The former mayor of North Las Vegas from 1997 to 2009, Michael Montandon now combines his service in government with his business expertise. He is vice president for Business Development and Government Affairs at DC Building Group and president of NAIOP Southern Nevada, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. Montandon has over 20 years of experience in management, construction, commercial appraisal and land planning.
(Photo Courtesy of Michael Montandon)
As mayor, Montandon served on a number of local government boards and committees, including the Clark County Debt Management Commission, the Civilian Military Council, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority (LVCVA), the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition Federal Lands Subcommittee and the Nellis Air Force Base Support Team.
Montandon completed the Harvard University Program for Senior Executives at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Arizona State University.
“My degrees and education have been so helpful to me,” Montandon said. As a senior appraisal analyst with Bank of America “I was a commercial real estate appraiser for many years; and commercial real estate is all about value which I studied in finance. It was my intention to go into real estate.” Understanding that real estate is also about business, Montandon realized the value of continuing his education with the executive training program at Harvard.
“As you grow in your field and go to a certain level, it becomes very focused and very specific. I enjoyed my time in college obtaining my bachelor’s degree. However, I learned so much more with the additional education especially focusing on my specific career. Once you decide to pursue more education, you realize students are there because they want to be there. People with real world experience, are pursuing higher education and can really delve into what they need to learn,” he explained.
According to Montandon, while on the job training and experience is valuable, “being able to show your educational background really goes a long way. Everyone I have met who got a degree always said they got so much more from their education than they expected.”
Debbie Hall is practically a Las Vegas native (34 years and counting) and loves experiencing everything in Southern Nevada from the Las Vegas Strip to the surrounding mountains and Lake Mead. She also teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and loves sharing her knowledge. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
