Committee Members

VOICE Founding Member

The Public Education Foundation Humanities 

Scholar  - Intern Supervisor                                 

CCSD CTE Photography POS & AP 2D Design Studio Art Instructor Liberty High School 

CCSD AP Studio Art PLC Facilitator

Chrissy Pavesich, CCSD Secondary CTE and Visual Arts Instructor, has been educating at the high school level since 2002. Following 4 years working in the private sector in the digital media industry, Pavesich began teaching photography and Advanced Placement 2D Design Art & Design for CCSD at Coronado High School. She has since moved from West Career and Technical Academy to Liberty High School. She has written both state and district standards and curriculum for the CTE photography POS, Visual Arts Photography and CTE Multimedia Communications. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Xavier University in Illinois, and a Masters of Education degree from Dominican University, also in Illinois. Pavesich began working with The Public Education Foundation in the role of Gallery Curator in August 2015. She is currently facilitating for the CCSD AP Art & Design PLC. Pavesich was on the founding team of VOICE during its creation and production for the first five years of existence. She has recently returned to the team and excited to put into place the new established criteria to make the CCSD Arts Contest equitable to all students in the district.

CCSD Art Educator - Las Vegas Academy of the Arts     

Kelly Mabel graduated from Ohio  State University with a degree in  Art Education. Her career with  CCSD includes Eldorado High  School, Mojave High School and  the Las Vegas Academy where she attributes her greatest teaching and learning achievements.  

​During her time at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Kelly has worked as the Visual Arts Department Chair and began the National Art Honor Society LVA Chapter. Through AP coursework, the VOICE competition, local and national arts events and partnering with local arts advocates Kelly consistently challenges students to evolve and achieve beyond their current academic environment. 

I was born in Oakland in 1967 and grew up in Northern California among the live oaks and vineyards of Sonoma County, where my family still resides. I met my husband, Shawn, in a college sculpture class in 1994 and have been together ever since. We continue to share a passion for art and design. We have one daughter, Isabella (b. 2008). We originally moved to Las Vegas in 1998 to attend graduate school together, and then never left. 

I attended and then graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt in 1995 with a bachelors of art degree, focusing on sculpture and ceramics. A few years later I received an MEd from UNLV in secondary education. Soon after that, I completed a certificate in technology and leadership. I am a lifelong learner and continue to complete a variety of training in Adobe software and other creative processes whenever I can. I am the graphic design teacher and program leader for the Digital Media program at West Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas. I have held this position for 8 years. I have taught a variety of art and design classes starting in 2001, first for Courtney middle school for 2 years, and then for Liberty High School for 12 years. Currently I am the advisor for WCTA’s chapter of SkillsUSA, which has had phenomenal success at both the state and national levels, year after year. This year, for example, WCTA SkillsUSA members received multiple gold medals at state competitions and in June, I chaperoned 7 students to the national competition in Atlanta. I am also the advisor for the WCTA chapter of the NHS. This chapter has over 200 members and collectively logs thousands of community service hours for a wide variety of community service partners, and is responsible for running 3 blood drives during the school year. I believe that art and design has the power to save lives and attempt to convey my passion for art and design to my students.

CCSD Art Educator - Las Vegas Academy of the Arts     

Jaime Garcia moved to the Battle Born state of Nevada in May of 2015. He left New York city for love and family. He holds a BFA in Visual Communication and began working for CCSD in 2015. He began as a substitute, then became an Instructional Assistant, followed by Graphic Designer and now he is the Film & Video Production Teacher at the Las Vegas Academy. He continues to learn and grow and feels that Home is Nevada.

Alpha Nash received her BA in Fine Arts in 1990 from UC Berkeley, and her degree Education in 1991 from UC Davis.  After living in Alaska for three years, Alpha moved to Las Vegas, NV and completed a Master of Education, Middle School Science in 2004 at UNLV.  Additionally, Alpha completed two master level programs from Southern Utah University, focusing on 21st Learning and Technology.

Alpha Nash is currently teaching her 27 years as an instructor in CCSD, at Del Sol Academy of Performing Arts High School.  She works with a wide range of students from Special needs students to Title 1 students at the high school level.  Alpha regularly shares her knowledge with other educators, as a mentor to other art teachers. She is the President-Elect for the local branch of the NAEA, called the Nevada Visual Arts Educator Association (NVAEA.)  She was nominated the NAEA Art Teacher of the Year for 2023. Artistically, Alpha has never met an art form she doesn’t enjoy doing.  From stained glass and glass bead making to silk painting and all things fiber based, Alpha dabbles in a wide range of artistic mediums. 

Dave Heide received his BA in Art Education from Cal State University Fullerton, then began his teaching career in 2004 at K.O. Knudson Middle School Academy of Creative Arts.  There, his job was to give students a unique art experience while also preparing them to move onto Las Vegas Academy's Visual Arts magnet program.  After 12 years at K.O., Dave moved on to Del Sol Academy of Performing Arts in 2016 to assist in developing their Visual Arts department into a high school magnet art program. During his time at both K.O. and Del Sol, many of his students participated in (and won) local and national art contests, and also participated in many different professional art shows and events. In addition to teaching art, Dave has also shown his own work in multiple group shows around town.

Sarah Eames earned a BFA in Studio Art from California State University, Los Angeles with an emphasis in Painting and Photography while perusing a Masters in Art Education. She later graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. 

Sarah has been teaching Art in Clark County School District for the past 20 years, teaching both elementary and secondary art. Her time in CCSD includes 8 years at McCaw ES, 1 year at Green Valley High School and 11 years at Foothill High School. Her passion lies in teaching secondary students, watching them grow as artists and humans, while preparing them for life beyond high school. 

During her time teaching, Sarah has established and advised the National Art Honor Society at both Foothill HS and Green Valley HS. Her NAHS students complete hundreds of hours of arts related community service each year while maintaining high academic standards. She encourages her students to enter local gallery shows and competitions and collectively these students have won many honors and awards. Sarah is currently a National Board Teacher candidate and is joining the VOICE team to help foster interest and support for youth arts in the district. 

CCSD - Art Educator - Liberty High School

Jaime Giger graduated from Missouri State University with a BSED in Art and Design. Jaime started her art teaching career at Parkway North High School in St. Louis, MO.  Jaime earned her Master of Art in Teaching in the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts at Webster University. In  2007 Jaime was a Freeman Fellow at Peking University (Beida) in Beijing, China where she studied the art of Chinese calligraphy, culture and education system.Jaime has been teaching the visual arts for the last 20 years in St. Louis, MO, Sioux Falls, SD,  Lexington, KY and currently Las Vegas, NV.  You can witness her passion for teaching the visual arts by the high expectations she consistently sets for her students. Jaime raises the bar and constantly encourages her students to enter their art work in local, state and national exhibitions and competitions. Jaime’s students have entered and displayed artwork in Voice, PEF “Split Decision & Paint your Path" competitions, the 1st Annual Liberty High School Art Show and the Nevada Congressional Art competition.  In addition to her teaching, Jaime has shown her own art work in exhibitions in St. Louis, MO, Lexington, KY and the Arts District in Las Vegas. Some of her pottery, photography and prints are part of the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital collection. Jaime is joining the VOICE team to help cultivate and support youth arts in the district. 

James Counts earned a BFA in Communication Arts and Design with an emphasis in photography from Virginia Commonwealth University.  He spent 10 years working in the photography industry in Richmond, Va specializing in location work, editing, and graphic design.  In 2009 he moved to Las Vegas to work as a photographer and small business consultant. After 6 years he decided to make the switch into teaching and obtained a business and industry license.  During this time he decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

James has been teaching with the district since 2015 at Shadow Ridge High School. At SRHS he started as a photography teacher and has since transitioned into multimedia communications.  In this time he has set up multiple connections within the non-profit and commercial worlds for opportunities to allow students to apply their knowledge in the workforce. Students have had the opportunity to work conventions, in special needs schools, political events, celebrity events, and with city and local non profits. In 2023 he was lucky enough to have a student win gold at state and national SkillsUSA competitions to become a national champion.  James is currently still working at Shadow Ridge High School and is a proud member of the Voice team to help further growth in the arts within the valley.