USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad today announced the addition of Rural Partners Network (RPN) staff who will help rural Nevadans access funding and resources to create new and lasting economic opportunities in their communities.
These new Community Liaisons will collaborate with people and organizations across five Nevada counties participating in RPN. Led by USDA, RPN combines federal, state, and local resources to create jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability in rural communities.
“Today we welcome three new staff members to lend direct support to the Nevada communities and partnerships engaged in RPN,” Ingvoldstad said. “Our Community Liaisons will not only help us address unique local needs, but they will ensure the voices of rural Nevadans are reflected in policy decisions in Washington that ultimately will benefit all rural communities across the nation.”
In Nevada, three Community Liaisons will help advance local priorities and projects in assigned Community Networks. They will be supported by a Statewide Community Liaison, national RPN staff, and Rural Desk Officers who help manage programs at 20 departments across the federal government.
The new Nevada Community Liaisons and their assigned networks are:
- Elias Askins, Southern Clark County Community Network serving Searchlight, Laughlin, and Cal-Nev-Ari, and Moapa Valley Community Network, serving Moapa, Moapa Valley, Overton, Logandale, and Bunkerville
- Lorena (Sunny) Brothers, Nevada 95-80 Regional Development Community Network, serving Humboldt and Pershing counties and the communities of Winnemucca and Lovelock
- Jacqueline Cashmere, Southern Nevada Community Network, serving Nye and Esmeralda counties
RPN invites self-identified Community Networks in selected areas to opt into the program. Each Community Network receives dedicated community development support to help them navigate federal and other programs, build relationships, and identify community-driven solutions. RPN Community Liaisons also help reduce barriers to participation in federal programs, prepare successful funding applications, and work to increase investments in underserved rural and Tribal areas.
The Rural Partners Network is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between federal agencies and local leaders and residents established by the Biden-Harris Administration to transform the way federal agencies partner with and serve rural people and places. The program is focused on improving social and economic well-being by making the most of new and existing local partnerships and assets and connecting rural opportunity with federal resources. It launched in April 2022 in 14 communities in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and New Mexico, as well as with three Tribes in Arizona. In November 2022, 22 communities in Alaska, Puerto Rico, Nevada, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin were added to the program. USDA Rural Development is leading the Rural Partners Network, which is central to President Biden’s commitment to ensuring that rural Americans have the opportunity to succeed – and that they can find that opportunity close to home. Learn more at RURAL.gov.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/nv. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.