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March is Women’s History Month and the story of Nevada is rich with the achievements of women who endeavored to make our towns, cities, counties, State, and country a better place for all.
This goes back to statehood and while we are celebrating many of these women on our social media feeds this month, it’s important to know that to this day, Nevada women are writing the history and shaping the future of our great state. Just consider:
Catherine Cortez-Masto and Jacky Rosen represent Nevada in the United States Senate; Dina Titus and Susie Lee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Cortez Masto is the first Latina to ever serve in the United States Senate.
Nevadans elected the first female majority legislature in the country’s history. Kate Marshall has been elected to two statewide offices first as Nevada’s Treasurer and now as our Lieutenant Governor. Marilyn Kirkpatrick, a former Speaker of the Assembly, is responsible for overseeing Nevada’s most populous county as chair of the Clark County Commission.
Our largest cities in Southern and Northern Nevada - Las Vegas and Reno - have women mayors in Carolyn Goodman and Hillary Schieve.
The team in the Governor’s Office is 72 percent female and my executive cabinet is 58 percent female. They were appointed to serve because of their immense qualifications, talents, and skillsets, and I am proud to work alongside them on behalf of Nevada every day.
And as we reflect upon the last year, where the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated all of our lives, I am struck by all the women leaders we have in the Silver State who have worked to get us through. I see it every day with my Chief of Staff, Michelle White, who has been a steadfast advisor in the most turbulent of times. I see it in Superintendent Jhone Ebert, who has led our state’s education system through these historic events and never lost focus on what’s best for students. I see it in Candice McDaniel – who is helping lead the monumental effort to vaccinate millions of Nevadans against this deadly virus alongside two other women, Shannon Bennett and Karissa Loper.
 
And there are so many more who have aided in everything from policymaking to COVID testing to making sure Nevadans have fresh food to eat. To name just a few: Barbara Buckley, Kat Miller, Julia Peek, Kyra Morgan, Melissa Peek-Bullock, Charina De Asis, Maggie Salas Crespo, Asha Jones, Astrid Silva, Geo Arguello-Kline, Heidi Parker, Heather Korbulic, Kristina Swallow, Jennifer Ott, Superintendent McNeil, Stacey Montooth and so many more.
Of course, the many frontline workers from doctors and nurses to food servers to first responders and the women of the Nevada National Guard deserve our appreciation as well.
For the remainder of this month, I look forward to highlighting these heroes and the many other Nevada women who continue to make history and help lead the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope you’ll join me in thanking them for the history they are writing and the future they are creating for our State.
I am grateful every day to these heroes of the pandemic, and also to the women in my family. My mother, my wife, and my girls. Without them, I would not be the man I am today.
Thank you-
Governor Steve Sisolak |