Nevada GOP Women Meet, Elect New Leaders

(Sherese Settelmeyer) – The Nevada Federation of Republican Women held its Biennial Conference last weekend in Las Vegas. The three-day event culminated on Saturday, October 10th at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino. A ceremonial banquet, marking the transition between outgoing and incoming NvFRW officers, was attended by over 180 men and women from every county and club in the Silver State.

United States Senator John Ensign and Congressman Dean Heller were keynote speakers at the banquet at which State Senator Barbara Cegavske served as Mistress of Ceremonies; 13 candidates for Governor, U. S. Senate and Congressional District 3 spoke earlier that same day.

The conference began Friday, October 9th with the customary itinerary: campaign speeches by candidates for the Executive Board following committee, executive board and president’s meetings. Next was a membership workshop led by one of the National Federation’s most successful presidents: Tonya Stiel from Franklin Republican Women of Louisiana, and NFRW Membership Committee Chair.

Immediately after the event, Governor Jim Gibbons hosted a welcome reception for attendees of the conference. NvFRW members and associates, state and federal legislators, and candidates for every constitutional office were treated to the governor’s hospitality in an elegant, intimate setting. A Pizza and Campaign workshop directly followed, wrapping up an exciting entre to the conference.

Saturday’s agenda contained the NvFRW housekeeping of bylaw updates and the election of federation officers. Newly elected officers for the Nevada Federation are:

• Lynn Hartung, President (Sparks Republican Women)
• Maraya Evans, 1st Vice President for Program (Boulder City RW)
• Melody Howard, 2nd Vice President for Membership (Active RW)
• Christine DeCorte, Treasurer (Active RW)
• Virginia Durgin, Secretary (Mt. Rose RW)
• Mike Hules, Northern District Director (Sparks RW)
• Joan Passaro, Southern District Director (Southern Hills RW)
• Marian Bond, Nominating Chair (Reno RW)

Two meetings concluded the conference on Sunday morning: a memorial ceremony for NvFRW members who died in 2008 and 2009, and an executive committee meeting for incoming and outgoing officers.

This was the 30th Biennial Conference of the Nevada Federation, marking 60 years of unity within the National Federation of Republican Women.

(Mrs. Settelmeyer is 1st Vice President of the Nevada Federation of Republican Women)