Las Vegas City Council unanimously ratified Ryan Smith as the city’s new Economic and Urban Development director. Smith, who has been with the city since 2018, was selected for the director position by City Manager Jorge Cervantes.
Smith was previously serving as the acting director of the Economic and Urban Development Department. Prior to joining the city, Smith served as the director of Business Planning and Analysis for the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development. During his time in that office he helped bring more than 100 companies and more than $5.5 billion in new capital investments to the state.
In his new role, Smith is responsible for business attraction, expansion and retention as well as redevelopment within the city. His department plays a key role in working to diversify the local economy, which is one of the City Council’s top three priorities. The council specifically identified this priority as part of the city’s strategic plan, so our economy is not as heavily reliant on tourism and gaming.
Smith has a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University. Smith and his wife Elyse are raising two young daughters.