Extension welcomed two new members to its Advisory Council this week, Laura E. Perkins and Maureen Schafer.

Perkins sits on the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education representing District 1 (Clark County). With a foundational belief that personal and professional success lies in learning, she has held positions as a teaching assistant at the College of Southern Nevada and as a student liaison at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, where she assisted students in transitioning from the classroom to a clinical environment. A former City of North Las Vegas Planning Commissioner and past-Chairman, she hopes in her role as a Regent to advance the state’s economic diversity by giving Nevada’s workforce a broader skill set that will help attract a variety of companies to the state.

Schafer is the President and CEO of the Schafer Company, LLC, providing specialized growth, strategic and operations advisory services to private, public and nonprofit institutions. Her clients span the healthcare, education, communications, media and real estate sectors. She is currently the President and CEO of the Nevada Health & Bioscience Asset Corporation. Previously, she served as Chief of Staff of the UNLV School of Medicine, launching Las Vegas’s first four-year public allopathic medical school. Schafer participates in various community and social board engagements, dedicated to bringing awareness, resources, services and support to the organizations she serves.

“We are very happy to have Laura and Maureen join our Advisory Council,” said Ivory W. Lyles, Director of Extension. “We have such a great group guiding and supporting our efforts, and Laura and Maureen will be two more great additions. They both have outstanding experience serving our state’s educational efforts and are extremely involved in advancing their communities and this state.”

Extension Advisory Council members serve for three-year terms, providing support and counsel to Extension through Council meetings and informal interactions with the Director of Extension and other leadership at the University of Nevada, Reno. Council members are active, informed advocates for Extension goals and plans, and provide advice and stakeholder input on decisions related to Extension, including budgeting, operations and programming. Council members support and help advance Extension’s work in six program areas described in the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS 549.010):

• Agriculture
• Personal and Family Development (including 4-H)
• Community development
• Health and nutrition
• Horticulture
• Natural resources

The Council represents Nevada’s diverse populations, communities and industries, currently having 25 members. In addition to Perkins and Schafer, members include: Christian Kolberg (Chair), James (Hank) Combs (Vice Chair), Michael Brown, Stephanie Cook, Jeremy Drew, Joann Elston, Annette George, Jon Griggs, Peter Guzman, Dorothy Huffey, Ray Johnson, Marilyn Kirkpatrick, Leana Litten Carey, Lorraine Marshall, John McLain, Daniele Monroe-Moreno, Bob Potts, Dagny Stapleton, Dave Stix Jr., Jake Tibbits, Marci Todd, Tanya Wolf and Ana Wood.