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Anna Schmid (’95)

Vice President of Communications & CSR
The Venetian Resort

 

Anna is, and always will be, a Texas Girl at heart.  Born and raised in the Houston area, she studied Hospitality at the Conrad Hilton College, while holding numerous positions with both Hilton and Westin hotels and the Houston Oilers and Houston Rockets organizations. Months after graduation in 1995, she was Vegas-bound where she began her integrated resort career at the iconic Caesars Palace.  Anna started as an entry-level Rooms Reservation Agent and took every opportunity to expand her knowledge of the city and the industry.  She held management roles in Concierge, Business Services, Pool, Spa/Salon, Quality Assurance, Guest Services, and even did a stint as graveyard Bell Captain. (Make sure to ask her about that year) Anna was part of the leadership team that developed and launched many new concepts on property, including the opening of the 1200 room Palace Tower.  She received her MBA, with a focus in Marketing, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2001.

After 9 years of truly “growing up in the industry” at Caesars Palace, Anna took an off-ramp out of Hospitality and into entrepreneurship by opening a couture wedding boutique and floral design business. This experience taught her that working for yourself is the hardest job you’ll ever have and where you will learn the most about leadership, finance, patience, innovation, resilience, and being a jack-of-all-trades.    

Life throws you curves, and in 2008, Anna was encouraged to return to the hospitality industry for a job in paradise….. Paradise Island, Bahamas.  A single mom at the time, Anna moved her and her 3-year-old daughter, Ava, to Florida where she commuted from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, Bahamas for several years as the Vice President of Casino Special Events for Atlantis Resort and the One and Only Ocean Club. Shortly into her tenure she was also tasked to build the Love Atlantis Wedding and Celebrations brand and collaborated with an extraordinary team to put the properties on the map as the most premium wedding destinations in the Caribbean. Anna also had the opportunity to live on the island with her family and lead the Special Events, Entertainment, and Guest Activities departments at the resort and helped to grow the Battle4Atlantis NCAA Basketball Tournament and the Atlantis Live Concert Series. 

In 2015, Anna and her family returned to Las Vegas for an opportunity with The Venetian Resort.  She continued her untraditional career path by leading a multitude of departments including Partnerships, Events, Public Relations, Sustainability, and Community and is currently the Vice President of Communications & CSR for the resort. As Las Vegas enters its next renaissance with launches of world class entertainment venues, sporting events, and highly anticipated citywide and property development projects, she is excited to continue a colorful career immersed in this ever-evolving destination. Anna is also very active in the community and is enthusiastic about youth mentorship and food rescue solutions and is part of a non-profit/private sector collaboration that is partnering to end hunger in Las Vegas.

Her most important role is wife to her husband, Paul, and mom to her two daughters, Ava, a freshman at Sonoma State, and Stella, an eighth grader and competitive dancer. She enjoys photography, travel, and loves to escape the heat of the desert summers in Montana every year. Anna lives by the quote “Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Cherish the unexpected, it’s where the magic lives.”  She loves to meet up with her fellow Cougs when they’re visiting, so be sure to reach out if your travels bring you to Las Vegas.