A longtime North Las Vegas resident, Goynes-Brown lived and worked there as an educator for decades before pursuing politics. As mayor, she hopes to give back to the community she grew up in, acting as the catalyst for changes that will make North Las Vegas a prominent economic and entertainment hotspot.
An edited excerpt follows. What was it like growing up in North Las Vegas? My family actually came here in It was right off of Carrie and Martin Luther King area where my parents still live today. It was just a very hometown feel, especially in the neighborhood I grew up in, which was predominantly African American then.
I grew up on a street with a lot of educators and people that worked in the casino industry. We were just a very tight knit community. It's still that little quiet town, away from the hustle and bustle of the entertainment, like a bedroom city. But we're evolving from that. It's still a close proximity to anywhere, especially from The Strip or downtown area. If you want that little quiet atmosphere without tons of casinos and high volumes of traffic, North Las Vegas is a perfect place to be.
Did former Mayor Lee leave you any advice? He's told me to just stay true to myself , to put my constituents first, and make the best decisions … for the city. Then when you look back in that mirror … make sure that you did the right thing and that you're proud of what you did. What is your vision for North Las Vegas? The vision for North Las Vegas is to continue with the economic growth.
That would be in our manufacturing and industrial blueprint. We also want to increase the medical blueprint because those facilities are lacking. The development of the new acre Helios medical campus near the VA Medical Center will bring in more jobs. As for downtown, we are doing a total revitalization. What are those plans for downtown North Las Vegas? People have asked me if the city even has a downtown area.
