Dave Knowlton - Board President
Mr. David Knowlton received his Bachelor's Degree, with honors from the University of Maryland in 1975. After 31 years, he retired as the FBI's Assistant Director for Inspection, where he was responsible for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of FBI operations worldwide. This included ensuring that FBI investigative and administrative financial operations were in compliance with the Government Accountability Office's standards for fiscal responsibility. Leadership roles in the FBI included Chief Inspector of the FBI, Deputy Assistant Director of the Criminal Division, as well as Special Agent in Charge of Maryland and Delaware. He has coordinated crisis responses at the highest level of the US Government, including serving as the FBI's representative on the White House National Security Council's Transnational Crimes working group. In 2002, President Clinton awarded him the Presidential Rank Award for sustained accomplishment in management of programs and for noteworthy achievement of quality and efficiency of public service. He has served on many boards, including the International Association of Police Image and Ethics board, and the Maryland Police Training Commission.

Upon relocating to Nevada, he was again called into public service after 911 and became the Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Air Marshal Service in Nevada and Arizona. Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, designated him to the Principal Federal Official for Nevada to coordinate all US Government assets during the 2006 Las Vegas New Year's Eve event. He is now a confidential consultant to a wide variety of clients.

Mr. Knowlton has been married to Ellen B. Knowlton for 25 years. She recently retired as the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI for Nevada. Ellen and Dave have a nine year old daughter and two married sons living out of state.

Sonia Vermeys - President-Elect
Ms. Sonia Church Vermeys, Esq. is practically a native Nevadan, having lived and served in the community since childhood. She graduated with a B.F.A. in 1988, cum laude, from the University of Southern California and with a J.D. in 1993, cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Ms. Vermeys is currently Of Counsel for the national law firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. She is a member of the firm's Gaming, Securities & Corporate Finance and Real Estate groups. Based in the firm's Las Vegas office, she practices primarily in commercial transactions with an emphasis on real estate matters and business mergers and acquisitions.

In addition to her experience handling transactional matters, Ms.Vermeys has assisted numerous clients, including significant resort hotel clients, with Nevada gaming and liquor law issues, including regulatory compliance and licensure. She also represents individuals and businesses before regulatory agencies such as the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Nevada Gaming Commission, Clark County Liquor and Gaming Licensing Board, and the City of Las Vegas.

Outside the office, Ms. Vermeys proudly serves on the Board of Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, assists in her church, participates in various sporting activities and tends to her three young children.

Ron Bjokne - Treasurer
Mr. Ron Bjokne is President of Enviro Pro Building Services, a company he founded in 1991. Enviro Pro is a building services contractor serving the Las Vegas area. Ron has a BA degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and a MBA degree from Minnesota State College in Mankato, MN. His business career began with 14 years managing and supervising retail stores for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. eventually supervising operations in a 14 state area. He then began working for and with three Goodyear private dealer organizations, the last of which, Superior Tire, brought him to the Las Vegas area in 1986.

Ron has been married to Joyce for 47 years, and has 3 children and 5 grandchildren. He has served 2 terms as President of Christ Lutheran Church council, and currently serves as the Treasurer of LSSN.

Hyla Winters - Secretary
Ms. Hyla Winters, PhD, is the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the College of Southern Nevada. She is directly responsible for the Office of Resource Development and Assessment at the College and has provided leadership to the college in the solicitation and management of federal and state grants. She is currently the principal investigator for a Department of Labor Technology Based learning grant. Hyla has been associated with the College of Southern Nevada for twenty years and has served as faculty, program director, Associate Dean and most recently the Dean for the School of Health Sciences. She is also an active board member for the Area Health Education Center of Southern Nevada. She has also served as a previous board member and chair of the Clinic on Wheels, associated with the Classroom on Wheels. She is an active member of Canyon Ridge Christian Church in northwest Las Vegas.

Elmo Douglass, P.E. -
Mr. Douglass is originally from Baltimore, MD and has been a resident of Las Vegas since 1999. After graduating from The Johns Hopkins University with his Bachelor of Engineering degree, he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers for four years with the 35th Engineering Battalion, stationed in Europe. His career in Civil Engineering spanned 37 years, working on freeway design with the California Department of Transportation and heading the facility construction and modernization effort for the Los Angeles Transportation Authority. He is currently retired.

Mr. Douglass is a charter member of Grace Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Henderson and remains an active member. He is also an avid stamp collector, focusing his collection on African-American themes.

Donna Hall -
Ms. Donna Hall is a licensed social worker, employed at UMC in the Trauma Center for nearly 11 years. She has Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Sociology. She has been Director of Social Service at Desert Springs Hospital (1979 - 1991). At Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center (1991 - 1995), Ms. Hall was Director of Social Service, Utilization Review and Case Management. In all of these positions, she has been responsible for utilizing and evaluating resources and services for the well-being of the patients returning to the community.

She served on the council of Christ Lutheran Church, including a term as President of the 1500- member congregation. Ms Hall currently is a Board Member and Secretary of the Southern Nevada Continuity of Care Association and is a member of the Advisory Board for Southern Nevada Home Care. Married for 32 years, she has 1 adult son.

Kirk Kaplan -
Mr. Kirk D. Kaplan, CPA and Esq., practices law related to Business Planning, Trusts and Estates, and Taxation. Born in South Bend, Indiana, Mr. Kaplan was admitted to the Nevada bar in 1996 , to Colorado and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Nevada in 1997, to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003, and to the U.S. Tax Court in 2007.

Mr. Kaplan received his Bachelors of Science degree from Regis University in 1986, graduating cum laude, and a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1996. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, in Nevada, since 1990. Mr. Kaplan is the author of many articles, including: "Changes to the Probate Code that Affect CPA's Payment of Professional Fees," Vol. 38, 2 The Silver State CPA 9 (1998); "Generation Skipping Transfer Tax: Sophisticated Estate Planning Strategies for the Advanced Practitioner in Nevada," National Business Institute (1998); "Litigation Support: When an Expert's Opinion is Discoverable," Vol. 37, 4 The Silver State CPA 12 (1997); "Delaying Income Tax When Selling Property," The Apartment Insider (1997). Speaker: Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure-Expert Witness, 1998 and Nevada Discovery and Evidence Rules, 1996, Litigation Support Committee, Nevada Society of Certified Public Accountants, Pro Bono Training; "Preserving your Job Through your Employer's Wealth," Internal Management Accountants, 1997; "CPA's in Court: Court Rules that Affect Expert Testimony," CPA Education Association, 1997; Lorman - Advising Small Business Startups and Larger Companies, 2007; Fundamentals of Trust Administration, National Business Institute, 2008.

He is a member of the Clark County and Colorado Bar Associations; State Bar of Nevada; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Southern Nevada Estate Planning Counsel; WealthCounsel; Nevada Society of Certified Public. Mr. Kaplan has served as a member of the board of directors for Lutheran Social Services of Nevada since 2003. In addition, he serves on the Nevada Conservation League and as a Commissioner for the Clark County Housing Authority. He has been married for 20 years.

Kent Larson -
Mr. Kent Larson, ChFC, is a Senior Financial Consultant for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans who manages the Las Vegas team of financial professions. He was born and raised in Harlan, Iowa. Being raised in a farm community has served him well with small town values and work ethics. Mr. Larson received his Bachelors in English Literature and completed his Masters degree in Divinity in St. Paul, Minnesota. He served Lutheran congregations in Iowa and Texas. Mr. Larson began his career in the financial services industry with Lutheran Brotherhood - now Thrivent Financial for Lutherans - 13 years ago in Houston, Texas. In 1996 he was promoted to Associate General Agent and was asked to manage the Tennessee market. Now residing in Las Vegas, Mr. Larson serves as the Regional Managing Associate, serving the investment needs for Thrivent Financial. A Wrap Account specialist, he serves those who desire individual attention.

Mr. Larson has been married for 33 years to Marsha who also serves as his executive assistant. They have two grown children, Steven and Allison. Steven joined the Red Rock Group in 2007 and Allison teaches 3rd grade in Memphis.

Kent has served as a board member of Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, Faith Lutheran Jr./Sr. High School and as president of Community Outreach Development. He enjoys traveling and cooking as hobbies.

Carey Miller
Mr. Carey Miller, P.E., works for DLT&V Systems Engineering, Inc. as director of engineering for the corporation in Nevada. He came to that position in 2008, bringing with him more than 16 years of experience in the instrument, controls, mechanical and electrical engineering fields. Mr. Miller has formerly worked for TIMET in Henderson, Nevada, where he was a senior project manager in charge of global manufacturing information systems. At TIMET, he was responsible for the global rollout of the Wonderware System Platform to TIMET's three North American plants and two plants in the United Kingdom. Previously, he worked for Bioproducts, Inc. in Las Vegas, and designed a dairy bypass fat supplement plant that is currently operating in Corcoran, California. Mr. Miller began his career with the consulting firm, Nofsinger, Inc., a division of Burns & McDonnell, Inc., in Kansas City, after graduating from Kansas State University with his B.S.E.E. He is a registered professional engineer in the states of Kansas and Nevada.

Mr. Miller has served for the past three years on the board of directors of Lutheran Social Services of Nevada. He is the father of one grown son.

Robin R. Smith-
A third-generation Las Vegan, Robin R. Smith is proud to be a lifelong resident of our community. Having earned her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from UNLV, Ms. Smith has been an employee of NV Energy for the last 23 years. She currently holds that organization's position of Manager, Generation Business & Partnerships and is a Certified Internal Auditor. She also holds the distinction of being a member of Leadership Las Vegas' Class of 2006. Ms. Smith is proud to serve with the American Heart Association, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and Lutheran Social Services.

Kimberly Wanker -
Ms. Kimberly A. Wanker, Esq. is an attorney engaged in her own private law practice. For the past 22 years, Ms. Wanker has been involved in all aspects of running a civil employment law and business litigation practice. Ms. Wanker has extensive experience in all aspects of employment law and litigation, representing public and private employers in the states of Nevada and Colorado. Ms. Wanker has day to day involvement and experience in handling informal and formal employee complaints, discrimination claims, wage and hour disputes, workers' compensation and unemployment matters, union grievance issues, and wrongful termination issues. Ms. Wanker has previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Nevada Self-Insurer's Association and for Employers of Nevada. Ms. Wanker, a native Nebraskan, graduated with High Distinction from the University of Nebraska in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Ms. Wanker received her Juris Doctor, with distinction, from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1987.

Ms. Wanker is a member of Community Lutheran Church where she is actively involved in the "Water for the Homeless Program." Ms. Wanker also donates her time to various non-profit organizations in Clark County, by providing free employment law advice and assistance.

Executive Committee

Nominating Sub-Committee

Resource Development Sub-Committee

Finance Sub-Committee

Oversight Sub-Committee

Personnel Sub-Committee

Permanent Campus Ad-Hoc Committee