Greetings friends and supporters of Opera Las Vegas. Today we will meet and get to know Sharry and Tim Quillin, forty-year residents and owners of Las Vegas’ most dynamic and successful advertising and public relations agency, Quillin Advertising.
Greetings friends and supporters of Opera Las Vegas. Today we will meet and get to know Sharry and Tim Quillin, forty-year residents and owners of Las Vegas’ most dynamic and successful advertising and public relations agency, Quillin Advertising.
OLV: Welcome Tim and Sharry. We know you’ve been members of the community for decades - and we want to hear more about that – but first, tell us the name of your company and something about it.
TIM: Quillin Advertising – this agency - was originally formed in 1980. Sharry and I worked together to grow it to twenty full-time employees. We’re a full-service marketing, advertising, and public relations agency accomplished in digital, social media, and websites as well as the traditional AD and PR roles.
SHARRY: We started with the Chapman Automotive Group, then added Mesquite Gaming. Many years ago, we launched America First Credit Union into the Las Vegas valley, and we represent KLAS Television and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Foundation, not to mention the pro bono work we do for various charities in the community.
OLV: Sharry, you’ve been a successful, independent woman in business for many years. You are known by some as one of Las Vegas’ Fearless Females. What does that title imply, and how do you feel about it?
SHARRY: (Laughs) If that’s what folks say about me, all I can say is thank you. I’ve always loved leading. I love building relationships. I love having a company where I can work not only with our clients but also our excellent team here in the office.
If a Fearless Female means to welcome risk-taking, then I am one. I was always taught not to run from risk but to lean into it, and don’t be afraid to cheer the loudest when you succeed. As far back as I can remember, my parents were involved with this community, and they instilled in me that it’s every citizen’s duty to contribute when and how she can. To this day, I am proud of what they inspired me to do.
OLV: Tell us about your family, your children, and those you love and hold dear. Do you have a family?
TIM: We do!
SHARRY: We do!
TIM: We have a son, Tyler, now living in Seattle, who is an in-house counsel for Microsoft.
SHARRY: He’s given us four beautiful grandchildren – and a grand-dog and a grand-cat, and they are the joy of our lives.
OLV: We know you’re both involved in local charitable and arts organizations. Which do you hold dearest to your hearts, and why?
TIM: The one we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts is the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.
SHARRY: Without question the worthiest of causes. They provide financial, social, and psychological support to families of children with life-threatening diseases such as cancer, sickle cell, and HIV/AIDS. I can’t think of anything more important.
OLV: Please tell our hard-working readers what it takes to “succeed” in Las Vegas. What makes living and working here so special? What are some of the unique opportunities Las Vegas offers for those who seek to better their lives?
TIM: Special? My own story is a prime example. Many years ago, while volunteering for the local chapter of The American Cancer Society, I had a chance introduction to Clark County District Attorney Bob Miller, who had lost both his parents to cancer. Our friendship flowered, and soon he asked me to join his law firm as his speechwriter and community liaison. So for six years while he went from District Attorney to Lt. Governor to the Governor’s office, I represented Bob to the public. I attended luncheons, read proclamations, and announced good news. It was a dream job, and I met so many wonderful people. Try doing that in New York or Chicago.
OLV: Say something about the arts here in Las Vegas.
SHARRY: We love the arts!
TIM: Again, through my association with Bob Miller, I became acquainted with Angie Wallin, who at the time was the executive director of Nevada Arts Advocates, and soon after, I joined the board of directors. Our goal was to secure state funding for the various arts organizations around Nevada, so I worked with numerous and varied arts organizations.
SHARRY: As an advertising and public relations agency we also represent the Nevada School of the Arts, a private, nonprofit music school.
OLV: Are you bullish – optimistic - about the future of our city, and what can each of us do to help make our community thrive and grow into the future?
SHARRY: Being a true Las Vegas native and fiercely loyal to my city and state, I’ve seen our valley grow from a small town in the desert with slot machines to what you see today – a thriving, vibrant, vital community with an abundance of opportunity for everyone. “Home Means Nevada” truly is my foundation, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
TIM: If a person is willing to get involved and put an effort to making a difference in this community, she can do it in Las Vegas - perhaps more so than any other city. If a person is willing to share of herself, her time, and her energy, the opportunities are endless.
OLV: Thank you, Sharry and Tim Quillin, for your time today and your citizenship every day.
