Regents name 2019 Distinguished Nevadans

Two former governors and the first woman member of the Nevada Supreme Court have been named Distinguished Nevadans by the Board of Regents.

That honor is the system of higher education’s most prestigious award and will be presented at spring commencement ceremonies. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the state and its people.

Former Gov. Robert List, who also served two terms as Nevada Attorney General, and Gov. Brian Sandoval, who just left office in January after two terms, will join former Supreme Court Justice Miriam Shearing.

List was governor from 1979-1982. While Attorney General, he established the office’s first criminal division and anti-trust unit.

Sandoval was governor from 2011-2018. He too was Attorney General before becoming governor. In addition, he was a U.S. District Judge, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission and an assemblyman.

Shearing was the first woman district judge in Nevada and the first woman Supreme Court justice and chief justice. She will be honored along with her late husband Steven who invented the lens that revolutionized cataract surgery. He’s already a member of the Nevada Inventors Hall of Fame.

They are among nine individuals on this year’s list. Also named are Tony Sanchez III, vice president of government and community services at NV Energy, Dr. George Christensen of White Pine County who’s credited with introducing ambulance service and training in rural Nevada, William Douglas of UNR’s Center for Basque Studies, an internationally known Basque scholar.

Finally, Cliff and Donna Findlay are recognized as philanthropists for donating millions to education and charities in Southern Nevada.