Nevada Gaming Commission member Rosa Solis-Rainey gave an emotional farewell after her term on the regulatory body came to an end. Solis-Rainey, who has served on the five-member Commission since April 2019, is being replaced by Las Vegas attorney Richard Schonfeld.
Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, Solis-Rainey thanked the agents of the Nevada Gaming Control Board for their professionalism and efforts to retain the state’s mantra as the gold standard of regulation. “This is much more than a job for you, and it shows,” Solis-Rainey said as she choked up.
A lawyer and former gaming-industry employee, Solis-Rainey said joining the Commission seven years ago was a desire to give back to the community and work with a mentor in fellow Commission member Philip Pro, with whom she started her legal career as his law clerk.
“What I didn’t know when I reached out to Gov. (Steve Sisolak) was that Judge Pro had already notified the governor that he didn’t wish to be re-appointed,” Solis-Rainey said. “Be careful what you wish for.”
Solis-Rainey said she was appointed by Sisolak, a Democrat, even though she wasn’t a member of his political party and had never met him before he interviewed her.
“He had nothing to gain from taking a chance on me and I’m grateful for his faith in me,” Solis-Rainey said. “Although I’m ready to move on after seven years, it has been an honor to serve our state in this role, to have been a part of the first female majority on the Commission, and to work with the first female chair who I greatly respect. I will wish her and the rest of my colleagues on the Commission and Board.”
Commission Chair Jennifer Togliatti said they’re going to miss Solis-Rainey. She said Solis-Rainey brought to the Commission her sound judgment, professionalism, and deep understanding of Nevada’s gaming industry and regulatory framework. She was the director of regulatory compliance and internal audit for Boyd Gaming from 1990 to 2001.
“We could also lean on Commissioner Solis-Rainey for in-depth knowledge of complex audit functions,” Togliatti said. “Her diverse background made her exceptionally well suited for important policy decisions that the Commission faces – licensing approvals and disciplinary matters. She brought over a decade of gaming-industry experience, along with substantial legal experience, judicial clerkships, and law-firm leadership. Her strong academic foundation with degrees in accounting, finance, business administration, and law, all rooted in Nevada institutions, further enhanced her effectiveness as a commissioner.”
Those who appeared before the Commission will agree that she often asked insightful, tough, and fair questions, Togliatti said.
“Commissioner Solis-Rainey has served this Commission with integrity, care, and a genuine commitment to public service,” Togliatti said. “Her record reflects community involvement, pro bono service, and an unwavering devotion to family. Those qualities have been evident throughout her time on this Commission.”
