Gail Bates
Gail Bates comes to LSSN with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara University. She spent the first ten years of her career with NV Energy working in various departments before moving on to the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, where she currently serves as the Manager of Energy Services, manages an annual budget of approximately $60 million, and oversees 8 employees that are responsible for supplying electrical power to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Las Vegas Valley Water District, and the City of Las Vegas for their water pumping and wastewater treatment needs. She is also a Certified Public Manager.

Ann Casey
Ann Casey is a native of Las Vegas and comes to LSSN with a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation from the University of Colorado - Boulder, and Masters in Business Administration and a Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. She has worked in a variety of industries, including public recreation, hospital administration in finance, information technologies, and administration, and human resources payroll and compensation in the banking industry. Ann has been with NV Energy for fifteen years and has worked in various departments prior to her present position managing the contract relationship between NVE and its partners in several generating stations.

Shirley A. Derke
Shirley A. Derke comes to LSSN with a Juris Doctor from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. She was granted a CPA certificate in 1983, admitted to the Nevada Bar in 1986, and has since been admitted to both the United States Tax Court and the US District Court of Nevada. She is a member of the American Bar Association; the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the American Association of Attorneys and CPAs; the Nevada State Bar; the Clark County Bar Association; the Southern Nevada Estate Planning Council; and the Medicaid Practice Systems. Her practice in Las Vegas is limited to estate planning and elder law.

Barbara Schafer
Barbara Schafer comes to LSSN with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Behavior and a Master of Human Resources Degree in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. She retired from Pacific Bell after serving 15 years in various management capacities. Ms. Schaefer also instructed courses in management and organizational behavior at Cal State University from 2002 through 2006, as well as holding the position of Lecturer in the Master's Programs at both Chapmen College and the College of Professional Physiology.

She is proud to serve as a member of the City of San Ramon's Advisory Board on Senior Projects, the B&B Community Group's Board of Directors, and as President of St. Paul's Episcopal Church's League of Women, along with volunteering for the City of Visalia's Chamber of Commerce and lecturing for their Service Clubs.

Helen L. Smith
A resident of Las Vegas and Henderson since 1963, Helen L. Smith comes to LSSN with a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Therapy from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Helen served the Clark County School District from 1963 until her retirement in 1992, serving in the positions of Speech and Language Therapist, Teacher of the Deaf, Coordinator of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, and School Psychologist. She then held the position of Vice-President with Retail Management, Inc. until 2006.

Helen has been very active in the LSSN community, having served as a member of the board of directors from 1996 until 2007, as well as holding the corporate office of Secretary and various volunteer roles. She is also a member of the Reformation Lutheran Church Council and has served there in numerous leadership capacities.

Helen also has a distinct passion for genealogical research. She teaches classes in that discipline through the Paseo Verde Library, supports the Clark County Nevada Genealogical Society in a variety of capacities, and edits their quarterly publication, The Prospector.

Richard T. Winters
A resident of Las Vegas since 1970, Richard T. Winters graduated from the Naval Nuclear Power School in 1990 and spent four years as the Chief Machinery Operator on the U.S.S. Nimitz during Operation Desert Storm. Since then, he has logged sixteen years in Power Plant Operations and Maintenance, including eight years in management. He currently holds the position of Manager, Continuous Improvement with NV Energy, as well as being a trained facilitator in the Deming Methodology of Problem Solving and Root Cause Analysis. His philanthropic interests include work with the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas, Junior Achievement of Las Vegas, and the YMCA's On Your Side "Helping the Homeless" Fairs.