Harry Reid said, "The Las Vegas community may never be able to express its appreciation adequately for all that Jim has done, but his hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. ... He is a leader of his generation in job creation, green investment and philanthropy." Somer Hollingsworth, President and CEO of the Nevada Development Authority, called CityCenter "the most exciting and impactful project to open for the foreseeable future." Under Murren's leadership, MGM broke ground on May 1, 2014, on another major project in Las Vegas: a privately financed, state-of-the-art, 20,000-seat Las Vegas Arena that was developed with sports and entertainment company AEG. Murren is chair of the American Gaming Association Board of Directors, the national trade association for the commercial gaming industry, and is a member of the board of trustees of the Brookings Institution. In 2013, he was named executive chairman of the board of directors of the Corporate Responsibility Officers Association, a professional society for corporate responsibility practitioners. He was named by President Obama to serve on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. He was recognized as Executive of the Year by Casino Journal in 2013. During 2011, according to Forbes, Murren's total remuneration from MGM was $9.9 million, including $2 million in salary. Under Murren, MGM purchased the San Antonio Stars of the WNBA in 2017 and relocated them to Las Vegas as the Las Vegas Aces. On February 12, 2020, MGM Resorts International announced Murren resigned as Chairman and CEO. Other interests Over the years, he has been a pioneer in the area of corporate diversity. Among the company's management ranks, more than 38 percent are minorities and nearly 43 percent are women. During Murren's tenure as chairman & CEO, the company has continued to garner wide recognition for its leading diversity and inclusion initiatives, such as: 40 Best Companies for Diversity (Black Enterprise Magazine), Top 10 Companies for Latinos (DiversityInc Magazine), Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality (Human Rights Campaign Foundation), Top 10 Regional Companies (DiversityInc), Top 100 Companies for MBA Students (Universum Global), and Top Corporation for Women's Business Enterprises (Women's Business Enterprise National Council). FORTUNE Magazine has named MGM Resorts one of the World's Most Admired Companies. Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine, a publication which recognizes America's most socially responsible chief executives, named Murren a 2013 Responsible CEO of the Year Award winner. The annual awards are presented to CEOs across industries that clearly