After living in Westlake for more than a year, Michael Yackira has been sworn in as the newest Town Council member. While this is his first time working in the municipal world, his years of working for public utilities makes him the perfect fit.

Yackira built his analytical skills as a CPA in the oil and gas industry in New York and Houston. He then moved to Connecticut and then Florida to work in Telecommunications. From there, his experience in Florida’s electric industry led to him eventually becoming the CEO of NV Energy in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Growing up in New York, Yackira’s roots were surrounded by the arts and culture of concerts at Carnegie Hall from watching Yankee games from his apartment of 25 years. His dedication to the arts led him to be asked to serve on the board of performing arts centers in Las Vegas and now here at Bass Hall. He also serves as a board member of his Alma Mater, Lehman College in New York, and served as the chairman of the UNLV Foundation and on the board of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas.

After a decade of retirement, Yackira saw moving to Westlake to be closer to family as an opportunity to never stop learning. “My goal is to give back and learn what it’s like to be a Town Council Member,” he said. While his municipal journey has just started, he views his previous board and business experiences as a guide to bringing a community like ours together.

What Yackira looks forward to most is receiving residential, corporate, and commercial input from Westlake’s neighborhoods and businesses both large and small. Already being active in the Town’s local events, he plans to ensure that its growth is “attainable, reasonable, and can be met.” In addition, he hopes to support the parents of Westlake Academy by working to provide more opportunities for students to have a passion-driven education. “I thought this Town was one that I could get my arms around and hopefully help,” he said.