like Hakkasan Nightclub and Wet Republic.