EXPERIENCE 2013 – present President, Simon and Associates Consulting

Reno, Nevada Serving corporate, government, and non-profit organizations throughout the US, providing strategic planning, leadership development, performance excellence and innovation consulting. Faculty member and Innovation Mentor for the national local government Innovation Academy of the Alliance for Innovation and Arizona State University. Guest lecturer and past Manager in Residence for the University of Southern California Sol Price Graduate School of Public Policy. Senior Consultant with the International City/County Management Association, Washington, DC. Senior Consultant with Management Partners, San Jose, CA. Team member with NextGeneration Consulting with author and futurist Rebecca Ryan. 1998 – 2013 County Manager

Washoe County, Nevada

Chief Executive Officer for Washoe County government, overseeing a budget of $800 million and 3200 employees serving a population of 423,000 with a full range of regional and local government services including children’s services, criminal justice, social services, public works, elections, public libraries, planning and development, public health, regional parks and recreation and others. During the Great Recession, Washoe County achieved a bond rating upgrade and, despite losing 40% of budgeted resources, had a 90+% voter approval rating for its handling of the fiscal crisis and achieved a 44% increase in measured citizen satisfaction. In addition, during her administration, Washoe County had three successful bond elections, received the Cashman Good Government Award from the Nevada Taxpayers Association three times, was three times named the #1 Local Government in the US for Waste Reduction by the US EPA, and was named the #1 Digital County in the US for mid-sized populations, among other awards and recognition. 1996 – 1998 Assistant County Manager for Finance

Deputy County Manager Washoe County, NV

Responsible for development and administration of $800 million Washoe County budget, legislative and government affairs, and second in command of Washoe County government.

Katy Simon Holland, M.A. > President

> Simon and Associates Consulting

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1990 – 1996 President, Simon and Associates Consulting Reno, Nevada Provided strategic and business planning, leadership development, performance excellence and innovation consulting to corporate, government and non-profit organizations both nationally and internationally. Clients included Qualcomm, Baxter Healthcare, Abbott Laboratories, USWest Technologies, Amoco, Sony, Mitsubishi, and others. 1983 – 1990 Associate Executive Director Director of Management Development

Budget Director Washoe Health System (now Renown)

Reno, Nevada Responsible for managing operations and administration of a for-profit healthcare subsidiary of Washoe Health System providing health education and prevention services. During tenure at Washoe Health System, was promoted from Budget Director, responsible for entire corporate budget of inpatient, outpatient and ancillary services, to Director of Management Development, overseeing leadership development and management practice, to Associate Executive Director, with increasing scope of responsibility. 1980 – 1983 Administrative Analyst/Legislative Affairs Coordinator Washoe County, Nevada Budget analyst for operating departments including Welfare/Social Services, Health, District Attorney, Sheriff, and others. Served as Washoe County’s Legislative Analyst and Legislative liaison during Legislative Sessions.

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EDUCATION 1983 M.A., Counseling University of Nevada, Reno - College of Education 1974 B.A., History, Magna Cum Laude University of California, Santa Barbara

AFFILIATIONS AND BOARD EXPERIENCE Current: Credentialed Manager, International City/County Management Association ICMA Board Member, Access to Healthcare Network Vice Chair, Tahoe Fund Board Member, Truckee Meadows Tomorrow Board Member, Nevada Land Trust Chair, Strategic Planning Committee, Children’s Cabinet Member, International Women’s Forum Member, Mavericks Member, The Chamber Previous Board experience: Chair, United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra Nevada Women’s Fund EDAWN WIN Truckee Meadows Tomorrow Truckee Meadows Community College Foundation Sierra Arts Foundation 2009 Nevada Legislature – Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group Chair, Alliance for Innovation ICMA Center for Performance Measurement National Association of County Administrators President, Soroptimist International of Truckee Meadows Local Government Managers of Nevada

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Making A Genuine Difference Award, Truckee Meadows Tomorrow Senatorial Commendations, Senators Reid, Heller and Ensign

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Human Services Award, Human Services Network Women in Leadership, Girl Scouts of Northern Nevada and the Sierra Woman of Achievement, Nevada Women’s Fund 20 People to Watch in the New Millenium, Reno Gazette-Journal Outstanding Young Woman of America Nevada Association of Counties Hall of Fame Inductee Who’s Who of American Women Who’s Who in Finance and Industry Invited speaker Governing Magazine Cost of Government Summit, Washington DC Invited speaker Governing California Leadership Forum, Sacramento Featured in “A County Manager’s Guide to Shared Services”, IBM Center for the Business of Government PUBLIC SECTOR/NON-PROFIT CLIENT ORGANIZATIONS SERVED Alliance for Innovation – local government Innovation Academy United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra City of Fort Lauderdale, FL City of Sacramento, CA City of New Smyrna Beach, FL Nevada County, CA City of Goodyear, AZ Humboldt County, CA City of Fernley, NV City of Portland/Cumberland County, Maine City of Worcester, Massachusetts City of Lompoc, CA City of Santa Maria, CA Kansas Health Institute/Center for Public Health Services Georgia City-County Management Association Florida City-County Management Association Court-Appointed Special Advocates Community Health Alliance Municipal Managers of Northern California Tahoe City Public Utility District North Tahoe Public Utility District City of Durham, NC City of Boulder, CO City of Littleton, CO Manatee County, FL City of Modesto, CA City of Lethbridge, Alberta CANADA City of Bellevue, WA Washoe County School District References available upon request

– Reno, Nevada 89523 – –

Katy Simon Holland, MA Highlights of relevant education and experience M.A. Counseling, UNR College of Education 1983 B.A. History, Magna cum Laude, University of California Santa Barbara 1974 National Innovation Academy Faculty and Innovation Mentor 2013-present Alliance for Innovation/Arizona State University Strategic Planning Consultant (partial list) 2013-present United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra Guinn Center for Public Policy Eddy House serving at-risk youth Washoe County CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates for children) Community Health Alliance Tahoe City Public Utility District North Tahoe Public Utility District Guest Faculty / Manager in Residence, USC Price Grad. School of Public Policy 2011-2014 Washoe County Manager 1998-2013 Deputy County Manager 1997-1998 Assistant County Manager for Finance 1996-1997 Consultant on Government Efficiency and Effectiveness 1990-present Volunteer Board Experience:

United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra Children’s Cabinet Nevada Women’s Fund EDAWN WIN Truckee Meadows Tomorrow Truckee Meadows Community College Foundation Access to Healthcare Network Nevada Land Trust Tahoe Fund Sierra Arts Foundation 2009 Legislature - Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group

Alliance for Innovation Center for Performance Measurement National Association of County Administrators Soroptimist International of Truckee Meadows Local Government Managers of Nevada Other Volunteer Experience:

Principal for a Day – Sun Valley Elementary School Door-to-Door for Student Achievement Big Sister – Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northern Nevada Home re-building in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina

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DISTRICT G SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS – KATY SIMON HOLLAND, M.A.

1. Why are you interested in serving on the School Board?

The Washoe County School District is one of the most vital and critically important organizations in our region, touching every life in one way or another. Having spent more than 30 years in public service in our community and our State, if there is a contribution I can make to advance the District, or a way that my experience can benefit the District and the community, it’s a responsibility I would gladly undertake.

2. What experience, interests, training or other skills do you feel you would bring to the WCSD Board of Trustees?

There are several areas in which my experience might be valuable to the District and the Board:

• Demonstrated expertise in financial management: while I served as Chief Executive of a complex $800 million tax-supported public entity through the Great Recession, we received a bond rating upgrade, a 90+% voter approval rating of our handling of the fiscal crisis, an increase of 44% in measured citizen satisfaction, and an invitation to present our strategies and accomplishments in Washington DC at the national Cost of Government Summit.

• Experience with successful bond elections: Washoe County won three bond elections during my tenure, providing for construction of a regional emergency communications system (of which WCSD is a member); a regional jail expansion; parks, trails and open space acquisition; new library construction; and a new animal services center.

• Community involvement and public confidence: I have served as a volunteer Board Chair, Vice Chair or Board member for 17 different civic and professional organizations, including EDAWN, the United Way, the Children’s Cabinet, and many others. I was the recipient of the biennial Making a Genuine Difference Award from Truckee Meadows Tomorrow for contributions to the region’s overall quality of life, and recently led a volunteer effort to expand the success of WCSD’s Family Resource Centers in a potential collaboration with the Washoe County Library system on behalf of the Children’s Cabinet. I have also served as Principal for the Day at Sun Valley Elementary School, went Door-to-Door for Student Achievement with WCSD, and served as a Big Sister with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northern Nevada. In addition, I recently

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supported WCSD in getting input from 4,000 residents regarding the qualities sought in the Superintendent. I have also led Board training workshops through the United Way, and have facilitated dozens of public sector and non-profit Board meetings, locally as well as nationally.

• Legislative experience: I have presented before 9 Nevada Legislative Sessions, have built effective working relationships with the members of the Washoe County Legislative delegation, and was appointed by the 2009 Legislature to serve on the statewide Nevada Vision Stakeholders Group, crafting a long-term vision for Nevada.

• Open Meeting Law experience: Having served as the County Manager for 15 years, I participated in more than 400 public meetings, and as a result, have extensive experience in successfully complying with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law.

• Contract negotiations: I have been nationally-certified as a trainer of negotiation, and personally led the successful labor negotiation team effort with our 11 labor unions (while Trustees do not participate directly in negotiations, the background and experience are extremely valuable in helping to resolve issues when they arise).

• Innovation and Continuous Improvement: I am deeply committed to the practices of innovation and continuous improvement, both personally and in organizations. I teach Innovation to public sector organizations throughout North America through Arizona State University and the national Alliance for Innovation.

• Master’s degree in Counseling from UNR College of Education: My practicum for my master’s degree in Counseling was working with children and their families in the Juvenile Justice System, and I also did a volunteer internship at the Nevada Mental Health Institute to deepen my experience. I am very interested in expanding solutions to meet the mental health needs of our young people, and am very excited about the new grant from the Stacie Mathewson Foundation and the WCSD Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum.

In addition, I have owned my own small business and have had to make a payroll, have consulted with Fortune 500 companies, and am passionate about children and the future. I was also a consultant to the national Next Big Things project, which identified 44 key trends affecting communities in the next 20 years (report available at www.transformgov.org), and have assisted numerous communities and organizations in developing their long-term vision and strategic plans.

3. What do you feel are the major challenges facing public education in Washoe County?

• Overcrowding, deterioration of facilities, and capital funding for school construction and renovation. Washoe County trails every county but Clark in per pupil revenue in Nevada, according to the Guinn Center’s 2015 K-12 Education Finance white paper. I will work hard to inform voters and help pass the much-needed ballot question, and can be helpful in analyzing and communicating financing needs and options.

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• The need for continued improvement in graduation rates and other student achievement metrics. To the credit of the entire District team, our graduation rates are improving (now 75%, which is a 2% increase over 2014), and the trajectory is excellent. We all recognize that there is more to do, however. I fully support Superintendent Davis’ stated goal of “90 by 20”, and I support the many strategies being utilized to achieve the goal (credit recovery, alternative school offerings, early intervention, parent involvement, etc.). Stronger student achievement benefits not only individual students and their families, but improves the region’s profile as an economic success story.

• Strengthening public confidence. WCSD has an outstanding record of success as outlined at the State of Education; that success, however, has been impacted in the past 18-24 months by public perceptions of several controversial actions by the Board of Trustees. I believe I can help support and communicate the many accomplishments, while helping to stabilize the public perception issues and help the District move forward.

• Teacher shortages and staff development. Structural changes advanced by the Governor, Legislature and the State Board of Education will help. I will actively support a campaign to recruit and retain non-traditional teaching professionals, especially among millenials and retirees.

• Children in Poverty and students with other special needs. With upwards of half of our kindergarteners coming from households below the poverty line, and a significant percentage of students requiring special assistance, balancing the responsibility to tailor curriculum, instruction and assessment to each child’s needs with the realities of funding and other resource constraints will continue to be a significant challenge. WCSD’s efforts to carefully and compassionately listen and develop collaborative solutions with our students, parents and community will require continued commitment.

• Read by Grade 3. In coordination with the Nevada State Literacy Plan and in collaboration with many other partners, WCSD will need to continue its focus on reading at grade level by grade 3, since as we know, children learn to read up to grade 3, and read to learn thereafter.

4. What do you believe are WCSD’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to providing a quality education to our students, and how do you believe WCSD could be improved?

Strengths:

Outstanding, dedicated professional staff

Improving graduation rates

Better than the US average in Advanced Placement participation and performance

Strong community engagement and a clear understanding by the business community of the value of public education

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Data-driven decision-making and transparency of information

Responsiveness and a desire to continuously improve

Deep and broad strategies to engage and inform parents

Weaknesses:

Diminished public confidence and trust – the District has recently fallen somewhat in the public’s confidence in its professionalism and excellence. The next Trustee(s) will need to help the team rebuild bridges with the community through strong ties to the media and community groups, straightforwardness in openly acknowledging mistakes, immediately laying out plans to rectify them, and through systematic outreach about progress on clear goals.

Overcrowding and deteriorated physical facilities – the case is currently being made by the District for the construction and renovation needs of school facilities District-wide if we are to maintain our stature as a world-class school district. Our students and teachers deserve much better than the facilities in which they are currently forced to work. The November ballot question will be an opportunity to solve these problems, but will require a massive effort and commitment to gain support. In addition, should the ballot question fail, the District will need to have clear plans in place for contingencies.

Funding gaps – as noted, in the Guinn Center’s 2015 report on Nevada’s K-12 Education Finance, it was reported that Washoe and Clark County School Districts had the lowest total operational funds per pupil in the State for 2014: Washoe at $8,529 and Clark at $8,051 (total includes General Fund, Special Ed, State and Federal Categorical). Our neighboring districts fared much better: Carson City at $10,359, Douglas at $10,007, Churchill at $9,702, and Storey at $17,423. This is unacceptable for the center of regional prosperity in Northern Nevada. While many excellent educational reforms passed the Legislature and will positively impact specific programs such as all-day kindergarten, Read by Three, support for gifted and talented students and English-language learners, as well as funds for teacher recruitment and training, Washoe County School District will continue to need to make the case for additional revenue if we are to achieve our potential, which is to maximize the potential of every child in our District.

5. What do you believe are the Board’s strengths and weaknesses, and how do you believe the Board could be improved?

Strengths:

The current WCSD Trustees are dedicated, responsible, thoughtful individuals who are deeply committed to the mission of WCSD, which is to create an education system where all students achieve academic success, develop personal and civic responsibility, and achieve college- and career-readiness for the 21st century. I believe the Board members represent a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, education and training to effectively fulfill their responsibilities, and they have demonstrated a willingness to support healthy conflict and insure that all opinions and perspectives have an opportunity to be heard and considered.

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Weaknesses:

As noted in the Reno Gazette-Journal editorial of Sunday February 21, 2016, it does not feel to many in the community as though the Board of Trustees has clearly and convincingly acknowledged what many members of the public perceive as mistakes in the past 18 months to two years. It is understandable that the Board may have recognized and acknowledged mistakes which the media did not publicize, and that does exacerbate the problem.

For example, however, the 2016 State of Education presentation would have been a timely and powerful opportunity to address head-on the concerns of the public, but I never heard mention of any of the incidents that have led to the decline in the public trust, and if they were mentioned, they were not given much attention. It was wonderful to hear all the good things the District is accomplishing, but to avoid openly addressing the public’s perceptions can have the effect of making people feel less trust. When we avoid discussing concerns that are widely and deeply felt, it gives the appearance that we, in fact, are NOT listening and not welcoming input which may be negative, and can make people feel we are less honest. Whether or not the Trustees as a group feel that there is anything to apologize for, it is the public’s perception that there is, and openly acknowledging and apologizing for what has happened, and the resulting disruption of the public’s confidence, is a needed step in moving forward. Going forward, quick and open acknowledgement of a problem as soon as it happens is always the best policy, in my experience.

In addition, while members of the public may feel that the Board has not been as conscientious as necessary regarding the provisions of the Open Meeting Law, the Board is currently taking steps to be more fluent with the Open Meeting Law and other best practices of effective School Boards, and that is very admirable. No matter what our role or responsibilities, there is always room for continuous improvement and lifelong learning, both of which are great examples for the Board to model for staff and students, and which I believe Trustees are modeling.

6. What is the role of a WCSD Trustee?

The National School Boards Association states that School Boards are responsible for:

• Employing the superintendent • Developing and adopting policies, curriculum and the budget • Overseeing facilities issues and • Adopting collective bargaining agreements.

Further, the NSBA indicates that effective School Boards:

• Commit to a vision of high expectations for student achievement • Have strong shared beliefs and values about students’ ability to learn and about the

system and its ability to teach all children at high levels

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• Are accountability driven • Have a collaborative relationship with staff and the community • Are data-savvy • Align and sustain resources to meet district goals • Lead as a united team with the superintendent • Take part in team development and training.

In addition, the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS 386.350) give the following guidance as to the responsibilities of School Trustees:

“Each board of trustees is hereby given such reasonable and necessary powers, not conflicting with the Constitution and the laws of the State of Nevada, as may be requisite to attain the ends for which the public schools, excluding charter schools and university schools for profoundly gifted pupil, are established and to promote the welfare of school children, including the establishment and operation of schools and classes deemed necessary and desirable.”

An excellent summary from an article titled “What Makes a Great School Board Member?” from www.greatschools.org listed the following responsibilities:

• Set the vision and goals for the district • Adopt policies that give the district direction to set priorities and achieve its goals • Hire and evaluate the superintendent • Adopt and oversee the annual budget • Manage the collective bargaining process for employees of the district

Further, that article went on to outline the “Signs of an Effective School Board Member”, which I thought really spoke to what I feel is the role of a WCSD Trustee, and which, if appointed, I would endeavor to live up to:

Great school board members have a clear vision for the district. They set the vision and goals, and measure the success of the district and superintendent against the goals.

Great school board members communicate their actions to the community. Through public discourse and written reports, great school board members keep the public informed of the district’s progress and challenges.

Great school board members work as a team. They collaborate well with others and are respectful of the other board members and superintendent.

Great school board members adopt a fiscally sound district budget. They pay attention to finances and regularly monitor the fiscal health of the district.

Great school board members focus on what is best for all students. They focus on student achievement and implementing policies that will ensure success for all students.

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Great school board members advocate at the local, state and national level for public education. They take advantage of opportunities to communicate the needs of public schools to other levels of government and advocate for strong public schools.

I know that I would have a great deal to learn about the workings of our Washoe County School District, and I would look forward to doing so. I believe that I bring a set of experiences and skills that could benefit the District, and regardless of the outcome of this appointment process, I will continue to be a strong advocate for the District, for our kids, for our community, and for public education.

Thank you for your consideration, and thank you for your public service. Yours is a difficult job, and as a citizen, I am deeply grateful for what you do.