Highlighting achievements, Sept. 1, 2016 — PHOTOS | Downtown | Local

Navy officer: Las Vegas native Maryssa Ortiz, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class, is participating in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise. RIMPAC is the world’s largest maritime warfare exercise and trains officers to sustain vital relationships to ensure security across the world’s waters. Ortiz is one of 25,000 personnel across 26 nations who will be involved in the exercise.

Commerce program’s completion: SR Construction Vice President of Operations Bret Loughridge completed the Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Advance program for 2016. This program will give participants a hands-on experience in leadership while educating participants on the community. Members are also expected to form relationships with community members and come together to approach in-community challenges and how to solve them.

Green Award: The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension received the Innovation of the Year Award Aug. 9 from the Las Vegas Business Press for its Demonstration and Test Garden. The Green Award was handed out to the extension for its garden that was tended to by 200 Master Gardener volunteers. Visitors can find orchards, compost, mulch, native wash, roses, a cactus garden and a children’s garden for elementary school students who can learn about the sources of food and flowers.

Veteran of the Month: Kenneth Roberts, a 21-year Air Force member, was honored by Gov. Brian Sandoval as Nevada’s Veteran of the Month Aug. 23 at the Grant Sawyer Building, 555 E. Washington Ave. A Henderson resident, Roberts has also been practicing law since 1992. He was also a member of the creation of the Children’s Attorneys Project, an organization that gives neglected children fair legal representation.

Restaurateur receives honor: Drew Weintraub, managing partner of the Las Vegas Capital Grille at Fashion Show mall, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South, was awarded with Diamond Club status from Darden Restaurants. Weintraub was one of five managing partners from 56 Capital Grille locations across North America to receive the distinction.

Honor Rolls:

— Zachary Schaffer of Las Vegas and Natalie Yamamoto of Henderson were named to the spring 2016 dean’s list at Albany University in Albany, N.Y.

— Brooke Brennan and Sitong Huang, both of Las Vegas, were named to the spring 2016 dean’s list at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Graduations:

— DeShae Bowen-Edwards of Las Vegas received a bachelor’s degree from American International College in Springfield, Mass.

— Nicole Elizabeth Simpson and Joshua Jackson of Las Vegas received bachelor’s degrees May 26 from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. Simpson majored in business administration and East Asian languages and literature, summa cum laude, while Jackson majored in business administration.

— Sara Nelson of Las Vegas received a degree in psychology May 22 from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.