CAROLINE SMITH - PRESIDENT

I grew up in a small town outside of New Orleans where Mardi-Gras reigned and the Vieux Carre’s distinctive mixture of French and Spanish architecture and culture permeated the lifeblood of the people. From an early age, I was embued with southern hospitality, a love of jazz, and a penchant for good ole southern food. My English, French, and Spanish roots reflected the vibrant history of southeastern Louisiana and have endowed me with fervent respect and awe of the framers of our Constitution and what we need to do to preserve the values inculcated in that great doctrine.

I moved to Nevada in 1997 to visit my uncle who was a Viet Nam fighter pilot, not knowing that I would instantly fall in love with this wonderful and intriguing state. Coming from a politically oriented family with staunch conservative values, it wasn’t long before I planted my flag with the Mount Rose Republican Women’s club and never turned back. From there, my enthusiasm and love of state and country propelled me to various positions of leadership, such as:

National Federation Republican Women’s Membership Committee Chair, 2018-2020
NvFRW 1st and 2nd Vice President, 2015-2021
NvFRW Fund Raiser Chair, 2013
Delegate Republican Presidential National Convention, 2016 and 2020
Republican Electoral College Delegate, 2016
Precinct Captain, Caucus Precinct Chair, and Neighborhood Team Leader, 2012-2020 Delegate to both Nevada Republican County and State Conventions, 2012-2021
Nevada Delegate to NFRW National Conventions 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Recipient National Federation Republican Volunteer Award-2019
Secretary, Mt. Rose Republican Women’s Club, 2015-2021
Washoe County and Nevada Republican State Central Committee member 2012-2021 Washoe County Republican Platform Committee, 2020
Nevada Republican Assembly Caucus Candidate Coordinator, 2014
NvFRW State Bylaws Committee Member, 2021
Mt. Rose Republican Women Campaign and Bylaws Committee Chair, 2020-2021 Nevada State GOP Platform Committee Member, 2020

I am honored and sincerely proud to have been elected as your next NvFRW President for the 2022- 2024 term. I look forward to accomplishing my pledge to enact an energetic and robust agenda of objectives and to put us in the vanguard of the efforts in the upcoming elections to recruit and elect more Republicans at the local, state, and national levels. My motto is and will always be “NEVER GIVE UP.”

MELISSA - 1ST Vice President, Programs

Melissa Blundo was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and moved to Nevada in January of 2008.

In 2015, she was a Field Sales Representative for the National Federation of Independent Business. She was the recipient of the NFIB’s DC Fly-in Event due to superior sales numbers and went on to lobby on Capitol Hill against key legislation for the NFIB.

In 2016, she was a Ben Carson supporter and caucused for him locally before becoming a staunch supporter of President Trump.

In 2017, Melissa moved to Nye County and joined the Nye County Republican Central Committee and the Pahrump Valley Republican Women.

In 2018 she managed her husband's campaign for Nye County commission, beating back two opponents in a highly contested 3-way primary and going on to win the general by 70%.

In 2019 Melissa served as the Interim Executive Director of the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce and served on their Board of Directors. In 2019/2020, Melissa was elected and re-elected to the Nevada State Central Committee to represent the people of Nye County at the state level.

She was elected as 1st Vice President of the Pahrump Valley Republican Women in January 2020 and re-elected in November of 2020. Melissa is a member of the Nevada Federation of Republican Women where she serves as a regent and was elected in April of 2021 as a delegate to the National Federation of Republican Women to represent the women of the state of Nevada. She was elected as 1st Vice President in Oct.

Melissa has a blended family of seven children and lives with her husband, Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo in Pahrump, Nevada.

NICOL HERRIS - 2nd Vice President, Membership

Nicôl Herris’s parents immigrated from China and met one another in the US, where they got married and settled in New York. Nicôl was born in New York City, the oldest of four children. When she was five her parents relocated to Sacramento, where her father worked as an engineer for Aerojet General. In 1962 at age eight her parents sent her to Hong Kong to live with her maternal grandparents and their extended family for four years to learn the Chinese language and culture. In 1967 her family moved to Cupertino, California where she attended Homestead High School. In high school she was active in student activities and was the first female to run for student body president. She went to San Jose State University, where she graduated with a degree in business in 1975. In 1979 she was the first person of Chinese descent to run for Cupertino City Council. Nicôl has founded several businesses, including co-founding a bank, and obtained her real estate license in 1976. She has served as a director on the boards of more than 20 business and service organizations. She is a former president of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and was honored as Citizen of the Year in Cupertino for 1990. She was president of Quota International in 2004–2005. She has done extensive fund-raising for local service organizations and is a frequent guest speaker and a certified Life Coach. She and her husband moved to Reno, Nevada in 2016 and she joined RWR in 2018. • 2nd Vice-President of Nevada Federated Republican Women 2022–2024. • NvFRW Nominations Committee member 2021. • NvFRW Bylaws Committee member 2021. • President of Republican Women of Reno 2022–2023. • Republican Women of Reno (RWR) 2nd Vice President-2019–2020: Developed membership programs increasing membership from 86 to 265. RWR won 1st Place in Membership Recruitment and Growth. • RWR-Chair of Political Affairs and Activities-2020–2021: Created Trump’s Corners during the campaign, established a Speaker’s Bureau with speaker’s such as Sheriff Mack, James Taylor and Scott Presler. • RWR-Chair of Legislative and Advocacy Committee-2021: Created RWR Brigades such as Election Integrity, Education, 2nd Amendment, Legislative, County Commission, Veterans, and Communications. • RWR Bylaws Committee member, 2020–2021. • Nevada Republican Party State Central Committee Member. • Washoe County Central Committee Member. • Recognized for leadership abilities with numerous committee citations and awards. • Worked on multiple political campaigns

KATHY DOYLE - Secretary

I was raised in America’s Heartland, Oklahoma, where I acquired my patriotic and conservative values in a community with a strong work ethic.  After graduating from Oklahoma State University I had a career with the U.S .Department of State Diplomatic Service in Washington, D.C.  There I was fortunate to have overseas assignments at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Brussels and Paris.

I retired from government service in 1997 and moved to San Francisco where I worked as office manager for several small financial services companies. While there I got married and became an active member of the Marin County Republican Women and the Tea Party movement.  My husband and I moved to Reno in 2013 to escape the craziness of California.  Within a month, I joined the Republican Women of Reno and my life has never been the same since! 

My activities have included:

RWR 2nd Vice-President,  2015-2016
RWR President, 2018-2019
RWR e-Communications Chair, Achievement Awards Chair, Historian, and Chaplain

Current Activities:

Washoe County Republican Party Executive Committee Member, 2020-2022
Washoe County Republican Party Central Committee Member – Current
Nevada GOP Central Committee Member – Current
NvFRW Bylaws Chair, 2016-2017
NvFRW Secretary, 2020-2021

I believe that serving the Republican Party is the path that the Lord has chosen for me post-retirement, and I am so honored to be able to continue on as your NvFRW Secretary.  I am excited to work with the new team of officers and together with all our wonderful clubs we will make this a strong and effective State Federation.

BARBARA KIRK - Treasurer

Barbara Kirk is the custodian of the NvFRW funds and is responsible for the appropriate financial reporting. This includes the allocation and depositing of all funds. She has been a member of the Republican Women of Reno for over 15 years and has held leadership positions at the club, PAC, and state levels.

Barbara retired as the Corporate Controller of a medium-sized specialty retail corporation and has been involved in the political arena for over 10 years. She is purposeful and believes strongly in a leadership style that includes communication and collaboration.

Goals have been and will continue to be developed over the next two years, but it will take the input and dedication of the NvFRW membership to accomplish them.

MAXINE RODOWICZ - Northern Director

I Joined Sacramento Republican Women in Dec 2009 after retiring for the USPS. I moved to Nevada in June 2015 and joined Douglas Country Republican Women.

Positions held:

Newletter Editor
2nd VP
Treasurer
1st VP

I'm looking forward to stepping into the role of Northern Director.

TRUDI DAILEY - Southern Director

Before moving to Nevada in 2004, I grew up in Pennsylvania where I worked for Boeing Computer Center! Later I moved to New Jersey where I worked in gaming, for The Trump Organization at Trump Castle Casino.

At the time I was a quiet Republican voter, now I am a loud and proud Battleborn fighter, speaking out to turn Nevada Red! Keeping busy with voter registration, phone calls, visiting neighbors to distribute yard signs and encouraging them to vote!

I encourage everyone to volunteer because, I believe, that together WE WILL TURN NEVADA RED!

STEPHANI HASHIMURA - Nominating Committee Chair

I was born, raised, and educated in Germany and married my husband in 1975 while he was stationed in Germany. We moved to different duty stations in the U.S., Germany, Korea, and Germany again before his retirement from active duty.

We lived in California for 24 years, until 2019, when he retired from his job, and we moved to Pahrump, NV.

During our life in California, I got involved in the Federation of Republican Women. I became a club President, and was the club Parliamentarian until our departure from CA. During that time, I also served as a CA Federation Sargent at Arms, Timekeeper, and different levels of the organization as needed.

My wish is to serve at the board of a united and flourishing Nevada Federation that stands firm in the belief that great things are ahead for our organization.

JANET FREIXAS - Immediate Past President

Janet has been an active member of the Federation for over 14 years. She served as President of Douglas County Republican Women for four years, Recording Secretary of Sierra Nevada Republican Women for two years and Recording Secretary for Nevada Federation of Republican Women for five years. In addition, she has served as Corresponding Secretary and Americanism Chair for NvFRW and was a member of the Americanism Committee for the National Federation of Republican Women.

Janet is a member of the Douglas County Central Committee and the Nevada GOP. She serves on the Credentials Committee and now, as President of the NvFRW, she has a seat on their Executive Board. Janet, her husband Bill and two daughters moved to Minden in June of 1996.