At their first meeting of the year Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, the Carson City School District School Board of Trustees nominated and voted in new leadership for the 2026 School Board. Trustee Molly Walt, District 6, was named the newest president.

She replaced former President and now Immediate Past President Lupe Ramirez, District 1, as the school board’s leader. Trustees Richard Varner, District 4, and Michelle Pedersen, District 7, were also named vice president and clerk, respectively. Trustee Varner replaced former Vice President Mike Walker and Trustee Pedersen replaced former Clerk Walt. Each of the three leaders will serve one-year terms.

Trustees also took action and voted in favor of beginning 2026 School Board meetings at 6 p.m., which is 30 minutes earlier than last year’s designated start time of 6:30 p.m.

The 2025 School Board Members by district include the following.

  • District 1, Lupe Ramirez, immediate past president
  • District 2, Rebecca Roberts, member
  • District 3, Matt Clapham, member
  • District 4, Richard Varner, vice president
  • District 5, vacant
  • District 6, Molly Walt, president
  • District 7, Michelle Pedersen, clerk

Later in the meeting, trustees were appointed to serve on various committees and associations, including the following for the ensuing year.

  • Director on the Nevada Association of School Boards – Richard Varner
  • Alternate Director on the Nevada Association of School Boards – Lupe Ramirez
  • Member, Carson City Parks & Recreation Committee – Molly Walt
  • Debt Management Commission – Molly Walt
  • Partnership Carson City – Richard Varner
  • Legislative Liaison – Michelle Pedersen, Lupe Ramirez and Molly Walt
  • Representative(s) to Superintendent’s School Naming Committee – Michelle Pedersen and Rebecca Roberts
  • Representative to Superintendent’s Joint Advisory Committee – Richard Varner
  • Representative to Carson City School’s Foundation – Molly Walt
  • Representative(s) to Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) – Lupe Ramirez and Molly Walt
  • Representative to the Emergency Operations Development Committee – Matt Clapham
  • Representative on the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) District Leadership Team – Michelle Pedersen and Richard Varner

Action was also taken to appoint trustees to serve as Individual Liaisons to schools within the district. Those assignments include the following.

  • Carson High School – Michelle Pedersen
  • Carson High Silver Campus – Lupe Ramirez
  • Carson Middle School – Matt Clapham
  • Eagle Valley Middle School – Matt Clapham
  • Bordewich Bray Elementary School – Richard Varner
  • Empire Elementary School – Molly Walt
  • Fremont Elementary School – Rebecca Roberts
  • Fritsch Elementary School – Richard Varner
  • Mark Twain Elementary School – Lupe Ramirez
  • Seeliger Elementary School – Michelle Pedersen
Dan Sadler and Lupe Ramirez.

Chief Human Resources Officer Dan Sadler and the Carson City School Board of Trustees also took time during the superintendent’s report to graciously acknowledge the effort and time contributed over the past year by the outgoing leadership, specifically, Trustee Ramirez, who now serves as the immediate past president.

President Molly Walt has proudly called Carson City home since 1994, where she lives with her husband and family. She and her husband are the proud parents of four children, each of whom has achieved significant academic and athletic milestones. Their oldest children are twins. Their daughter graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and their son graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno. Their oldest son is currently enrolled at Truckee Meadows Community College, pursuing a degree in paramedicine. Their youngest daughter is attending the College of Idaho on a soccer and academic scholarship. Their youngest son played the fall 2025 season at Eastern Oregon University and has committed to playing soccer at Lake Tahoe Community College beginning in fall 2026.

Walt holds a Master of Leadership and Supervision (M.A.Ed.) and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She has a strong foundation in education, having taught in the Carson City School District from 1999 to 2014.

In addition to her experience in education, Walt brings extensive expertise in nonprofit and public service leadership. She currently serves as chief executive officer of Nevada Rural Counties Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), where she leads strategic, fiscal and operational initiatives. Under her leadership, RSVP delivers life-enhancing volunteer programs that support seniors and adults with disabilities throughout rural Nevada, helping them maintain independence and dignity.

Walt’s commitment to community service is reflected in her active civic involvement. She serves as chair of the Carson City Parks and Recreation Commission, president-elect of Rotary of Carson City, and is a member of Carson City Elks Lodge #2177. She also serves as chair of the Nevada Lifespan Respite Care Coalition, secretary of the Nevada Volunteers Commission, and as a commissioner on the Nevada Commission on Aging. In addition, she co-facilitates Dementia Friendly Carson City, an initiative dedicated to fostering a more supportive and inclusive community for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. She was recently recognized for her public service leadership as the recipient of the Nevada Association of School Boards New School Board Member of the Year award.

Vice President Richard Varner is in his second four-year term on the school board. In his first term, he served as clerk, vice president and president. He has resided in Nevada since 1960, graduating from Yerington High School. He served two tours in Vietnam as a crew chief on a helicopter gunship and later spent 41 years in law enforcement. He maintains more than 30 years of supervisory and management experience. He earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Western Nevada College and is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy.

He began his career as a Deputy for the Lyon County Sherriff’s Department before joining the Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS) Investigation Division, where he worked as a narcotic investigator, narcotic task force supervisor and supervisor of the Major Crimes Unit along with numerous other positions. During his 27-year tenure at DPS, he also served as a Deputy Chief of the Investigation Division, Deputy Chief of Parole and Probation Division and retired as a Major at the Nevada Highway Patrol. After retiring from the DPS, he served nine years as the Chief of Police for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

He has had the pleasure of serving as a member of the Governor’s Crime Commission and the Attorney General’s Methamphetamine Task Force. He has also served as the president of the Nevada Association of the FBI National Academy Associates and served four years as the president of the Nevada Tribal Police Chief’s Association and two years as the vice president of the California Tribal Police Chief’s Association. Between him and his wife, they have a total of four sons and eight grandchildren.

A dedicated resident of Carson City for more than 20 years, Clerk Michelle Pedersen has deep roots in this community and a firsthand understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges facing families. She and her husband have raised their four children here – now ages 16, 19, 20 and 22, and as they progressed through Carson City schools, she saw firsthand the power and benefit of youth knowing there were adults investing in them and believing in their potential. Her long-term commitment to this city is driven by a desire to ensure that all students have access to the same supportive academic environment that her children were fortunate to have.

Her passion for service is reflected in her extensive history of local involvement. Michelle has spent two decades actively contributing to the organizations that shape children’s lives, serving in leadership roles and board seats across a wide spectrum of community programs. From serving several years as the president of Carson City Little League, fostering creativity in youth theatre where she served as the volunteer coordinator, to guiding character development as a leader in Scouts, she has consistently stepped up to lead, ensuring programs could thrive. These roles have given her great diversity in experience — managing varied perspectives, balancing budgets and keeping the focus where it belongs: on the growth and well-being of local youth.

Beyond extracurriculars, she has been a steadfast advocate within Carson City schools and a mentor for the youth of her church. These experiences have given her a “boots on the ground” perspective on the needs of students and the hard work of district educators. Beginning just her second year of service on the school board, Michelle is humbled by the opportunity and grateful for the trust in her abilities to once again step up and lead as an officer on the school board.