Meet the Las Vegas Winners of the 2020 Mr. Sheldon G. and Dr. Miriam Adelson Citizenship Award

In July, we announced the global winners of the 2020 Mr. Sheldon G. and Dr. Miriam Adelson Citizenship Awards. Presented by Sands Cares, our global corporate giving program, the annual award honors Team Members across all our business regions who have demonstrated a dedication to giving back to local communities and important causes.

A total of nine Team Members were named 2020 award winners, all of whom share a common passion for community service, both through Sands Cares and in their private lives. Through the next several weeks, we will introduce each of our winners, region by region. Today, we begin with our Las Vegas-based award winners and “Sands Cares Heroes.”

Taisacan Hall
Resort Services Agent

Taisacan Hall recently celebrated her one-year anniversary as a Sands Team Member, already making the most of her time by being named an Adelson Citizenship Award winner. In 2019, she volunteered over 300 hours of her time to local organizations and causes addressing the problem of youth homelessness.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and having grown up in both Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Taisacan has two brothers and a sister. For two years, she experienced homelessness, and says having peers and other community members advocating for her and others in similar circumstances was a great factor in helping her overcome her own situation, and it inspires her to give back to her community: “Whenever I look back on my life and realize how resilient I was, it pushes me to keep moving forward,” she says. “Acknowledging your perseverance in the past is always inspiration for the present.”

Other Fast Facts:

What has gotten you through your biggest life challenges?
Music. It has helped the most to get me through everything.

What is one fact about you that people would find surprising?
I slept through a tornado when I was a baby.

What is the best life advice you’ve ever received?
I once read, “There’s always the option to spiral upward.” We often focus on the worst-case scenario, but what if things turn out great? What if we thrive? Uncertainty can be nerve-wracking, but it can also lead to better things. I think about that whenever I start to overthink things.

Joshua Robinson
SOX and Control Initiatives Director (Corporate Accounting)

Joshua Robinson has been with Sands for three years. Last year, he gave his time to a number of organizations, both those local and unique to Las Vegas, including the Mob Museum and Clark County School District Audit Committee; and those with a larger, national presence, such as the Ronald McDonald House.

Born and raised in Ohio, Joshua married his wife, Sarah, in October 2015. The two of them have two dogs, Brantley and Bernard. He counts his grandfather, Douglas Sparks, as the greatest inspiration in his life, saying of the World War II veteran, “He instilled in me a sense of decency, hard work and compassion that I live by every day.”

Other Fast Facts:

What is one thing about you that others may find surprising?
I love adrenaline and excitement – from skydiving to bungee jumping, I love it all!

Who are the people in your life who make you proud?
I am proud of everyone in my life who has faced adversity during the pandemic, and who continue to work hard, be humble and sacrifice for themselves and their families.

Who do you look up to?
I look up to anybody who gives back to others selflessly.

Brandee Wade
Vice President of Finance Operations

Brandee Wade began her career with Sands seven years ago, in December 2013. In 2019, she volunteered for many school-affiliated causes, including the Richard J. Rungle Elementary School coat drive and the Communities in Schools school supply drive. Other causes benefiting children are dear to her heart, as well, such as the Three Square Kid’s Café’ Kitchen and annual KLUC Toy Drive.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Brandee grew up and has lived most of her life in Las Vegas. Of her 10 siblings – four brothers and six sisters – all but two live in Las Vegas, as well. Brandee and her fiancé have a five-year-old son, Elliot. “Elliot has inspired me to become a better person,” she says. “The advice of ‘When you are able… help’ reminds me to lift others up in every setting. I want to role model this to my son.”

Other Fast Facts:

Who are your heroes?
My parents! Growing up, I knew I always had their support in all situations. They helped me shape my own core beliefs.

What is one interesting thing about you that may surprise others?
I originally was a Marine Biology major in college, and intended to study sharks at the University of Alaska at Seward.

What are you most proud of?
I was the first member of my family to graduate from college. This provided a pathway and inspiration for others in my family to attend and graduate, as well.