CARA CLARKE
Executive Director

Cara oversees the leadership programs, development, and daily operations of the Leadership Foundation.  She works with the Board of Directors to set the strategic direction of the organization, as well as program development and partnerships.

Cara also serves as the Vice President of Communications for the Las Vegas Chamber, overseeing strategic communications for Nevada’s largest business association, including media relations, public relations, and social media. She joined the Las Vegas Metro Chamber in July 2004 as Director of Public Relations.  Cara serves on the Las Vegas Host Committee, is a past board member of the Public Relations Society of America in Southern Nevada, and was a 2016-17 Fellow of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Education Attainment Division.

Prior to moving to Las Vegas, Cara worked for Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb.  She began her career with Mayor Webb as deputy director of the Denver Host Committee for the G-7/G-8 Summit that took place in June 1997.  She was Finance Director for Denver Celebration 2000, which coordinated Denver’s bid for the Democratic Convention. In 1999, Cara was appointed executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Art, Culture and Film.  During her tenure, more than 100 public art projects were commissioned and installed, including Denver’s famed Big Blue Bear, Jonathan Borofsky’s Dancers, and Ed Dwight’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. monument. Cara also oversaw the Denver Millennium Celebration, a year-long program of celebratory events which culminated in a New Year’s Eve fireworks show on 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver.

She attended Baylor University and earned a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

LISA GOUGH
Leadership Las Vegas Program Manager

Lisa Gough is the Program Manager for the Leadership Las Vegas program.  In her role, she oversees the day to day operations of the program.

Lisa moved to Las Vegas in November 2005 with her husband and three dogs.  She joined the Las Vegas Chamber in March 2006 as a Member Specialist and coordinated the Chamber’s trips to China, as well as assisted with the Leadership Las Vegas program. She was promoted to Leadership Las Vegas Administrative Assistant in late 2006, Coordinator in 2009, and Program Manager in 2015.  

Before moving to Las Vegas, Lisa worked for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and the Springdale Arkansas Chamber of Commerce.