Professional Biography:

Having dedicated nearly three decades of public service to the City of Henderson, Stephanie Garcia-Vause is a seasoned leader with a proven track record of successful community development and strategic planning.

Stephanie Garcia-Vause was named City Manager for the City of Henderson in December 2024 and officially took on her responsibilities as City Manager/CEO on January 22, 2025. She served as an Assistant City Manager from March 2018 through January 2025. Over the last several years, she has involved herself in several major achievements that have enhanced our community including the redevelopment of Water Street District, receiving the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, and attracting the Las Vegas Raiders and Haas Automation to West Henderson. Stephanie has overseen development-related departments, Communications, and the Department of Performance and Innovation. She also established the Office of Education as a result of community feedback and the 2019 Strategic Planning session with Mayor and Council. Most recently, her focus has shifted to public safety departments and Finance. Prior to that, she spent nearly a decade as Director of the City’s Community Development and Services Department—ensuring high-quality development and service standards and progressive long-term City planning.

Her long-tenured leadership is expansive, and her experience and accolades are many. Stephanie’s efforts range from securing significant public lands funding for parks and trails, securing a $3.5 million sustainable communities grant for Southern Nevada, legislative involvement, and planning expertise such as developing the College Area Plan to set the stage for development of Nevada State University. She played a crucial role in West Henderson’s expansion, from working with property owners to annex into the City, developing the first land use plan for West Henderson, and lobbying Congress for the LTA (Limited Transition Area) legislation, which set the foundation for attracting companies like Haas Automation to support economic diversification in the City. Her leadership was vital in the City attaining the 2024 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which is the highest honor given by the President of the United States for performance excellence. Henderson is only one of five cities (and the largest) to have ever earned this accolade.

Stephanie was recently appointed to serve the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) Board of Directors, her expertise in strategic planning and fostering collaborative partnerships makes her a perfect fit for this role where she will represent Henderson and our economic priorities well. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a past Chair of the Southern Section of the Nevada American Planning Association (APA), a past Chair of the Nevada Urban Land Institute (ULI) District Council, and Chair of the Nevada ULI District Council Governance Committee. She was recently re-appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to the Bureau of Land Management’s Mojave-Southern Great Basin Recreation Advisory Committee, having served two terms since 2015 as Vice Chair and Chair. She is currently a member of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School Advisory Council and PTO, as well as a member of the Henderson Libraries Foundation. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and HopeLink.

When not working or volunteering, Stephanie loves to bake, read a good mystery novel, watch college football (rooting for the Cal Bears even though they usually lose) and spend time with her husband and two daughters—especially at their favorite vacation spot in La Jolla.