NAME: Steve Laden

AGE: 61

PARTY AFFILIATION: This is a non-partisan race

DAY JOB: Financial Advisor (Senior Vice President – Investment Officer), retired as of 1/1/2021

EDUCATION: BA Business Economics, UC Santa Barbara

HOW LONG YOU HAVE LIVED IN NEVADA: 37 years

WRITE A BRIEF (TWO TO THREE SENTENCES) SUMMARY OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD ENABLE YOU TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THIS OFFICE:

I was a financial advisor for over 32 years. I also have over 20 cumulative years volunteering at the state and local levels with boards and organizations focused on education. This gives me an informed, unbiased perspective on how Nevada should deliver education as a service, and how the business of education should be managed.

WHAT IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY IF ELECTED?

My top priority is to ensure qualified students and their families are able to pursue their dreams through the pathway of higher education. This means Nevada’s colleges and universities must be accessible, affordable and meaningful. We must graduate students who are knowledgeable, skilled and workforce ready, so they can fulfill their dreams and serve our communities.

IN JUST A FEW SENTENCES: WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING NEVADA’S SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND HOW WOULD YOU FIX IT?

There are any number of issues that could be identified as big problems facing the system, but the “biggest” is money. State funding has been squeezed over the years, student fees/tuition (and the associated student debt) have skyrocketed, system allocations between traditional two and four-year institutions have become challenging, and competitive compensation for many faculty and staff must be addressed. We must begin the process of providing solutions by fostering cooperation and trust amongst all higher education stakeholders: Regents, the Governor and Legislature, students, faculty and staff, businesses and local communities. The system and each institution must have solid strategic plans and be able to clearly articulate the benefits of higher education to our state and our citizens. We must at least hold the line on state funding, while finding ways to carve-out more federal dollars and cultivate more partnerships with our local businesses. On the expense side, new, creative, cost-effective methods of delivering higher education to our students must also be fully explored. Solving the money problem is a process, not an event, and long-term planning and execution is imperative.

IN ONE SENTENCE: WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING VOTERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I have no pre-existing conflicts of interest, so my decisions will be fair, informed and unbiased, while remaining focused on student achievement and institutional accessibility and affordability.

YES OR NO: WILL YOU ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THIS ELECTION, WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE?

Yes