[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H4389-H4390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LATE MANNY CORTEZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Schwarz of Michigan). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late 
Manny Cortez.
  I am profoundly heartbroken by the untimely loss of my dear friend 
who passed away last Sunday. I adored Manny Cortez and will be forever 
grateful for his help, his support, his love and his friendship. He was 
a wonderful human being and a true gentleman.
  Manny was more than just family man and a dedicated public servant. 
He was a visionary who helped shape southern Nevada as we know it today 
and who worked tirelessly to turn Las Vegas into the world's most 
famous travel destination.
  Manny earned worldwide respect as a leader for Nevada's tourism and 
hospitality industry. Under his leadership, the Las Vegas Convention 
and Visitors Authority became the gold standard against which all 
others in the business are judged. His lasting legacy will shape 
southern Nevada as it continues to grow in the 21st century.
  Whether as a public servant or as a private citizen, Manny was 
dedicated to making southern Nevada a better place to raise a family, 
run a business, or just to visit. Las Vegas would not be the city it is 
today without the hard work, vision and dedication of Manny Cortez.
  My deepest sympathies go out today to the Cortez family. I know I 
speak for countless others when I say our community has lost not only a 
remarkable man, but a true leader who left his unique mark on southern 
Nevada and its top industry.
  I am truly blessed to have been able to call Manny Cortez my friend.
  More than any of his truly remarkable accomplishments that Manny 
could claim over the course of his political and professional career, I 
know that his family meant more to him than all the accolades or money 
in the world.
  Come this November, I know he will be smiling, knowing that the same 
call to serve and the same desire to give back to the community that 
motivated him to seek and serve on the Clark County Commission was at 
the very heart of his daughter's campaign, Catherine's campaign for 
Attorney General of Nevada.
  Manny Cortez was born on April 29, 1939, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, 
the oldest of two children of Edward Cortez, a baker, and the former 
Mary Tapia.
  The Cortez family moved to Las Vegas in 1944. As a youngster, Manny 
attended St. Joseph's grade school and graduated from Las Vegas High.
  Manny Cortez attended Nevada Southern University, which later became 
my alma mater, UNLV, and received an honorary degree from Community 
College of Southern Nevada.
  Elected in 1976 to the Clark County Commission, he served four 
remarkable terms. During his tenure, he served as chairman of that 
body, as well as chairman of the Clark County Sanitation District and 
the Clark County Liquor and Gaming License board.
  Manny was also on the governing boards of the University Medical 
Center, Las Vegas Valley Water District and on the Fiscal Affairs Board 
of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
  Prior to his election as a county commissioner, Manny served as 
administrator of the State of Nevada Taxicab Authority. His background 
included employment with the Clark County District Attorney's office 
and the Clark County public defender's office.
  Manny began his service on the Las Vegas convention and Visitors 
Authority board of directors in 1983 and would go on to lead that 
agency at a time of the most rapid growth for southern Nevada, the Las 
Vegas strip and for our tourism industry.
  By 1991, Manny had earned the title of president of the Las Vegas 
Convention and Visitors Authority, the largest convention and visitors 
organization in the United States. That year, southern Nevada welcomed 
more than 21 million visitors. By the time of his retirement, that 
number had grown to 37 million visitors annually.
  Travel Agent Magazine named Manny the United States Person of the 
Year for 1999, calling him ``one of the most astute marketers in the 
tourism industry.''
  During his tenure as president of the convention authority, the 
organization came to be regarded as the travel industry's leading 
destination marketing organization.
  Manny was a participant in the White House Conference on Travel and 
Tourism, and in 2003, the United States Department of Commerce 
appointed him to the then-newly created U.S. Travel and Tourism 
Promotion Advisory Board. His role on the board included representing 
Las Vegas and the United States travel and tourism industry.
  Manny, and perhaps this is the most important thing, he is survived 
by a wife, Joanna, who was his beloved helpmate and friend for 45 
years; daughter Cynthia Cortez Musgrove; and Catherine Cortez Masto; a 
sister, Patricia Snider; and two grandchildren, Andrew and Christina, 
all of Las Vegas.
  There will never be a another Manny Cortez, but every time I return 
home to Las Vegas, his legacy will be on display for the entire world 
to see and admire.
  On a very, very personal note, there is not anybody that was more 
important to the travel and tourism industry in Las Vegas Nevada than 
Manny Cortez. He was a dear friend and a mentor to many, many of us who 
are now serving in public office and have made a

[[Page H4390]]

contribution to Las Vegas. His untimely death was a surprise to all of 
us. We will mourn him, we miss him and we love him.

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