Contacts:
Ron Kalb, DRI Director of Public Information ron.kalb@dri.edu
Las Vegas (702) 862-5420 (office), (702) 498-8916 (cell)
Heather Emmons, DRI PIO, heather.emmons@dri.edu
Reno (775) 673-7313 (office), (702) 743-3435 (cell)
All DRI News Releases available at: http://news.dri.edu/
January 27, 2005
Talented new group of trustees joins the DRI Research Foundation
Reno, Nev. – The DRI Research Foundation, the fund raising arm of the Desert Research Institute, has added nine new trustees, bringing the board’s total membership to 47, DRI President Stephen G. Wells announced today. The Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada unanimously approved the new trustees in its December meeting.
"This diverse group of talented community leaders from throughout Nevada and the United States adds additional reach and awareness to help us meet our long-term development goals," Wells said. "The DRI Foundation’s fund-raising efforts for research equipment and new research initiatives are an important part of our success.”
The nine new foundation trustees are:
Mike Benjamin, CEO & president of Benjamin Enterprises. Benjamin Enterprises is a
consortium of companies involved in the gaming industry, land development, retail investing and
marketing consulting. Benjamin, from Las Vegas, also brings years of experience in branding,
company launches and corporate communications for local, national and international companies,
governmental agencies and industry.
Erin Bilbray-Kohn, political consultant. Las Vegan Bilbray-Kohn's political know-how has landed her leadership roles with the Citizen Soldier Fund (John Kerry for President Committee), Ashoka Innovators for the Public, the Democratic National Committee, Friends for Harry Reid, the United States Department of Commerce as a political appointee and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Dr. Kenneth Ciriacks, retired geologist and former petroleum industry executive. Ciriacks, who hails from Tucson, Ariz., began his 32-year career in petroleum research and exploration with Amoco, rising ultimately to vice president for corporate technology, working in the U.S., Canada and overseas.
David Clark, president of Janus Land and Building. Previously CEO and chairman of Clark & Sullivan Constructors in Las Vegas, Clark retired from the firm and has recently started a new development/construction company called Janus Land and Building Co.
D. Allison Copening, director of public affairs for Pulte Homes/Del Webb Nevada Communities in southern Nevada. Copening is returning to the board for her second term and has agreed to chair the public relations committee for the group. At Pulte Homes/Del Webb, she oversees media relations, issues management, government affairs and community outreach activities for Nevada.
Robert Noland, mechanical engineer and chairman of the board of Myricom, Inc., which designs, develops and manufactures ultra high speed switches and interfaces for Super Computer and Enterprise Applications. Noland, from Carson City, Nev., has worked as CEO and/or COO for four companies, including former Fortune 500 company Ametek, Ketema, which made various industrial products, and Haveg, a small plastics company.
Sylvia Samano, president of SBC - Nevada. With more than 26 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Samano is responsible for regulatory, legislative, governmental and external affairs in Nevada. Samano is based in Reno, Nev., and has held management positions with SBC in marketing, public relations, advertising and government affairs.
Thomas J. Schoeman, AIA, architect for JMA Architecture Studios and member of the American Institute of Architects. In addition to many community affiliations in Las Vegas, Schoeman has made significant contributions architecturally with projects like the Community College of Southern Nevada’s Telecommunications Building and Health Science Building, Summit High Rise Condominiums, World Market Center, Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, as well as several educational facilities including the Clark County School District’s Miley Achievement Center K-12 Behaviorally Challenged School and the Technology Campus (includes a Distance Learning Center and KLVX Channel 10 Broadcast Station Facility).
Stephen Snyder, former Lyon County, Nev. county manager. Snyder has spent the last 30 years in public service, including working for the governor of Wyoming serving as local government liaison, teaching geology at the college level, city manager and most recently as county manager for 14 years in Lyon County, Nev. Currently, he has embarked on a career in the private sector.
A nonprofit, statewide division of the University and Community College System of Nevada, DRI pursues a full-time program of basic and applied environmental research on a local, national, and international scale. Nearly 500 full- and part-time scientists, technicians, and support staff conduct some 150 research projects at DRI annually. DRI generates $45 million in total revenue consisting predominately of competitively won research contracts and grants. The State of Nevada provides critical funding in support of DRI's administration, operations and maintenance, through the University and Community College System of Nevada budget. While DRI’s portion of the UCCSN budget is less than 1 percent, the institute leverages these funds to enhance its competitiveness.