Members of the CCSF Board of Directors are volunteers from the community who devote their time and talents to developing opportunities to support the creativity of Carson City School District students, teachers, and staff to address their needs. Email info@ccschoolsfoundation.org if you are interested in putting your talents and passion for our public school system to work as a member of the CCSF board.
Board Members
Steve Reynolds
President
Steve Reynolds served two terms on the Carson City School District Board of Trustees and is a local small business owner in Carson City. Steve has been a manager for retail store chains, an accomplished sales, and business director in the media industry, and a business owner. He is an award-winning graphic artist and has taught design, advertising, and marketing in professional and college settings. Committed to neighbors and community, Steve has served in many callings, including president of Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, president of the local Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouts, and other business and service organizations; in city government, he also served on the Regional Transportation Commission and the Planning Commission for Carson City. He and his family have resided in Carson City for 28 years and both sons are graduates of the School District.
Casey Gilles
Secretary/Treasurer
Casey Gilles moved to Carson City in 1986 with her husband and two sons. Casey had completed her BA in Liberal Arts at Chico the year she moved to Carson. She then went on to complete her Teaching Endorsement from UNR and was hired at Seeliger Elementary in Carson City. She taught first and second grades at Seeliger for 15 years. When her sons had graduated from UNR, Casey went back and earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership to become an administrator. She was Vice Principal at Bordewich Bray Elementary School for 4 years and then was hired as Principal of JC Fremont Elementary School. Casey was the principal until June 2017.
During her time with the Carson City School District, Casey served on numerous committees including Teacher co-chair for the annual Seeliger Pumpkin Patch from its inception until leaving for Bordewich Elementary School, Elementary District Science Coordinator, and later, president of the Carson City Administrators Association.
In 2019, Casey was asked to leave retirement and contract with the District to become the Internal Coach for the Preschool Program. Even though there was a year’s hiatus due to Covid, she is still in this position and loves every minute of it!
Casey’s interest in children and education has influenced her choice of volunteer work throughout the years. She has been on the Board of the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada for over 8 years, where she has served as President and is currently the Treasurer.
In her spare time, Casey loves traveling with her family, working in her gardens, and entertaining friends. Carson City has truly been a wonderful place live and work. The Carson City School District is her second home!
Richard Stokes
Board Member
A native of Salmon, Idaho Richard began his career in education in 1987 as a high school science teacher in Lyman, Wyoming. After obtaining a graduate Degree from the University of Wyoming in school administration, Richard and his family moved from Wyoming to Hawthorne, Nevada in 1995 where he accepted a job as the Principal of Mineral County High School. Three years later he was hired as Mineral County School District’s Superintendent. In July of 2001, Richard accepted the job of Associate Superintendent of Human Resources in Carson City School District. In 2008 he was appointed as the Superintendent of Carson City’s public schools until his retirement in June of 2022. Richard has served as the President of the Nevada Association of School Superintendents and was named Nevada’s 2014 Superintendent of the Year. Richard recently completed a one-year term as the Governor’s appointee to the State School Board and is active in working with state leaders on matters relevant to education.
Valerie Dockery
Board Member
Valerie Dockery joins the CCSF board this year, after serving as an administrator in the Carson City School District for 21 years. Valerie has over 35 years of experience as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, and district-level administrator. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about providing programs that meet the needs of individual students, and she was instrumental in developing the District’s Pre-K program, gifted and talented studies, after-school programs, Jump Start, and the School-Based Health Center. Valerie holds a bachelor’s degree in teaching from the University at Albany in New York, and a master’s in educational administration from the California State University-Stanislaus. She enjoys reading historical fiction, traveling, hiking, camping with her family, and spending time with her grandchildren.
Jennifer Mahe, Esq.
Board Member
Ms. Mahe is the principal of Mahe Law, Ltd. and was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada. She has been a practicing attorney in the Northern Nevada area since passing the Nevada State Bar in 2005. Throughout her years of practice, she has handled legal matters in a variety of areas. She has experience with estate planning, business law, family law, real property, and litigation. She has appeared before a variety of regulatory and judicial bodies, including but not limited to Nevada District Courts, Federal District Court, Federal Bankruptcy Court, the State Engineer, and the Nevada Public Utilities Commission.
Ms. Mahe graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2001, with distinction, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a minor in developmental disabilities. Throughout her undergraduate degree, she worked in the field of developmental disabilities, an area in which she continues to be involved, not only as a volunteer and as counsel for various individuals but also as the guardian of an individual diagnosed with profound mental retardation. Following graduation from the University of Nevada, Reno she attended the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and obtained a Juris Doctorate, with great distinction, in 2005.
Following her graduation from law school, Ms. Mahe worked as a Law Clerk in the Third Judicial District Court for the Honorable Judges Blake, Estes and Pedersen. She was thereafter an associate and partner at the law firm of Allison, MacKenzie, Ltd. After pursuing graduate work at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, she founded Mahe Law, Ltd. As the founder of Mahe Law, Ltd. she hopes to provide individuals with assistance in their legal matters as well as donating her time to non-profit entities providing services to the community.
Patty Chang
Board Member
Patty Chang has been a CCSF board member since 2021. She is the Vice President of Risk Management for Greater Nevada Credit Union, where she has worked since 2010. Patty has been in Carson City since 1992 and in financial services since 1993. While she attended school in Las Vegas, Patty has been involved in many volunteer opportunities in the Carson City School District including CHS Senior Projects Judge, Mock Interviewer, Debate Team Judge, Junior Achievement Presenter, financial literacy activities, and WNC Promise Scholarship Mentor.
Patty has also created and presented Financial Literacy training for community members and is passionate about helping our youth to take advantage of the many opportunities they have to succeed. Most recently, Patty was selected as a 2022 Soroptimist Honoree for Women Helping Women. A 2020 graduate with a BS in Business Management from Western Governor’s University, Patty enjoys summer days, playing tennis, cooking, and game nights with her husband and friends.
Keith Squires
Board Member
Keith has served on the CCSF board since its creation in 2015. He brings the experiences of having spent 40 years in education as a teacher, Dean, Vice-Principal, and Principal. Thirty of that in public education, and 10 in a Christian school.
After graduating from UNR and moving to Las Vegas to start my teaching career he subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Education Administration at UNLV. Following this, he moved back to Reno/Carson to finish up his public school teaching and administration then became a teacher/principal for my last 10 years in Carson at a local Christian school. Keith is also retired from the Nevada Air National Guard, as a First Sergeant, with 21 years of service. He volunteers with the Carson High Boy’s and Girl’s Golf which is his passion, and since retiring joined the Carson City Schools Foundation to keep his hand in helping teachers and administrators expand the minds of their students.
Gary Lyon
Board Member
Gary Lyon has been a member of the CCSF Board of Directors since 2018. He is retired after 49 years of working in the military, private, and public service technology sectors. Prior to joining the CCSF Board Gary served 10 years as the Community Chair for the Carson High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Committee.
Gary also brings experience as a former executive director for two local non-profits, and a small business owner. Born in Carson City, Gary holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University and enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing pickleball, practicing photography and playing music, traveling, golfing, and fishing.
Advisors to the Board
Richard Varner, President
Carson City School Board
Richard has resided in Nevada since 1960, graduating from Yerington High School. After retiring after 41 years in law enforcement he was elected to the Carson City School Board in 2018 and recently volunteered to serve on the CCSF board of directors as a School Board representative.
Christine Perkins
CCSD Special Projects Coordinator
Christie Perkins, is the Director of Grants and Special Projects for the Carson City School District, with her Special Project currently focused on the district-wide implementation of MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) for both Academic and Behavior. Previously Christie was the Special Projects Coordinator/ McKinney Vento and Foster Care Liaison for CCSD and enjoyed coordinating community resources for our students most in need.
Before coming to the Carson City School district Christie served as the Assistant Principal for Kendyl Depoali Middle School in South Reno for 12 years (2009-2021). She also was dean of students, 7th and 8th grade English teacher, Department lead, and student government advisor during her 19 years in Washoe County School District.
Christie earned her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English from UNR in 2002 and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership Administration and Supervision from the University of Phoenix in 2008, she is a certified GATE endorsed educator. Perkins grew up in Lake Tahoe and has been a Nevada resident for more than 30 years. Perkins enjoys spending time with her family, supporting her children’s travel sports teams, reading, decorating, planning events, and spending time outside enjoying Nevada. She loves being a part of the community where she lives, and her children attend school acting as the district Liaison for the Carson City School Foundation.
Dan Davis, APR
CCSD Public Information Officer
Dan Davis, APR, is the Public Information Office for the Carson City School District, a position he helped launched when hired in February of 2017. He is a seasoned public relations professional with extensive work experience in both public (for-profit) and private (not-for-profit) sectors. He is a strategic thinker using foresight and skill to meet measurable objectives. He has helped feature the district in more than 600 total news media stories annually, earning nearly $200,000 in media coverage; and he distributes district-driven newsletters to more than 22,000 people each quarter. In 2018, Davis earned a Bronze Spike Award from the Public Relations Society of America for developing and implementing the Carson City School District’s Communications Plan. He retains extensive persuasive and news writing abilities, but his strongest attribute is his gregarious attitude, which enables him to successfully manage professional relationships with decorum.
Being born and raised in Carson City, he is pleased to be home benefitting future scholars, doctors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, etc. Previous work experience includes Marketing Manager for Bayer Properties (The Summit), Feb. 2013 – Feb. 2017; Public Information Officer for Renown Health, May 2007 – Feb. 2013; and Associate with The Walton Group, Jan. 2002 – May 2007.