John J. Starkey
John. J. Starkey, '10 BS Business Administration and '12 M.Ed. Leadership, is associate director of the Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management at UNLV. He was appointed to the Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada board of directors. A longtime champion of student success and civic engagement, Starkey brings a wealth of experience in higher education leadership, academic program development, and industry collaboration to support the nonprofit financial literacy organization’s mission of preparing young people for economic success.
Thomas R. Boswell
Thomas R. Boswell, '12 English, has joined the San Diego office of Ogletree Deakins as an associate. His practice focuses on employment law. Boswell earned his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law and has represented public and private entities as well as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in employment matters in state and federal court. Boswell also has experience defending wage and hour claims on a class and representative basis under the Private Attorneys General Act. Previously, he worked at a large plaintiff-side firm and has experience handling claims with various administrative agencies, such as CRD, Cal-OSHA, and the EEOC.
Jessie Lee
Jessie (Hyun Joo) Lee, '03 BA Hotel Administration, is a San Francisco-based real estate professional specializing in the purchase, sale, and investment of single-family homes, multi-unit properties, and condos/lofts. She facilitates 50 to 70 real estate transactions annually, serving a wide range of clients with dedication and expertise. She and her husband reside in the Bay Area. Lee enjoys brisk walks around the city, eating well in a healthy way, and spending her mornings learning French and Japanese over coffee. She also loves diving into history, exploring creative thinking, traveling to Asia and Europe, and appreciating the rich cultural diversity of the Bay Area. She's a member of the Foreign Investment Professionals Group and serves as vice president of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco.
Bill Newman
Bill Newman, '83 BS Hotel Administration, retired after 22 years working in the Welfare Division and Department of Corrections for the State of Nevada. He is now employed with the U.S. Army as the ASVAB test administrator for Northern Nevada and Lake Tahoe. Newman earned a bachelor's in business administration from UNR in 1987 and went to law school in Los Angeles. He is a genealogist and visits cemeteries for his research. Newman belongs to the Reno HIstorical Society, the 709th MP BN alumni association, and the Sons of Union Civil War Veterans. He is a past member of the Reno High School alumni assoication and boards of two HOAs.
Karen Hall
Karen Hall, '88 BA Communication Studies, will be inducted into the Pennsylvania State Hall-of-Fame for her basketball career in October 2025.
Dean M. Donohue
Dean M. Donohue, '84 BS Business and '89 MBA, is a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky. He was recognized as one of the top "Advisors to Watch under $1Bil" by AdvisorHub, a publication covering the wealth manaement industry. AdvisorHub recognizes elite financial advisors who manage less than one billion in client assets based on their innovation, professionalism, and success in the business. Donohue is CEO and lead advisor of Encore Wealth Management Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. He provides financial advice that is anchored in a solid understanding of client needs and expectations in one-on-one relationships with his clients.
Joshua Chévere Cohen
Joshua Chévere Cohen, '25 Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate, '12 BA English, and '12 BA History, is a marketing and communications manager for UNLV's Black Mountain Institute. Cohen was selected by UNLV's English department as their 2025 College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Department Alumni. The 2025 Distinguished Department Alumni Cohort was recognized at the College of Liberal Arts Honors Convocation and presented with "COLA Keys to Success" on April 23, 2025.
Jeremy Burr
Jeremy Burr, '09 BSBA Finance, was recently promoted to managing director at Teneo, where he is a financial advisor to distressed companies facing liquidity issues. He supports in-court and out-of-pocket restructurings. He is married to Stephanie Burr, '08 BS Economics.
Kendall Fearn
Kendall Fearn, ‘09 BA Psychology and ‘11 MS Athletic Administration, was hired in June 2025 as head softball coach at California State University in Long Beach, California.
Lisa Story
Lisa Griffith Story, ’84 BA Communication Studies, authored the book, Better Dead Than Poor: Stories and Letters from Uncle D.B. Cooper, in which she dives into her uncle’s shadowy past, uncovering ties to paramilitary ops and criminal activities.
Suzette T. Wheeler
Suzette T. Wheeler, '87 BS Business Administration and '90 MBA, is a commercial and residential real estate agent. She is the author of the personal finance book, Math Hack Secrets — Level Up to Keep More of Your Money. Wheeler has been a financial analyst, business innovator, and manager for Clark County, the City of Henderson, and the City of Las Vegas. She's spent 26 years working in local government.
Shawn Danowski
Shawn Danowski, '83 BS Construction Management, is founder and CEO of DC Building Group and also a member of the Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Board of Directors. He brings more than two decades of construction leadership, strategic planning, and community engagement experience to the nonprofit organization that empowers young people to own their economic success through programs in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship.