Five Nevada community leaders visit White House through USDA’s Rural Partners Network

Nevada attendees at the event were invited based on their work with rural communities in Nevada’s Rural Partners Network.

Robert Perea
05/15/2024 06:25 AM

Five Nevada community leaders visit White House through USDA’s Rural Partners Network — *A panel discussion at the White House event on May 14 talking about rural issues across the country.*

Author: Heidi Lusby

Five rural community leaders from Nevada attended the White House Rural Communities in Action event on May 14 in Washington, D.C.

Nevada attendees at the event were invited based on their work with rural communities in Nevada’s Rural Partners Network. RPN is a USDA-led all-of-government program coming directly from the White House that partners with rural communities to find resources and funding to create jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability on their own terms.

Tuesday’s event was the first in-person convening of all RPN Community Networks across the eleven RPN states.

“We are proud to see our partners in Nevada be recognized for their close engagement with the Rural Partners Network,” said USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad. “RPN has been key to fostering and strengthening relationships in rural Nevada and providing rural communities with the resources they need. USDA is committed to ensuring the voices of Nevada’s community leaders and the needs of their communities are heard from the Silver State to the White House. “

Nevada attendees at the event represented 4 of Nevada’s 13 community networks:

*Heidi Lusby-Angvick, Pershing County Economic Development Authority Executive Director and 95-80 Regional Development Authority Co-Director (Nevada 95-80 Regional Development Community Network: Humboldt County, Pershing County)

*Kyle Isom, Mineral County Recreational/Community Development & Tourism Department Director (Sierra Region Community Network: Lyon County, Mineral County)

*Tim Sutton, Nye County Manager (Southern Nevada Community Network: Nye County, Esmeralda County)

*Peter Stanton, Walker Basin Conservancy CEO (Sierra Region Community Network: Mineral County, Lyon County)

*Michael Bauwens, Clark County Community & Economic Development Management Analyst (Southern Clark County Community Network: Southern Clark County)

In Nevada, RPN has been involved in the award of more than $193 million in funding to 12 projects across participating rural communities. Recent RPN achievements include:

*Community Needs Assessment Survey for Tonopah/Central Nevada in partnership with the Southern Nevada Community Network and the State Office of Rural Health, presented at the Tonopah Town Board and Nye County Board of County Commission Meeting, and launched at a public meeting held January 30 in Tonopah.

*Nevada's First RPN Federal Partners Forum in the Southern Nevada Community Network, convening federal, state, Tribal and local Nevada leadership as well as Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden to discuss rural goals, issues, and actionable priorities.