Name: Dave Bennett
Office: Overton Power District 7, At Large
Party Affiliation: Nonpartisan office
Biography provide by candidate:
BACKGROUND
My family moved to the Virgin Valley in the mid 1980’s. Since then I have called Mesquite home. Have served the local community for years on many boards and commissions in both an elected and volunteer capacity.
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION
University of Nevada Las Vegas - Masters of Public Administration - 2014
Southern Utah University - Bachelor of Arts - Political Science - 1995
WORK EXPERIENCE
Fidelity National Title Agency of Nevada, Inc.
AVP Business Development/Sales Executive (February, 2006 to Present)
Responsible for all sales relations with clients and customer services in North-East Clark County (Virgin Valley & Moapa Valley).
Equity Title of Nevada
Business Development (September 2003 to January 2006)
Sales and customer service in the North-East Clark County Market.
America First Credit Union
Mortgage Loans and Business/Community Development (April 1995 to September 2003)
Originated mortgage loans & handled commercial services for branch. Also assisted with customer/member services such as new accounts, certificates of deposit, and consumer loans.
City of Mesquite, Nevada
City Councilman (3 terms - July 1999 to June 2011)
One of five elected council members responsible for all operational decisions in running city including: approval of annual budgets, union contract negotiations, federal grant oversight, updates of city codes, redevelopment agency, zoning/planning decisions, economic development, legislative affairs/lobbying, etc.
Clark County RTC/Regional Flood Control District
Commission Board Member (July 2007 - June 2011)
Appointed Commission/Board Member of both of these county agencies tasked with management oversight/approval of all contracts, legislative affairs, budgeting, construction bids, and agency finance.
Nevada League of Cities
President & Executive Board Member (August 2007 - June 2011)
Elected from membership as Executive Board Member serving as Secretary, 2nd V.P, 1st V.P., & President of the League. Charged with oversight of league finances, budgeting, fund raising, annual conference planning/execution, setting of league legislative priorities, & lobbying.
SKILLS
Spanish Fluency - Read, write, and speak - Minor in Spanish from SUU - Lived 2 years abroad in So. America.
Question: In a 140 characters (tweet), introduce yourself as if you are introducing yourself to a neighbor.
My name is Dave Bennett. I have lived in So. Nevada for more than 40 years, and worked in this part of Clark County for more than 2 decades.
Question: What is the most pressing issue facing Overton Power District?
As a non-profit general improvement district I believe the most pressing issue facing the Overton Power District is keeping our rates levels low for rate-payers while at the same time dealing with the likelihood of continued growth within the boundaries of the district. There appears to be both residential as well as commercial/light industrial growth on the horizon, and keeping up with that growth while keeping expenses in line requires planning, new ideas, and innovation to meet the challenge.
Question: Most pressing issue for Overton as a whole?
Overton is one of the communities within the boundaries of the district. There are six actual communities within the service area of the district itself, so I assume the intent of the question is to inquire about the most pressing issue for this part of Northeast Clark County? In my opinion, both the Moapa and Virgin Valleys are still recovering from the downturn from a number of years ago. The Mesquite area suffered in terms of lost jobs in tourism and construction, while the Moapa Valley area has suffered in terms of property values and the loss of jobs related to the shutting down of the Reid-Gardner Power Plant. There is the potential for other development in this part of the county that will preserve our quality of life, and the economy has steadily improved the past few years. That is what makes it very important for our local utility companies (especially the power utility company since we do not currently have access to natural gas) to work hard at keeping energy costs affordable, and to work closely with the county and the city to assist as opportunities might arise.
(Editor's note: The candidate's biography and answers were not edited for content or length)