Public Service nominees of the year

Sandra Wallin

Sandra Wallin's mission is to encourage children to do their best and to do better the next time.

She does so in her role as 4-H Youth Development Coordinator for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension in Reno.

"Sandra Wallin is a positive role model to youth," said JoAnne Skelly, extension educator for Carson City and Storey County, in nominating Wallin for Public Servant of the Year. "She provides them with outstanding opportunities to learn and grow.

She is not only appreciated in Carson City 4-H but respected and loved."

She said Wallin continuously strives to support and encourage participants in the program to "stretch their abilities and capacities to reach their full potential."

"She is available 24/7 for youth, parents or leaders, putting their needs before her own. She counsels, guides, cheers them on or pushes them when they need it."

"Whether or not she wins this award, to us at Cooperative Extension and in 4-H, she is the public servant of the year," Skelly wrote in her nominating letter.

Lora Myles

Lora Myles travels thousands of miles every year to provide free legal services in Nevada's rural areas.

"She thrives on the sagebrush and rustic motels as she drives to all of Nevada's rural counties to help low-income seniors, putting in endless hours at no salary," said the letter nominating her for this year's public service award.

Myles works for RSVP in Carson City and, according to her co-workers who nominated her, has traveled more than 220,000 miles and provided seniors more than 40,000 hours of legal services in the past 13 years.

Her nomination letter described that work as "a $12 million gift to low- income seniors who would never have had the opportunity to receive legal aid without Lora."

"There are too few Lora Myles in this world and, when one is found, they need to be thanked and publicly recognized for their selfless contributions."

Debbie Painter

Debbie Painter says she wears many hats in the community.

Painter, one of three nominees for the annual community public service award, works at Carson High School as a Native American Education advisor.

She said her job there and at Pioneer High is to "do whatever possible to help the student stay in school."

As part of her efforts, Painter coordinates two powwows each year, programs summer activities for teens and runs parent workshops as well as meth awareness clinics.