CONTRIBUTORS

Heather DeSart is a native Las Vegan. She and her three grown children are all products of the Clark County School District.

DeSart has two bachelor's degrees from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, one in criminology and one in anthropology. She has worked in the workforce development field for 12 years.

DeSart now serves as the deputy director of programs for Southern Nevada's local workforce investment board, Workforce Connections. She oversees all aspects of employment and training services for youth and adults in Southern Nevada.

DYMPHNA CALICA-LA PUTT

Dymphna Calica-La Putt has been a Las Vegas resident for almost 10 years and is currently editor-in-chief of the Las Vegas Asian Journal, the most widely-circulated ethnic newspaper in the city. Before coming to the United States, she was a financial reporter for Manila-based BusinessWorld, the oldest business newspaper in Asia.

She has a degree in journalism and has worked in communication and research at the Philippine Stock Exchange and Thomson Reuters.

She hears about the old days of Las Vegas from her husband who has lived in the city for 20 years, and she looks forward to the town's changing landscape that her 4-year-old son is experiencing.

LISA FERGUSON

Lisa Ferguson is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent more than two decades covering news and entertainment happenings in Las Vegas. The Nevada Press Association award recipient has interviewed countless celebrities while reporting on the local entertainment, dining, shopping and lifestyle scenes. She has also written articles about myriad health, aging and women's issues.

Ferguson's articles have appeared in newspapers throughout the nation.

TOM HAYNIE

Tom Haynie is a freelance writer living in Medford, Ore. He is the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Manpower Inc. of Southern Nevada.

Born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania, Haynie is a U.S. Air Force veteran from the Vietnam era. He has senior management experience in large and small companies in Nevada, Michigan and Washington. He is the founder and former president of a manufacturing company in the Pacific Northwest.

An avid reader and writer, he has written two novels that are published and available on www.Amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

Haynie has served the community as a volunteer instructor for Junior Achievement and a merit badge counselor and former Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of the board of directors for QTS Payroll Services and a former board member of Las Ventanas of Summerlin.

KIMBERLEY McGee

Kimberley McGee is a nationally published writer and gossip columnist based in Las Vegas. A resident of Las Vegas for more than 30 years, she's written in-depth articles on a wide variety of subjects, from autism to cancer research, and interviewed some of today's biggest stars, from Celine Dion to Justin Timberlake, but the interviews with at-home entrepreneurs who turned job rejections into new careers for a recent special section were some of her most inspirational to date.

McGee is married and works from home while caring for her 1-year-old twins.

ART NADLER

Art Nadler has lived in Southern Nevada for more than 35 years, having worked in journalism as a business and medical reporter and feature writer. In recent years, he was the Drive editor for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the public information officer of the Nevada State Contractors Board and the public relations/marketing director for Red Inc. Communications.

He is also an avid photographer having exhibited at the Summerlin Library, in Boulder City art shows and various private locations around the valley.

His photographs can be viewed at www.gicleephotography.com.

BRIAN SODOMA

Brian Sodoma has covered business, real estate, health and other topics for 14 years - 10 of them in Southern Nevada. Originally from Chicago, he lives with his wife and two children in Henderson.

In his free time, he studies film and is involved with valley youth hockey and soccer programs.