Larry Ruvo, LHD, has been in the wholesale liquor and wine business for over 40 years. He has directed Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada as Senior Managing Director since 1969. Under his guidance, Southern Wine & Spirits has become Nevada’s largest wholesale liquor, wine and beer importer and distributor.
Mr. Ruvo is well known in the Las Vegas community for his ongoing support of charitable organizations, many of which are associated with education and children. UNLVino, another of Mr. Ruvo’s endeavors and one of the biggest wine tasting events in Nevada, donates all its proceeds to scholarship funds for College of Hotel Administration students.
In 1994, after the loss of his father, Lou Ruvo, to Alzheimer’s disease, Larry Ruvo made it his mission to make a positive change and hopefully cure the devastating diseases of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, MSA, multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders. Mr. Ruvo worked toward establishing a cognitive disease center which resulted in his founding The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. The institute is unique in its bold mission: to establish the international gold standard in the treatment of patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s and in supporting their caregivers. The founding of Keep Memory Alive and now its partnership with the esteemed Cleveland Clinic will forever change medical history in Nevada and around the world. The hundred-plus million dollar building designed by the internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry is home to Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health has become the world’s epicenter for research of these horrific diseases and has hosted numerous international symposiums and seminars, prepared numerous white papers and is making great strides toward finding cures for these brain diseases.
Professional and Community Involvement:
Trustee, Cleveland Clinic Board
Founding member, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Nevada Chapter
Former member, World Presidents’ Organization
Founding member, Council for a Better Nevada
Founding member, Nevada Tourism Alliance
Advisory Committee to the Arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Trustee, UNLV Foundation Board
Member of the Bluecoats in Nevada (an organization established to help families of firemen and police officers killed in the line of duty)
Board Member, Nevada Ballet Dance Theatre
Board Member, American Gaming Association (AGA) NV Co-chair for the George W. Bush Presidential Center
Bailli of the Chaine des Rotisseurs , Las Vegas
Awards:
Lifetime Leadership Award from Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (April 2016)
Caesars Community Hero Award from Caesar’s Foundation (April 2016)
Inductee, NV Business Hall of Fame (February 2013)
Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans (April 2013)
Angel Awards Humanitarian of the Year, In Business magazine (2010) Woodrow Wilson Award (2009)
Distinguished Nevadan Award, Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents (2009)
Most Influential Businessmen of Southern Nevada (2004 & 2009)
Governor’s Philanthropist of the Year Award (2007)
On several occasions, honored by the United State Congress
Knighted into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Man of the Year, MDA
Man of the Year, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Man of the Year, Food & Beverage Director’s Association
Community Leadership Award, Points of Light Foundation President’s Medal, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Inductee, Gaming Hall of Fame (2005)
Education Hero Award, Public Education Foundation (2005)
Altruistic Award, the Meadows School
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Touro University Nevada (2017)