Matt Cates is a second-generation Nevadan, born and raised in Reno. He graduated from the University of Nevada in 1998 and joined Granite Construction Company in 2002. Matt is currently the Construction Manager for the Nevada Region, managing all construction operations. Matt joined the NNCCF Board of Directors in December 2023. He previously was a member of the Nevada FFA Foundation Board of Directors. Matt and his wife Leigh live in Reno with their two daughters, Ryleigh, and Makenzie and three dogs. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, and playing golf.

Leonard Wohletz joined the Board of the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation in 2016. A
Reno native, Leonard enjoys giving back to the community that has been so good to him. He has
previously been President of the University of Nevada Young Alumni Association and Chairman of the
Board of the Better Business Bureau of Northern Nevada. Leonard has been with Morgan Stanley Since
1998 when he graduated from the University of Nevada with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business,
Majoring in Economics. At Morgan Stanley he works with individuals, non-profits, and corporations and
has clients both in locally and across the country. Leonard lives in Reno with his wife and two daughters
and enjoys playing basketball, skiing, hiking, and supporting the Wolf Pack in his spare time.

Dr. White was born and raised in Billings, Montana and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington. She is a graduate with the first four-year graduating class of the University of Nevada School of Medicine in 1980 and completed a straight Pediatric Residency at the University of Nevada School of Medicine Affiliated Residency Programs. Since then, she has been in private practice and would still choose to be a pediatrician if given the opportunity to begin a career again. Dr. White also serves as a board member for Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation, a local organization created to help the families of children with cancer. Her major interests in the field of Pediatrics are childhood development and infectious diseases, especially vaccine-preventable diseases.

Prior to starting her own company, Carol was the National Sales Manager for Old Republic Insured Automotive Services, Inc. for 10 years. She moved to Reno in 2012 along with her partner, Bob Phillips. Carol joined the board of directors for NNCCF December 2017. She brings a passion for fundraising for childhood cancer causes. Their grandson, Pierce Phillips, passed away at the age of 27 months after a 15 month long battle against stage four neuroblastoma. She has worked with her step son and daughter in law, Scott and Brandi, over the last 8 years raising money for the Pierce Phillips Charity, founded his his memory. She is also the proud mother of two daughters, Kaley and Sarah, and Nana to Pierce’s little brother, Hudson. When she isn’t working or fundraising she is active in the Montreux community.

Casey Stiteler is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory and Government practice group. His practice focuses on land use and development and real estate law. Casey has assisted clients with real estate sales and purchases, development, leases, and real estate related litigation and dispute resolution. Casey has also assisted clients with matters related to local business and liquor licensing in the state of Nevada.

In 2019, Casey Stiteler became the first childhood cancer survivor, and former NNCCF kid, to serve on the Board of Directors. He joined the NNCCF board of directors shortly after he and his parents dissolved their nonprofit named Casey’s Project and directed their passion, resources and proceeds to NNCCF. He developed the nonprofit during his battle with cancer in order to provide fellow children in the hospital with toys and games – long before electronics were widely-used and available.

Shirley Folkins-Roberts has been a dedicated advocate for children battling cancer since 2003. As a co-founder of the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation (NNCCF), she serves on the Board of Directors and since 2006 has annually led advocacy teams of Nevada families to Washington, D.C., championing for childhood cancer research funding. From 2018 to 2021, Shirley served as Executive Director of NNCCF, where she was instrumental in supporting Northern Nevada families through their cancer journeys. In recognition of her dedication, she was appointed in 2021 to the St. Baldrick’s National Advocacy Advisory Committee, a distinguished group of public policy experts, physician-scientists, and parents, working to advance federal legislation for childhood cancer research. She is also a steering committee member for the Max Vincze Foundation, an organization financing research focused on adolescent and young adult cancers.

Beyond her nonprofit work, Shirley is the Community Development Director for Panattoni Development Company. Since 2014, she has overseen more than four million square feet of commercial real estate development, managing projects from land entitlement to tenant relations. In her current role she works on the entitlement process and represents Panattoni at the local, state and national level.

Shirley holds a Juris Doctor from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. She has been a member of the California Bar since 1993 and the Nevada Bar since 2010, having practiced law in both states. Shirley serves as Chair of the REMSA Health Board of Directors. She is an active member of the Board of Trustees for the Reno Philharmonic and is a member of the Rotary Club of Reno Central. In 2023 she was appointed to the City of Reno Business Enterprise Fund Advisory Committee and in 2024 was selected by the Governor to serve on the Board of Directors for The Nevada Strategic Growth Initiative.

Doug is currently the President, North American Development Group for Panattoni Development Company. In addition, Doug serves as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Panattoni Development Company in North America for an international e-commerce company. Doug’s professional development does not stop at land. He is active in several key professional organizations in an ongoing effort to advance his skills and the industry as a whole. These include the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) (2015 President of the Reno Chapter), Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). Doug is a former member of the city of Reno’s Building Enterprise Fund Advisory Committee, a City Council-appointed position. In addition to his professional affiliations, Mr. Roberts is a founding and current board member and past President of the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation (formerly known as the Keaton Raphael Memorial), an organization assisting families with children battling pediatric cancer, and is a current member and past President of the Reno Central Rotary Club.

With nearly two decades of agency experience, Meagan Noin founded MN|G Partners in 2014. Since then the firm has worked with some of Nevada’s most respected professional service firms, largest events, most notable non-profits, and landmark capital improvement projects in our community. Her experience includes working with local and regional media outlets as well as national outlets including Good Morning America, Today, Associated Press, Reuters and CNN. As the president of the firm, Meagan oversees the execution of communication campaigns, manages client budgets, oversees firm operations, new business development, and media and client relations on a local, regional and national level. Her areas of practice include corporate communications, product promotion, event management, traditional and online advertising placement, crisis communications and media relations. A Reno native, Meagan is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno with dual degrees in journalism and political science. After graduation, she was a member of the faculty at the Reynolds School of Journalism where she taught media production. In 2020, she was named in the Top 20 Under 40 by the Reno Tahoe Young Professionals Network. In addition to her role with the firm, she is a former board member of the Great Reno Balloon Races. She is also past president and current board member of the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation, the chair of Audience Engagement and member of the Board of Trustees for the Reno Philharmonic and a board member of JUSTin Hope.

Brandan and his family relocated to Reno in early 2016 from Oklahoma. Brandan graduated from Oral Roberts University with a Master of Management and continued his career in the Architectural Millwork Industry. He and his wife have also lived, worked, and volunteered in several other nations including, Cambodia, South Korea, Thailand, and Australia. Brandan is passionate about serving others. Knowing the impact of childhood cancer on the whole family, he is committed to supporting and advocating for those families. He also enjoys traveling, finding new experiences and adventures, and spending quality time with his family.

Emily Jaenson’s motto is “Be so good they won’t forget you!” and she lives this motto each day in her work as a keynote speaker and consultant for companies and employee resource groups across the US teaching them to empower their confidence, achieve their biggest goals, and use their voice to make a difference for themselves and their communities.

Formerly, Emily served as General Manager of the Triple-A Reno Aces. Upon accepting this role in 2018, Jaenson became the first female in Triple-A to hold the GM role in nearly 20 years.

Emily is on a mission to encourage women to pursue roles traditionally held by men. She leads a podcast, Leadership is Female, where she interviews executives in sport so that she and her guests can guide the next generation of female leadership forward.

Emily is married to Shawn Jaenson, a Navy veteran, and has two young sons, Magnus and Anders and daughter, Elin.