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Jeannine Warner
Education Programs Professional
Hometown: Reno, NV
Jeannine Warner

Jeannine Warner
NDE Education Programs Professional
Hometown: Reno, NV
Bio: Jeannine has served as an Education Programs Professional with the State of Nevada’s Department of Education in Carson City, Nevada for over two years.
Jeannie brings to the position almost 20 years of experience working for the State of Nevada. She began in 2004 with the Nevada Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) as a Program Officer I. She advanced to the agency’s Director in 2011 and worked under the NSHE Chancellor’s and Nevada State Governor’s offices. In her role, Ms. Warner supported, advised and carried out the duties of the Nevada WICHE Commission, and served as Nevada’s representative and administrator for the Regional WICHE’s student exchange programs and the agency’s health workforce development programs. Collaborating with key partners in higher education, state workforce, health care and economic development, she administered legislative, fiscal and programs activities including biennial budget development and management, strategic planning, programs development and management, research and analysis, and marketing and outreach. Recently, she was with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine as the Health Workforce Research Analyst for the Office of Statewide Initiatives where she performed health workforce research, evaluation, and data analysis. During this time, she served for two years on the board of the Nevada Primary Care Association.
Jeannine hails from a sleepy little town called Los Angeles (go Bruins!) in an area known as “The Valley” but has lived in northern Nevada for most of her life. She attended 2 fabulous years at University of Nevada Reno and transferred to University of California, Santa Barbara where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Developmental Psychology followed by a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is fascinated with learning other’s roots/genealogy, enjoys hiking, backpacking and rockhounding with her geologist husband, cross stitching, is an amateur stargazer, and has a mild obsession with Disneyland and roller coasters. Mostly, she loves doting on her 9-year-old daughter and being “that mom” who sideline coaches during her kid’s gymnastics class. She realizes that there’s no time like the present, so she aims to live each day to the fullest. Jeannine has a passion for supporting underserved populations, and she is honored to be a part of an organization with a mission and core values that align with her own.
Favorite Quote: “When life gives you mountains, put your boots on and start hiking.” ~Anonymous

Bryan Walker
Education Programs Professional
Hometown: Reno, NV
Bryan Walker
Bryan Walker
Education Programs Professional
Hometown: Reno, NV
Bio: Bryan brings over three decades of dedicated experience in education, including seventeen years in administrative leadership roles such as head of school, assistant head of school, and dean of students at college-preparatory academies. His educational foundation includes sixteen years as a middle and high school teacher. For eighteen years, he has also served as a coach, mentoring student-athletes and developing skills in team building and character development that enhance his educational leadership. Bryan’s unique ability to draw from his rich background in both academics and athletics allows him to create environments where students thrive holistically. His enthusiastic and team-oriented approach consistently fosters collaborative cultures that benefit students, faculty, and families alike.
Favorite Quote: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” John A Shedd
Vivian Lathrop
GEAR UP Administrative Assistant
Hometown:
GEAR UP Program Officer
Hometown:
Bio:
Favorite Quote:
Renée Davis
NSHE Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs/Director of Student Affairs
Hometown: Minden, NV
Renee Davis
Renée Davis
NSHE Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs/Director of Student Affairs
Hometown: Minden, NV
Bio: Renée Davis is the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Student Affairs for the Nevada System of Higher Education, where her duties include serving in a variety of leadership roles pertaining to both academic and student affairs, including administration of state-funded financial aid programs and liaising with the financial aid directors and registrars at the seven NSHE campuses. Renée started with NSHE in the financial aid office in 1999 at Truckee Meadows Community College, where she served in a variety of roles. Renée earned both a bachelors degree (majoring in English and history with a minor in historic preservation) and a master’s degree (Educational Leadership) from the University of Nevada, Reno. Renee loves hiking in the Sierra Nevada, cycling indoors and outdoors, quilting, playing cards and word games, cuddling with her cats and reading.
Favorite Quote: “We can’t float through life. We can’t be incidental or accidental. We must fix our gaze on a guiding star as soon as one comes upon the horizon, and once we have attached ourselves to that star we must keep our eyes on it and our hands upon the plow. It is the consistency of the pursuit of the highest possible vision that you can find in front of you that gives you the constancy, that gives you the encouragement, that gives you the way to understand where you are and why it’s important for you to do what you can do.” -Ossie Davis

Janet Stake
NSHE GEAR UP Director of Programming and Outreach
Hometown: Towaco, NJ
Janet Stake
Janet Stake
NSHE GEAR UP Director of Programming and Outreach
Hometown: Towaco, NJ
Bio: Janet has seventeen years of experience in higher education. She started at UNR as the Curriculum Coordinator and then moved to NSHE as the Academic and Student Affairs Officer. One of her responsibilities in that role was as the NSHE PI/Project Director for Nevada State GEAR UP Grant from 2015 – 2018. Janet is excited to working fulltime with Nevada GEAR UP as the Director, NSHE GEAR UP Programming and Outreach. Janet has a master’s degree in counseling and educational psychology/instructional design. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two grown children. In her spare time, she likes painting, photography, spending time with friends and family, and Zumba.
Janet is looking forward to working with the GEAR UP team and helping Nevada’s GEAR UP students to Dream ~ Believe ~ Achieve.
Favorite Quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Jana Burd
GEAR UP College Coordinator
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Jana Burd
Jana Burd
GEAR UP College Coordinator
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Bio: With strong family roots in Louisiana, Jana grew up in the west, having lived in Alaska, Nevada, California, and Arizona. Jana graduated with her Bachelors of Arts from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and her Masters of Education from Northern Arizona University (NAU), where much of her studies focused around language, culture, and inclusion. Jana’s engagement with equity and access began while in high school as a University of Nevada, Las Vegas Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) Program participant, and continued as she worked with the UBMS programs at UNR and NAU. In her free time, Jana enjoys watching movies & TV shows, catching up with friends & family, and being active in her favorite service organization.
Favorite Quote: “When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.” ― Michelle Obama

Arlene Herrera
GEAR UP Research Administrator
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Arlene Herrera
GEAR UP Research Administrator
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
BIO: Arlene is the GEAR UP Research Administrator at Nevada System for Higher Education. Arlene comes to us with a background in non-profit grant management. She strongly believes in the power of data driven decisions and being a resource of information. Nearly a life-long Nevada resident and a graduate of UNR. Arlene loves to explore Nevada gems, taking long walks, and traveling as much as possible.
Favorite Quote:

Kacie Harer
GEAR UP Communications Specialist
Hometown: Fernley, NV
Kacie Harer

Kacie Harer
GEAR UP Communications Specialist
Hometown: Fernley, NV
BIO: Kacie has lived in Nevada nearly her whole life. She is a Public Health major at UNR, and she is looking to pursue a career within the medical field. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and dog. She also enjoys exploring all the views the Reno-Tahoe area has to offer!
Favorite Quote: “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up” – Batman



















