Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval announced last Feb. 29 that Felicia Ortiz will be part of the Nevada State Board of Education in District 3 effective immediately, per the Governor's official website. Ortiz will be replacing Allison Serafin, who filed her resignation at the end of 2015.

"The Board has been given new and expanded authority in implementing many of the accountability measures and allocating the unprecedented funding increase in public education as approved during the last legislative session," Governor Sandoval said.

Ortiz's term will end on Jan. 1, 2017 when a new member is appointed during the upcoming November election. "I am pleased Felicia has accepted this important position during this critical time," the Nevada governor added.

Conflict of Interest

According to the Las Vegas Sun, Allison Serafin resigned from his post as vice president of the Nevada Board of Education last Dec. 30. It is to avoid a potential conflict of interest regarding her educational nonprofit organization called Opportunity 180.

Her organization is one of the applicants on Nevada State's bill that calls for a high-quality school operator. The winner will be part of the "charter harbormaster" program that was approved by the state's Legislature last year.

"As a nonprofit organization, we offer resources to launch and support high-performing schools and organizations that will provide students with outstanding educational opportunities, and help prove that every child can achieve, regardless of ethnicity, zip code or family income," the mission statement of Opportunity 180 said.

Felicia Ortiz

In a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, she earned her bachelor's degree in accounting from New Mexico Highlands University and master's degree in business administration from the Keller Graduate School. Ortiz is not a native of Nevada as she was born and raised in a different Las Vegas, the one in New Mexico

The newly appointed member of the Nevada State Board of Education is the former past president of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America. She is also a member of the Latino Network of Southern Nevada and the Latin Chamber of Commerce.

She moved to Nevada in 2001 and started her own software systems construction company 10 years later. She started Cluster Construction Consulting, LLC and was also one of 10 Hispanic power brokers who are making Las Vegas better back in 2012, per Vegas Inc.

"I don't see a lot of young Latinos in our industry, in technology or construction, and I hope I'm creating a path for others," Ortiz said.