Women Inspiring Nevada 2026: Trailblazing with care and compassion

Women Inspiring Nevada 2026: Trailblazing with care and compassion Southern Nevada is shaped by radical thinkers who spot what is imaginable and bring it to life. The 2026 Women Inspiring Nevada honorees exemplify that spirit. Working across wellness care, education, business, nationalist service, the nonprofit assemblage and the arts, these women lead organizations, advance their fields, create opportunities and strengthen the communities around them. Their influence extends beyond personal achievements or job titles. It is evident in the institutions they direct, the people they employ and mentor, the ideas they champion and the lasting contributions they make to Southern Nevada. Their stories illustrate the many ways action can take shape and the impact it can have when it is deeply rooted in the community it serves. Meet this year’s Women Inspiring Nevada honorees! **Amy Naples – Chief Marketing Officer, AREA15** The power of a memorable experience can last a lifetime, and that realization guided Amy Naples toward a career in marketing. Her work has centered on how entertainment is presented, experienced and remembered by audiences. Naples’ professional background includes ticketing and entertainment marketing, with stints at the Phoenix Suns and the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics. In Las Vegas she managed multimillion‑dollar advertising budgets and campaigns for Caesars Entertainment’s residencies, production shows and Strip attractions before leading the marketing division at Kirvin Doak Communications. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-amy-naples-chief-marketing/) **Annette Logan‑Parker – Founder and Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation** When Nevada families were being sent out of state for pediatric cancer and rare‑illness treatment, Annette Logan‑Parker sought to bring that care closer to home. Drawing on her experience as both a caregiver and a parent navigating a complex medical situation within her own family, she established Cure 4 The Kids Foundation in 2007. What began as notes scribbled on napkins at a kitchen table has grown into Nevada’s only dedicated outpatient pediatric cancer and rare‑illness treatment center. Logan‑Parker built a sustainable nonprofit model, secured funding and partnerships, recruited pediatric specialists and expanded the organization to serve more than 8,300 patients each year. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-annette-logan-parker-founde/) **Ashley Miller – Vice President of Marketing and Communications, The Mob Museum** Few cities possess a history quite like Las Vegas, and Ashley Miller has helped connect audiences with some of its most colorful chapters. She oversees marketing, communications and revenue for the Mob Museum, which examines the history of organized crime and law‑enforcement efforts. Under Miller’s direction, the museum has discovered new ways to reach audiences beyond its Downtown location. She has spearheaded the launch of The Underground Speakeasy and Distillery, three seasons of the *Inside the Life* podcast and the museum’s first retail outlet at Harry Reid International Airport. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-ashley-miller-vice-presiden/) **Kam Green – Vice President of Mission Advancement, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation** Kam Green’s upbringing in education taught her the importance of ensuring individuals feel seen, challenged and capable of growth. She carried those values into a career spanning workforce development, nonprofit work and community engagement. Green held senior positions at Goodwill of Southern Nevada, where she supervised workforce, education and community programs. She also founded Junior Docs and Get Up & Thrive, initiatives focused on social‑emotional learning and personal and professional development. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-kam-green/) **Linda Perez – CEO, The Shade Tree** For Linda Perez, supporting survivors of domestic violence is personal. A survivor herself, Perez has built a career that blends corporate work and nonprofit leadership, centered on helping women and families find safety and stability. Perez began her professional journey in sales and human resources before moving into nonprofit leadership, where she served as program manager of St. Jude House in Indiana. At The Shade Tree she directs fundraising, finances and operations while strengthening case management and expanding services for women, children and pets in crisis, even after they leave the shelter. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-linda-perez-ceo-the-shade-t/) **Maria Jose Gatti – Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Engagement, MGM Resorts International** Throughout Maria Jose Gatti’s career, her work has consistently centered on people. Early roles in accounting, human resources and program absorption gave her experience building teams and investing in employees—a focus she later carried into hospitality and philanthropy. As vice president of philanthropy at MGM Resorts International and president of the MGM Resorts Foundation, Gatti oversees corporate giving, employee‑funded grants and company‑wide volunteer programs. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-maria-jose-gatti/) **Mary Brabant – Director of Disability & Volunteer Programming, Goodwill of Southern Nevada** Mary Brabant has devoted much of her career to creating employment pathways for people with disabilities. Her work at Goodwill of Southern Nevada concentrates on providing individuals with the experience, skills and support needed to succeed in the workforce. In 1997 a teacher approached Brabant about creating workplace opportunities for two students. Brabant helped launch Goodwill’s Student Work Experience Program, which now serves roughly 600 students with disabilities each year across Clark and Nye counties. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-mary-brabant/) **Melanie Jupp – Vice President of Education and Outreach, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts** Music has been part of Melanie Jupp’s family for generations. Her great‑grandfather was a luthier in Costa Rica, crafting classical guitars that her grandmother later played. Jupp discovered her own place in the family’s musical tradition through the viola. Since then she has built a career around expanding access to arts education and live performance. As vice president of education and outreach at the Smith Center, Jupp provides support and strategic oversight for its education programs. She directly leads the Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards and oversees initiatives to make performances more accessible. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-melanie-jupp/) **Melissa Saragosa‑Stratton – Of Counsel, Kaempfer Crowell** Melissa Saragosa‑Stratton first glimpsed the legal profession through her father’s private investigative business. As a child she cleaned his offices and occasionally accompanied him to the courthouse. She was fascinated by attorneys and judges, as well as the stories behind the cases they handled. By age 10 she had set her sights on law school. Saragosa‑Stratton began her legal career in the U.S. Air Force, eventually serving as lead counsel for court‑martial cases across 18 Western bases. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-melissa-saragosa-stratton/) **Vjollca Tarjan – Market President, Enterprise Bank & Trust** Vjollca Tarjan has built her life around three core principles: strong relationships, integrity and service. In banking she found a profession that unites those principles with her interests in business, work and community engagement. Tarjan’s career has taken her from commercial banking at U.S. Bank to middle‑market commercial banking at Wells Fargo, where she developed new business lines and mentored junior bankers. [Read More](https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/business/2026/sep/24/women-inspiring-nevada-vjollca-tarjan-market-presi/)