The ѿapp Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who serve as ambassadors for ѿapp, forge partnerships with individuals, businesses and organizations and provide advice and counsel to the College's President and Executive Director of the Foundation.
Officers
Yanus Nelson, Chair
Yanus Nelson is the Care Pastor at Grace Church Reno, overseeing support groups and outreach ministries with over 200 volunteers. He also provides one-on-one counseling for those in need. Before joining Grace Church, Nelson spent 28 years in banking, including 21 years at Wells Fargo, where he served as Senior Vice President and Nevada Northern Region Bank President. In this role, he led 500 team members across 39 branches in Northern Nevada. He is actively involved in the community, serving on the Nevada Military Support Alliance Board and the Truckee Meadows Community Foundation Board. He previously served four years on the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce Board. Nelson holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting from Colorado Christian University and an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University.
Matt Thornton, Vice Chair
Matt Thornton is a Regional Manager for U.S. Bank Wealth Management. He has worked in financial services since 2005 and has been employed with U.S. Bank since 2015. In his time at U.S. Bank, he has achieved their highest honor of Legends of Possible in 2017 and 2019. He is a past community college student and graduate of Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. Matt and his wife Amanda are the proud parents of three children, with two currently enrolled at ѿapp High School. As an active member of Reno South Rotary and current board member of the Community Health Alliance, Matt participates in many projects that serve the overall Northern Nevada community.
Ryan Costella, Treasurer
Ryan Costella is the Vice President of Strategy & Organizational Development at Click Bond, Inc., a privately held, family-owned business headquartered in Carson City, NV, that designs and manufactures advanced fastening and assembly solutions for aircraft, ships, satellites, space vehicles, and other high-performance platforms. He has been with the company since 2009. Prior to his tenure at Click Bond, Ryan worked as a special assistant in the United States Senate. He holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Modern Chinese Studies from the University of Cambridge and Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Political Science from Villanova University.
Mindy Lokshin, MD, MSPH, Past Chair
Dr. Lokshin is a former family physician with over 30 years of experience in medicine and education advocacy. She received her BA from Johns Hopkins University, her MD from the University of Arizona and her MSPH from the University of Missouri. She left her private practice in family medicine to raise her two sons and has since been very active in the Reno community, serving on the boards of the Reno Philharmonic, the Gifted and Talented Advisory Council to WCSD, and the Education Alliance. She was a founding member for the GT Parent Connection, Alliance for Philharmonic Youth and Parent Leaders for Education. Dr. Lokshin is now also serving as the founding chair of the Parkinson Support Center of Northern Nevada.
Board Members
Fred Altmann
Fred is the President of Altmann Builders, a leader in sustainable Green building in northern Nevada. In 1985, he left teaching and moved from Los Gatos, CA, to become the first full-time custom home builder in Caughlin Ranch. By the mid-90s, he had established himself in the industry and spent the next 20 years developing some of northern Nevada’s most recognizable neighborhoods. Altmann Builders has received multiple awards, including Builder of the Year, Green Home of the Year, and Custom Home of the Year. Fred is also dedicated to education and philanthropy, co-founding the K-12 Education Foundation and serving on the Education Alliance board. He holds degrees in History and Political Science from Utah State University, with graduate studies at UC Berkeley and Santa Clara University. Fred and his wife, Jill, have two children, Nicole and Peter.
Gigi Chisel
Gigi Chisel, a Reno native, holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno. She also earned the prestigious CCIM designation, recognizing her as an expert in commercial real estate. Active in the industry, she has been a longtime board member of CREW Northern Nevada, an organization dedicated to advancing women in commercial real estate. With over 30 years at the Lewis Group of Companies, Gigi serves as Vice President, overseeing various commercial development activities. She also represents the company with the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN). Gigi lives in southwest Reno with her husband, Robert.
Danny deLaveaga
Danny deLaveaga is a leader in the consumer electronics industry, having grown multiple startups from concept to market before transitioning to venture capital. Following the acquisition of Breadware in March 2020, he joined the leadership team at the Reno Seed Fund, advises at ProtaVentures, and runs gener8tor, a Reno/Tahoe investment accelerator that invests $100K annually into five scalable startups. Described as an earnest activator—persistent, persuasive, and optimistic—Danny thrives on collaboration to grow organizations and initiatives he believes in. He serves on the Young Leaders Committee of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, performs on competitive salsa teams, builds large-scale metal art, and enjoys basketball and tennis. Danny splits his time between Reno and Lake Tahoe and is always open to meeting over coffee or a game of chess.
Jeff Frame, AIA, NCARB
Jeff Frame is the owner and founder of Frame Architecture, Inc. Jeff is responsible for the company's sales, marketing, and branding efforts. As a designer he strives to personalize every project around the client's uniqueness, and he feels that architecture becomes an extension of a company's corporate brand while being environmentally responsive. Recent projects have included the Reno Public Market (formerly Shopper's Square) Reno Rodeo Master Plan and Frame Architecture's own office which will break ground in 2023. Jeff likes to give back to the Reno community by participating in multiple fundraisers each year, such as The Children’s Cabinet, The Reno Rodeo Foundation, and the Reno Philharmonic to name a few. He has garnered great relationships within the community.
Cheryl Lewis
Cheryl is the Founder and CEO of Centerline Structural Innovations Inc., doing business as NVO Construction in Reno, Nevada. She launched the company in late 2020 to provide offsite framing solutions to Reno, Northern California, Utah, and Idaho—some of the nation's fastest-growing residential construction markets. A visionary leader, Cheryl excels in strategic planning, collaboration, and driving business success. She earned her J.D. with honors from Washington & Lee University School of Law and a B.S. in Accounting, magna cum laude, from Salem College. She also holds an executive certification in Global Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Cheryl and her husband, John, live in Reno, Nevada. They have five children and four grandchildren.
Dan Lofrese
Dan Lofrese has served on the ѿapp Foundation Board since 2018 and is currently on the Investment Committee. He graduated from Fordham University in 1999 and earned an Executive MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) in 2018. Since 1998, he has worked for Gabelli Asset Management Company (GAMCO), a diversified global financial services company with assets under management of $32 billion. Dan’s interest in education is further evidenced by his involvement as a Board Trustee for the UNR Foundation. He is also a Board Trustee for the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada (CFNN). Similarly, for both, he serves as an Investment Committee member. Dan moved to Reno in 2015. He and his wife, Camellia, were married in 2018 and have two daughters.
Jessica Montenegro
Jessica Montenegro is the Senior Director of Coaching at Panasonic Energy, bringing over 12 years of executive coaching experience to the role. Her expertise lies in transformative leadership and organizational growth. With a master’s degree in organizational psychology and certifications in change management and executive coaching, Jessica specializes in empowering leaders and optimizing organizational dynamics. Her career is marked by a commitment to driving measurable personal and professional growth through training, mentoring, career and succession planning, and course facilitation. Passionate about strategically steering organizational growth, Jessica is eager to leverage her skills to contribute to ѿapp's impact and success.
Katy Simon Holland, M.A.
Katy Simon Holland is the Strategic Advisor for Strengthen Our Community, a nonprofit focused on education, families, good governance, and sustainability. Previously, she was a Senior Strategic Advisor at EDAWN, advancing PreK-12 education. She also served as a Washoe County School Board Trustee and Board President and was the Washoe County Manager for 15 years. Katy has held leadership roles with numerous nonprofits, including United Way, ѿapp Foundation, The Children’s Cabinet, PBS Reno, and the Nevada Women’s Fund. She was named one of the Reno Gazette Journal’s 20 People to Watch in the 21st century. Katy lives in Reno, Nevada, where she and her husband, Mike, enjoy traveling and spending time with family.
Zeina Randall
Zeina Randall was born in the Canary Islands, Spain, where she grew up and attended college. She came to Reno in 1997 as a foreign exchange student at the University of Nevada, Reno, transferring credits from Spain. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering in 2000 and 2002 and became a licensed professional engineer in California in 2005. She later returned to UNR, earning an MBA in 2010. Zeina has been with NV Energy (formerly Sierra Pacific Power) since her student internship, holding various engineering and leadership roles. In 2022, she became Vice President of Gas Delivery. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her husband and children, who are avid skiers. Together, they love traveling and experiencing new adventures.
Sandeep Randhawa
Sandeep Randhawa serves as the Chief People Officer at Renown Health in Reno. Sandeep helps lead Renown's charitable mission of making a genuine difference in thSandeep Randhawa is the Chief People Officer at Renown Health in Reno, leading efforts to enhance the health and well-being of the community. As part of Renown’s senior leadership team, he drives strategic initiatives to support team members in delivering exceptional care while fostering a “People First” culture focused on diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Previously, Sandeep served as System Vice President for Human Resources Transformation and Integration and as Southwest Division Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer for CommonSpirit Health. He also held leadership roles at Dignity Health in Northern California. With extensive experience in healthcare, he has supported hospitals, ambulatory clinics, post-acute care sites, and medical groups across Arizona, California, Nevada, and southern Utah.