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| WC Commissioner Bonnie Weber |
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Our speaker for Wednesday, March 14:
Washoe County Commissioner
Bonnie Weber
Bonnie Weber is currently serving her third term as Washoe County Commissioner, and represents District 5, where she has lived as a resident for over 25 years. District 5 represents the largest physical district in the county, incorporating portions of Reno and Sparks, as well as Mogul/Verdi on the west, Sun Valley on the east, the North Valleys to the California border, and Gerlach to the Oregon border.
Bonnie shares a sign and banner business with her husband. She has been active in the community for many years, serving on the Stead Neighborhood Advisory Board, the Reno Commission on the Status of Women, Habitat for Humanity, and many offices within the Republican Party. Bonnie has also served as President of the Truckee Meadows Law Enforcement Chaplaincy program, which is dedicated to serving local law enforcement, for the past four years.
Bonnie has been married to her husband, Mike for 28 years, and they have two children: Lori, who teaches for Washoe County School District, and Matthew, an active 16-year old. Bonnie is a proud grandmother of Xavier, 8, and Zoey, 5.
Current Boards
- Joint Fire Advisory Board (Primary) - appt'd 1/09/07; 1/13/09; 1/21/11
- National Association of Counties (NACo) Board of Directors (Primary) - appt'd 1/13/09; 1/12/10; 1/11/11
- Nevada Association of Counties (NACO) Board of Directors (Primary) - appt'd 4/27/04; 1/13/09; 1/12/10; 1/11/11
- Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway (Primary) appt'd 1/13/04; 1/13/05; 1/11/11
- NevadaWorks Board (Primary) - appt'd 1/11/05; 1/13/09
- Regional Planning Governing Board (Primary) - 12/31/07; 1/13/09; 1/11/11
- Regional Transportation Commission (1st Alternate) - appt'd 1/11/05; 1/13/09; 1/11/11
- Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (Primary) - appt'd 7/24/07; 1/13/09
- Truckee Meadows Water Authority Board (Alternate) - appt'd 1/13/09
- Served as Vice-Chair of the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners - 2004; 2006; 2007; 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011. Serving as Chair in 2005.
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| The Roberson Family |
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Wednesday April 11:
We have a very special evening with
two prominent legislators:
State Senator Michael Roberson
and Assemblyman Pat Hickey - AD 25
with a special appearance by
Candidate David Espinosa,
running for Assembly Seat District 31.
About Senator Roberson:
Born in Webb City, Missouri and raised in Galena, Kansas; a small mining town with a population of 3,300, Michael grew up with small town values. The eldest of three children, Michael came from modest beginnings. Working hard and earning an honest living were values instilled from early childhood.
After High School, Michael entered the University of Kansas and graduated in 1993 with a degree in Political Science. From there, on academic scholarship, he was admitted to University of Kansas School of Law and earned his Juris Doctorate in 1996.
Inspired by the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, Michael worked on a U.S. Senate campaign in 1996 and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1997. He worked on Capitol Hill and then served as Vice President of a political fundraising company.
In 2000, Michael moved to Nevada. He is currently an attorney with the law firm of Kolesar & Leatham, Chtd.
In addition to practicing as an attorney in Las Vegas, Michael serves on the Advisory Board for the Advanced Technologies Academy, one of the highest achieving public schools in the State of Nevada. He also serves on the Government Affairs committee for NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.
Michael is a UNLV Rebels and Kansas Jayhawks football and basketball fan and a self-professed terrible golfer. He lives in Henderson, NV with his wife, Liberty Leavitt-Roberson, a fifth-generation Nevadan, public school teacher and student recruiter, as well as with their Shih Tzu Bichon, Winston Churchill.
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About Assemblyman Pat Hickey:
Pat Hickey is from a 4th generation Nevada family, whose Irish great grandparents came to the Carson Valley in the 1870s. Pat was born in Carson City and grew up at Lake Tahoe. He and has wife Shin have been married for 32 years and all four of their children; Johnmin, Shinae, Daemin and Hannah attended Bishop Manogue High School and have graduated from college. Pat’s 97 year-old Dad, George, lives with Pat and Shin at their home on Rosewood Drive.
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Top, from left: Daemin, Hannah, Johnmin
Bottom, from left: Shinae, Grandpa George, Shin, Pat
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Pat is a small business owner of Pat Hickey Painting. “The notion of having to make a payroll before ever getting elected to public office--is not just some nice concept to me.” Dealing daily with the regulations, fees and taxes required of business, makes Pat keenly aware of the impact legislation passed in Carson City has on both employers and employees.
Pat has been a working journalist in the Silver State, getting his first job reporting on politics for KOH Radio through his friendship in Sacramento with Rush Limbaugh. Pat went on to have his daily political reports on the Nevada Legislature picked up by KNEWS Radio in Las Vegas and other stations in Carson City, Gardnerville, Fallon and Elko. Pat has written a conservative column for the Nevada Appeal (and here), wrote legislative cover stories for the Nevada Business Journal and was editor and investigative reporter for the Nevada Public Policy Institute’s monthly policy magazine; the Nevada Journal. Pat received his Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno and is teaching a course on journalism this fall at Western Nevada College.
Pat was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1996 in Democratic majority District 27 by walking neighborhoods in the entire district and learning what voters cared about. He served on the Education, Government Affairs and Health and Human Services Committees. Believing in the concept of a “citizen legislator,” Pat left office voluntarily, choosing not to run for reelection and instead devout time to his business and family.
Pat and his family have lived in Assembly District 25 for the past 10 years at their home on Rosewood Drive, near Plumb and Arlington.
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| David Espinosa |
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Let's get to know
Sparks – Republican David Espinosa, a technology architect, has announced his candidacy for Assembly District 31.
Espinosa is a successful technology engineer, husband and father who dreamed of becoming an American citizen throughout his youth. He emigrated from Barcelona, Spain to Nevada at the young age of six, and became a citizen within weeks of his 18th birthday.
“I spent my childhood wishing I could be a citizen of this great country,” said Espinosa. “Upon becoming a citizen, I wanted to spend the rest of my life serving my fellow Americans by enhancing their lives just as mine had been.”
Espinosa believes that education is the cornerstone of success and will work to improve the current system. “As an assemblyman, I will fight for our children’s education. Our system is broken and I believe that a 21st century education system must include 21st century solutions. Our children are our future leaders. They deserve the best,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa’s campaign will also focus on creating jobs. “Nevada’s economy is my top priority. It is imperative that we fix what is broken, while preserving and reinforcing what is working. We need to create conditions where businesses feel comfortable creating jobs. I will vote to keep taxes low so we can create an environment for success, especially for the small businesses that we need to build and sustain our economical foundation,” Espinosa continued.
Espinosa attended the University of Nevada and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, and received his Master’s Degree in Computer Information Systems. Espinosa advanced through the ranks of an IT network engineer to Technology Architect. He has held numerous leadership positions throughout the IT field.
Espinosa has been married to his high school sweetheart, Cynthia, for 17 years, and together they have 3 beautiful daughters whom they devote their free time to.
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| Regent Ron Knecht |
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We are so pleased to have as our speaker on
Wednesday, May 9:
Regent Ron Knecht.
Regent Ron Knecht was elected to the Board of Regents in 2006 as the representative for District 9, which includes the Lake Tahoe area of Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey Counties and southern Washoe County. He currently serves as chair of the ad hoc Periodic Presidential Evaluation Committee (DRI). He is also a member of the Audit Committee, Business and Finance Committee, Health Sciences System Committee, Investment and Facilities Committee, ad hoc GBC President Search Committee and ad hoc NSC President Search Committee.
Ron Knecht is an economist and policy analyst, Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer (in California), and law school graduate who has spent half of his 40 working years in public service and half in private entrepreneurial small business, all in professional and managerial positions. He now conducts a wide range of economic, financial, technical and policy analyses as an Economist at Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission, and he has written and testified extensively as an expert witness in all those areas. He has been a founder, executive or board member for six business firms and five public interest groups. He was elected to the Nevada Assembly for the 2002-04 term, representing District 40 (Carson and Washoe Cities).
The most important things in Ron’s life are his wife, Kathy, their 10-year-old daughter, Karyn, and Ron and Kathy’s mothers and families. Born and raised in a small town in the Midwest, he has a lifetime record in public, community, charitable and professional services, and in writing, speaking and teaching. With some scholarship support, he worked his way through undergraduate and early graduate studies at a public university (Illinois). Spending most of his working career in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, he paid his way through private graduate and law schools (Stanford and San Francisco) while working full time. He has been a Nevadan By Choice since 2001.
All his life, Ron has been active in a wide range of athletics and outdoor activities, but his skills being very modest, he had to get his high school letters and college numerals as a distance runner. As an observer, he enjoys ballet and modern dance, symphony, opera, theater and film. He also collects baseball cards and pursues other hobbies.
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