We are profoundly grateful to the late Nikki Jones for her extraordinary generosity in bequeathing $50,000 to the NEWH Scholarship Fund. This remarkable gift is a testament to her belief in the power of NEWH and education and her enduring commitment to fostering the next generation of hospitality leaders. Her legacy will live on in the dreams she helped make possible. We will be giving a $10,000.00 design scholarship in Nikki’s name at our NEWH Leadership Conference or at a venue of equal exposure at HD Expo or BD|ny.
Please help us extend the reach of Nikki’s generosity with your donation.
Click here to donate to the Nikki Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund
Nikki was a founding member of the NEWH/Las Vegas Chapter and served in various positions on the board and as President in 1992. She served on the NEWH, Inc. Board of Directors from 1993 to 2005 and was President from 1998 to 2001. She developed the NEWH Corporate Partner program which solidified the organizations financial stability. Nikki was named NEWH Woman of the Year in 1995. Nikki was award the Pinnacle Award in 2019, the highest award given to an NEWH member.
Nikki grew up in Simi Valley, California. Her first professional career was in banking, but she soon discovered a special talent for fashion and interior design. She joined the Los Angeles-based company KS Wilshire, where she learned the intricacies of design and purchasing. Nikki was introduced to Kenny Wynn and his brother Steve, who offered her the opportunity to relocate to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and help them develop their in-house design and purchasing department, “Atlandia Design.” This department served the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino properties in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
After the sale of the Golden Nugget Atlantic City, Nikki and Atlandia Design moved to Las Vegas, where they played a pivotal role in developing a property that would forever change the face of Las Vegas: The Mirage. This was a career-defining moment for Nikki, Kenny, and Steve, as they worked alongside the design genius of Roger Thomas, Jane Ellen Radoff, Karina Ashworth, and many others, including renowned architects Joel Bergman and Paul Steelman. Nikki’s dedication and mentorship inspired countless professionals in the procurement office, many of whom have gone on to achieve successful careers in hospitality purchasing and businesses of their own, carrying forward the valuable lessons they learned from her.
The Atlandia team, founded by Nikki and Kenny Wynn, was groundbreaking in every sense. They achieved the impossible and the extraordinary on a scale never seen before. Nikki was unparalleled in her field, and at one point, she became the highest-ranking female employee among the 30,000-plus people employed by the company. Atlandia was the heart and soul of Las Vegas’s growth and development, contributing to iconic properties like the Bellagio, Treasure Island, Beau Rivage in Mississippi, and the Golden Nugget Las Vegas.
Nikki was a lover of life and enjoyed spending time with her friends. There was no better dinner partner than Nikki Jones. She adored her cat, Coco, who communicated with her in many ways. One of Nikki’s great passions was cruising; she traveled to many corners of the world in the only way she knew—with style and class. She cherished every moment of it.
Nikki meant so much to so many and will be deeply missed. She is loved, and her legacy lives on through the many professionals she mentored, cared for, and inspired throughout her remarkable career.