ºÚÁÏÍø Class Notes are printed in every issue of ºÚÁÏÍø Magazine. Alumni can submit to Class Notes using the online form.
1960s
Paul Steffens, '65 BS Business Administration, is executive director of the San Diego Armed Services YMCA. He spent more than 30 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of captain, and worked as a mass transit administrator in Honolulu. He and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters, Lisa and Angela, and a grandson, Jaden. His hobbies include golf, biking, walking, pumping iron, and photography.
1970s
Dorothy Ritenour Wright, '71 BA Psychology, '81 MA History, retired as centennial program administrator for the Clark County parks and recreation department. She had worked for the department since 1988. Previously, she had worked for the Nevada Humanities Committee. Her husband, Richard Avila, '71 BS Business Administration, is an attorney. She has one son, Christopher Ritenour. Her hobbies are researching Southern Nevada history, reading, seeing movies, and hiking.
Margaret Enright Wye, '71 BS Education, '73 MA English, earned a Ph.D. in rhetoric, linguistics, & literature at the University of Southern California in 2003. She is a professor of English at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., and last year published a critical monograph of Jane Austen, Architectural Influences on Jane Austen's Narratives: Structure as an Active Agent of Fictive Knowledge in the Long 18th Century. She lives in Gladstone.
Edward Crispell, '72 BS Hotel Administration, owns Custom Teleconnect, a telecommunications company. He recently designed an artistic working ºÚÁÏÍø Rebel payphone. Previously, he worked 35 years in the casino industry.
Rodney Poteete, '74 Master of Education, retired after teaching 35 years at Pahrump Valley High School. He writes a weekly sports blog for RebelNation.net. For the past 28 years he has officiated high school basketball in Las Vegas. His hobby is collecting cards for baseball, football, and basketball. He specializes in cards for a number of different teams.
Frank Dobson, '75 MA English, is director of Vanderbilt University's Bishop Johnson Black Cultural Center in Nashville. He also is the faculty head of house for a campus living-and-learning facility for first-year students. A published novelist, essayist, and scholar, he is married and has three children and two grandchildren. His hobbies are working out, traveling, and sports.
Jim Mikula, '78 BS Hotel Administration, is general manager of Hotel Baronette in Novi, Mich. He has been busy renovating and rebranding the hotel to become The Baronette, a Renaissance Hotel. He lives in Northville.
Richard Pipkins, '78 BA History, is a lawyer and expert in the protection of intellectual property, compliance with state and federal regulatory law related to information technology, as well as computer network design and network security. He received his law degree from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1982 and worked on the massive MGM and Las Vegas Hilton fire cases. He also served as a deputy district attorney. In 1989 he was a post-graduate student at Harvard Business School. He subsequently earned the Microsoft certified systems engineer credential. In 2006 he received the certified information systems security professional credential, which was renewed last year. He lives in Henderson.
Duane Rosa, '79 BS Hotel Administration, '81 MA Economics, is a professor of economics and director of the Texas Transportation Institute at West Texas A&M University. His research includes journal articles and sponsored state/federal grants in the field of transportation and alternative energy. He served as a Fulbright professor at the University of Iceland in 1992-93. There he researched geothermal power production. He lives in Amarillo.
1980s
Jim Luce, '80 BS Hotel Administration, is executive vice president of sales and marketing for Amneal Pharmaceuticals, the 11th largest generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in the country. He and his wife, Gale, have two daughters, Taylor and Denae, and a son, Bryn. His hobbies include playing ultimate Frisbee, riding mountain bikes, and traveling. The family lives in Coto de Caza, Calif.
George McGann, '81 BS Hotel Administration, is vice president, managing director of Pyramid Hotel Group and general manager of the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center.
Deborah Levy, '82 BS Business Administration, and her daughter, Sarah Levy, '05 BS Hotel Administration, own Art Starts Here, an art school for students of all ages. Sarah also is pursuing a master's degree in special education at ºÚÁÏÍø. They recently moved the business to Summerlin and expanded the programming to include classes, workshops, and birthday parties. Deborah's other daughter is Jenna Levy, '09 MS Kinesiology. Deborah volunteers with several nonprofit groups, including Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, and Junior League of Las Vegas. Her hobbies are attending ºÚÁÏÍø sporting events and spending time in Brian Head, Utah.
Dolores Nast, '83 BS Business Administration, '88 MBA, worked several years as a civil draftsman for the city of Las Vegas, the Nevada Test Site, and the city of Flint, Mich. She later was a plans checker for the city of Las Vegas. Since 1996 her art has been exhibited in more than 40 venues. She has received seven Nevada Art Council Jackpot grants and an honorable mention fellowship. Her husband, John, died last year. She has two living children, Johnny and Janet; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A second son, Karl, died in 2003.
Randy Hockfeld, '84 BA Communication Studies, is district sales manager for R.H. Donnelley/Dex Media. His hobbies are bicycling, swimming, and attending sporting events, especially ºÚÁÏÍø basketball and football games and those involving his daughter. He lives in Henderson.
Lisa Smyth, '84 BS Information Systems, is a system administrator with Aerospace Testing Alliance. She has one son and one daughter. Her hobbies are swimming and traveling. She lives in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Kevin Hedden, '85 BS Hotel Administration, '02 JD, is an attorney with the Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers, representing clients in their workers' compensation appeals. His hobby is attending ºÚÁÏÍø athletic events. His wife is Judith Long Hedden, '83 BS Hotel Administration. Their oldest son is a computer science major at ºÚÁÏÍø. The family lives in Henderson.
Bruce Ford, '86 BS Business Administration, recently was hired by City National Bank as vice president and Nevada business banking manager in its Core Banking Division. He works with the branch managers and staff of eight branches to develop business opportunities with small- and medium-size companies. He has served in a variety of positions in the banking industry during the past 26 years and was regional president and chief operating officer of Community Bank of Nevada. He is a graduate of the School of Retail Bank Management at the University of Virginia and the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. He is a member of the ºÚÁÏÍø Alumni Association Finance Committee and the Nevada Development Authority Recruitment Committee.
Shannon Hume Shogren, '87 BA History, is a home-educating mom who also works part time as a branch aide at a library. She previously was an administrative law judge. Her family includes her husband, Bob, and three daughters, Erin, Ashley, and Abigail, and one son, Carnell Johnson, '06 Bachelor of Music. Carnell is married to, Kayla Keep Johnson, '05 Bachelor of Music. Shannon sings in and serves on the board of a community chorale, helps with the musical direction of the local summer youth theater program and serves on its board, and helps run the local homeschool co-op and serves on its board. She serves on her county's planning commission, directs the choir at her church, and teaches Sunday school. The family lives in Cambridge, Minn.
James Adamson III, '88 BSBA Management, is the Pacific Northwest general manager for G&K Services Inc. He and his wife, Vicky, have three children, James, Gaby, and Maddie. They live in Sammamish, Wash.
Ed Conway, '88 MS Hotel Administration, is general manager of Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa in Arizona. He recently expanded the spa, which now has 10 treatment rooms, and is seeking the zoning necessary to expand the number of resort rooms to 109 from 77. He lives in Cornville.
Mary Beth Cutshall, '88 BS Hotel Administration, is director of business development for Hotel Equities, an Atlanta-based, full-scale hotel management, development, and consulting firm with a current portfolio of 44 hotels under management. The portfolio includes select service properties with Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Best Western, LaQuinta, and Choice as well as an independent full-service conference center. Since joining the company in 2004 she has spearheaded efforts to grow the company's portfolio to 30 from 14 operated properties and placed an additional 14 properties in the pipeline through the takeover of existing hotels and new development. Previously, she worked for Marriott and Starwood and managed her own marketing and sales consulting firm. The mother of two enjoys running, reading, cooking, and traveling.
Susan Cunningham Ward, '89 BS Chemistry, is an environmental consultant and the Nevada affiliate chair for the Lyme Disease United Coalition. She says she has found her life's calling in working to increase awareness of Lyme disease and to prevent its spread in Nevada. She and her husband, Steven Ward, '94 MS Chemistry, became active in the cause after he was bitten by a Western blacklegged tick in 2004 and then diagnosed with Lyme disease four years later. In 2009, he was placed on full disability. His career had included a variety of chemistry-related jobs, including working on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Love Canal project. Susan also held a number of jobs in the chemistry field and worked for Nevada's U.S. Sen. Harry Reid in his Washington, D.C., office. The couple was active with Habitat for Humanity while living in Wyoming. They met while working at what today is ºÚÁÏÍø's Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies.
1990s
Randy Boesch, '90 BS Business Administration, works for City National Bank as senior vice president and manager of its private client service group in Nevada. He oversees client service and retention, business development, and investment management for the bank's high net-worth clients. He has more than 35 years of experience in various financial services positions, most recently serving as president and CEO of Red Rock Community Bank. He is a member of the ºÚÁÏÍø Alumni Association and the Rotary Club of Las Vegas. He has served on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs and Southern Nevada Clean Communities.
Mike Murrell, '90 BA Hotel Administration, is an agent for State Farm Insurance & Financial Services. He is licensed in health, life, property, and casualty insurance. He also is licensed to sell State Farm mutual funds, IRAs, and college savings plans. He is married and has three sons and three daughters. He lives in La Quinta, Calif.
Russell Rowe, '90 BA Political Science, is an attorney and shareholder with Kaempfer Crowell. He specializes in government affairs, land use, and administrative law. He and his wife, Christine Lee Rowe, '95 BA French, '01 MS Counseling, have two daughters, Juliette and Caroline. He is a board member of the ºÚÁÏÍø Alumni Association, the Nevada Development Authority, Clinics in Schools, Aid for AIDS of Nevada, and the Urban Land Institute-Nevada. The family lives in Henderson.
Antonio Castanon, '91 BS Business Administration, is an executive vice president of Citigroup, and responsible for Citi Private Label credit card operations. He serves as chairman of the board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Kansas City area. He has three children, Amanda, 22, Kelsey, 19, and Jacob, 16. The family lives in Westwood, Kan.
Jeffrey Geihs, '91 BA Communications, is vice president and chief operations officer at the Public Education Foundation. His previous jobs with the Clark County School District (CCSD) included being an English teacher and department coordinator, dean of students, assistant principal, chief of staff to a regional superintendent, and principal of Cheyenne High School, where he was inducted into the CCSD Hall of Fame in 2008 and named Nevada High School Principal of the Year in 2009. He and his wife, Mindy Malloy Geihs, '94 BS Education, are the parents of Madison and David. He enjoys occasionally playing a round of golf.
Shakeh Ghoukasian, '91 Master of Music, is a longtime faculty member of the Nevada School of the Arts. In 2007, she was appointed as dean/executive director of the school. She also is the principal second violinist of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Her husband, Haik Goomroyan, is facilities manager of ºÚÁÏÍø's Ham Fine Arts Building and Beam Music Center. They have one son. Her hobbies are reading and cooking. The family lives in Henderson.
Libia Taylor, '91 BS Hotel and Restaurant Management, is broker/owner of Boardwalk Realty of NW Florida. She is a real estate broker for second homes and investment properties in the "Forgotten Coast" area of Florida. She is a member of the Gulf County Arts Alliance Association, the Forgotten Coast Cultural Coalition, and Plein Air. She is married and has one son. Her hobbies are art appreciation, kayaking, traveling, cooking, and wine tasting. The family lives in Port Saint Joe.
Lyra Beck Hynie, '93 BS Hotel Administration, is a revenue contractor. She works remotely from home and handles properties in Beverly Hills and Palm Springs, Calif. She was married two years ago in Key West, Fla. She lives in North Las Vegas.
Andrew Lane, '93 BS Hotel Administration, is a Gaming Control Board agent. He is married and has two children.
Cathy Planchard, '93 BS Business Administration, '93 BA Communications, '97 MBA, is a principal in and the group director of public relations for Mindspace, a full-service marketing firm in Phoenix. She leads the public relations functions for a variety of clients, including LifeLock, Hilton, Catholic Healthcare, PremierGarage, and Elluminate. She serves on the boards of the Junior League of Phoenix and the Public Relations Society of America. Her hobbies include traveling, cooking, gardening, and reading. She is married and lives in Tempe.
Krista Rhea, '93 BS Hotel Administration, is a flight attendant instructor for United Airlines. Two years ago she married Nelson Gedeon in the rose garden at ºÚÁÏÍø. Their first child, son Nolan Rhea Gedeon, was born Nov. 1. The family lives in Chicago.
Jennifer Godfrey, '94 BA Communications, is CEO and team leader of Keller Williams Realty. Previously, she was regional accounts manager of Reed Business Information and contracts administrator for Silicon Graphics. Her hobbies include hiking, skiing, skating, horseback riding, sailing, and gardening. She and her boyfriend, Justin Seymour, have six pets. She lives in Franklin, Tenn.
Kevin Moy, '94 BS Hotel Administration, is an independent strength and conditioning coach focused on enhancing the performance of golfers. He lives in San Francisco.
Evelyn Ramos, '94 BS Hotel Administration, is executive manager of special events at the American Gem Society in Las Vegas. The association is dedicated to setting and maintaining the highest possible standards of business ethics and professionalism in the jewelry industry. Previously, she was director of catering sales for Wolfgang Puck Catering at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas.
Dorie Groudan, '95 BS Hotel Administration, was recruited by CLI Groups, a premier destination management company based in Las Vegas, as their national sales manager last year. She provides travel coordination and event planning services to corporate incentive and convention groups of all sizes.
Jeffrey "Buck" Lawrence, '95 BA Communications, '99 MA Communications, is an assistant professor of speech & communication as well as the program chairperson of communication and social & behavioral sciences at Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, Ind. His hobbies are fishing, hunting, camping, collecting sports and entertainment memorabilia, following sports, doing home improvements, reading biographies, and watching classic films. His wife's name is Linda. He has two nephews, Tony and Eric, who he says are like sons to him; a stepdaughter, Lauren; and a grandson, Joshua.
Zane Marshall, '96 BA Environmental Studies, '06 MA Science, is a resources division manager with the Southern Nevada Water Authority. He has spent 14 years with the agency, working on water resource planning and environmental compliance for large water infrastructure. His hobbies include cycling, diving, hiking, camping, reading, and bird watching. He has been married 10 years and has two sons. The family lives in Henderson.
Jim Maland, '97 BS Electrical Engineering, is a systems engineer for Raytheon Missile Systems. His projects include algorithm development for tracking/association/pattern-matching systems across a variety of missile, system design, performance vs. cost-tradeoff analysis, and advanced reasoning/artificial intelligence research. His adventures over the years include paragliding and canyoning in the Swiss Alps, skydiving, running in half marathons and one marathon, and competing in a triathlon. He is married and lives in Tucson, Ariz.
Tiffannie Bond, '98 BA Communications, is a recreation assistant in the marketing section of the Clark County parks and recreation department. She also is a freelance writer and teaches a children's hip-hop dance team. Previously, she wrote for the Magazine of Summerlin and the View community newspapers. Photography is her hobby. She lives in Henderson.
Valerie Miller, '98 BA Communications, a reporter for the Las Vegas Business Press, received four journalism awards in the 2009 Nevada Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. Her story "City Cuts Some Structural Reviews" won first place in in the business news story category. "Closing Time," which focused on how some businesses are cutting both workers and hours in order to survive, won best business feature story. She received a second-place award in the best investigative or in-depth story or series category for her series on the smoking ban. She also took third-place honors in the best business news story category for "Win 4 Charity Executive Accused in Lawsuit."
John Valentine, '98 BS Biology, is the West Coast area manager of training for Forest Laboratories in Salt Lake City. He joined the company in 2000 and has worked in several different positions, including sales representative, divisional manager, and regional sales trainer. Previously, he worked for PDI and Astra Pharmaceuticals. His hobbies include mixed martial arts and submission grappling, a form of wrestling. He and his wife, Shari, have two young sons, Kyle and JT. The family lives in Draper.
Heather Hamilton Valera, '98 BA Communication Studies, is director of marketing for the Galleria at Sunset mall. She has focused the marketing efforts toward building programs and partnerships with various community organizations. The mall hosts more than 100 community group events each year. She served as an event organizer for the Salvation Army's Red Kettle and Angel Tree programs, SAFE House's annual 1K Walk, and the annual boot drive for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Henderson Fire Department. She serves on the board of the ºÚÁÏÍø Alumni Association. Her husband, Luis Valera, '98 BA Political Science, '05 JD, serves as ºÚÁÏÍø's director of government relations. They have 7-year-old twins, Mason and Avery. The family lives in Henderson.
Roni Benenson de Sterin, '99 BS Hotel Administration, is global marketing communications manager for the Stockton Group, which has developed a natural/organic biopesticide. She worked as a sales manager at Caesars Palace for several years before moving back to Israel in 2006. In Israel she has worked for both Lexus and for Netafim, an agricultural company. She married David Sterin in Tel Aviv last year.
Elliot Dubin, '99 BS Hotel Administration, is attending law school at Northern Illinois University. He lives in Sycamore.
2000s
Chris Koliatsis, '00 BS Business Administration, is a senior financial analyst for the General Board of Pension and Health Services of the United Methodist Church. He aspires to be a chief financial officer of a major casino someday. His hobbies include running, traveling, listening to a variety of music, watching movies, and playing sports. He lives in Chicago.
Pamela Graves Longley, '00 MS Sport & Leisure Service Management, is president and chief operating officer of Clic Media Bistro. Her company is a boutique media and idea bistro that works to develop cost-efficient and cutting-edge media and marketing campaigns for clients. She married Brendon Longley in 2009. They live in Kamas, Utah.
Joseph Wagner, '00 BS Hotel Administration, is the director of VIP operations for the Venetian and Palazzo. The Venetian is the world's largest five-diamond resort.
Thomas Anschutz, '01 BS Hotel Administration, earned his law degree from the University of Nebraska in 2004. He now is a counsel attorney in the labor and employment group of Spencer Fane Britt & Browne in Omaha. He represents employers in traditional labor and employment issues. He lives in Plattsmouth.
Marissa Geffen Temple, '01 BA Communications, '04 JD, is an associate staff attorney with American Family Insurance. Running marathons is her hobby.
Adam Lopez, '02 BS Hotel Administration, works as the fleet slot manager at Crystal Cruises in the Louisville, Ky., area. Some of his accomplishments include being selected to take over the slot operations for Crystal Cruises, contributing to the new casino layout and networking system, successfully increasing revenue by 15 percent, and designing a part-ordering and supply process that allows Crystal Cruises to be fully operational anywhere in the world. He lives in Jeffersonville, Ind.
Joe Lucchese, '02 BS Hotel Administration, recently toured with U2, hosting VIP events and consumer engagements for BlackBerry, the tour's concert sponsor. He is the founder of EventJoe, an event and tour management company based in Las Vegas and Chicago. He lives in Elmhurst, Ill.
Yassine Lyoubi, '02 BS Hotel Administration, is the managing partner of the Lyoubi Group. He holds his real estate license. While still doing sales, he partnered with an associate and started an investment business specializing in flipping distressed properties. Previously, he worked with Lettuce Entertain You restaurants, managing Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris Hotel and opening Caf? Ba Ba Reeba at the Fashion Show mall. Hobbies include playing soccer and spending time in Morocco with family and friends.
Jason Wyatt, '02 BS Health Education, is a teacher with the Humble Independent School District. He has been a special education teacher for seven years and also an eighth-grade science teacher. Additionally, he is a party time disc jockey. His hobbies include playing sports, traveling, music, golf, and mentoring at-risk youths. He lives in Houston.
Rebecca Gowing, '03 MS Physical Education, is a legal assistant for Clark County. She is the mother of a 1-year-old.
Tony Timmons, '03 BS Business Administration, is a market development manager for CenturyLink. He focuses on Hispanic marketing and outreach in Southern Nevada.
Cammy Brunold, '04 BS Hotel Administration, is self-employed as a Mona Vie distributor. She has two daughters in high school, Tiffany and Kristen. Both are considering attending ºÚÁÏÍø. Her hobbies include reading and relaxing with her cat, Cupid. She lives in Pahrump.
Jennifer Kern, '04 BS Business Administration, is an account supervisor with Euro RSCG, an advertising agency focused on web development and branding. Her hobbies include photography, wine tasting, city exploration, volunteering, and studying social/tech trending. She lives in San Francisco.
Fernando Avila, '05 BS Physical Education, is a real estate broker with Atlas Group. He is married and has two daughters. His hobbies include music, sports, and soccer.
Gina-Marie Nissen, '05 BA Journalism & Media Studies, is a marketing manager for Medco Health Solutions. She became engaged to Jonathan Strong, '08 BS Culinary Arts Management, in November while on vacation in New York City.
Lyle Persch III, '05 BA Psychology, '05 BA Criminal Justice, is married and has had three children, one of whom is living. His hobbies include vintage cars and vintage Lionel trains.
Katie Shipp, '05 BA Communication, is the creative director at New Community Church. She also is a singer and songwriter. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in art at ºÚÁÏÍø. Her hobbies include music, graphic design, and writing. She lives in Henderson.
Nicole Suzuki-Uyeno, '05 BS Kinesiological Sciences, received her MS degree in occupational therapy from Touro University in May. She works as an occupational therapist at Silver Hills Healthcare Center. She lives in Henderson.
Heather Willden, '05 BS Hotel Administration, teaches tourism and meeting & event planning courses at ºÚÁÏÍø. Her research interests include the use of social media and online learning as they relate to meetings, events, and nonprofit organizations. She recently married Carl VanHoose and has a 13-year-old daughter, Taylor.
James Jackson, '06 Ph.D. Political Science, is president of Ferox Inc., which handles the manufacturing and importing of promotional toys and tools from China. His hobbies include traveling, outdoor activities, and sports.
Junilla Kershner, '06 BA Criminal Justice, earned her law degree from the University of Miami. She works for the law firm of Fowler, White, Burnett, practicing primarily in the field of medical malpractice defense. Her hobbies include travel, cooking, concerts, going to the beach, and taking road trips. She lives in Miami.
Aaron Morales, '06 BS Kinesiological Sciences, is the owner of Lifetime Fitness Solutions, an in-home personal training business. He started the company in 2008. He also is pursing a doctoral degree in physical therapy from the University of Connecticut. He lives in Ashford.
Matt Higginson, '07 BS Hotel Administration, is front office manager for Welk Resorts, which owns and operates four luxury resorts located in San Diego; Palm Springs, Calif.; Missouri; and Los Cabos, Mexico. He also is cofounder and vice president of operations for PictureThis! Event Services, which is based in Utah and has affiliates in Orange County, Calif.; San Diego; San Francisco; New York; Philadelphia; and Phoenix. The company specializes in online customization and event management tools coupled with on-site social media hubs that serve as a bridge from pre- to post-event. He lives in San Diego.
Adrian Huerta, '07 BS Human Services Counseling, is an academic advisor at the University of Southern California. He earned a master's degree in higher education administration from Ohio State University. He lives in El Monte.
Brian Karnik, '07 MA Economics, is a business line data analyst for Commerce Bank. He is pursuing an MBA at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He lives in Overland Park, Kan.
T.J. Milner, '07 BS Business Administration, is an accountant with Reeves, Evans, McBride & Zhang. His hobbies include baseball, basketball, golf, and nightlife.
Kaitlin Riggio, '07 BS Culinary Management, is a hotel manager at Caesars Palace. She recently received recognition in MeetingNews magazine as one of the nation's "Ones to Watch: 30 Under 30." She is vice chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Under 30 Gateway Council and chair for the Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association's Under 30 Gateway Council.
Sian Robertson, '07 BS Business Administration, is a revenue accountant for Peter Lik USA Corp. She audits the daily revenue of the 13 Peter Lik galleries around the world, performs cash reconciliations, and prepares balance sheets. She lives in North Las Vegas.
Yolanda Tuttle-Williams, '07 BS Hotel Administration, was accepted into the accelerated master's of tourism administration program at George Washington University.
Adrianna Jiron Carpio, '08 BS Gaming Management, is a casino floor supervisor at Caesars Palace. Upon graduating she was recruited by Harrah's Entertainment for a new program in table games. The program consisted of learning and dealing all of the games in a short span of time. Participants then shadowed various floor supervisors to learn the supervisory aspects.
Rodolfo Castro, '08 MS Nursing, is a member of the nursing staff in a telemetry unit at White Memorial Medical Center. His hobbies are reading and golf. He lives in Glendale, Calif.
Nina Hassing, '08 BS Hotel Administration, moved to Singapore for a management trainee position with the new St. Regis Hotel in October 2008. Within a year, she was promoted to assistant manager of the spa.
Thomas Ryberg, '08 M.Ed. Special Education, is a third-year seminarian at Chicago Theological Seminary and a pastoral intern at St. Paul's United Church of Christ. He is married to Andria Ryberg, '07 M.Ed. Secondary Instruction and Curriculum.
Robert Gaines, '09 BS Hotel Administration, is the Internet marketing specialist at the Las Vegas Hilton. His job involves creating and developing social media outlets. In July, he hosted a TweetUp with alumnus Peter Arceo, '96 BS Hotel Administration. The event was covered by KVBC, channel 3.
Matthew Mayhood, '09 BA Journalism & Media Studies, is a newscast director at KVBC, channel 3. He began working there while in college and has held a variety of positions, including those involving camera operation, on-air graphics, and technical directing. An alumnus of Foothill High School, he volunteers with the school's broadcast journalism program. He lives in Henderson.
Maggie Vazquez, '09 BS Hotel Administration, is a PBX operator at the Wyndham Grand Desert. She was hired in August.
Obituaries
Barbara Cloud, former associate provost for academic affairs and emerita professor of journalism and media studies, died Dec. 24. She specialized in the history of journalism in the American West and media law. She served as president of the American Journalism History Association in the mid 1980s and edited and published Journalism History from 1992 to 2001. Since 2003, she compiled the Books section for ºÚÁÏÍø Magazine. At the time of her death, she was researching a biography of Las Vegas newspaper pioneer C.P. "Pop" Squires and teaching a class on women and the media. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, emeritus professor of physics Stan Cloud, and a sister.
R. Keith Schwer, director of ºÚÁÏÍø's Center for Business and Economic Research and professor of economics, died Dec. 2. He joined ºÚÁÏÍø in 1986 and had become a recognized authority on the business and economic environment of Las Vegas and the region. He is survived by his wife, Kaye; three daughters, Nancy Archambault, Amanda Schwer, and Michelle Nicholl; three grandchildren; his parents; and a sister.
