Photo of Maggie Arias-Petrel by Joseph Donato (Cashman Photo)

Maggie Arias-Petrel

Dreams Big and Then Makes it Happen

BY CHANELLE HAYES

As a child, Maggie Arias-Petrel had big dreams of becoming a doctor one day. After completing her first semester of medical school, her plans changed. She still wanted to be in the medical field, but more on the administrative side than the clinical side. She switched gears and graduated from the Central University of Ecuador in Quito with a master’s degree in business administration and management. She moved to the United States shortly after to begin her professional career.

“When I came to Las Vegas in the early 90s, I saw a need for more qualified bilingual-bicultural medical professionals,” Arias-Petrel said. Her first job was as a medical administrator for the Women’s Health Center of Southern Nevada. After that, she took numerous positions in medical practice management, operations, marketing, business development, and consulting.

As an advocate for healthcare for the Hispanic market with a strong business mindset, Arias-Petrel launched Global Professional Consulting, Inc. in 2003, which led her to create strategic partnerships with Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals and the Nevada System of Higher Education in efforts to create a pipeline of bilingual-bicultural workforce to serve the minorities and the underserved.

Giving back to the community was just as equally important as her professional career. She served as chairwoman of the board for the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Nevada, Inc. For over a decade, she has been helping several Chamber events, such as La Oportunidad Expo, a premier business event for the Latin community in Southern Nevada. “The Latin Chamber of Commerce was one of the first organizations I joined when I moved to Las Vegas,” she said. “When I started Global Professional Consulting, Inc., I had tremendous support from Otto Merida, one of the Chamber’s founding members.”

Arias-Petrel is also involved with Señoras of Excellence and Señores of Distinction, a nonprofit organization founded by the late Sandy Colon-Peltyn that supports the educational growth of young Latinos in the Las Vegas community. “Sandy was like a sister to me,” she said. “She taught me about giving back to the community and philanthropy and the idea of contributing to the betterment of our community because education matters.”

Arias-Petrel continues the work to keep the nonprofit organization and Peltyn’s legacy alive. “The organization continues to do many fundraising events, such as the Señoras of Excellence Señores of Distinction Awards Gala, which helps benefit the Latin Chamber of Commerce scholarship fund.”

Arias-Petrel is also involved in other organizations. After serving as chairwoman, she currently sits on the board of directors for Dignity Health – St. Rose Dominican Hospital, along with other community and business leaders in the healthcare industry.

Governor Lombardo appointed her as the commissioner for the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, and she is the Regional Vice President of Operations for Cano Health, a value-based primary care provider dedicated to improving the health, wellness, and quality of life in underserved communities.

For her contributions to the Las Vegas community, Arias-Petrel has received the Community Service Award and Legacy of Excellence from the Latin Chamber of Commerce, the Señoras of Excellence Award, the Excellence in Advocacy Award from The Colors of Lupus Foundation, and the Women in Business Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

Arias-Petrel has achieved so much in her career, but perhaps her most significant achievement is her two children. “My son Pierre is becoming a practitioner himself,” she said. “He will be graduating from Touro University as a Medical Provider. My other son, Paul, is an executive in the automobile industry and very involved with the community. I enjoy spending time with my kids.”

Over the next few years, Arias-Petrel plans to spend a little bit more time traveling with her family and, of course, continuing her work in serving the Las Vegas community. “I love to be the voice of the community and help in any way, shape, or form I can to offer something better for future generations,” she said.

“I’m happy to see more movements about empowering women. We’ve seen that women are sometimes not recognized or given the opportunity. I have experienced that on many fronts. Any achievements I have conquered in my career and personal life have been geared to highlight and empower women. We’re nowhere near where we need to be, but we should work together as a sisterhood to change the narrative. I want to see more women as elected officials, I want to see women in decision-making, I want to see more women empowered to follow their dreams, and I want to see a woman president. We are the mothers, daughters, sisters, and professionals who are shaping the future generations. Hopefully, we’ll get there.”

When it comes to inspirations, Arias-Petrel says there are a few women that she looks up to and helped her to get to where she is today. “I come from a strong group of women in my family,” she said. “My grandmother was just amazing. I learned a lot from her. My mom, who has a doctorate in education, is still an educator to us in many ways. My sisters and I learned so much from her. We follow in her footsteps every day.”