After growing up the son of a casino-owner turned mayor, our Someone 2 Know went on to become executive director of Volunteers of America, Northern Nevada (VOANN).
Now, after ten years of service with that non-profit organization, Pat Cashell says he's ready to help our quickly-growing region in a different way.
"It's my next chapter in my life."
Cashell is officially changing his role as a stake holder in northern Nevada. He's launching his own business - Cashell Consulting Group - after a decade of working in the non-profit world with VOANN, one of the largest providers of social services in the region.
So, what will the new business do? “Consulting, it's lobbying work. It's using my contacts, all the knowledge I've gained over the last ten years of running a decent sized non-profit in the city of Reno."
Rick Murdock VP of Governmental Affairs at THE ROW is a big fan of the idea. "You know they're like a legend in the community, what they've done. Mayor Bob, Pat - Pat's you know, an expert in homeless and Volunteers of America, he has a background that's unbelievable."
It's a background that's not lost on Pat. His dad, Bob Cashell, was Nevada’s lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1987 and Reno's mayor from 2002 to 2014.
"I mean, I had the best teacher from day one,” smiles Pat, “Just watching him, being around him. Seeing how he treated other individuals, seeing how involved he was in our community, how much he gave back.”
A vital tenant, says brother Rob Cashell. "It's certainly a continuation of how our parents raised us and the importance of community and giving back to the community in which you live."
And that, says Pat Cashell, is what he thinks other businesses should do as well. He wants to help companies who move here do right by northern Nevada.
"I know what our community needs and someone coming from out of state, doesn't necessarily know what those needs are, and for the last ten years I've been in the trenches.”
And spent years working with Reno City Council to get things done.
"And I have tremendous support from everybody at City Hall - and not just City Hall, but it's also the county as well and the City of Sparks. I’ve worked with all three entities."
While the new business is a fee for services model, Cashell says it's about a lot more than the money.
"I'm not gonna sell my soul to the devil for a dollar. It's gotta be stuff that I believe in."
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