A Tribute to Shannon Bybee
By Carol O'Hare, executive director, Nevada Council on Problem Gambling
Shannon L. Bybee was a big man with a big heart who had an impact on everyone who knew him. From his days as a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and his work as director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute to his unselfish dedication to the issue of problem gambling, Shannon earned the respect of his colleagues and quietly demonstrated his principles for living. In spite of a diagnosis of terminal liver disease, Shannon kept on doing the things he loved with as much energy and enthusiasm as his failing health would permit. One of his final accomplishments was to publish his many lectures, articles and reports in a book titled Shannon L. Bybee - Evidence of a Serendipitous Career in Gaming.
The following was written as a personal tribute to Shannon and appears in his book as the foreword to his writings on problem gambling.
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In the years that I have spoken publicly about my personal experience with problem gambling, I have come to realize an important truth. A passionate plea can get people's attention, but it takes a voice of reason to effect social change.
Shannon Bybee was one of the first gaming professionals to offer his own voice of reason on the subject of problem gambling. The time was the early 1980s and the climate was not particularly welcoming of this newly defined and somewhat controversial mental disorder known as pathological, or problem, gambling. Unlike many of his peers, Shannon viewed problem gambling as an issue that must be addressed head-on and his approach was simple: Listen and learn, then lead by example.
When I met Shannon more than a decade later, I was a problem gambling "poster child" whose dream was to use my experience to make a difference in the world. I took on the role of executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, full of passion and desperately in need of professional guidance. Shannon, as president of the board, provided wise counsel and patient leadership to the organization, and made himself available no matter how small the need.
I learned many valuable lessons that strengthened my own emerging voice of reason. I also found an unselfish mentor and a compassionate friend.
Shannon taught me, and many others in this field, that the way to maintain objectivity is to invite all voices to be heard, regardless of their point of view, and then identify the common ground on which everyone can stand. It was this approach and Shannon's leadership that paved the way for the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling to become an effective resource in our state. It was this same approach and leadership that led to the adoption of the first gaming regulation to address problem gambling in the state of Nevada. Shannon shared the same philosophy with national and international organizations as well, becoming not just an expert, but a respected ambassador for knowledge and change.
Listen, learn and lead. Shannon's own words explain it best: "Education is not merely the transmission of information - it is giving people the knowledge and the tools to change their lives or the lives of others." A voice of reason, indeed.
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On Sept. 18, 2003, Shannon's life came to an end. We are deeply saddened to lose such a dear friend and colleague, but his leadership and principles will always be a part of the work that we do. Let us continue to find our common ground and our "voice of reason" to help others change their lives for the better.
