Steve Schorr, Vice President of Public Affairs, Cox Communications
While conversing with the impeccably dressed Steve Schorr, Vice President of Public and Government Affairs for Cox Communications, one might find it hard to believe he once was a poor kid from the projects of Newark, New Jersey, with a severe speech problem.
“I was a rotten kid in school,” recalls Schorr. “I was just a terrible student. However, when I was a junior in high school I had a teacher who believed in me. It was a turning point in my life. She worked hard to get me into her alma mater, Missouri State College.
“My first semester, I was alone and nearly flunked out. The next semester, I changed completely. I became an A/B student. I stood in front of my dorm room mirror for hours upon hours listening to myself reading to help get rid of my New Jersey accent.”
Schorr eventually earned his degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology. “One child I worked with didn’t speak at all. He came from a terrible situation. I worked with him for over a year and the first thing he said was, ‘I love you.’ It tore me up. He touched my heart.”
In 1967, Schorr started working at the college radio station just for fun. He soon set a goal to be a newscaster, and moved with his new bride, Holly, to Philadelphia. He auditioned at nearly all the radio stations in town, but they all turned him down.
Finally, he auditioned for the top R&B station in the nation, a white guy at a near all black station, and was hired as their news director. He soon built them into a powerhouse in the news- room, and they won virtually every journalism award. Schorr became very successful in radio as the voice of Radio City Music Hall and of the Ford Motor Company.
“My son then became very ill. He was in the hospital for 28 days. He had very severe asthma. We could not cure him. The doctors said to us, either you move him out of this climate or you face the consequences that could include permanent lung damage, hearing loss or death. We made the determination to leave and moved west. From the moment we drove into Las Vegas, it was home.”
Arriving in Las Vegas with a stellar background in radio, Schorr was told by all the local stations he was over- qualified. Television beckoned, and he became a reporter for Channel 13.
Just over 16 years ago, Schorr started working together with community leader Cox Communications. Many believe it to be one of the best things ever to happen for Las Vegas.
Cox has developed dozens of pro-grams for the community, including Goal Getters. "We now have over 160,000 children involved in Goal Getters. The belief was, if you could get children to set goals early in life then you are setting them on a course in the right direction to be successful.
"Another program I am very proud of is A Welcome Home. We’ve assisted in the adoption of over 170 children into a place they can now call home. Yet, of everything I have done in this community in over 28 years, having an elementary school that carries my name is the most amazing thing."
Indeed, the poor kid from New Jersey has overcome so many obstacles with his amazing accomplishments. Today, Steve Schorr sits on the boards of 17 non-profits, including the Andre Agassi Foundation, and is an adjunct professor in communications at UNLV. Cox Communications and Steve Schorr comprise an unbeatable team for the Las Vegas community.
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In 1967, Schorr started working at the college radio station just for fun. He soon set a goal to be a newscaster, and moved with his new bride, Holly, to Philadelphia. He auditioned at nearly all the radio stations in town, but they all turned him down. 
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