LAW
• Bailey Kennedy, LLP welcomed Jarod B. Penniman to the firm as an associate. Penniman practices in the areas of civil litigation, commercial litigation, appellate advocacy and ethics and professional responsibility law.
He has represented a wide variety of insurers, businesses and individuals in an equally varied amount of matters involving premises liability, personal injury and construction defect claims, as well as commercial contracts, homeowners’ associations, land use, irrevocable trusts, and numerous other aspects of business and estate law.
Penniman was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 2022 and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. He is a cum laude graduate of the Gonzaga University School of Law, where he also earned a position on the Dean’s Honors List. He received his Bachelor of Science in business administration and a minor in physics from Chapman University, where he was a proud member of the 2019 National Championship baseball team.
Founded in 2001 by managing partner John R. Bailey, Bailey Kennedy, LLP is a Nevada law firm focusing on litigation, health care law, real estate law and administrative law.
• John Naylor and Jennifer Braster of Naylor & Braster, Attorneys at Law, have been selected to the 2024 Mountain States Super Lawyers list as top-rated business litigation attorneys in Las Vegas. Braster received further recognition as an honoree in the Top 100: Mountain States Super Lawyers and the Top 50: Women Mountain States Super Lawyers. The firm has been honored by Super Lawyers each year since its establishment in 2014.
Super Lawyers is a legal evaluation resource that rates the top 5 percent of attorneys in each state by their area of practice. Attorneys are selected using Super Lawyers’ thorough, multistep selection process. Lawyers are nominated by peers, researched and scored on 12 factors of achievement by Super Lawyers’ research team, and peer evaluated by those in their practice area before being selected as a Super Lawyer.
This recognition is a significant professional milestone, showcasing the expertise and reputation of attorneys in their respective fields.
Naylor received his law degree in 1987 and has an extensive background in commercial litigation and construction law. He also has represented the Air Force in several government contract claims. Naylor left the Air Force in 1999 to begin working in private practice before co-founding his firm. He has been selected to Super Lawyers for the past 11 years.
Braster has over 17 years of legal experience in Nevada and was a commercial litigator for one of Las Vegas’ largest law firms prior to co-founding her firm.
She has been selected to Super Lawyers since 2016 and was recognized as a Super Lawyer Rising Star from 2010-2015. A Rising Star is awarded to only 2.5 percent of lawyers ages 40 and under or practicing for less than 10 years.
In addition to their professional accolades, Naylor and Braster are actively involved in the legal community. Naylor is the current vice president of the Nevada State Bar Clients’ Security Fund Committee and is on the State Bar of Nevada Fee Dispute Panel. Braster is a bar exam grader for the State Bar of Nevada. Additionally, she serves as the board chair for Sage Collegiate Public Charter School and is a public member for the Nevada State Board of Oriental Medicine.
NONPROFIT
• Bridge Counseling announces the appointment of Kimberlee Taggard as its new chief financial officer. With more than two decades of experience in finance and accounting, Taggard brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to the mission of Bridge Counseling in providing comprehensive group, family and individual counseling services.
Taggard earned her Bachelor of Arts in art history from Brigham Young University and her master’s degree in accounting from Utah State University. Her career began in public accounting, where she advanced to senior tax manager and developed a strong foundation in tax law. She later founded an accounting consulting firm in the Las Vegas Valley, working with a diverse range of clients, including funeral homes and construction companies. During this time, Taggard discovered her passion for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.
As the CFO of Bridge Counseling, Taggard provides strategic leadership for the organization’s financial functions and manages its financial and capital resources. Her responsibilities include overseeing budget and financial planning, yearly audit preparation, financial management and reporting, billing protocols and grant financial management. These tasks encompass critical business functions such as financial planning and analysis, debt and liquidity management, not-for-profit financial reporting, accounts receivable and payable, grant projects accounting, payroll and financial systems.
Founded in 1971, Bridge Counseling Associates is the oldest nonprofit counseling center in Southern Nevada and Nevada’s first and largest Urban Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, www.bridgecounseling.org.
• The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE (Mayor’s Fund), a vehicle for companies and individuals in the private sector to support key city initiatives that improve quality of life for all Las Vegans, announces the appointment of Will Rucker to its board of directors.
Rucker, who serves as director of community health – Nevada for Intermountain Health, leads initiatives for the company that prioritize health equity and improve health outcomes in Southern Nevada. He also operates a speaking and coaching business, fostering inclusivity and compassion through values-based leadership. As the host of “Compassionate Las Vegas—the Podcast” and “A Healthier Tomorrow” radio program, he addresses crucial health and wellness topics. Rucker is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, focusing on social determinants of health.
“Will is a wonderful addition to our growing board of directors for the Mayor’s Fund,” said Sallie Doebler, CEO and president of the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE. “He brings important perspectives and representation to our board, and as a health care executive, he well understands many of the challenges faced by the citizens of Las Vegas for which many Mayor’s Fund-supported programs are designed to overcome. We are thrilled to have Will join our team.”
The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE was established in 2017 as a vehicle for corporate and philanthropic partners to support innovative programs. The Nevada Community Foundation, a public charity under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, serves as The Mayor’s Fund fiscal agent, receiving all private donations. For information, visit MayorsFundLV.org.
REAL ESTATE
• Yessica Romero, safety manager at The PENTA Building Group, has recently been elected to the board of directors for the National Association of Women in Construction Las Vegas Chapter. The association empowers leaders in the construction industry by enhancing members’ careers through education, building technical skills and providing support and networking opportunities with the most accomplished women in the profession.
Yessica’s contributions to the board will be impactful to NAWIC’s mission, as she brings a wealth of knowledge from her current role as safety manager at PENTA, where she oversees safety compliance and program operations and works with project teams to develop overall and project-specific safety plans.
