Felice Garcia
Felice Garcia, '09 BA Music, recently performed for troops overseas in the United Arab Emirates. She spent the summer touring with numerous shows, including Green Day and Chainsmokers, performing in Montana, Alaska, Tennessee, and California. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and writing comedy sketches. She lives in Venice, California, with her best friends.
Ashley Seda
Ashley Seda, '15 BS Business Administration - Marketing, is the social media strategist and brand manager for the Las Vegas 51s baseball team. The 51s are a Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. She is engaged to Nicholas Paxton, '15 MS Educational Psychology. The couple plans to wed in October 2018.
Jamie Bichelman
Jamie Bichelman, '13 BA Psychology, is moving to Carson City to become public information officer for the Nevada department of transportation (NDOT). He will manage the public relations and information program for NDOT on a statewide basis; provide video interviews; write media releases, newsletters, and informational brochures; produce audiovisual presentations; and take photographs for the same agency for which his father worked for 33 years. A native Floridian, he previously spent two years managing communications for UNLV's public safety department.
Celinda Pena
Celinda Pena, '11 BS Human Services Counseling, '13 Master of Social Work, and Johnny Dominguez, '13 BA Political Science, were married May 5 after 12 years together. They both work directly with students on high school school campuses. Celinda, who is a licensed social worker in Nevada, works as a case manager, trying to assure that students graduate on time despite any barriers they may face. Johnny works as a college counselor preparing students for the next chapter of their education. Previously a UNLV admissions counselor, Johnny also is pursuing a master's degree in higher education at UNLV. Both are active in their respective Greek organizations, Kappa Delta Chi sorority, and Nu Alpha Kappa fraternity. They describe themselves as proud Rebels who enjoy adventure, exploring new things, cultural community events, spending time with family, and looking for ways to give back to their community. The couple lives in North Las Vegas.
David Kohlasch
David Kohlasch, '84 BS Hotel Administration, has been appointed general manager of the award-winning Chase Park Plaza, a Royal Sonesta Hotel located in St. Louis. A 10-year Sonesta employee, he most recently served as general manager of Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta in Duluth, Georgia. Prior to that, he was general manager at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore. In his new role, he is responsible for the successful execution of all aspects of the hotel’s sales, marketing, financial, and hotel operations. Built in 1922, the Chase Park Plaza boasts the 2017 TripAdvisor certificate of excellence and features more than 338 guest rooms and suites. The property overlooks Forest Park, named in 2016 by USA Today as the most beautiful city park in the nation. A 35-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Kohlasch is an avid sports fan who is looking forward to following his new 'home town' teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues.
Nathaniel Taylor
Nathaniel Taylor, '06 BA Political Science, founded the Taylor Consulting Group, a local government affairs and business consulting firm in 2009. His firm specializes in land use consulting, liquor licensing, gaming licensing, and government relations. He is one of only a handful of “enrolled agents” in the Nevada; this allows him to represent his clients before the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission. Since graduating, he has worked in the public and private sector, experiencing very diverse challenges.
His career has included working for the city of Las Vegas as a management analyst, working for former state Sen. Mark James as his district manager, working for Clark County as a business license specialist, and completing a public service internship in Gov. Kenny Guinn’s office. He also has managed the #1 Zagat-rated Italian restaurant in New York City and has served as a trainer for Outback Steakhouse, Inc. His experience in the hospitality industry gives him a unique perspective when representing his firm’s many restaurant clients.
Andrew R. Nixon
Andrew Nixon, '78 Ed.D., is the author of 50 Shades of Grades, My Journey Through Wacademia and Three Lives of Peter Novak. The first includes chapters about his experiences as a UNLV student and as an employee in the academic support area of Rebel athletics. The latter is a historical novel. A retired university professor and administrator, he now is director of compliance and curriculum development for Hospitality International Training. His hobbies include writing and travel. He and his wife, Patricia Sepich Nixon, '69 BS Education, have a cat named Simone.
David Hiltz
David Hiltz, '94 MBA, was honored at an Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International conference held in Baltimore in June. He received the organization's prestigious Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his “incomparable service and consummate record of achievement supporting the Lexington-Concord Chapter.” AFCEA International is a non-profit association serving the military, government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications, information technology, intelligence, and global security. The award cited Hiltz’ impressive leadership in steering the chapter through turbulent times, directing assiduous fundraising events, and sustaining its Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Scholarship Program for deserving students at historic levels. He also was commended for his indispensable mentorship to the chapter’s Young AFCEAN (YAC) officers, where he guided an expanded YAC STEM-focused agenda, encouraged innovative initiatives, and expertly tutored future chapter leaders. While a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Hiltz, served in numerous weighty command and leadership positions, including chief of the family of systems architecture team, Air Force rapid capabilities office, and flight test engineer for the F-22, B-2, and F-117 aircraft. Retired from the Air Force, he currently leads the planning and control technologies directorate within the technology solutions business area at BAE Electronics Systems in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Rebecca Russell
Rebecca Russell, '01 BS Hotel Administration, recently accepted a position with JT3 as a corporate recruiter to support the company's Operations & Maintenance Division. She also is the company's jump start coordinator.
Kirk Cresto
Kirk Cresto, '88 BS Accounting, became director of corporate insurance at NiSource and vice president and board member for NiSource Insurance Company (NICI), a pure captive insurance company of the parent NiSource, in 2015. NiSource is one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States, serving nearly 4 million customers across seven states. Before that, Cresto held various positions of responsibility at NextEra Energy in Juno Beach, Florida, and at NVEnergy. This May he graduated from the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University with his executive MBA. He holds the RIMS-CRMP designation from the Risk Management Society (RIMS) as a certified risk management professional. While at UNLV he became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army through the university's Army ROTC program. All of his sons, including Bryce Cresto, '09 BA Criminal Justice, '10 BS Public Administration, and '15 MBA, also have served or still are serving in the Army. His hobbies include exercise, triathlons/duathlons, cycling, running, attending sporting events, and traveling. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Wendy Roksvold
Wendy Callahan Roksvold, '99 BA Communication Studies, is a senior recruiter for Futurestep/KornFerry. She also works closely with exchange students, serving as regional administrator for International Cultural Exchange Services and is always looking for host families to welcome students ages 15-18 into their homes during the school year. Photography, traveling, and selling Rodan+Fields skin care are among her hobbies. She lives in Henderson.
Angela Khristin Brown
Angela Khristin Brown, '97 BS Education - Recreation & Leisure Studies, '10 BS Education - Workforce Education, is a gaming lab assistant at CSN. Her hobbies are creative writing, including poetry. Some of her writings can be found on Sound Cloud, You Tube, Academia, Scribd, Radio Airplay, and Genius. She also is a poet-activist involved in Color of Change.