EDUCATION
• Nevada State University formally announced Yvonne Wade as the University’s first-ever director of athletics, marking a transformative moment for the institution’s growth and student experience. Celebrating the announcement with a press conference on campus today, Nevada State leadership also unveiled the department’s logo and website.
Wade elaborated on her plans for the program once she officially begins on July 1, including hiring coaches, recruiting student athletes, scheduling opponents, securing temporary locations to host athletic events and engaging the community to support Nevada State Athletics.
Wade is a nationally recognized leader in collegiate athletics. She brings more than two decades of experience building successful student-athlete programs, most recently serving as director of athletics at the College of Southern Nevada and formerly serving as the head track coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Nevada State also announced a significant donation from the Vegas Golden Knights during the press conference to support the development and long-term success of the athletic program.
“I am grateful to have the support of the Vegas Golden Knights as we launch this next chapter in Nevada State’s history,” said Dr. DeRionne Pollard, president of Nevada State University. “They are helping Nevada State transform collegiate sports in Nevada by investing in this inaugural program and expanding opportunities for both men’s and women’s sports.”
Recruitment for women’s flag football and men’s track and field is underway, with the inaugural season for both sports planned for spring 2026.
To learn more about Nevada State’s athletic program, visit NSUScorpions.com.
Nevada State University (Nevada State), a four-year, independently accredited public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Nevada State places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 500-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the institution was established in 2002 and has recently adopted ‘University’ in its name. Nevada State offers more than 65 majors and minors and continues to expand its physical campus and reach to students across the state. Nevada State serves more than 7,400 students and has over 9,400 alumni, each representing a broad array of cultural and economic backgrounds.
FINANCE
• CleanSpark, a publicly traded Bitcoin mining company headquartered in Henderson, announced the promotion of Natasha Betancourt to chief of staff and executive vice president. She focuses on executive productivity, seamless coordination, and cross-departmental efficiency. She is passionate about fostering team connectivity and enhancing collaboration across the organization. As the former vice president of design and engineering firm p2klabs, Natasha brings a multidisciplinary background of project and relationship management to CleanSpark. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
FUNERAL INDUSTRY
• Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries announced that John Crocker has been appointed as the new general manager of its historic downtown Las Vegas location. Crocker brings a diverse background and nearly three decades of leadership experience across customer service, financial services, operations and funeral industry sales.
Crocker began his career as a medical technician in the U.S. Air Force at Nellis Air Force Base from 1987 to 1991. After transitioning to civilian life, he held key roles in the grocery and financial services industries, including as contact center manager and branch manager at Community One Federal Credit Union and later as vice president at Plus Credit Union. He also successfully operated a family-run landscaping business focused on servicing local financial institutions.
Crocker joined Palm Mortuary in 2015 as a pre-planning advisor manager and quickly advanced into leadership, serving as assistant sales manager for the Eastern and Henderson locations. In 2019, he became the sales manager at Palm’s Historic Downtown location, where his leadership drove consistent performance and growth. Now, as general manager, Crocker will continue to lead strategic initiatives to strengthen service excellence, team development and community outreach.
“John’s commitment to service and proven leadership make him a natural fit for this expanded role,” said Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries President Celena DiLullo. “His ability to build strong teams and foster meaningful connections within the community aligns with our mission to provide compassionate care to the families we serve.”
Originally from Sacramento, California, Crocker earned a bachelor’s degree in Biblical counseling with a minor in business management from Liberty University. He and his wife have called Las Vegas home since 1993 and have two sons, one daughter-in-law and two granddaughters, all residing in the area. Crocker is deeply committed to supporting the Las Vegas community and brings a service-first mindset to his work at Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries.
Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries has been serving the southern Nevada community since 1927. It started with one funeral home and now has 10 funeral homes and six cemeteries. Historic Palm Downtown has the very first mausoleum in Southern Nevada, and Palm also has the only Jewish funeral home and cemetery combination location in Nevada. More information can be accessed at PalmMortuary.com.
HEALTH CARE
• Southwest Medical, part of Optum has added a new health care provider to help meet the growing need for health services in the Las Vegas community:
— Yuling Qu, PA joins Southwest Medical’s Siena Heights Health Care Center (2845 Siena Heights Drive, Henderson) and specializes in urgent care.
• The Valley Health System Family Medicine Residency Program, partnered with Optum Nevada, has been recognized as the 2025 Leape Ahead Award Winner. This prestigious award, presented by the American Association for Physician Leadership, recognizes organizations that have exhibited innovation in the creation of education or training programs to advance physician leadership and improve health care for medical students or residents.
Dr. Gaurav Zirath and Dr. Justine Suba-Cohen, both of Southwest Medical, part of Optum, were recognized for their outstanding efforts and involvement with the residency program. The committee’s decision to recognize both physicians reflects their admirable dedication and the significant impact they have made. Their commitment to fostering a culture of leadership and excellence has been instrumental in the program’s success.
Established in 2011, the Leape Ahead Award recognizes organizations that have exhibited innovation in the creation of education or training programs to advance physician leadership and improve health care for medical students or residents. The award honors the vision and commitment to developing the skills of future health care leaders demonstrated by Dr. Lucian Leape.
Southwest Medical, part of Optum, was founded in Las Vegas in 1972 and is Nevada’s largest multispecialty medical group with over 350 local health care providers through Southwest Medical, including six urgent care centers and two outpatient surgery centers. For more information, visit SMALV.COM.
REAL ESTATE
• A Nevada-based land planning and development services firm, recently announced it has hired Angelo Carvalho as senior planner.
Carvalho brings decades of planning and development experience to G.C. Garcia, having served as a planning commissioner for the city of North Las Vegas and was the youngest person to be named chairman. He also served on the Paradise Town Advisory Board for Clark County. Prior to joining G.C. Garcia, Carvalho served as site superintendent for Monument Construction. His experience in both the construction field and his public service roles have helped to prepare him to assist clients in navigating through entitlement and building permit processes.
Carvalho earned his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A veteran, Cavalho served in the U.S. Army for more than 22 years, completing multiple tours of combat during that time.
In his spare time, Carvalho has volunteered as a Boy Scout leader and currently spends time at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada to mentor youth. He is also a member of Get Outdoors Nevada, which organizes clean-up projects for public lands.
GC Garcia, Inc. is a Nevada-based land planning and development services firm, celebrating its 30th anniversary. The company is well-established and respected within Southern Nevada’s local government and agency circles. Recognized as a leader in government and neighborhood relations, entitlements, due diligence, development coordination, permitting and business licensing it has earned the moniker the “Red Tape Sherpas.” For more information, visit gcgarciainc.com.
