State Board of Education Members 2013

Elaine Wynn
President

Governor Appointment:
1/8/2013 to 1/5/2015
kjohansen@doe.nv.gov

Elaine Wynn has established herself as a savvy business leader and influential philanthropist. She has served as Director of Wynn Resorts since 2000.  She is co-chair of the Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars, as well as Chairman of Communities In Schools National and Communities In Schools of Nevada.

Wynn’s dedication to the community has garnered numerous awards and accolades, but she is most proud of the dedication of the Elaine Wynn Elementary School in 1991. Wynn’s strong support of the arts has led to her appointments to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees and the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board.In 2011 she established the Elaine Wynn Studio for Arts Education at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas.

Allison Serafin
Vice President

Elected District 3:
1/8/2013 to 1/4/2017
a.serafin@me.com

Allison Serafin works with Superintendent Dwight Jones and was recently elected to the Nevada State Board of Education. Allison joined Superintendent Jones after three years as a middle school English/history teacher and a seven-year adventure with Teach For America, most recently serving as the Executive Director of Teach For America – Las Vegas Valley.
S
erafin served the State of Nevada as a member of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Education Reform and worked with members of the Department of Education on Nevada’s 2010 Race to the Top application. She also served on the Superintendent’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Empowerment and the Superintendent’s Technical Advisory Panel for the Nevada Growth Model.  She was honored in 2009 by In Business Las Vegas as one of the city’s “Top 40 Under 40 Professionals” and in January 2013 as one of Vegas Seven’s “Most Intriguing People in 2013.”

Serafin earned her undergraduate degree in political science at Texas Christian University (TCU) and a master’s of science in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). She can't live without her iPhone, enjoys young adult literature and runs because she likes dessert. 

Thad S. Ballard

NASB Appointment:
1/8/2012 - 1/6/2014
tballard@ecsdnv.nv

Dave Cook

Elected District 2:
1/8/2013 to 1/4/2017
ProfDaveCook@hotmail.com

I'm registered as a Republican.

When I was growing up, I attended parochial Catholic schools for 12 years. I graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas in 1968.

Proudly, I am a fourth generation Nevadan. I have lived in Carson City for more than thirty years now.
I have two beautiful daughters who were raised and educated in Carson City.

I am now a retired emeritus awarded college professor of business and economics from Western Nevada College, where I taught for almost thirty years.

I'm currently a Nevada licensed high school math teacher and I specialize in working with at-risk and special education math students at a Nevada state chartered high school.

Also, I currently serve on the "Post-Secondary Education Commission", as an appointee of the Governor, which licenses and regulates private post-secondary vocational schools in Nevada.
More information about me at:
http://www.davecook4kids.com/

Stavan Corbett
Senate Appointment:
1/8/2013 to 1/5/2015
stavancorbett@gmail.com

Stavan Corbett is a native of Las Vegas and was elected in 2010 to the Board Where he served as President in 2012. In 2013 Stavan Was Nominated by Senator Mo Dennis and Appointed by Governor Sandoval to the Board. Stavan has worked in the community as an educational and community professional for over 15 years.

Experienced in case management and psychosocial practices he has developed and managed evidence based practices while providing educational instruction and mentoring for youth and families.

Stavan Currently works for NV State College inside the college of Education. He and his wife, Lydia, have three children who are students within the public Clark County School District.
Alexis Gonzales-Black

Elected: District 1:
1/8/2013 to 1/4/2017
agonzalesblack@doe.nv.gov

Alexis attended James Madison University in Virginia where she received a B.S. in Biology and went on to teach high school science at Southern High School in Durham, North Carolina. After leaving the classroom she joined the educational non-profit Teach For America where she worked in many capacities, including as a college recruiter in the Mountain West which brought her to Las Vegas.  Alexis now works at Zappos.com as the college recruiter on their recruitment team.  Alexis lives downtown with her husband, Victor Wakefield.

Freeman Holbrook

Assembly Appointment:
1/8/2013 to 1/5/2015
fholbrook@washoeschools.net

Freeman Holbrook is a native Nevadan.  Married to his wife Kimberly, they have two daughters; Emma and Sicily, and two sons; Cashel and Gaege.  The family’s home is in South Reno, where currently Mr. Holbrook is a history teacher at Depoali Middle School and coaches football at Damonte Ranch High School.

Mr. Holbrook has been a teacher since 2010 and a football coach since 2002. In 2012, Mr. Holbrook was the recipient of the prestigious honor of receiving the $5,000.00 Action Plan Scholarship from Sierra Nevada College.  Mr. Holbrook was awarded this honor in light of his Site-Based Spending Action Plan designed for the State of Nevada.

Kevin Melcher

Board of Regents Appointment:

1//8/2013 to 1/6/2014
Kevin_melcher@nshe.nevada.edu

Kevin Melcher is a native Nevadan and graduated from Reno High School in 1974. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1979 and earned his Masters degree in 1981.

Kevin retired in 2008 from the Elko County School District after serving his last 22 years as a school and district level administrator. He is married to Reno native Ann Marie (Humphrey) Melcher and they have resided in Elko since their marriage in 1980.

Kevin Melcher was elected to a six year term on the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education in 2010.
Kamryn Mock

Student Representative Appointment:
1/8/2013 to 5/31/2014
kmockk23@hotmail.com

It is my pleasure to have been appointed to serve as a member on the Board of Education in Nevada. I am currently a junior at Arbor View High School and am actively involved with my own school’s student council as well as student council at a state level. In serving as the Student Representative to the Board of Education, I am also a member of the Nevada Association of Student Councils. I look forward to serving my fellow Nevada students and letting their voices be heard.

Mark Newburn

Elected District 4:
1/8/2013 to 1/4/2017
mnewburn@doe.nv.gov

Mark Newburn grew up in Las Vegas, graduating from Rancho High School and UNLV, where he was one of the first students in Computer Science. Founder of Vizics Inc., Mark has over 30 years of experience in the computer field and has worked with some of the top technology companies in America.

A longtime STEM education advocate, Mr. Newburn has served on several STEM related educational boards including the Northwest Career and Technical Academy Engineering Advisory Board and the UNLV Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Advisory Board. Mark currently volunteers as chair of the UNLV Computer Science Department Industry Advisory Board.

Richard Stokes

NASS Appointment:
1/8/2013 to 1/6/2014
rstokes@carson.k12.nv.us

A native of Salmon, Idaho Richard began his career in education in 1987 as a high school science teacher in Lyman, Wyoming. In addition to supporting the academic endeavors of the school, Richard also coached football, basketball, track, and served as the Sr. Class Advisor. In1995 Richard and his family moved from Wyoming to Hawthorne, Nevada where he accepted a job as Principal of Mineral County High School. After three years in the capacity, Richard was hired as the District’s Superintendent and spent three more years learning the processes associated with District operations and administration. In July of 2001, Richard was hired as the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources in Carson City School District. In 2008 he was appointed as the Superintendent and holds that position today.

Richard and his wife, Keli have been married for 25 years and have four children. He and his wife are active in their church where they are involved in working with the youth. Richard had participated as a volunteer in city and church recreation programs and s an active volunteer in his son’s scout troop. Richard enjoys working on his house and taking family trips with his wife and children.