Southern Nevada Public Television (SNPT) Board & Councils

The Friends of Channel 10 was founded in 1971 to provide financial, promotional, governmental and volunteer support for KLVX-TV. The Friends recruit volunteers for pledge drives, conduct special fund raising events, provide information to policy makers, apply for grants, assist with business operations of online adult education, and manage endowment funds for public television. In 1999, the Friends decided to restructure the board to assist KLVX with the federally mandated conversion to digital television. The 25 member board was renamed Southern Nevada Public Television (SNPT) restructured to include several councils with up to twenty members. KLVX-TV, Channel 10 also rebranded itself as Vegas PBS.

top of page

Linda P. Cavazos

Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustee

Linda P. Cavazos was appointed to the Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees on August 17, 2017, then was elected in November of 2018 to a full four year term. Trustee Cavazos represents District G.

Ms. Cavazos is from Superior, Arizona, a small copper mining community, where she attended public schools with two sisters and three brothers. Her parents strongly supported higher education, so with the help of loans and scholarships, Ms. Cavazos first began college at Arizona State University before transferring to, and graduating from, UNLV with a Bachelors in Secondary Education and a Masters in Educational Psychology and Counseling. She has spent more than 40 years in Southern Nevada working in the Henderson/Las Vegas community. Ms. Cavazos also worked as a food server to help finance her university education, and after graduation, taught at Basic High School for 15 years. She then was an adjunct instructor at UNLV for 9 years, while beginning a private counseling practice. Trustee Cavazos currently works as a family therapist part time, working with young children and adolescents, suicide and gun violence survivors, and veterans suffering from PTSD.

She believes the trustee position is an effective way to combine her counseling and teaching experience into meeting the many challenges that our students, staff, and communities face at this time. Trustee Cavazos very much wants to familiarize herself with and understand the unique needs of the schools and their neighborhoods in District G and to reduce the dropout rate by ensuring that every student has the best opportunity and access to resources that the District can offer. Trustee Cavazos and her husband Bob have five grown children, and seven grandchildren, with with one of the grandkids currently attending school in CCSD, and two others who graduated in 2019 from Green Valley and Arbor View High Schools.

Bill Curran

Ballard Spahr, LLP
SNPT Emeritus

Bill Curran is the Senior Counsel in the Ballard Spahr, LLP Las Vegas office. He practices administrative and government law, particularly in the areas of real estate, land use, and gaming. He serves on numerous compliance committees for gaming companies and resort hotels.

Bill is a member of the American Bar Association Board of Governors (2006-09) State Bar of Nevada, President (1988-89). His service includes: President, Nevada Legal Services (2012-present); President, SNPT Board of Directors (2016-present); Chairman, Nevada Gaming Commission (1991-99); Chairman, International Association of Gaming Regulators (1993-94); Admissions: Nevada, California, DC, U.S. Supreme Court. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (J.D. 1972); University of Minnesota (B.A. 1969).

Clark Dumont

Dumont Communications, LLC
SNPT Emeritus

Clark Dumont, M.S., APR, Fellow PRSA is a FORTUNE 500 C-level communicator, and Principal & Founder of Dumont Communications, LLC where he focuses on strategic organizational reputation and relationships for organizations, and the people in them.

Prior to the founding of his practice in 2018, he was Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff to the Chairman & CEO of MGM Resorts International. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, where he led the company’s executive communications, corporate citizenship and public affairs functions. He has served in other senior communications positions with BAE Systems, Inc.; Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Hampshire and Nevada Cancer Institute. He began his career as a broadcast journalist.

He has a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from The American University, and a Master's Degree in Communications Management from Syracuse University. He is recognized as a member of the College of Fellows and accredited as a public relations practitioner by the Public Relations Society of America (APR). He is the president of the Public Relations Society of America Las Vegas Valley Chapter. He is a member of the National Press Club, Washington, DC. He has served on the Dean’s Council at the Greenspun School of Urban Affairs at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and George Washington University’s Columbia College.

In addition to Southern Nevada Public Television, he is an emeritus Board member and chair of the American Red Cross of Nevada. He also served on the Board of the Neon Museum.

Jason Gastwirth

Managing Partner of Interstate 15 Sports and Entertainment
SNPT President

Jason Gastwirth has been working in Las Vegas for 17 years and most recently served as the president of entertainment at Caesars Entertainment where he was responsible for the booking strategy, marketing, and operations of the company's approximately 50 venues across North America. During his tenure, Gastwirth established Caesars as the industry leader in headliner residencies in Las Vegas and regional entertainment programming. Additionally, Gastwirth also led the company’s attractions and brand alliances/sponsorship divisions.

Prior to joining Caesars, Gastwirth served as Chief Marketing Officer of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and at Las Vegas Sands Corp. as Vice President of Casino Marketing and Corporate Entertainment.

Before joining the entertainment industry, Gastwirth held strategy positions in San Francisco and New York at Gap Inc. and management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. Industries Gastwirth advised during this time included media and entertainment, retail, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, insurance providers and aerospace in areas of strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, organizational structuring, and business process engineering. Gastwirth earned his bachelor’s degree in government with honors at Harvard University and his MBA at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Gastwirth was recognized as “40 Under 40” by Vegas Inc. magazine in 2012. He has a wife and three daughters and serves as the President of Vegas PBS Board of Directors and on the Vegas Golden Knights Alumni Association Advisory Board.
 

Peter Guzman

President-Latin Chamber of Commerce

Peter Guzman is currently the President of the Latin Chamber of Commerce. The LCC is the most powerful Hispanic Chamber in Nevada with over 45 years of community work and business representation. The LCC has provided services for the community for over 40 years and continues to grow. “The Latin Chamber of Commerce is a beacon of light for the business community and a shining star of hope for those in need of assistance in our great community”. 

He is an accomplished Realtor, Small Business Owner and Real Estate Investor. Mr. Guzman came to Nevada 50 years ago at the age of 2. Mr. Guzman has worked very hard in helping people achieve the dream of home ownership. Mr. Guzman started his career with Lynn Wardley and that continues to this very day. His work has been recognized nationally by all of the major Real Estate Organizations and he has been recognized as the Top Producer for the entire company in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, with over $700 million in sales. 

Marydean Martin

Marydean & Associates
SNPT Emeritus

Marydean Martin has an extensive history of education related community service. Currently she is an honorary member of the UNLV Lied Library Advisory Board. She funded the Hi-Lo (high interest-low intensity) book collection at the Teacher Development and Resources Library at UNLV. She serves on the Vegas PBS Board of Directors where she began as a volunteer mentor to the Ready to Learn program.

She was on the founding committee and the original Nevada State College Foundation and is on the President’s Advisory Council. She was given the NSC President’s Medal of Honor for this work. The NSC Marydean Martin Library is named for her. She now teaches individual classes on how to write poetry and mentors poetry teachers. She advises new authors through the process of self-publishing. Her husband, Charlie Silvestri, worked with the Clark County School District for twenty six years. The district named the Charles A. Silvestri Middle School after him.

Mare Mazur

President and General Manager of Vegas PBS
SNPT Executive Director

Mare Mazur, an award-winning television executive with more than 30 years of experience in commercial and public media, most recently served as the general manager of Arizona PBS.

Under Mazur's leadership Arizona PBS produced 120 hours of news content annually, and launched two new local programs, receiving multiple regional Emmy nominations and awards. Prior to joining Arizona PBS, Mazur was executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles-based KCETLink Media Group, where she oversaw the move to a new state-of-the-art facility and was part of the executive team that guided the successful merger between KCET and LinkTV. She was executive producer of KCET's nationally distributed programs A Place of Our Own and its Spanish language companion Los Niños en Su Casa - these curriculum-based programs were designed to help informal care providers better prepare children for kindergarten.

Prior to joining KCETLink Media Group, Mazur was senior vice president of series development at Cosgrove/Meurer Productions and served in a similar role at Patchett Kaufman Entertainment. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Mazur has also worked in program development for both the NBC and CBS networks.

Benson Riseman 

President & CEO of BENSEA Enterprises, LLC 
SNPT Vice President 

Benson Riseman is President & CEO of BENSEA Enterprises, LLC; an Entrepreneurial Think Tank and Consultancy established in 2009 to transform ideas into independent, freestanding businesses. BENSEA Enterprises specializes in strategy, branding, marketing, revenue generation and the distribution of supportive business resources to client companies.

Prior to Founding BENSEA Enterprises, Mr. Riseman Co-Founded Green Dot Corporation and served as Executive Vice President of Retail Strategy up until the company went public in 2010 (GDOT/NYSE). Green Dot is widely recognized as the inventor of the prepaid debit card industry and is the largest provider of reloadable prepaid debit cards and cash reload processing services in the United States. 

Prior to Co-Founding Green Dot Corporation, Mr. Riseman enjoyed a 20 year career in radio broadcasting working in Local, National and Network Managerial/Sales positions for companies including Metro Networks, CBS, Westinghouse, Greater Media, Paxson Broadcasting, Capitol Broadcasting and RKO General. During his broadcasting tenure he worked in the Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Orlando, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, DC and surrounding Mid-Atlantic area markets. 

Mr. Riseman currently serves on the Board of Trustees and The Lowth Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board at his alma mater, The University of Tampa, Florida; Board of Directors for WEDU-TV (PBS), Tampa, Florida and the Board of Directors for Vegas PBS, Nevada; Founder & Chairman of The Riseman Foundation and former Board of Directors Member of The Smith Center for The Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, he is the lead philanthropist for the Riseman Family Theatre in his home town of Chelsea, Massachusetts and a second Riseman Family Theatre in the Las Vegas DISCOVERY Children’s Museum as well as the Benson Alex Riseman Fitness & Recreation Center on the University of Tampa campus. Benson was bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Tampa in 2015.

Mr. Riseman is a graduate of the University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. In addition, Benson has completed Executive Management Programs at Harvard University and Kellogg School of Management along with completing the Landmark Education curriculum. Mr. Riseman grew up in the Boston area graduating from Chelsea High School. He currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and enjoys his family of 7 adult children and 4 grandchildren.

Karen Rubel

President and CEO
Nathan Adelson Hospice

Karen Rubel currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Nathan Adelson Hospice. She joined the organization in 2007 as the Vice President for Development. She has extensive experience in operations, administration, major gifts fundraising and building development programs, along with strong leadership skills and strategic planning abilities.

Ms. Rubel has been influential in developing programs to enhance the experience of the hospice’s patients and their loved ones. Aside from leading the hospice team in forging relationships with large donors and health care entities, she has been instrumental in enhancing hospice operations and community outreach programs. Her accomplishments are many, with thousands of individuals in the Southern Nevada community being helped at a sensitive time in their lives.

Ms. Rubel earned a B.A. in English from Eastern Illinois University, and an M.A. in Administration from Dominican University in Illinois. She is a graduate of the Thayer Institute with a Master’s in Leadership Arts and Sciences. Her professional and community accomplishments include serving as a board member, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, member of the Board of Directors for Girls Scouts of Southern Nevada, member Board of Directors, Nevada Donor Network, former board member, The Unforgettables Foundation, former member of the Board of Directors for The Center. She is listed as one a 2022 Women to Watch by Nevada Business Magazine, Top 100 Women by My Vegas magazine, 2015 Women to Watch by Vegas Inc., recognized as one of 10 Women Who Mean Business by the Las Vegas Business Press in 2012. She is a 2018 Jameson Fellow and graduated Leadership Las Vegas in 2011.

Andrew Thurlow

Private Wealth Management, U.S. Bank 
SNPT Secretary

As a Private Wealth Advisor, Andrew is responsible for providing comprehensive wealth management strategies tailored to his clients’ specific needs. These strategies encompass Investment Management, Private Banking, Trust and Estate Services, and Wealth Planning. Andrew takes the time to understand his clients’ unique needs and directs teams of specialists —often working closely with other client advisors, such as attorneys and accountants —to provide services that help his clients work toward their goals.

Andrew began his career in the banking and financial services industry in 1997. Prior to joining U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, Andrew worked as a Wealth Management Advisor at TIAA. His professional background includes extensive experience in asset management, income tax planning and estate planning.

Andrew is an active member of his community and donates time to various local charities including Junior Achievement and the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County (C5). Andrew resides in Las Vegas and serves clients in the Henderson and Las Vegas metro area. When he is not at work, he enjoys playing chess, hiking and Jeeping.
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™(CFP®), Chartered Financial Consultant®(ChFC®), B.A., University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, NMLS #2286332 

Kim Walker

Kim Walker, Inc.
SNPT Treasurer and SNPT Planned Giving Council Chair

Kim Walker is a 3rd generation Las Vegan who received her accounting degree from Santa Clara University. She became a Certified Public Accountant and has worked in public accounting for the past 38 years. In 1989, she opened her own accounting firm which she still maintains. She specializes in tax and financial issues related to both individuals and small businesses.

Kim is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Southern Nevada Public Television Treasurer and a board member of the Planned Giving Council, the Lions Club, officer and district director of Toastmasters and serves as the alumni president of the Las Vegas Santa Clara Alumni organization.

Shannon McCallum

Vice President, Hotel Operations, Resorts World

As Vice President of Hotel Operations for Resorts World Las Vegas, Shannon McCallum oversees and executes the strategic direction of all hotel functions such as front desk, front services, VIP services, spa, housekeeping, pool, uniforms, concierge and more. McCallum is responsible for creating and implementing new innovations to enhance the guest experience, developing short- and long-term goals to generate revenue for the property’s three hotel brands – Las Vegas Hilton, Conrad Las Vegas and Crockfords Las Vegas. In her role at the Strip’s newest integrated resort, McCallum works to create an environment that motivates team members to perform at their best, further developing the Resorts World Las Vegas brand and establishing its reputation is the Las Vegas market. She looks forward to refining the operations and the innovative technology that enhances the guest and employee experience, continuing to focus on driving a culture of service excellence.

McCallum brings more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry throughout the U.S. and Canada with some of the industry’s largest and most respected brands. She most recently served as Vice President of Hospitality for Volan Technology, where she was responsible for leading the company’s Hospitality Division. Before her time at Volan, McCallum was Vice President of Operations for both ARIA Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa as part of her nearly ten years with MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas. Her daily duties included overseeing more than 20 departments and ensuring the highest level of service was maintained throughout the 5,000+ rooms and suites that were under her purview. McCallum also spent 15 years with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in several management and executive roles with the world-renowned luxury brand.

McCallum currently is a Board Member for the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association and past Chair of the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Foundation. Shannon was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Southern Nevada Public Television (Vegas PBS). In addition, she is a Global Board of Director for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Association and is a current Board Advisor to the HITEC Advisory Council. McCallum is a co-chair of the 2024 Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee focused on Hotel Housing and Operations and a prior member of the Forbes Travel Guide Standards Advisory Council representing Global Gaming properties. She was recognized as Hotelier of the Year for the State of Nevada in 2015. 
 

Ellen Schulhofer

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

30 years of experience in corporate and business law in Nevada. Facilitates billions of dollars in transactions on an annual basis. Las Vegas office managing partner.

Ellen Schulhofer serves as corporate counsel to public and private companies in Nevada. Handling a broad range of transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, joint ventures and secured and unsecured financings, as well as advising on matters of corporate governance, she is one of Nevada’s top corporate attorneys. Ellen’s deep understanding of Nevada corporate, LLC and other business statutes comes from her involvement in drafting them over the last 25 years as a member (and former vice-chair) of the executive committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Nevada.

A significant portion of Ellen’s corporate work is on behalf of the highly-regulated gaming industry. She draws on her three decades of experience to offer counsel regarding the unique challenges facing companies engaged in transactions in the gaming industry. 

As a former co-managing partner of Brownstein and the current office managing partner of Brownstein’s Las Vegas office, Ellen brings leadership and strategic counseling know-how to her daily practice. This coupled with her calm and pragmatic approach is invaluable to both her colleagues and clients. A relationship-builder, Ellen is often the first call a client makes when an issue arises. Ellen’s relationships extend into the community where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the Las Vegas community, serving as a valued board member for several high-profile nonprofit and civic organizations.
 

Matt Walker

Director, Community & Government Relations of Howard Hughes Corp.

Matt Walker is the Director of Community & Government Relations for Howard Hughes Holdings, where he is responsible for government affairs for the Summerlin master-planned community. In addition to Vegas PBS, he serves on numerous nonprofit and professional association boards.

Matt grew up in the small town of Knightdale, North Carolina and has called Southern Nevada home since 2009. Since moving to Nevada, he has held several government affairs and policy advocacy roles including stints at Greenberg Traurig, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, and policy analyst for legislative leadership.

Matt, his wife Brittany Walker, and son Waylon are proud to call Boulder City home.
 

Anne M. Yamamoto

Retired

Anne is a retired partner of Frank, Rimerman + Co, LLP. During her nearly 40 years at the firm, her leadership as head of the Tax Department and board member significantly impacted the firm’s growth. Her leadership as head of the Services to Individuals Division guided the firm in establishing itself as a premier provider of tax and financial services to high-net-worth individuals, their families and their businesses. Anne has been a trusted advisor to many of the firm’s clients. Throughout her career, Anne has combined her deep and detailed knowledge of tax law with a wide breadth of client experiences to provide impactful advice and counsel to her clients. While clients often look to their accountants for tax expertise, Anne has often found she can have the most impact by intently listening to her clients and helping them identify concerns that often reach beyond the complexities of the tax law and business.

Anne is a summa cum laude graduate of California State University, Fresno. She is a CPA and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the California Society of Public Accountants. She has been a board member of various community organizations including the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Center for Excellence in Non-Profits. She is a past board chair for Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Palo Alto Red Cross.

Anne and her husband, Bryan, currently reside in Las Vegas. They have three daughters and two grandsons.