Patricia Charlton

Vice President Emeritus, College of Southern Nevada

Patricia “Patty” Charlton, Vice President Emeritus, College of Southern Nevada, is a distinguished leader with over 28 years of experience in Nevada’s higher education landscape. Charlton holds degrees from the College of Southern Nevada (CSN)and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Her extensive career at CSN, including key leadership roles, culminated in her retirement with the title of Emeritus in 2022.

In 2023, Charlton assumed the role of acting vice chancellor for academic & student affairs before being appointed interim chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education in August 2023. Beyond her administrative roles, Charlton is actively involved in community service, serving on boards and committees for organizations like the United Way of Southern Nevada and the Clark County School District. Her commitment extends to various community causes, including educational initiatives, youth development, and community advisory roles.

Throughout her career, Charlton’s significant contributions to higher education, coupled with her expertise in policy development, financial acumen, and dedication to transparency and communication, have established her as a respected leader in the higher education sector.

Michelle Johnson

Director of Nursing Education, Nevada State Board of Nursing

Dr.  Michelle Johnson is the Director of Nursing Education for the Nevada State Board of Nursing.  She oversees all RN, LPN, and CNA programs for the Board of Nursing and is editor of Nevada Nursing News.  In addition, she is the chair of the Education Advisory Committee for the Nevada State Board of Nursing.  She is the 2023 recipient of the Nevada Nurses Foundation’s “People’s Choice Award” for Director of Nursing of the Year. She has worked as a Chief Nurse Administrator for Hawaii Pacific University as well as the Chair of Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Programs there.  Prior to that she was an Assistant Program Director of the online MSN Nursing Education track at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT. She also served as an assistant professor at Nevada State University for seven years. Recently, she served on the Board of Directors for the Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada. She has been an educator for 28 years, a pediatric nurse practitioner for 30 years, and an RN for 34 years.  She has worked in the Neonatal ICU, School-Based Health/Adolescent Medicine, Pediatric Sickle Cell, and primary care pediatrics. She earned her BSN from the University of Michigan, her master’s degree in child health nursing from Georgia State University, a post-master’s certificate in Nursing Education from Wayne State University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Fred Lokken *

Professor, Truckee Meadows Community College

Fred Lokken is dean of WebCollege and a tenured professor of political science at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada. He served as chair of the Nevada Distance Education Directors Group for seven years and has been a board member of the Instructional Technology Council (ITC), an affiliated council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) since 2003. He also served as chair elect, chair, and past chair of the ITC. Lokken also serves as chair of the Coalition of Affiliated Councils (COAC) of the AACC. He has been a member of the WCET – the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies National Academic Integrity Task force for the past two years. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a master’s degree in political science from Washington State University, and completed coursework in political science toward a doctorate from the University of British Columbia.

Tracy Brown-May

Representative, Nevada State Legislature

Marilyn Dondero Loop

Senator, Nevada State Legislature

Melanie Scheible

Senator, Nevada State Legislature

Robin Titus

Senator, Nevada State Legislature