Gates, Yvonne Atkinson

Yvonne Atkinson-Gates is a three-term Clark County commissioner in Nevada and the first African American to serve as chair of the board of commissioners. As a member of the Clark County Board of Commissioners, she and her colleagues manage a $3 billion budget for one of America’s fastest growing counties. Commissioner Atkinson-Gates has more than 20 years experience in public policy, spanning 1979 to 1992. Her professional background includes supervisory posts within Clark County as Human Resources Manager and Zoning Manager for the Department of Aviation as well as Research and Planning Manager for the Department of Social Services. Prior to being elected to the county commission in 1993, Yvonne Atkinson-Gates held two four-year terms on the Clark County School District Board of Trustees. With a master’s in public administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Commissioner Atkinson-Gates is passionate about education and advocates relentlessly for children to have exposure to good education early. As commissioner she has spearheaded the development of three early childhood development centers within her district. Since February 2002, she has been chair of the Democratic National Committee Black Caucus. In this capacity she has worked to assist the Democratic Party with raising money toward the support of viable campaigns across the country. She helped reorganize the caucus and implemented new programs that increased cohesiveness among members and created a stronger national operating base for the organization. When she is not balancing her time between state and national politics, Commissioner Gates is busy as director of marketing and community relations for the University of Nevada Las Vegas Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach, an education-based program with the goal of helping students pursue post-secondary education.