Mayer, Higgins named to Hall of Fame

Joseph Mayer, president of Mayer and Associates Realty, and Walter M. Higgins III, former chairman of the board for Sierra Pacific Resources (now NV Energy), will be inducted into the Business Leaders Hall of Fame Oct. 29.

The hall of fame gala, now in its 26th year, is a fundraiser for Junior Achievement of Northern Nevada.

Mayer has worked as a real estate broker for nearly 38 years and has served on the boards of Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority, Northern Nevada Medical Center and numerous business and real estate organizations.

He earned a bachelor's degree in management from the University of Nevada, Reno and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

Higgins is a longtime public utilities executive and retired U.S. Naval Reserve captain.

After five and a half years of active duty on a nuclear submarine, Higgins worked for Portland General Electric, Louisville Gas and Electric Co. and AGL Resources in Atlanta before he took the reins of the Nevada utility.

He has served on the boards of Sierra Nevada College, the Desert Research Institute Foundation and numerous business and community groups.

Higgins graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in nuclear science and completed graduate studies in business from Stanford University and George Washington University.

The Business Leaders Hall of Fame Gala is at The Peppermill. For ticket information, see www.renoja.org.