May 3rd, 2023
Each year, three positions on Sierra Pacific FCU’s volunteer Board of Directors come up for election. In accordance with our bylaws, a Nominating Committee was appointed by the Board and members were notified of nominations in Feb. The cut-off date for nominations was February 15th, 2023. All three incumbent board members expressed interest in nomination.
After consideration, the Nominating Committee reported their final nominees at the April Board Meeting. These nominees are Carolyn Barbash (Incumbent), Michael Barnes (Incumbent), and Nan Boyer (Incumbent).
Two new board members have also been appointed, growing Sierra’s board to 11 members. The new board members are Mary Simmons and Leslie Ramsdell.
Subsequent to the nominations by committee, nominations by petition for vacancies may be made by members via a petition signed by 1% of eligible members, over 18 years of age, with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 500. Petitions should include the signatures and names of members and be accompanied by a statement of qualifications and relevant biographical information, and a statement of the nominee’s willingness to serve if elected. That information must be received by June 2nd, 2023. When there is only one nominee for each petition, there will be no nominations from the floor and no election will be held. Petitions can be sent to Sierra Pacific FCU Nominations, C/O, Bruce Harvey, Chair, 5580 Mill Street, Suite 700, Reno NV 89502.
See the full petition requirements at SierraPacificFCU.org/by-laws/
Carolyn Barbash, a UNR alumnus, has over 30 years of experience in energy delivery and policy. She currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development and Community Relations at NV Energy. Previously, Carolyn has held several executive positions at NV Energy and served as vice president of PacifiCorp. She joined Sierra Pacific FCU’s board in 2019.
Michael and his wife Anne have been members and advocates for the credit union since 1996. As a civil engineer, Michael has been extensively involved in Northern Nevada Development, including the Heinz Ranch project opposite Cold Springs. Michael brings an impressive background and a keen analytical eye to the Board.
Nan has been a volunteer for the credit union since 1990 and served as Chair of the Supervisory Committee for over ten years. During that tenure, Nan has undergone extensive training in the applicable rules and regulations, finances, and auditing. Nan enjoyed an extensive career at NV Energy and served as Staff Process Consultant in Northern Operations before her retirement. Nan has served on the boards of several local organizations including her PTA, HOA, and Beta Sigma Phi, and is an active community volunteer.
Leslie Ramsdell was appointed as President and CEO of Sierra Pacific in January of 2023. Prior to that, she spent over 21 years serving in various roles at Sierra, from teller to Director of Operations and IT, and finally to Vice President in 2022.
Mary Simmons worked as a senior executive for much of her 30 years at NV Energy, retiring as Vice President, Business Development and Community Strategy. She remains extremely active in the community and is past president of the Women’s International Forum Nevada and past treasurer of EDAWN, among other roles. Mary is a Certified Public Accountant and received the President’s Medal from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2017 and Alumna of the Year in 2018.