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Anita LaRuy
Past Director of the North Las Vegas Library DistrictActivist for women's rights, leader in promoting leadership training for women to enter the political arena, founding member of Southern Nevada Women’s Political Caucus 1987-1990, first Hispanic to serve as Chairperson of Nevada Equal Rights Commission, Co-founder , Hispanic Business Professional and Women’s Club of Las Vegas.
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Edythe Katz Yarchever
Founder of the Holocaust Museum in Las Vegas, she passed away August 31, 2015.
Katz-Yarchever, 95, a community activist, passed away Monday, Aug. 31, 2015. She was born July 6, 1920, in Boston, to Hyman and Gertrude Sperling (nee Cohen) and was a Las Vegas resident since 1951. Edythe was a founder of the Sperling-Kronberg-Mack Las Vegas Holocaust Resource Center and was appointed chairperson to the Governor's Advisory Council on Education Related to the Holocaust. She and her late husband, Judge Gilbert Yarchever, gave generously to the UNLV College of Fine Arts, College of Liberal Arts, Boyd School of Law and the University library. – See more at: http://obits.reviewjournal.com/obituaries/lvrj/obituary.aspx?pid=175724908#sthash.0AmWvc7G.dpufEdythe marched in the 60s as a NAACP member for African American Rights. She was a civil rights activist, espousing equality for all. An elementary school is named for her and her first husband. As member of the Governors Advisory Council on the Holocaust Education she gave presentations, made videos and developed other educational materials.
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Lily Fong
Educator, Philanthropist and Community leader
Lilly Fong was the first Asian American to be hired by the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. She later served ten years as a Regent for the University of Nevada System of Higher Education, was a president of the American Association of University Women, Las Vegas and helped raise money to fund several University of Nevada, Las Vegas buildings. An elementary school is named for her and her husband and the Geo-science building at UNLV is named for Lily Fong.
other source of information : www.unr.edu/nwhp/bios/women/fong.htm
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Barbara Buckley
First woman to be elected as Speaker of the Nevada AssemblyBarbara served as Clark County District 8 Democrat Assemblywoman from 1994 – 2009, Executive Director of the Clark County Legal Services providing free legal services to low-income Nevadans, has received numerous awards, such as, Lawyer of the Yeaar, Legislator of the Year and the Kristine Nagy Johnson Award for Child Advocacy.
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Geoconda Arguello-Kline
Acclaimed one of the most powerful women in Las VegasIn 2004 as President of the Culinary Union, the largest and most powerful union in the area, she oversaw the Culinary Training Unit and actively worked to improve working conditions and benefits for culinary union members.
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Jan Jones
The first female elected official in the city of Las VegasWhen Jan became mayor of the city of Las Vegas 1991-1999, she renovated downtown Las Vegas with the Fremont Street Experience, currently, 2011, Vice- President of Community and Government Affairs at Caesars, formerly Harrah's Entertainment, she serves on many boards and has received many awards.
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Punam Mathur
Served on many local boards and been appointed to state commissionsPunam is a past Sr. Vice President Corporate Diversity and Community Affairs and a corporate officer for MGM MIRAGE, has served on many local boards and been appointed to state commissions, in particular she serves on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Education Reform, currently, 2011, she is Vice President, People Resources, at NV Energy.
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Nancy Allf Thomas
Advocate for women and children
Nancy Allf Thomas is a Judge on the Eighth Judicial District Court. Nancy came to Nevada in 1983 from Kentucky where she earned her B.A. and J.D. degrees. Since 1983, Nancy has been a private attorney, President of The Clark County Bar Association, President of the Nevada State Bar Association, and ran for the Nevada Supreme Court. She has been an active member of the Las Vegas community through UNLV’s Boyd School of Law, the College of Southern Nevada’s Paralegal Program, Planned Parenthood, and has been recognized for her outstanding service by the Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and the Las Vegas Centennial Women of Diversity Project. In many ways Judge Nancy Allf Thomas has been and continues to be a role model for women who aspire to leadership and who wish to contribute to our society.
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Sarann Knight Preddy
A past owner of the Moulin Rouge and Former vice-president of Las Vegas area NAACPSarann is a leader in forming several women’s political organizations, as well as, the being the first President of the Nevada Black Chamber of Commerce, advocate for the needs of residents of West Las Vegas, in 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Her autobiography, 72 Years in Las Vegas, was published in July, 2015. Sarann passed away in December 2014.
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Thalia Dondero
First women elected to the Clark County CommissionThalia served as chair of the Clark County Commission, Served on the Board of Regents of the Nevada State University System. She has been President of Junior League and Executive Director of Frontier Girls Scouts Council. Thalia passed away in the Fall of 2016.
