Brian Sandoval
First Hispanic Nevada Governor, First Hispanic UNR President
Brian Sandoval currently serves as the 17th president of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). When he was appointed in 2020, he became the first Hispanic person to hold that position in the 146-year history of the university. It was the latest in a career filled with many firsts.
Born in Redding, California, Sandoval moved to Reno at an early age and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and economics from UNR in 1986. He went on to earn a law degree from Ohio State University in 1989 and entered private practice in Reno.
"There were no lawyers in our family,” Sandoval was quoted as saying. “When I was young, my mom was a legal secretary. I would sit at the courthouse and wait for her to get off work. As I grew older, I became very interested in government and law. I had a dream that I never gave up on. I hope other Hispanics and young people will see if they work hard and stay in school they can achieve it as well."
In 1994, Sandoval made his first run for public office and represented the Reno-based 25th District of the Nevada Assembly until 1998. He was then appointed to serve as a member of the Nevada Gaming Commission, which oversees the state's gaming industry. The following year, at age 35, he became the youngest person ever to serve as chairman of the gaming commission.
Sandoval re-entered the political arena in 2002, winning election as Nevada Attorney General, where he served until 2005. He led the state's legal fight against the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, developed Nevada's first Public Integrity Unit, and sponsored legislation strengthening Nevada's laws against domestic violence, drug abuse, and human trafficking.In 2005, Sandoval was appointed Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. The first Hispanic federal judge in Nevada, he served as a visiting judge on the Ninth Circuit Court, presiding over multiple civil and criminal jury trials. He served on the federal bench until resigning in 2009 to run for Governor.
Sandoval served as Nevada’s Governor from 2011 until 2019. During his two terms, he helped Nevada recover from an historic recession to a time of record-setting growth and prosperity. He transformed Nevada’s approach to economic development by creating the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, which has successfully brought in cutting-edge companies and technology innovators to Nevada, including Tesla Motors’ massive Gigafactory 1 battery factory.
In 2015, Sandoval signed several bills designed to overhaul Nevada's education system, increase funding for public schools, and create incentives to recruit more teachers and promote professional training. In 2016, he led the initiative to bring the Raiders to Las Vegas and later signed a bill providing $750 million in public funding for Allegiant Stadium.
After serving as Governor, Sandoval became the president of global gaming development for MGM Resorts International. He was also a senior fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy and a Distinguished Fellow of Law and Leadership at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law. He was appointed to the presidency of UNR in 2020.”