Dennis Gradillas

Dennis R. Gradillas, '91 BS Hotel Administration, is vice president of operations for HumanGood, a not-for-profit organization that provides housing, health care, and supportive services to older adults. He and his wife, Tami, and three young children relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2015. He spends his spare time competing in Ironman 70.2 events or cycling through the area. He also coaches fast pitch softball for 8 and 9 year-old girls and assists with other youth sports when possible. The family lives in Brentwood.     

Christian "Dane" Terry

Christian "Dane" Terry, '12 BS Gaming Management, '16 BSBA - Finance, works for a commercial real estate firm with a focus on retail properties. He represents buyers/sellers, landlords and tenants. His hobbies are golf, real estate, and baseball. He also enjoys trading in the markets, primarily equities and derivatives.

George Sovich

George C. Sovich, '11 BS Architecture, is vice president of Friedmutter Group in Las Vegas. In 2013 he earned a master's degree in architecture from USC. Golf and hiking are his hobbies.

James Robertson

James Robertson, '08 MBA and '08 JD, a partner at Downey Brand, was named 2018 Top Lawyer by Sacramento Magazine. Attorneys throughout the region participated in the voting, recommending colleagues in more than 50 legal disciplines. Attorneys who received the highest number of votes in each discipline received a Top Lawyer designation and were featured in the August issue of the magazine.    

Nadine Edwards

Nadine Edwards, '12 BS Hotel Administration, works for the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. A member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, she is preparing for deployment in November. In the span of three months, she was promoted to the rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force and graduated with her master's degree in instructional design from the University of Massachusetts - Boston. She also completed an internship with Pitney Bowes. She and her husband, Josiah, recently completed a 6,000-mile road trip in their renovated 1997 RV. They visited 25 states and are looking forward to their next long-term, long-distance trip to the Southwest. They live in Alexandria, Virginia.

Gregory Smith

Gregory M. Smith, '86 BA and '98 MA Criminal Justice, retired from public service in August, having served 21 years with the Nevada attorney general's office and four years with the Clark County district attorney's office. He is the father of Mark G. Smith, '16 BA Criminal Justice.      

Christopher Wicker

Christopher Wicker, '85 BS Geology, teaches Junior ROTC at a high school in Taylor, Michigan, having retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years. He was an ordnance officer in various positions around the world. Highlights included commanding a battalion of 890 soldiers in Iraq in 2003, commanding the garrison of White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico 2009-11, and managing the construction of a large base camp in Northern Afghanistan in 2012. He retired in 2015 as the chief of market intelligence for U.S. Army Recruiting Command. He raised two girls mostly by himself as they lived in 10 different states and in Europe. Physical conditioning, building motorcycles, kendo, and ballroom dancing are among his hobbies. In the 2016 Strongman competition in Kentucky, he won the 175-pound division. He lives in Wyandotte.

Michele Villagran

Michele Lucero Villagran, '01 BSBA - International  Business, began work this fall at San Jose (California) State University School of Information as a tenure-track assistant professor. Her position focuses on cultural diversity.

Jamie Bichelman

Jamie Bichelman, '13 BA Psychology, is a public information officer and department spokesperson for a government agency in Carson City. He is wrapping up a master’s degree and has learned a new language. He also has become a strong social voice for advocating a vegan and animal cruelty-free lifestyle. Proceeds from his photo shoots go to organizations assisting victims of domestic violence. In his free time he enjoys running and hiking.

Ronald Ellis

Ronald Ellis, '89 BS Hotel Administration, is senior vice president of internal audit for Eldorado Resorts. He has been with the Eldorado and affiliated companies since 2010. He also is working on a masters in accountancy degree at UNR. His hobbies are miniature horses, swimming, and watching sports. He and his wife, Frances Pease Ellis, '88 BS Hotel Administration, have two daughters, ages 15 and 13. The family lives in Reno.

Marjorie Vielka Landron

Marjorie Vielka Landron, '13 BA Interdisciplinary Studies, is the CEO of the Healing Tree Wellness Center, a behavioral and mental health center; CEO of The Healing Tree - Regenerative Therapies, a stem cell and IV hydration clinic; and CEO of Power Moves, BT, a nonprofit designed to raise funds for people in need of medical advancements that are not covered by insurance. She also is co-partner of Information Opportunities, a consultation firm focused on catering to business needs in insurance, medical, or behavioral necessities. After leaving UNLV, she earned a master's degree in social work with a concentration in mental health. Currently a doctoral student at Arizona State University, she received a Rising Star award in the social work field in 2016 from the National Association of Social Workers and a commendation from U.S. Sen. Harry Reid. She enjoys Reiki, meditation, and playing poker.  

Lisa Story

Lisa Griffith Story, '84 BA Communication Studies, is the communication services manager at the Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority. She recently appeared in a documentary about her uncle, Walter Peca (aka Reca), titled D.B. Cooper: The Real Story and is mentioned in a book on the same topic by Carl Laurin, Peca's good friend and a retired pilot. Epee fencing is her hobby. Both her daughters also have attended UNLV. Kaili Story, '11 BA Dance, obtained her MFA in design for stage — lighting and set from Northwestern University earlier this year and now is the lighting supervisor for Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago. Younger daughter Sydney Peca Story is a senior theatre major at UNLV and is the recipient of a Child of Alumni Scholarship.