The group, which consists of 19 top executives from key industries including gaming, banking, real estate and health care, enlisted independent experts in an effort to compile a list of potential candidates for the superintendent job.

The council backed New York educator Eric Nadelstern for the position. In the end, the district's top job ultimately went to interim Superintendent Walt Rulffes after Nadelstern backed out of contention shortly before the school board was to begin debating its selection.

Some in the community criticized the council for muddying the water. Others hailed the group for sparking a valleywide debate on a critical issue. Maureen Peckman, the group's executive director, said the results of the superintendent search have strengthened the council's resolve.

"I was actually surprised at how little criticism we received," Peckman said. "For too long we've been accused of being a community that doesn't exist ... I think that the community found that it had a backbone."

The public debate that swirled around the superintendent search, in the end, might prove to be the most important development in the entire process, Peckman said.

"I think even greater than that singular outcome was the fact that the community found its legs," she said. "In that, I think that maybe the outcome was even greater than we expected."

Some community organizations said greater participation on such issues is important, whether it's business leaders or other stakeholders taking part.

"When we can get legitimate interest in the community on these kinds of issues, it's definitely a positive step," said Gail Burks, chief executive of the Nevada Fair Housing Center. "It's always good to have a substantive debate."

She said, however, the responsibility still rests on the decision-makers to accept the points of view of all participants in that debate and come to a "full outcome."

"The question is, is that the goal?" Burks said.

Ken Lange, executive director of the Nevada State Education Association, said his organization has always invited the business community into an "active dialog." He agreed with Peckman that the council's presence created broader interest in the search.

"Ultimately their level of involvement raised awareness of the superintendent search to a higher level," Lange said. "To the level it deserved, I would say."

Don't misunderstand, however. The council was very serious about getting its candidate seated, and the collapse of that campaign was met, Peckman said, with "obvious disappointment."

To that end, council members will continue to tackle education issues. She said the organization's membership is heartened by the new superintendent's plan to give some schools greater control over money and other resources in an effort to turn around lagging campuses.

Such a plan is similar to "autonomy zones" championed by Nadelstern, who withdrew from consideration amid claims that a fractured school board would not have allowed serious efforts at reform.

The council also has identified two other issues that it will wade into formally. Peckman said that CBN has formally opposed the Tax and Spending Control initiative and that several council members have joined an effort spearheaded by Nevada Tomorrow, a group organized to oppose TASC.

Along the same line, the CBN is expected to investigate the ballot initiative process, taking a look at the qualification process and the ramifications of amending the constitution through such initiatives.

Peckman said the council would not take a formal position before a thorough study is performed, but she indicated some concerns.

"Is there a perception that if you are a special interest with a couple of million dollars you can come in and amend the Nevada Constitution?" Peckman asked, expressing concerns over "outside interests" flexing control over state government.

Pointing to a worst-case scenario, Peckman said that California has 49 percent of its budget controlled by guidelines established by initiatives "regardless of what the community needs are."

"We need to ask whether or not this is the most responsible way to govern our community," she said.

Again, she emphasized that no position has been taken on the initiative process, yet.

"Until we explore that, we don't know," Peckman said.

On the horizon, traffic issues also could take center stage for the CBN, Peckman said.

"We have real issues there," she said, adding that some members of the group are already working on that issue through outside efforts.