Laura Jane “LJ” Spina, President
Term 2021 – 2024
Laura Jane Spina is the President and CEO of RAFI Architecture, serving the local community for almost 35 years. With a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Reno where she studied Environmental Design, Interior Design and Land Planning. LJ joined RAFI in 1993 as a project manager bringing her special knowledge of Nevada’s six regional ecological/climate realms to community development; to site planning, to facility design and to resolving client design problems quickly and economically. The full extent of her project experience ranges from planning and developing entirely new communities to leading the firm’s teaming efforts with others on major projects approaching a billion dollars in construction costs.
As a regionally recognized planner and redevelopment specialist, Laura Jane is also a park and recreation leader, an urban ecologist and a registered interior designer. During her tenure of leadership, the firm has successfully completed nearly 500 projects without any litigation.
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Why HLF?
Zak Shellhammer, Vice President
Term 2021 – 2024
Zak Shellhammer is a seasoned Performance Marketing Coach and Manager with a robust background in operations management, marketing, and communications. With over 18 years of diverse professional experience, Zak has established himself as a dynamic leader in the marketing and business development landscape. As a Business Coach and Consultant at Shellhammer Consulting, he has mentored various organizations, dramatically increasing consumer engagement and social media reach through strategic marketing campaigns.
Dedicated to supporting diverse cultures and human rights, Zak is actively involved in his community. He is the President of the Las Vegas Chapter of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance and the President-Elect of the Henderson Libraries Foundation. His commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident through his roles on various committees, including the Las Vegas REALTORS® Diversity Committee and the Nevada REALTORS® DEI Committee.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Zak is an avid traveler, a cosmic explorer, and a creator of surreal art. Among other certifications, he is certified in Digital Marketing Sciences with a concentration in Customer Experience and Data-Driven Strategy, awarded by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), along with a certification in Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching. Zak’s multifaceted expertise, coupled with his passion for innovation and community engagement, makes him a formidable force in the performance marketing arena.
Hobbies: I love to travel, look for outer space aliens, and create surreal art.
Favorite Book: “House of Leaves” by Mark Z Danielewski
Why HLF? Growing up in a small farming and coal mining town during the 80’s the library was critical in encouraging self-acceptance by connecting me with worldwide knowledge and showing me that other people who shared my perspective existed on this planet.
Wanda Shumar, Treasurer
Term 2021 – 2024
Wanda Shumar is a Broker Sales Manager for the Commercial Sales and Leasing Team for S & S Commercial Advisors a division of Sundvick Realty. She has over thirty-five years’ experience in Commercial Banking and most recently as a Senior Vice President Regional Manager with Bank of George. Wanda has lived and worked in Henderson for twenty-eight years and has an extensive background in working with Commercial clients and High Net Worth clients. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and her Master’s in Business Management.
Wanda gives back to her community and currently serves on the Community Education Advisory Board for the City of Henderson, the Henderson Library Foundation Board and is the current Treasurer, the Chamberlain School of Nursing Advisory Board and is an active member in her church; Green Valley United Methodist as the current Treasurer and has been a member of the Finance Committee and Church Council for nine years. In addition, Wanda is the current Treasurer for the Puuone Towers Home Owners Association in Maui Hawaii where she and her husband have their second home.
Hobbies: Crafts, sewing, reading, bike riding and family time.
Favorite Book: I enjoy reading many autobiographies to learn more about that person and anything written by Debbie Malcomer.
Why HLF? Reading takes you so many places; travel, unlimited education, etc. It’s important to me to spread that word in the community.
Stephanie Garcia-Vause, Board Member
Term 2024 – 2025
Stephanie Garcia-Vause has served as Assistant City Manager/Chief Strategy Officer since March 2018. She spent nearly a decade as Director of the City’s Community Development & Services Department, ensuring high-quality development and service standards and progressive long-term City planning.
For nearly three decades, she has worked to promote a vibrant, balanced, and cohesive city through the built environment, resulting in continued investment and growth.
Her long-tenured leadership is expansive, and her experience and accolades are many.
Stephanie’s efforts range from securing significant public lands funding for parks & trails, securing a $3.5 million sustainable communities grant for Southern Nevada, legislative involvement, and planning expertise. She played a crucial role in Henderson’s expansion West, from working with property owners to annex into the City, developing the first land use plan, and lobbying for the LTA (Limited Transition Area) legislation, which set the foundation for attracting companies like Haas Automation to support economic diversification in the City.
Stephanie is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a member of the American Planning Association, a past Director of the Nevada Urban Land Institute District Council, and Chair of the Nevada District Council Governance Committee. She was recently re-appointed to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Mojave-Southern Great Basin Recreation Advisory Committee, having served two terms since 2015 as Vice Chair and Chair. She is currently a member of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School Advisory Council and PTO, as well as a member of the Henderson Libraries Foundation. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and HopeLink.
When not working or volunteering, Stephanie loves to bake, read a good mystery, watch college football – rooting for the Cal Bears even though they usually lose – and spend time with her husband and two daughters, especially at their favorite vacation spot in LaJolla.
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Why HLF?
Marcie Smedley, Executive Director of Henderson Libraries
Term 2017 – Present
Marcie is the Executive Director of the Henderson Libraries. She has worked in a variety of positions with the library district since 2003, and is passionate about literacy and advocating for libraries in our community. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Masters in Library Science from Texas Woman’s University. Marcie is a member of the American Library Association (ALA), the Public Library Association (a division of ALA), United for Libraries (a division of ALA), the Nevada Library Association, and the Mountain Plains Library Association.
Marcie was born and raised in Henderson, Nevada, where she continues to enjoy living with her husband and daughter.
Hobbies: In her spare time she enjoys reading (of course!), cooking, and traveling.
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Why Henderson Libraries?
Angela Brommel, Liaison from the Henderson Libraries Board of Trustees
Term 2022 – Present
Angela M. Brommel is Senior Advisor & Executive Director for the Arts, Chief Curator of the Nevada State Collections & Galleries, and affiliate faculty at Nevada State College. She also is the Clark County Poet Laureate for the 2022-2024 term. Angela received her MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis on Poetry from Antioch University Los Angeles, and an MA in Theatre from the University of Northern Iowa. She received a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from UNLV, and received Certificates in Fundraising Management and Current Affairs Fundraising through The Fund Raising School at the University of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
She is the author of two books, Mojave in July (Tolsun Books) and Plutonium & Platinum Blonde (Serving House Books). Her poetry has been published in the The Best American Poetry blog, the North American Review, The Literary Review’s (TLR) Share, and many other journals and anthologies. Angela was awarded the 2017 Helen Stewart Poetry Award, and in 2018 she was a Red Rock Canyon Artist in Residence, serving as the inaugural poet of the program. Recently she was invited by a2ru ( Alliance of the Arts in Research Universities) to be a founding editorial board member of their new peer-reviewed open access online journal: Tradition Innovation in the Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education. She currently serves as Editor-in-Chief and Poetry Editor for The Citron Review.
Hobbies: Long walks, especially when traveling somewhere new, and a little bit of gardening.
What is your favorite book? This question is hard. I love Cheryl Strayed’s work (Wild, Tiny Beautiful Things), and I read everything that comes out by Lee Ann Roripaugh and Brenda Shaughnessy.
Why Henderson Libraries Foundation? We moved a lot when I was young, but the public library made every new place home. After moving here from Iowa in 2002, the first thing I did was get a library card. Henderson Libraries is the heart of our community, and I’m honored to join the Henderson Libraries Foundation as a liaison from the Henderson Libraries Board of Trustees.
PAST BOARD MEMBERS
Marshall Goldberg
John Wholihan
Jackie McRitchie
Aviva Y Gordon
James Green
Robert Clark
Evon Dawood
Laura E Donahue
Larry G. Duncan
Kathy Jumper
Tiffany A Fairfax
MJ Maynard
Jackie M McRitchie
Deborah L Morelli
Mary L Schramski
Ann Small-Williams
Angela Thornton
Thomas F Fay
John Dlouhy
Rob McCoy
Beverley Rogers
Kathy Jumper
Keith Huffman
Chris Larsen
Richard Sarro
Colleen Brown
Susan Bunyan
Brin Gibson
Aviva Gordon
*This list is incomplete. We wish to honor all who have come before us in this amazing endeavor. Please get in touch with us as we continue to gather our history!
APPLY TO BE PART OF OUR BOARD
We are excited to review your application to join us as a Board Member of the Henderson Libraries Foundation! We are seeking all types of participation on our Board whether you may have specific talents to contribute or are interested in creating and participating in fundraising activities. You do not need to have previous experience and our application is open to everyone!
Please complete the following application if you are interested in joining our Board. We will review your application and get back to you with the next steps. If there are any questions please feel free to contact Laura Jane Spina at 702-236-0025 or Zak Shellhammer at 702-530-1422.