About

Wendy has been a resource development consultant for non-profit organizations for the past 15 years, bringing in multi-millions of dollars to local organizations, and has worked in the non-profit sector for 35 years. She has held multiple management and administrative positions at such organizations as Park Ridge Youth Campus in Chicago, Illinois; Utah Youth Village in Salt Lake City, Utah; Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska and Las Vegas; and Olive Crest Foster Family Agency in Las Vegas. Wendy holds an M.A. Degree in Human Development from the University of Kansas. She has served on several Boards including ALS of Nevada, HopeLink, and the CASA Foundation, earning the President’s Award from the latter.

Debra grew up in New Jersey and brings 33 years of financial reporting and international treasury experience to the Board. She received her MBA in Finance while working for a large pharmaceutical company in NJ and held various positions ending with responsibility for overseeing the Corporate Budget and International Accounting.

Debra and her husband Roger moved from New Jersey to Las Vegas in 2011. They both loved the warmer weather and the vibrant atmosphere but did not realize how much poverty existed in the city until they started traveling around town. Over time Debra was impressed by how much everyone in this city gives back, from large organizations to individuals committed to making Las Vegas a better place.

Debra was introduced to Impact during the pandemic by another Board Member. Previously she and Roger donated to various charities through their workplaces, but never really knew where the funds were being utilized. Debra was so impressed by the women of Impact and the fact that 100% of their donations go towards a Grant recipient they decide upon each year that she wanted to become a part of it.

“At this point in my life I now have more time to put my energy into things I believe in. Impact Las Vegas is an organization where I know my contribution will make a difference in people’s lives. Being a member of the Board will allow me to contribute further as well as foster friendships with these incredible women.”

Growing up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Shannon (Noto) Russell then went to Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, where she graduated in 1992 with a degree in Actuarial Math. Always with a yearning to help others when and where she could, Shannon made several mission trips to Haiti in the 1990s. When she and her husband, Gary, moved to Las Vegas in 2000, Shannon put her heart for service to good use, where she worked at Olive Crest Foster Family Agency.

Now, a busy mom with four children – Luke (18), Molly (16), Kate (13), and Maggie (11) - Shannon has worn many hats, among them soccer coach for her athletic kids and former business owner of BounceU. She also enjoys many interests, ranging from woodworking to running. Shannon tries to pass on her compassion for others to her children, even taking her son with her on another mission trip to Haiti in 2018. Shannon is pleased to be a member of Impact Las Vegas, where she can give back to the southern Nevada community where she has lived, worked, and raised a family these past two decades.

Leigh Aurbach is a development professional with 17 years in the field. She most recently spent 7 years in the nonprofit healthcare arena as a major gifts officer. Prior to raising money for Nathan Adelson Hospice, she spent 5 years with The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on the capital campaign, and subsequently as the annual fund director. She is an active 15-year member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Las Vegas chapter.

Leigh is a passionate advocate for children living in foster care, and women’s health issues. She has held board positions with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, CASA Foundation, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Gift Planning Advisors, and Las Vegas Prom Closet. She is an active member of Impact Las Vegas, a female led giving collective.

Leigh holds a master in public administration from UNLV, and is a 35-year resident of Las Vegas.

A life-long educator, Vicki is a graduate of Michigan State University with an undergraduate degree in Special Education and Elementary Education and she holds a master’s degree from the University of Dayton in Educational Administration. After working for Dayton Public Schools in Dayton, Ohio for 13 years, Vicki and her young family moved to Las Vegas in 1990, where she worked with the Clark County School District for twenty-nine years, most recently serving as the Director of Community Outreach and School-Based Health Services. In this capacity, Vicki established new school and community-based health centers within CCSD, including comprehensive medical centers, behavioral health services, vision services and preventative and restorative dental services. She represented CCSD on two state-wide mental health consortiums, was an advisory board member for the Culinary Arts Management Program at UNLV and served as a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Department of Family Services.

Vicki has served as a board member for several non-profits including Eye Care 4 Kids, Future Smiles and Hadassah of Southern Nevada. She also served on the Board of Directors for the United Citizen’s Foundation a local nonprofit providing behavioral and mental health services for children, youth and families in Southern Nevada, in addition to her current role as a board member for Impact Las Vegas.

A professional fundraising executive for 38 years, Caleen has raised more than $44 million for nonprofit and educational institutions around the country, in partnership with volunteer leadership and staff colleagues. She has worked in all aspects of the profession, including major and planned giving, direct mail, telemarketing, special events, corporate and foundation giving, grant writing, cause-related marketing, collateral and mail production, licensing, volunteer management and workplace giving. In Nevada, Caleen has served as the executive director of Make-A-Wish® Southern Nevada and has also had the privilege of working for the the UNLV Foundation; American Cancer Society; and The Nature Conservancy. She has set up or revitalized development programs at nonprofit organizations ranging from a monastery in Massachusetts to a museum in France to a children's agency in California. While at the Sierra Club national headquarters, she served as the director of donor development and managed a $19 million budget. Caleen is an expert in direct response fundraising and has been responsible for mailing more than 38 million solicitation pieces on behalf of charitable organizations. She is currently the Executive Director of the Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation, where she leads the team responsible for securing private philanthropic funding for the Nathan Adelson Hospice.

Caleen received her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2003, and holds a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from UNLV and United Way. She is a board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Southern Nevada Chapter, has served as its president, and was named Fundraising Executive of the Year in 2006. She received their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. She has volunteered for a large variety of organizations in Nevada and elsewhere. Caleen holds an M.A. in English from George Mason University and a B.A. in English from the College of William and Mary.

Stephanie was born and raised in New York and went to the State University of New York (SUNY) Plattsburgh, graduating with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Criminal Justice. She earned her Master's Degree in Educational Counseling at the College of Southern Nevada while working there. Always planning on a career helping people, initially setting her sights on the NY prison system then in school counseling, Stephanie ultimately found her way into the nonprofit sector and has never looked back.

In 2002, Stephanie volunteered for Susan G. Komen in 2002 after losing her mother to breast cancer. She joined the staff as the Race for the Cure director and became the executive director in 2009. "I'm incredibly proud of the work we did and love seeing the pink ribbon license plate on cars, which we worked hard to have made to continue to raise dollars."

Currently, Stephanie serves as executive director for Eye Care 4 Kids, our 2019 Grant Award Partner, which serves over 8,000 Clark County School District students each year with their vision needs at no cost to their families.

"Nonprofit work has been a cornerstone of my life for decades. I believe strongly in investing in my community and the power of a group to make significant positive change."

Joy Snyder was born and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania, spending 1½ years in Japan as a young child with a military father, she met her husband, Bill, in high school and married in 1970. They are the proud parents of two sons, Dana and Michael, proud grandparents of three.

Following graduation from Easton High School and Temple University School of Nursing, Joy worked at various hospitals back East, primarily in ICU and med-surg units. Moving to Las Vegas in 1978, she worked for a short time at Desert Spring Hospital and then Sunrise Hospital, working for a while in NICU, then as Charge Nurse for the Nursery for 21 years. In her final years at Sunrise, she did administrative tasks and worked as a facilitator.

Since retirement, Joy has found time to do something she loves . . . make art! She has experimented with many mediums and currently her passion is encaustic (painting with was). She has additionally made jewelry, mixed media collages, acrylic paintings and now painting with wax.

Joy and Bill spend as much time with their grandchildren and they will let them and travel as much as possible. She says, “I am fortunate to have friends ranging from Brownies to new ones with the Impact group, so life is good!!”

After more than three decades of executive-level human resources experience developing and leading local, regional and corporate HR teams for organizations in the banking, manufacturing, and outsourced call center services industries, Maureen retired and chose to give back to the community she has called home for more than 30 years by founding Impact Las Vegas.

Married to her high-school sweetheart, Rick, Maureen is excited about the unique philanthropic opportunity Impact Las Vegas provides women to have a transformational impact on local, worthy causes.

"I joined Impact Las Vegas because I love that I can make a much bigger difference with my charitable giving than I can do on my own AND I get to see exactly how 100% of my donation is being used to improve our community."
--Maureen Romito

Born and raised in Connecticut, Maggie is one of 9 children, her husband Scott is the oldest of 6, and they have 4 children and 10 grandchildren. Family, needless to say, is a big focus of their lives along with camping, cruising, and travel of any sort. Maggie has currently walked a half marathon in 20 states, working towards her goal of finishing one in all fifty states.

A certified Senior Professional in Human Resources, Maggie has worked in this capacity for several companies in Southern Nevada, most recently for Creel Printing.

"Being a part of Impact Las Vegas allows me to leverage my $1,000 donation into several thousand dollars a year. I also appreciate being able to personally select the nonprofit organization, the specific program and then track how the money is spent."