GOVERNMENT
• Rize Credit Union has announced Julio Jimenez-Wenz has been named to Nevada’s Commission on Minority Affairs. The Commission on Minority Affairs is the central advisory body coordinating discussion and study of issues affecting minority communities in Nevada including programs, essential services, social and economic welfare and affordable housing.
“We’re incredibly proud of Julio and know he will serve the Commission on Minority Affairs and those it represents with passion and dedication,” said Jennifer Oliver, chief executive officer of Rize Credit Union. “Julio fully embodies Rize CU’s mission and vision to empower our members to achieve lasting financial security, and we look forward to seeing him apply those values on the Commission.”
Jimenez-Wenz has called Nevada home for nearly three decades bringing extensive professional experience in affordable housing, social services, communications, banking, sales and marketing. As a community development executive for Rize Credit Union he provides bilingual financial empowerment workshops and one-on-one consultation to individuals and families, helping them to recognize their full potential. He also works with nonprofit organizations, municipalities and connecting with legislators on the needs of the underserved and underbanked community.
Passionate about affordable housing, Jimenez-Wenz developed the Housing Division at Nevada Partners by collaborating with community leaders to build several housing programs for underserved and minority groups. He currently serves as a board member and treasurer for the Southern Nevada Credit Union Network and is a committee member on the Clark County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
For more information on the Nevada Commission on Minority Affairs, visit minorityaffairs.nv.gov.
LAW
• The William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV has appointed professor Lori Johnson as the inaugural Terry Pollman Professor of Law. This new professorship was established in honor of Terry Pollman, a founding faculty member of the Boyd School of Law and one of the foremost faculty members in the national legal writing community.
The professorship will be a multiple-year appointment that will rotate among Boyd’s legal writing faculty. It recognizes the strength of the Boyd School of Law’s Lawyering Process faculty and their dedication to the program.
In making the announcement, Dean and Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law, Leah Chan Grinvald, said, “I am so pleased to be able to recognize professor Pollman’s contributions to Boyd Law and to the legal writing field as an academic discipline. This position recognizes the importance of legal writing at Boyd Law, but also in the legal academy.”
Terry Pollman served as president of the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) and held various leadership roles in the Legal Writing Institute (LWI). She was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including: the 2019 ALWD/LWI Thomas Blackwell Award for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Legal Writing; the AALS Award for Outstanding Service to the Discipline from the Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning and Research; the Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference Annual Award; and the UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award. She also served as a managing editor of Legal Writing: The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute and co-founder of the West Coast Rhetoric Workshop. Before coming to the Boyd School of Law, Professor Pollman directed legal writing programs at the University of Illinois College of Law at Urbana-Champaign and Stetson University College of Law.
According to professor Mary Beth Beazley, “most legal writing faculty have benefited directly or indirectly thanks to Terry Pollman’s scholarship and leadership in the early days of modern legal writing teaching. Her leadership continued as she became a founding faculty member at Boyd Law, eventually developing an autonomous program of tenured and tenure track legal writing faculty.”
Johnson is an incoming member of the board of directors for the Legal Writing Institute. She previously served on the AALS Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning and Research Executive Committee in numerous capacities including chair (2022) and Immediate Past Chair (2023). Professor Johnson has also served on the editorial board for Legal Writing: The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute. In 2023, she was awarded the Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference Annual Award and Boyd Law’s Student Bar Association Professor of the Year Award.
“Lori Johnson is the perfect inaugural recipient of the Terry Pollman Professor of Law because of her tireless work on behalf of the discipline both nationally and within UNLV. We’re so proud of Lori and all her accomplishments and she more than merits this award,” said legal writing faculty colleague and E.L. Cord Professor of Law Kathy Stanchi.
The Lawyering Process Program at the William S. Boyd School of Law consistently ranks in the top of the U.S. News and World Report’s legal writing specialty rankings. As a national leader in legal writing, the Lawyering Process faculty at the Boyd School of Law consistently hosts legal writing conferences including the upcoming Legal Writing Professors of Color Scholarship Workshop in December 2024.
• Argentum Law, a statewide legal practice and sister law firm of full-scale communications firm Argentum Partners, has announced the addition of seasoned attorney Benjamin Kennedy as a partner. As a native Nevadan, Kennedy has spent decades serving the legal needs of local governments, business entities and individuals in a wide variety of legal matters. With experience in corporate, real estate and financing transactions, as well as compliance with open meeting law, the Public Records Act and municipal procedures, Kennedy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the firm. With offices in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City, the Argentum team represents an extensive variety of clients throughout the region.
“Ben’s comprehensive background and commitment to both his clients and community align perfectly with the values of Argentum Law and we’re excited to welcome him to our Argentum family,” said John Sande IV, managing partner of Argentum Law. “His expertise will significantly enhance our capabilities in handling complex transactions, making him an asset to our team and our clients. As a firm, we’re looking forward to this exciting development while continuing to achieve successful outcomes for our clients.”
Kennedy is dedicated to his legal practice and his community. He serves on the board of directors of the Eddy House and has previously been a member of the board of directors of Step2 along with the University of Nevada alumni council. Outside of work, Kennedy enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the outdoor opportunities that northern Nevada has to offer.
• Seven attorneys with Bailey Kennedy, LLP have been recognized in the 2024 edition of Mountain States Super Lawyers. Each year, no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the Mountain States area of Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana are selected by the Super Lawyers research team to receive this honor.
The following attorneys have been named to the 2024 Mountain States Super Lawyers list:
John R. Bailey – business litigation
Dennis L. Kennedy – “Top 10” and business litigation
Joshua M. Dickey – business litigation
Joshua P. Gilmore – business litigation and 2024 Mountain States Rising Stars
Joseph A. Liebman – business litigation
Paul C. Williams – health care
Rebecca L. Crooker – 2024 Mountain States Rising Stars
Founding Partner John R. Bailey and Co-Managing Partner Dennis L. Kennedy continue to be acknowledged for their exceptional work in business litigation, with Kennedy earning a spot in the “Top 10” for the ninth consecutive year.
Partners Joshua M. Dickey, Joshua P. Gilmore and Joseph A. Liebman are recognized in business litigation, a testament to their skill in representing complex legal matters.
Partner Paul C. Williams is honored in the health care category, an area where he has consistently provided exceptional service to clients in the health care industry.
Notably, Gilmore is also celebrated as a 2024 Mountain States Rising Star, a recognition he shares with Rebecca L. Crooker, highlighting promising future leaders in the legal field. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the Mountain States area are selected to receive this recognition.
Super Lawyers is a legal rating service that identifies top attorneys in each state across more than 70 practice areas. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and evaluations on 12 factors of achievement. Published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazine and leading regional magazines, the recognition highlights the expertise and reputation of the selected attorneys, marking a significant professional milestone.
• In recognition of their exemplary work in the legal field, five attorneys with Pisanelli Bice PLLC, a Las Vegas-based law firm, received the honor of being selected for inclusion on the prestigious 2024 Super Lawyers lists. The 2024 Mountain States Super Lawyers list will feature firm partners Debra L. Spinelli, James J. Pisanelli, Todd L. Bice and M. Magali Mercera. The 2024 Mountain States Rising Stars list will include firm associate Emily A. Buchwald. Super Lawyers additionally honored Bice and Pisanelli with inclusion on the list of Top 100 lawyers, and further recognized Spinelli on the list of Top 50 Women lawyers.
A rating service of outstanding lawyers who attain a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, Super Lawyers selects the top 5 percent of attorneys to add to its lists each year. Super Lawyers’ patented, multiphase selection process, driven by research and peer review, targets to provide a credible and comprehensive listing of exceptional attorneys nationwide to use as a resource for those seeking legal counsel.
“These selected attorneys have proven their extensive legal expertise and top-level litigation skills in handling complex cases across a wide array of specialties, and our associate’s ongoing dedication promises an impressive career to come,” said Spinelli, managing partner of Pisanelli Bice. “Inclusion on the Super Lawyers’ lists demonstrates that respected colleagues across our industry recognize and honor our team’s acumen. We anticipate these listings will help our firm to connect with new clients, and we look forward to addressing their legal needs with our leading team of professionals.”
NONPROFIT
• Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS), the nation’s leading evidence-based stay-in-school organization serving 110 Nevada schools with regional offices in the Clark, Elko, Humboldt and Washoe County school districts, announces the appointment of Jessica Cole, Mike Kazmierski, and Danny Ruiz to the organization’s board of directors.
— Cole brings a distinct perspective to the board, starting her career as a site coordinator for Communities In Schools. As a CIS student alumna and Class of 2014 graduate, she offers a deep, personal connection to the mission. Cole is pursuing a master’s degree in couples and family therapy, building on her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As a first-generation college graduate, she is passionate about empowering individuals and families from underserved communities to overcome barriers through support networks and lasting connections.
— Ruiz, chief gaming officer at The Venetian, brings extensive experience in casino operations and strategy. His career spans roles at Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, Conrad Punta del Este Uruguay and Caesars Entertainment UK in London. Ruiz holds a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and management from Cornell University and is fluent in three languages. His passion for community service aligns well with CIS’s mission.
— Kazmierski joins the board with expertise in economic development and business leadership, serving as the executive director of Strengthen Our Community (SoC), a nonprofit committed to developing cooperative, caring solutions to regional needs, emphasizing education, environmental sustainability, families and good governance. Previously, Kazmierski served as president and CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) for 12 years, driving economic growth in the Reno-Sparks region. Kazmierski’s background includes serving as president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corporation and a 28-year career in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel. He holds an MBA from Webster University and a bachelor’s in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
CIS places full-time and professionally trained site coordinators in 110 Title I and high-needs schools across Nevada to support more than 100,000 students in grades K-12 who face barriers to their success—increasing the likelihood of students staying in school and graduating on time. The organization taps into a statewide network of more than 120 community nonprofits, partners and agencies, bringing the community into the school to get students whatever they need to overcome the barriers they face that prevent them from achieving academically. From eyeglasses, dental care, health care and professional counseling to food, school supplies, clothing and housing, otherwise known as wraparound services. The graduation rate for CIS case-managed high school seniors in Nevada for the 2022-2023 school year was 95 percent.
REAL ESTATE
Alston Construction announced that David Parry has been promoted to project director. Parry brings over 35 years of experience to this new position. He will be responsible for ensuring and improving the performance, productivity and efficiency of project operations. Parry will ensure that appropriate operational resources are allocated to each construction project.
Parry has contributed to over 4 million square feet of commercial construction throughout the United States. His portfolio includes notable projects for Amazon, Best Buy and Kraft Heinz. Parry graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a degree in University Studies.
square feet. For more information visit www.alstonco.com.
