Face to Face - November 2005

Face to Face

Name: Garlyn Norris

Title: President and Lead Engineer

Company: Fair, Anderson & Langerman Information Technology Services Group (FALIT)

Type of Business: Information technology services, advanced network systems support for small to medium-sized businesses

Location : Las Vegas

Years in Nevada: 10

Years with Company: 6

The nature of my industry demands that even the most experienced technicians continue their education because the innovations never stop, but it is sometimes difficult to recruit individuals with a drive to continue their education in the field.

Mixing my love of computers and technology with my enjoyment of people makes each day at FALIT a pleasure. I enjoy the variety that each new technical challenge brings, as well as the opportunity to show our customers the best service possible.

My family is very important to me and I spend most of my spare time with them. I also made a commitment to several networking and social organizations in the Las Vegas community that I enjoy.

I would like for FALIT to continue to grow and flourish as a dynamic and reputable information technology company after I have retired.

Favorite Business Book :  How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

Best Business Advice :  Approach every business opportunity like you would a relationship, with care and consideration.

Bluetooth technology has limitless possibilities, and its evolution is exciting to watch. It is a wireless signal that uses virtually no battery power and can work up to 30 feet from its host. It is effectively redefining the wireless industry.

Name: Jeffery Jerome

Title: President

 Company: Perlman Architects of Nevada

Type of Business: Architectural Services

Location: Henderson

Years in Nevada: 2

Years with Company: 2

Biggest Business Challenge:

Staying on top of the changing trends and business strategies of each client we service. Our company policy is based on the premise of understanding our clients’ needs, and our goal is to assist them in making their projects stand out as successful examples in their markets.

I never get bored. Each day, each new client, each project is a new challenge. There is also the realization that I can take a thought or idea, create a comprehensive set of documents to explain that idea in such a concise manner that it becomes a physical manifestation of my imagination.

My wife is my greatest asset and my children are my greatest joy, and so I spend every spare moment I can with them.

Favorite Business Book: Harvard Business Review on Change, by Harvard Business School Press

Best Business Advice : Never be too arrogant to learn. Create a team that is strong where you are weak; together you are invincible.

What would you like your legacy to be?

Honor, integrity and hard work are not just words but an expected way of life, and I would like my efforts to reflect these values. I would like my staff and colleagues to feel I gave them stability, security and opportunity, my clients to feel they have been given the best product at the best value, and my family to be able to point out my projects to their children and say, "My Dad created that."

We have several studios in-house; however, they fall under two divisions: commercial and residential. Our residential team creates 40 percent of our revenue. Our commercial side is quite varied; we do it all. Our strong experience in retail has taken us into international markets as we continue to expand and grow.

Name: Patty Wade-Snyder

Title: President/Owner Company: Wade Development Company, Inc.

Type of Business: Real Estate Development: large-scale, master-planned communities

 Location : Reno

Years in Nevada: 13

Years with Company: 18

Biggest Business Challenge:

Finding the time to accomplish the numerous things to which I have committed myself, including dozens of development projects, managing a development team, political fundraising and participation on 10 different community boards. Balancing all this with my family life as both wife and mother, not to mention a strenuous exercise regimen, is a real challenge.

Interaction with the great people with whom I have the privilege of working, both within my organization and throughout the community, creating quality jobs and helping to successfully diversify the local and statewide economy. I love witnessing the magic of new home ownership within our residential communities.

I spend as much time with my daughters and my husband as possible. I also love to read, write, travel, visit with dear friends and contemplate new entrepreneurial ventures. I enjoy visiting with and mentoring budding entrepreneurs as well.

Favorite Business Book :  Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story, by Antonia Felix

Your top priority should always be taking care of all of the people involved with your organization, including your customers, as well as your employees, providing the best service and products possible.

I would like to rest assured that I and my company have truly had a impact on Nevada through creating highly desirable living environments, quality jobs and giving back to the community.

We’re working on a master-planned community, Sonterra, in Fernley, which is a 5,000-acre mixed-use residential/commercial development located on I-80, just east of Reno. Our other large Nevada project is the 3,000-acre Legato at Dayton Valley, which includes two golf courses, 4,200 single-family units and 250 acres of industrial/business uses.