LOGIN 

Elizabeth "Betsy" Fretwell

Las Vegas Grand Prix

 

Member profile details

Membership level
Active
Picture
First name
Elizabeth "Betsy"
Last name
Fretwell
Employer
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Bio
Betsy has over 30 years of experience working in leadership roles in both the public and private sectors in Southern Nevada. Her wide-ranging experiences as a public-sector CEO/City Manager and as a private sector executive notably position her to provide valuable leadership in a variety of settings. She has a unique understanding of the intersection of government and private sector activities. She is widely recognized as a business, community and civic leader and has served in a variety of leadership roles on non-profit boards in Southern Nevada and served on State appointed committees. Fretwell is a published author in several professional journals and is a sought-after speaker, moderator, and panel participant.

Most recently, Betsy established C4WARD STRATEGIES LTD, an independent consulting firm, specializing in management, government, and technology consulting, executive development, business development, program management and strategic advisory services.

She worked for Switch (an IT infrastructure ecosystem and data center company) for over 5 years. Betsy served as Executive Vice President of Strategy leading efforts in government affairs, public sector business development, mergers and acquisitions, strategic initiatives, and emerging technologies. She joined the Switch executive team when the company made its IPO in 2017 with a value of approximately $3.5B serving the company in progressively responsible roles until Switch was taken back private in late 2022 at a valuation of $11B.

Prior to working for Switch, Betsy retired from the City of Las Vegas, the nation’s 25th largest city, after 17 years and served as the second-longest serving City Manager in the city’s history, from 2009 to 2017. As a nationally recognized leader, she oversaw a complex organization of more than 3,300 employees with a $1.3B annual budget. Fretwell led the city through the Great Recession eliminating the operating shortfall of $115M and $400M structural deficit while maintaining the City’s AA bond rating. She also served as the Executive Director of the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency charged with the economic revitalization of downtown Las Vegas. Under Fretwell’s leadership, the city built a new City Hall, attracted the corporate headquarters of Zappos.com, Inc. to downtown, completed The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, completed the MOB museum, and attracted the new UNLV Medical School to the City’s Medical District.

As a change leader, Betsy developed the Innovation District in downtown Las Vegas to test game-changing technologies in a live environment, hosting the first real-time autonomous shuttle in the U.S. The city also achieved a 4-Star community sustainability ranking by converting all city facilities to 100% renewable energy sources, improved the city’s equality index score to 100, and open data ranking to 1st among the nation’s cities during her time as City Manager.
 

All About Me

Not for Profit Boards (Current)
Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (Immediate Past-Chair)
Vegas Chamber of Commerce (Chair 2024, Executive Committee)
Las Vegas Events
Smith Center for the Performing Arts
MountainView Hospital
NV Grant Lab
Not for Profit Boards (Past)
Henderson Development Authority
Nevada Institue of Autonomous Systems (NIAS)
Elected Positions/Government Appointed Boards & Commissions (Past)
NSHE Funding Review Committee, 2023-24
City Manager, City of Las Vegas, 2009-2017
Stadium Infrastructure, Technical Committee, 2015-16
NV Public Employees Retirement System, 2007-2009
NV Medical Education and Training Committee, 2006

Questions? Contact us at nviwf.gm@gmail.com

702-857-8754  P.O. Box 231412  Las Vegas, NV 89105


Nevada IWF is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization. 

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software