UNLV's College of Education is pleased to announce the establishment of its Advisory and Advocacy Board. This group of community leaders will voluntarily serve as ambassadors, advocates, and advisors to Dean Hays and college leadership as we continue advancing the college's mission and strategic priorities.
Our inaugural board members are:
Irene Bustamante Adams, deputy director and chief strategy officer for Workforce Connections, stands out as a recognized dynamic leader. In her 18 years at MGM Resorts International, she oversaw award-winning national programs. Her dedication to public service led her to represent District 42 in the Nevada Assembly, culminating in her role as Speaker Pro Tempore. In 2025, Bustamante Adams secured a seat on the Clark County School Board, the fifth-largest school district in the nation, and eventually served as board president. She later served as president of the Nevada Association of School Boards.
Lizette Guillen Collins is the executive director and chief executive officer of Nevada Partners, Inc. (NPI), a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to eradicating poverty and reducing unemployment through cradle-to-career education, vocational training, and workforce development. She secures and manages millions of dollars in local, state, and federal grants, oversees complex budgets, and provides critical operational, administrative, and programmatic leadership. Driven by integrity, mentorship, and a passion for economic justice, Lizette continues to champion innovative solutions that unlock opportunity and build generational wealth for Nevada’s historically underserved communities.
Liz Morris is a dynamic leader with a rich and varied professional background spanning entrepreneurship, education, and nonprofit management. Liz currently serves as interim executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Nevada. She brings experience in nonprofit operations, strategic planning, and organizational growth, combined with her personal connection as a peer and family member impacted by mental health conditions. This blend of professional expertise and lived experience fuels her commitment to advancing NAMI Southern Nevada’s mission.
Business leader John Pucci leveraged his many years in operational excellence to advance to his current role as senior vice president of marketing at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The native New Yorker moved to Las Vegas in 1986 to open his first small business and help found After School All Stars. He then served as food and beverage director at UNLV’s main sporting venues until he was recruited to help open Wynn Las Vegas. He and his wife, Anne Jacklin, share four children and four grandchildren.
For more than 34 years in the credit union industry, Ralph Ramirez is deeply committed to serving the Southern Nevada education community—driving organizational change that strengthens schools, elevates member experiences, and expands financial literacy programs for educators, students, and families throughout the region. The California native and proud father of two currently serves as the chief experience officer at Silver State Schools Credit Union, where his strategic leadership and financial expertise advance education-focused initiatives and community impact in Southern Nevada.
Tamara “Tam” Shear’s life-changing education experience as a first-generation college grad drives her fight to ensure opportunities for others. From her start as a middle school math teacher in Washington, D.C., she continues to see that when high expectations are matched with high-quality support, students excel academically and personally. Prior to her time with Opportunity 180, she worked with Teach for America, TNTP, and Achievement Network. Tam uses collaborative relationships to ensure all students and families in Nevada, especially our most underserved, have access to great public schools and people in those schools who are deeply committed to their success.
Dr. Victor Wakefield, Nevada’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, leads the state’s pre-K–12 public education system and ensures every student in Nevada is prepared for college, career, and life success. He began his career as a middle school English teacher in Indiana, then recruited hundreds of high-potential leaders nationwide to join Teach For America (TFA). In 2011, he moved to Nevada to lead TFA’s training and support for Clark County educators. He also served on Nevada’s State Board of Education and as a senior fellow at the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities.
Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, focuses his leadership skills on fundraising, technology, program development, and closing the digital divide through Nevada’s largest library system. He is credited with expanding his customer base through outreach efforts to underserved and diverse populations, which earned the district three consecutive Library of the Future Awards from the American Library Association. With numerous academic and professional credentials, he has been recognized with the ALA Medal of Excellence, City of Las Vegas African American Trailblazer Award, and the NAACP Las Vegas Chapter James Anderson Visionary Award.