STATELINE, Nev. – The Business Council of Douglas County honored businesses and people that have made a positive mark on Douglas County with the Business Spotlight Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Awards at its 34th annual Critical Issues Conference.
The event drew business owners, elected officials and community advocates to the Tahoe Blue Event Center Monday morning and featured presentations and panels aligned with this year’s theme: “Strong Foundations, Shared Futures.”
Topics included solutions to a youth mental health crisis, an overview of the macroeconomic drivers influencing Nevada, insights from executives on the biggest issues facing businesses, data centers in northern Nevada and the school funding plight as districts face enrollment declines across the board.
Here are the award winners:
Business spotlight awards
Giving Back
Douglas Disposal & Recycling Services was honored in the giving back category, which honors a business who has public service ingrained into their operating model and culture.
Since it was founded in 1978, Douglas Disposal has grown with its community, always willing to lend a hand, its owners said in a video the council showed, also calling the award “a pretty big deal for us.” The company provides waste management for residential and commercial purposes in Douglas County and its surrounding areas.
One of the owners in the video said their grandpa always told them, “support the community that supports you.”
Partnership
ECO-CLEAN Solutions, a technology-based beach cleaning company, was honored in the category of community partnerships due to their collaboration with the public sector to work toward common goals.
ECO-CLEAN now has three solar-powered beach cleaning robots in Lake Tahoe and has deployed them on two million square feet of beach, clearing 250,000 pieces of trash, according to Co-founder and CEO JB Harris. Most of the trash the robots collect are small and below the surface of the sand, an environmental hazard people can’t really see, Harris said in a video played at the conference.
Harris said in the video that he was glad “all the work we put in gets noticed.”
Preservation/Culture and History
The Genoa Bar, the oldest continuously operating bar in Nevada, was honored with the Preservation/Culture and History award this year for the owners’ stewardship of the storied establishment. Cindy and Willy Webb, the bar’s current owners, said they feel more like custodians of the bar than owners, given its history.
Willy said that even moving a picture frame to a new spot is a big deal for them.
A plethora of celebrities have connections to the bar, Willy said, adding to its lore. A few notables include actor John Wayne having a key to the front door of the bar while filming a movie in Carson City, actor Clint Eastwood filming part of Honkytonk Man there, musicians Willie Nelson and Toby Keith visiting and a new Rob Lowe movie that will come out next year featuring the bar as well.
Innovation or Expansion
Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe Hotel & Casino was honored in the innovation or expansion category for their recent renovations
General Manager Jason Sides said the Golden Nugget’s recent transformation has been guided by feedback from patrons and the community, creating elevated dining experiences at its new steakhouse and maintaining the things that people love like its oyster bar. The hotel’s new Heavenly Tower features some of its most luxurious suites to date, Sides added.
“We’re so happy to partner with Douglas County and to be a resort that Douglas County and the local community can be proud of,” Sides said.
Leaders and Legends — 2026 Business Council Lifetime Achievement Awards
Dave Brady
School board trustee, county commissioner and sheriff reserve deputy
Brady moved to Nevada after receiving degrees in public affairs and public administration from USC and serving as a police officer in Redondo Beach. Here, he started out as an financial investigator for the Nevada Gaming Control Board and later served on the board of Greater Nevada Credit, leading him to a career in financial planning. He established Brady & Associates in 1998 and led the company for 25 years.
His son, who presented an overview of his career and public service, said his company was built on trust. “If you know my dad you know trust matters enormously to him,” he said.
Simultaneously, Brady volunteered as a reserve deputy for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years and served on the Douglas County School Board for nine years, one of which he was president. Former Gov. Kenny Guinn appointed him to the Douglas County Commission in 2005 where he worked on the county’s first strategic plan, and he also served as a Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Emeritus.
In 2026, when there was a vacancy on the school board, Brady returned to help the school navigate its modern challenges. After returning to the school board years later he simply said “It’s where I belong,” according to his son.
His son said: “My dad has always believed that if you have the ability to help, you have a responsibility to show up.”
Mary Lau
Policy advocate and longtime CEO of Retail Association of Nevada
Lau began her career investigating gaming fraud before transitioning into the Retail Association of Nevada. There, she had been at the helm for three decades, during which she transformed the organization from 50 members to over 2,000, RAN President Bryan Wachter said as he introduced her achievements. Lau united retailers from across industries, companies big and small, and allowed them to speak with one voice as the state’s retail industry advocate, he said.
Lau made sure that your local pet store and gas station got the same amount of attention as global giants like Walmart and Amazon so the association could truly represent all retail interests.
“No matter what we did, it needed to have the highest and best good for Nevada,” Wachter said Lau had told him.
Wachter spoke to his personal connection with Lau, saying she is the only boss he has ever had, and she became his mentor and friend. “I owe very much to that woman,” Wachter said, choking up during his speech.
Robin Titus
Nevada Senate minority leader, former assembly minority leader and rural healthcare professional
A Smith Valley native, Dr. Titus earned her medical degree from University of Nevada School of Medicine in 1981, where she later returned as a clinical professor to mentor future rural physicians. She was the only full-time medical provider for southern Lyon County during her 37-year career in family medicine.
In addition to her practice, Titus served as Lyon County Health Officer, Chief of Staff at South Lyon Medical Center and Smith Valley Fire Department Medical Director for 30 years.
She was elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 2014 where she served four terms. Titus became Assembly Republican Leader in 2021 before being elected to the Nevada Senate in 2022. In 2024, she became Senate Republican Leader and one of the few politicians in history to have served as the minority leader in both legislative chambers.
Renea Louie
Longtime CEO of Douglas County Business Council, captive insurance executive and serial community board member
Louie entered the captive insurance industry in 2005 and rose to become CEO of Sotera Global Management, where she oversees the formation and management of more than 100 insurance entities worldwide. She is recognized as the 17th most influential executive in captive insurance globally and one of only 10 professionals ever awarded Fellow status by the International Center for Captive Insurance Education.
Louie has led the Business Council of Douglas County for 26 years and organized 26 of the conferences, including Monday’s. She also writes its weekly newsletter. When accepting the award, she said she initially fought her nomination, but the board insisted on giving it to her.
Today, Louie serves on 45 boards for various local organizations. As Chair of the Community Services Foundation, she became Douglas County’s first Million Dollar Club inductee by raising over $1.8 million, including more than $700,000 for the Incredible Kids Fund.
Louie also spent years coaching youth sports, as a volunteer ski instructor and vice president for the boys and girls club. She has earned a citizen of the year award from three different organizations.
