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Mark Bacon, '93 MA Communication Studies, is an author whose latest book, a mystery titled Desert Kill Switch, was published by Black Opal Books in September. Set against the backdrop of Nostalgia City, an Arizona retro theme park that recreates, in meticulous detail, an entire small town from the 1970s, the book features stressed-out ex-cop Lyle Deming. Some of the action takes place in Nevada. Bacon, who began his career as a newspaper reporter in Southern California covering crime and city beats, also is the author of Death in Nostalgia City. He and his wife, Anne, live in Reno with their golden retriever, Willow.  

Ralph Hollingshead, '78 MS Math, retired from JT3 in 2014 after more than 33 years as a software engineer and configuration manager. He and his wife, Joanna, moved to Kyiv, Ukraine, in March to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While there, they are creating a community tree for the village of Ridkivtsi, Chernivtsi, Ukraine, where Joanna's father was born. They are combing Orthodox Church birth, marriage, and death records to build the tree, which will cover the years 1840 to 1935.

Lorena Martinez Montenegro, '01 BSBA – Management Information Systems, works in the accounting field. She recently took up photography and spends time taking photos of her two daughters, Janessa Montenegro, a freshman majoring in biology at UNLV, and Jessenia Montenegro. She says the three of them enjoy the photo shoots and working as a team. She has been married for 20 years.   

Mahika Chandrasena, '96 BS Hotel Administration, is director of public relations for the Shangri La Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Among her previous jobs have been serving as director of marketing communications at Galle Face Hotel, group manager of corporate communications for the Mount Lavinia Hotel Group, head of corporate communications in GMR Airports in the Maldives, team leader of public relations for the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, and as a public relations executive for SriLankan Airlines. Along the way she earned a master's degree in public administration. She received the Professional Woman of the Year Award in corporate communications for 2011-12. She finally has built her own home, which had been a dream. Travel, both domestic and international, is her hobby. She has one adult son, Daniel.

Michael Newman, '86 MA English, teaches English at Desert Rose Adult High School. Previously, he taught freshman composition at UNLV for 17 years, worked as a dealer and boss in the gaming business for 40 years, was a member of the Culinary Union and the Laborer's Union, worked as a substitute teacher in the Clark County School District, and taught English at CSN. He also is a freelance writer and the author of Vegas: An Imploded Life, a memoir about growing up in Las Vegas from the time of the atomic explosions until the hotel casino implosions. He and his wife, Paula, have been married 45 years and have two adult children. Hobbies include swimming; watching classic movies, including film noir and Westerns; and reading. He particularly likes the post-Word War II British "angry young men" writers.

Albert "Berto" Pahang, '13 BSBA - Finance, after more than two years in upper retail management, has switched gears and become a Realtor. A broker-salesperson for the VanZant Group of Simply Vegas Real Estate, he specializes in residential real estate. His spouse is Ryan Golub, '11 BS Hotel Administration.

Christian "Dane" Terry, '12 BS Gaming Management, '16 BSBA - Finance, is working in commercial real estate as a sales agent for Virtus Commercial. A large part of his job is working with clients to help find them the perfect spot to open their businesses. He represent tenants, landlords, buyers, and sellers. Golf, real estate, and stock trading are among his hobbies.

Carmen Bull Buck, '79 AA Nursing, '86 BS Nursing, '96 MSN Nursing, earned a post-master's certificate as a family nurse practitioner in 2000 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Today she is a portrait, lifestyle, and humanitarian photographer capturing love, light, and compassion in every situation. During her 40-year nursing career, she worked with thousands of people seeking meaning and connection during challenging times. Healing and connection through storytelling and photography are her passions. Her latest book, Just See Me — Sacred Stories from the Other Side of Dementia, will be released next year. She is an international speaker and author teaching both live events and webinars on the topics of spirituality and photography. She creates legacies for people of all ages in the Austin, Texas, area and beyond. Her hobbies include hiking, traveling, and playing with her four dogs. She lives in Round Rock.      

Vickie Wilson, '01 BA Sociology, '10 Master of Education, is CEO of Vegas Valley Food Tours,  a top-rated culinary tour of downtown Las Vegas. She says she considers herself a culinary pioneer of sorts. Just when many people had given up on downtown, she launched her business in 2013. She also is the first woman to lead groups of strangers though the streets of downtown, introducing them to the delicious food available in many "Mom & Pop" establishments. A TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence recipient for the past three years, the company also has been voted one of the best tours in Las Vegas by AAA, Hopper Blog, Thrillist, and Expertise. Her hobbies include eating and traveling.      

Mary Ann Gutierrez, '91 BA Communication Studies, has joined Zonin USA as California key account manager. Previously, she worked in trade hospitality and wine education in California's Napa Valley, gained valuable experience in distributor sales working for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in New Mexico and Nevada, and worked as a sommelier at Le Bernardin in New York. She lives in Forestville, California.

Lisa Levine, '14 BA Political Science, '17 Master of Public Administration, has worked in Nevada politics for 10 years for her member of Congress on both the campaign and government sides. Her political and federal experiences are complimented by her college degrees. Outside of work, she advocates for animal welfare, education, and women’s issues. She serves on the Clark County Animal Advisory Board and the Women’s Research Institute of Nevada Advisory Board. Her hobbies include playing tennis, gardening, and traveling. She and her boyfriend, Andrew, have two treasured shelter pets, Lacey and Samara.

Jared Mintz, '02 BS Hotel Administration, recently accepted the role of director of group sales for Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito in Santa Barbara, California. The property is scheduled to open in the summer of 2018. He is working remotely from Las Vegas.