Mike Taack, ’02 BA English and ’11 M.Ed., is founder, CEO, and head of school for WYLEES, the Western Youth Leadership, Engagement, and Empowerment Middle School, a tuition-free public charter school near UNLV. He continues to collaborate with UNLV’s College of Education and support current and future educators. Taack enjoys photography, painting, traveling, writing, playing video games with his children, and attending live music performances.

Evan Posocco, ’18 BA Journalism & Media Studies, was recently promoted to assistant director of live event production at Monster Jam with Feld Entertainment. In this role, he oversees live event production, including in-venue content, fan engagement initiatives, creative development, and supporting technology. Posocco has worked with Monster Jam since 2017, progressing through roles including graphics operator, director, show caller, and producer.

Betsy (Porter) Buchheit, ’99 BA English, serves as acting deputy area director for the Social Security Administration’s Southern Illinois and Indiana area. She credits her UNLV experience with helping her become a more well-rounded person.

Mikhail Gaushkin, '01 BS Hotel Administration, is co-founder and chief commercial and revenue officer at Hey Seven, where he leads commercial strategy, strategic partnerships, market expansion, and customer growth. He brings more than 25 years of experience in gaming, technology, travel, and digital marketplaces, including leadership roles with MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, Seminole Gaming, Hard Rock International, GoDaddy, JetSmarter, and Auction.com.

James Lovett, ’17 JD, has joined the business litigation team at Howard & Howard, where he focuses his practice on commercial litigation, professional liability, healthcare, labor and employment, and intellectual property matters. A registered patent attorney, Lovett has experience with patent and trademark prosecution, intellectual property disputes, and complex litigation.

Mateo Tomas Portelli, ’25 BA History, is pursuing a Master of Science in cybersecurity at Old Dominion University. He recently earned the GIAC Response and Industrial Defense certification and published Democracy on Sale: The 7 Rules of Door-to-Door Political Canvassing. Portelli is an Army National Guard cyber warfare officer, information technology operations analyst, and founder of Martello & Pieto Consulting LLC.

Sally Kawa, ’90 BS Hotel Management, and Kari Kawa-Harding, ’89 BS Hotel Management, are co-owners of Johnny’s Cafe in Omaha, Nebraska, which recently received the James Beard Award for America’s Classics. The award recognizes independently owned restaurants with timeless appeal.

Kelsey Henderson, ’25 JD, has joined Fox Rothschild in Las Vegas as an associate in the Labor & Employment Department. She advises clients on labor and employment matters, including regulatory compliance, workplace policies and procedures, and workplace litigation.

Patricia Violi, ’17 M.Ed., has been appointed inaugural director of Lancer Accessibility Resource Services at Pasadena City College. Drawing on her experience in higher education disability leadership, she will lead efforts to advance accessibility, inclusion, and student success through the new office.

Camrynne (Cruz) Flowers, ’21 BS Kinesiology, serves as associate head coach of UNLV Cheer. She is also pursuing a nursing degree at Joyce University and plans to graduate in August 2026.

  Perry K. Todd, ’85 BS Hotel Administration, is a table games supervisor at Palms Hotel Casino and a 28-year member of SAG-AFTRA. He has worked in film and television and authored Spot Betting For Profit. Todd enjoys traveling, collecting movie posters, scripts, autographs, and signed photos, and fine dining.  

Fernando Avila, ’05 Physical Education, works in real estate while coaching girls soccer at Western High School. He enjoys staying active, working out, playing soccer, and helping others pursue their fitness goals. He is a second-degree Taekwondo black belt.