Editor’s note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

The smile on Terrence Thornton’s face is hard to miss.

As CEO of Special Olympics Nevada, Thornton is many things — but on this morning, walking through the basketball gym at Legacy High School for the group’s March 14 regional, he looks every bit like a man who belongs on the court. He calls out to athletes, lifts them up with encouragement and lights up when someone scores.

It’s exactly the kind of morning that reminds him why the job matters.

Many residents think the Special Olympics is only a track meet. But your organization hosts so many more events. Let’s start by detailing the range of activities and events.

Special Olympics Nevada offers free programs all year to people with — and without — intellectual disabilities. Our programs and initiatives focus on opportunities to engage people with intellectual disabilities and their typical peers in activities together to foster respect, shared learning and acceptance. Our inclusive programs include sports, education, health and leadership development.

You became CEO in 2024. What’s your background and what attracted you to this organization?

While attending the UNLV, I worked as a special programs teacher’s assistant at Variety School, where I first began working with students with disabilities. After earning my substitute teaching license, the principal encouraged me to apply for an open autism teacher position because I was already working closely with the students. In that role, I gained valuable teaching experience and enjoyed helping develop individualized education plans that helped students reach goals beyond what they and their caregivers initially imagined.

While I loved the work, the demands of teaching full time required me to pause my own education. I eventually stepped away from the role to finish my degree, which led me — unexpectedly — into economic development. I began in a front office role and planned to stay only temporarily, but after completing my undergraduate degree I was promoted to support the organization’s financial manager. That experience exposed me to nonprofit operations and inspired me to pursue a master’s degree in nonprofit management.

During my time there, I helped launch and lead a membership and fundraising division. After 13 years, however, I realized my greatest fulfillment came from work that had a direct impact on people’s lives.

Joining Special Olympics Nevada brought me back to that purpose. Every day I see how our work changes the lives of athletes and strengthens our communities through the power of inclusion and sport.

What’s your vision for the organization?

I want the organization to be recognized as the premier place in our state where individuals with intellectual disabilities — and their families and caregivers — know they will find inclusive programs, support and community.

Another important part of my vision is empowering our athletes to lead. Over time, I hope the voices of my team and me become quieter while the voices of our athletes grow stronger. Our goal is to prepare and support them so they can take the lead in sharing their stories and advocating for more inclusive systems for people with intellectual disabilities.

From a long-term perspective, I would love to see Nevada host the Special Olympics USA Games.

Nevada’s branch of Special Olympics used to be affiliated with California but became its own entity. Can you explain the change and what that means for our community?

Establishing an independent Nevada chapter has allowed us to better align with local partners, engage Nevada leaders in governance, and access funding opportunities that were previously difficult to secure.

Most importantly, it has given our athletes and their families a greater sense of pride. They now represent Special Olympics Nevada and the Silver State as part of a chapter supported directly by the community they live in.

What’s the mission in community outreach and how is Special Olympics Nevada visible in Clark County schools?

Through our Unified Champion Schools program, students with intellectual disabilities are able to experience a more inclusive school environment. Too often, students with disabilities are separated into resource rooms and have limited interaction with the broader student population. The UCS program helps change that by bringing students with and without intellectual disabilities together.

In this program, typical students help lead inclusion efforts on their campuses under the guidance of a teacher. Students participate in unified sports, host educational events to raise awareness about intellectual disabilities, organize pep rallies to support unified teams and promote inclusion within existing clubs and school activities.

Administrators and teachers consistently report that UCS programs have helped reduce bullying and foster a stronger culture of inclusion on their campuses.

In some ways, Special Olympics Nevada feels like a small business. You have about 10 employees, many of whom wear multiple hats, and you are always looking for creative ways to raise money. What kind of challenges does that bring?

It can feel that way because nonprofits operate much like businesses. The difference is that instead of focusing on profit, their mission is to address community needs.

One of the challenges Special Olympics Nevada faces is the assumption that because we operate under a large global brand, most of the fundraising happens at the national level to support the work taking place here. In reality, the majority of funding for each state program is raised locally.

This means Special Olympics Nevada can only sustain, grow and expand our programs through the support of Nevada corporations, foundations, government partners and individual donors.

Las Vegans are very generous. What are your biggest needs and how can locals help?

For organizations and individuals able to consider financial contributions, especially multiyear support, we welcome the opportunity to share more about our work and how your partnership can help expand our programs and services.

We are also looking to strengthen our governance. If you have experience serving on nonprofit boards, we would welcome your expertise as we continue to elevate our programs and long term strategy.

Finally, because our programs are volunteer driven, we are always looking to grow our volunteer community. Whether you can dedicate a few hours at an event or commit to coaching a sport for a season, we will provide the training and help you find a meaningful way to get involved with Special Olympics Nevada.