Newsmakers, March 5-11, 2015

Abel Edossa was named the 2015 Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada Youth of the Year against five finalists and received a $1,000 scholarship. Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Clubs member can receive. Edossa is a senior at Rancho High School, where he is enrolled in the Medical Academy. As a 10-year member of the Boys and Girls Clubs, he has dedicated his time serving the community through the Keystone Club and working as a tutor for Andson Academics.

Dr. Lynn Fenstermaker has been named project director for Nevada’s NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research and Space Grant Programs. Fenstermaker, an associate research professor at Nevada’s Desert Research Institute, has more than 20 years of experience studying Nevada’s climate and ecosystems.

Owen Egge, a Sun City Aliante resident, has been appointed a trustee to the Foundation Assisting Seniors Board of Directors. The foundation is the nonprofit parent organization of Sun City Aliante’s Seniors Assisting Seniors, Sun City Anthem Community Services and Neighbors Assisting Seniors Sun City Solera, which provide free assistance to residents in need of help replacing filters, batteries, light bulbs and medical equipment. Egge replaces Alan Melnick, who served three years on the board.

Ryan Kim, a culinary student at UNLV, was recently named the winner of the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Regional Competition for the Western Region.

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada announced the appointment of three new executives to the organization’s leadership team: Patty Duffey, chief operating officer; Kesha Dirkson, chief fund development and marketing officer; and Melody Sherrill, chief financial officer.

Valerie L. Chang of Las Vegas is one of 240 certified physician assistants nationally to recently earn a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada announced the promotion of MaryBeth Sherwin to practice administrator. Sherwin was previously CCCN’s practice manager for six years, overseeing its southeast Henderson and Central Valley sites. In her new role, Sherwin will continue to oversee those sites in addition to working with CCCN’s executive director, James Kilber, on special projects.

Sidney Morris, a student at Northwest Career and Technical Academy, was selected to represent Las Vegas as a National Youth Correspondent to the 2015 Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Army Pvt. Nelson R. Carambas graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. He is a 2010 graduate of Sierra Vista High School.

Cory Yslas of Henderson received a Gold Star in the fall 2014 semester at The Citadel South Carolina Corps of Cadets in Charleston, S.C.

Zachary Kalbfleisch of Henderson made the fall 2014 dean’s list at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.

Summer Holloway of Henderson made the fall 2014 dean’s list at Simpson University in Redding, Calif.

Brianna Yee and Whitney Yarbrough, both of Las Vegas, and Alexa Murrietta of North Las Vegas made the fall 2014 dean’s list at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.

Jennifer Allen of Las Vegas earned fall 2014 highest honors at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.

The Community Associations Institute’s Nevada Chapter, an educational organization representing homeowners associations, community managers and industry partners statewide, has announced its 2015 board of directors and committee chairs. The 2015 CAI Nevada board of directors are: president, James Gibson, vice president of business development, FirstService Residential; president-elect, Mindy Martinez, CIRMS, DCAL, NVEBP, vice president commercial lines western; and vice president, Norm Rosensteel, PCAM, NVEBP, president ATC Assessment Collection Group. For the full listing, visit tinyurl.com/CAIboard.