Founder Eric M. Hilton

Dr. Sheldon Jacobs

Dr. Sheldon Jacobs PsyD, LMFT

Dr. Jacobs is a licensed marriage and family therapist. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University where he studied Communications and he earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University. Dr. Jacobs has been providing individual, couples, and family therapy to individuals from various walks of life for the past 15 years. He has worked in inpatient, outpatient, and private practice settings. He has also worked as a clinician within the juvenile justice and child welfare systems for Clark County, a combined 11 years. Dr. Jacobs has also taught various psychology courses at several different universities over the years as an adjunct professor. Dr. Jacobs is also a mental health media consultant for Las Vegas Fox 5 News, Las Vegas Channel 13 News, Power 88.1 Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Review Journal. He was appointed by Governor Steve Sisolak in July 2019 to serve on the State of Nevada Board of Examiners for MFT’s and CPC’s and he is the Vice President on the NAMI-Southern Nevada Board of Directors. Dr. Jacobs chairs a committee that he created that is comprised of mental health professionals that addresses the shortage of minority mental health providers in Southern Nevada. When Dr. Jacobs is not practicing, he is usually giving back to his community by offering town hall discussions centered on mental health at schools, community centers, and churches. Because of his work in the community, Dr. Jacobs has received several awards and recognition including a “Special Congressional Honor” by Congresswoman Jacky Rosen in May 2019. Lastly, Dr. Jacobs has published several professional journal articles and he recently released his highly anticipated memoir in November 2020, titled “48: An Experiential Memoir on Homelessness” where he went undercover as a homeless man for 48 hours in downtown Las Vegas to raise awareness for homelessness and mental health. Dr. Jacobs is passionate about a lot of social issues, but he is most passionate about inspiring others through his experiences of adversity, and how he was able to experience triumph in the end. Dr. Jacobs resides in North Las Vegas with his wife, wife, Nicole, son Jayden, and daughter Arianna.

Gard Jameson

Treasurer

Gard received his undergraduate degree at Stanford University, his MBA from the University of San Francisco, and his PhD from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He spent 25 years as a certified public accountant, working for Deloitte & Touche, Laventhol & Horwath and, most recently, as a partner of Piercy, Bowler, Taylor & Kern, as their director of financial planning. He is the author of two volumes, Phaethon, Our Mythic Moment, and Monkey, Our Mythic Moment. He teaches Chinese and Indian Philosophy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a founding board member and trustee emeritus of the Nevada Community Foundation, a founding board member and past chair of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, treasurer of Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada, chair of the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada, board member of the Stillpoint Center for Spiritual Development and The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Life. He is married to Dr. Florence Jameson and has two children, Michael and Julia.

Dr. Florence Jameson

Board Member

Dr. Florence Jameson has spent her life dedicated to family, healthcare, and community. She attended the UCLA School of Medicine, where she earned her medical degree, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she did her residency in obstetrics and gynecology. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 1985, she opened a private practice in Las Vegas and has been a solo practitioner for the past 27 years. She is an advocate for patients, their physicians, and community health, having served as a member of the Clark County Medical Society for 27 years and as their past president. She is past president of the Nevada State Medical Association. Her love for patients and medicine has inspired her to strive for quality healthcare for all Nevadans, regardless of their economic situation.

Dr. Jameson is founder and CEO of Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada (“VMSN”), a free health clinic dedicated to providing medical services to the uninsured who would otherwise have no access to medical care. Prior to starting VMSN, she opened a clinic at the Juvenile Justice Center of Southern Nevada to care for incarcerated young girls who would otherwise have no medical care. Dr. Jameson knows first-hand what a big difference an altruistic medical provider can make. After her father went to prison, her mother struggled to provide for herself and her family. They never went without healthcare because a local physician assured her mother that he would take care of them regardless of their ability to pay. Dr. Jameson vowed someday to “pay it forward.” She has been recognized by the community for her extraordinary accomplishments, receiving many awards and recognitions, including: the Sunrise Hospital First Humanitarian Award; the Red Cross Everyday Health Heroes award, the Harold Lee Feikes Physician of the Year Award for Community Service; Las Vegas Woman Magazine’s Best Doctor award as voted by fellow physicians; and the Innovator Award by Nevada Business Magazine for Healthcare Heroes. Dr. Jameson’s vision is that no child or adult will ever go to bed at night sick without much-needed healthcare. Her mission is to bring the community together to create safety net of clinics that will provide quality healthcare one person at a time in a culture of caring.

Dr. Alison Netski

Board Member

Dr. Alison Netski, an associate professor and chair of the UNLV School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, has received a Top Doctor 2020 honor from Health Care Quarterly magazine in the field of Psychiatry. She also received a Top Doctors 2020 award in Psychiatry from Nevada Public Radio’s Desert Companion magazine.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Netski, who provides consultations at University Medical Center, is actively involved in the education of her residents and medical students.

Netski specializes in the treatment of adults with a broad range of psychiatric illness, including mood, psychotic, and anxiety disorders. In an article about Netski that was published in DAVID magazine, she spelled out five areas that she says can put people on a path to improved mental health: Improve the quality of your sleep; exercise; meditate, reach out for help if you need to and spend your free time purposefully.

Jennifer Yee, J.D., MSN, ACNP

Board Member

Jennifer Yee, an acute care nurse practitioner and recent law grad, has a passion for serving others in her community. Before law school, Jenn worked as an Internal Medicine NP for Summit Medical Group before “retiring” from her first career to raise her three children and run her husband’s orthopedic practice. As her kids grew more independent, she decided to pursue a long-standing goal of becoming an attorney. She was given the incredible opportunity to attend UNLV Boyd School of Law and graduated Cum Laude with a Health Law concentration in 2020. She has since become a licensed attorney and has been admitted into the Nevada Bar.

Although born out east, Jennifer considers Las Vegas her home and passionately gives back to her community through charitable work with Joy Prom, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Hope Means Nevada, and various other notable organizations. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and exploring nature with her husband, Randy, and her three teenage children.

Mary Ann Mele Dondero

Board Member

It takes quite a few years of failing forward to reach the point where experience is truly worth something.  Mary Ann brings to every client more than 35 years of learning that success is just on the other side of struggle.

As one of the founding partners of the award-winning marketing and communications agency R&R Partners, Mary Ann served as President, COO and Chief Brand Officer of the agency most known for its legendary “What Happens Here, Stays Here” campaign for Las Vegas tourism.

She brought fresh thinking to travel brands like Las Vegas, Allegiant Air, MGM Resorts International, CSAA, Hyatt’s Destination Collection, and Groupo Posadas, Mexico’s largest resort group. As well as brands across healthcare, tech, transit and hospitality.

Angela Edgeworth

Board Member

Angela Edgeworth founded pediped footwear in 2004 when she could not find a shoe that was both stylish and good for her newborn daughter’s developing feet.

Angela was no stranger to entrepreneurship: her parents were successful entrepreneurs and she had started businesses in both high school and after college at University Western Ontario in Canada. Angela began the pediped brand at age 30 with no previous experience in the shoe market but a mission to create a better shoe that would be comfortable, stylish, and of great quality.

Under Angela’s vision, pediped has become one of the largest and fastest-growing children’s shoe brands in the country, winning more than 50 industry awards for its product design and quality. In 2008, Angela was named the “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Mothers in Business Network. Throughout the years, pediped has won numerous awards for design, and best in the children’s footwear category.

Angela and her husband are committed to their community and helping to enhance the lives of children. To date, these efforts have given more than $2,800,000 in cash and product donations to deserving children.

Angela currently serves on the following boards, Moonridge Foundation, Nevada Medical Center, and Vegas Aces Volleyball Club. She is a member of the National Charity League where she volunteers with her daughters.

Angela and Brian reside in Henderson, NV with their two daughters, Caroline and Lauren, and their dogs, Aster and Toshi.

Julie Murray

President

Julie Murray is one of Nevada’s most prominent social entrepreneurs, having spearheaded three designated national model projects. Murray co-founded both Three Square Food Bank and the Las Vegas “I Have a Dream” Foundation, with Eric Hilton. She also served on the leadership team that helped build the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. Murray has dedicated her life to the practice of using philanthropy as a strategic tool to collaborate in public and private partnerships, with the hopes of evoking positive change in the world. That’s why she founded Moonridge Group, a philanthropy firm working with other professionals in the field, locally and globally. Julie serves as board chair of The Moonridge Foundation, board secretary of Transforming Youth Recovery, and on the boards of the UNLV School of Medicine, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, First Friday Foundation, and Noah’s Animal House. She is also on the board of trustees emeritus member for the University of Nevada, Reno.

Julie published several articles on implementing philanthropic strategy into business culture and, along with Eric Hilton, co-authored A Place at the Table.

Murray’s accolades include Woman of the Year in both 2013 and 2014, the 2016 Silver State Entrepreneur Award, the 2017 Señoras of Excellence Award, and the 2010 UNLV College of Urban Affairs Alumnus of the Year. She is a frequent university lecturer and public speaker.

Julie received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from UNLV, and has three children, Kathleen, Joe, and Riley Foley.

Kathryn Jacobs

Fiscal/Administrative

Kathryn Jacobs is the founder and owner of Umbrella Bookkeeping, and she began her work as the finance administrator for Nevada Medical Center in July of 2017.

Kathryn is a graduate of both UNLV as well as the Art Institute of Las Vegas. She is a Certified Professional Bookkeeper through the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and a Notary Public. Kathryn serves as the Board Treasurer of the Children’s Heart Foundation, and Genius School US. Her nationwide firm, Umbrella Bookkeeping, specializes in finance and governance for Small Businesses and Non-Profits.

In her free time, Kathryn enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and many pets. She still pursues her culinary passion with friends and family and competed on the Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen in 2014.

Ciera Bellavance

Executive Director of NMC

Mackenzie Miles

Communications Manager for Hope Means Nevada

Mackenzie Miles is a recent graduate of The University of Western Ontario in Canada where she attained an honors B.A. with a major in Criminology and a minor in Sociology. At Western, Mackenzie took notes for students with disabilities and volunteered at ANOVA – Women’s Domestic Abuse Shelter. Since May, she has been running the social media presence of Hope Means Nevada as their Communications Manager. Mackenzie is a part of The Raiders Family Association and volunteers with the Just One Project – Nevada’s largest mobile food market.

Mackenzie is the youngest member of the 2021 Jameson Fellowship cohort. With an alumnus of nearly 200 members, The Jameson Fellowship fosters collaboration amongst the various social sectors to influence compassion, unity, and enhance leadership skills to construct impactful change. Fellows learn about the power of collective impact, teamwork, trust, and collaboration between community leaders.