Elaine Wynn
Elaine Wynn established herself as a savvy business leader, an indomitable crusader for children’s welfare and an influential philanthropist. Elaine co-founded Wynn Resorts in 2000 and helped guide the company’s expansion from the opening of Wynn Las Vegas in April 2005 and Wynn Macau in September 2006 to the unveiling of Encore in December 2008. Previously, Elaine co-founded and led Mirage Resorts from 1976 to 2000. Her pioneering contribution to the gaming and entertainment industry in America was recognized by her induction into the Gaming Hall of Fame in 1999. Just as her success in business was indicative of Elaine’s intellect, her humanitarianism was indicative of her heart. As a Trustee of the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, Elaine was personally and actively involved, with her family, in a variety of community organizations whose passions and priorities mirrored her own.
Elaine’s commitment to improving children’s lives through education resulted in numerous leadership roles at local, state and national levels. In 2011, she was appointed to co-chair Nevada’s Blue Ribbon Education Reform Task Force, which resulted in the enactment of ambitious new reform legislation. In 2013 and again in 2015, Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Elaine to the Nevada’s State Board of Education. She continued in the role at the request of incumbent Governor Steve Sisolak and remained the Board’s elected President until her departure in December 2020. Her devotion extended to higher education too. Elaine chaired for eight years the ºÚÁÏÍø Foundation, the private fundraising arm of University of Nevada, Las Vegas.She was also a past member of the Executive Board of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education.
Elaine was a tireless advocate of programs and services for children who live in poverty. For nearly two decades, she was actively engaged with Communities in Schools (CIS), the oldest and most successful stay-inschool organization in America. With a mission to surround students with a community of support, CIS served more than 1.62 million vulnerable children in more than 2,500 schools in 25 states and the District of Columbia, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Elaine was elected to the CIS national board in 1999 and chaired the board from 2007 until her passing earlier this year. She was also the founding chairman of CIS of Nevada and a board member of the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation. Inspired by a lifelong love affair with the arts, Elaine’s enthusiasm was demonstrated by her participation on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2018, an appointment made by President Barack Obama. In 2011, she joined the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the largest art museum in the western United States and, in 2015, was elected co-chair. In 2022, she joined the Board of Directors of the Triple Aught Foundation, which oversees and operates Michael Heizer's monumental sculpture, City in Garden Valley, Nevada. Most recently, she served as the Founding President of the Board of Trustees at the Las Vegas Museum of Art, bringing her leadership and vision to build a world class art museum in her hometown.
Elaine’s impact has garnered numerous awards and accolades including the Governor’s Philanthropist of the Year in 2005 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1986. She was awarded one of seven National Promise of America Founder’s Awards for improving children’s lives at a ceremony at the White House. In 2011, The National Child Labor Committee awarded Elaine with the Lewis Hine Award for Service to Children and Youth. She is especially proud of the dedication of the Elaine Wynn Elementary School in 1991.
The ripples of her philanthropy extend further through The Elaine Wynn Palliative Care Program at Nathan Adelson Hospice and The Elaine Wynn Studio for Arts Education at The Smith Center for Performing Arts, both in Las Vegas, and the Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing on the main campus of Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater, in New York City. Elaine was a passionate basketball fan, which led to her appointment to the Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Governors in 2010. Born and raised in New York City, Elaine graduated from George Washington University in 1964 with a BA in Political Science. She resided in Washington D.C. before moving to Las Vegas in 1967. Elaine’s remarkable legacy will be continued by her daughters, Kevyn and Gillian, and her seven grandchildren.