New planner ready for the job

Former Air Force captain Steve Brown joins commission

Steve Brown begins serving on the North Las Vegas Planning Commission on July 1, but tackling opportunities isn't anything new for the retired Air Force captain.

The U.S. Air Force's Officer's Training School brought Brown out of his shy shell and on to the road to accept the changes that come his way. The appointment of Brown to the Planning Commission by council member Shari Buck came as a surprise to him, but he said he's not approaching the position any differently than other jobs he's had.

"I used to be timid and shy. I was always afraid of messing something up," Brown said. "Tackling something new was not my forte until I was 23 or 24 years old, when I decided tackling something new wasn't a bad idea. You jump in, you start doing. You learn as you go."

Brown moved to North Las Vegas from Utah in 1991 and retired from the military as an electrical engineer in 1997. He received a flier included with his water bill advertising the need for volunteers to serve on community boards. He saw it as the sign he needed to give back to the city.

"I am confident that I can do it, and I can learn it," Brown said. "Just like I did with jobs in the Air Force, hit the ground running."

Before moving to the new Aliante development, Brown served as the president of his homeowners association. It was there he became interested in association and property management. His real estate broker suggested he also become an agent, and last October, Brown began a new career, again.

"I think it's intriguing. I enjoy it," he said. "My thought has always been I want to serve my community the best way I can. Something that works for everyone and bring in my thoughts, my feelings and my engineering talents."

Before he takes the seat behind his name plaque at City Hall, Brown will undergo two days of training with city planning staff.

"I first need to learn all the pieces and understand exactly what the options are," Brown said. "Once you know the options, you can put things together."

In 1997, Brown wrote on a city volunteer interest card that he was interested in serving on the Planning Commission. Now, he said he's happy to be doing what he believes is one of the most important jobs at City Hall.

"I thought of all the volunteer positions, I thought that has got to be the one that has the greatest influence. You actually feel like you're doing something that's really beneficial," Brown said. He's ready for late nights and plenty of research if the agenda calls for it. "That's why those guys hang around until midnight (at meetings). That's important stuff they do, and I'll be a part of that."

Brown will take the place of Anita Wood, who has served on the Planning Commission for four years. Buck, who also appointed Brown to the position, asked Wood to take a spot on the Citizens' Advisory Board Committee.

Although her duties will be different, Wood's visibility at Planning Commission meetings won't disappear. As a resident, she'll now be able to attend them when an item strikes her passionate streak instead of maintaining composure and being an unbiased commissioner, she said.

"I'm just going to a different board so some other resident will get the chance to serve," Wood said. "When I was a resident, I was out in the audience all the time, and that won't change. It's kind of hard to let go of it after doing it as a commissioner and a resident. It's hard not to get involved."

Brown and his wife, Susanne, have two daughters, ages 8 and 14. He also has one grown son from a previous marriage and two grandchildren.


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