The Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners is created through the authority of the Nevada Revised Statutes, NRS 213.108. The Board consists of a Chairman and six Commissioners, appointed by the Governor for a term of four (4) years. Reappointment is possible.
The Chairman is the executive officer of the Board, administers its activities and services, and is responsible for its management.
Chairman DeRicco:
Christopher P. DeRicco was
appointed as a Parole Board Commissioner by Governor Brian Sandoval in July
2017. He served as a Commissioner on the Board until July 2018, when he
was appointed as the Chairman. Prior to his appointment, Chairman DeRicco
served as a Senior United States Probation Officer for the United States
District Court, District of Nevada, for 21 years. Prior to that, he was
employed by the State of Nevada as a Parole and Probation Officer with the
Division of Parole and Probation. Throughout the years, Chairman DeRicco
also served as a past Vice-President for the Federal Probation and Pretrial
Services Officers Association, and he was Chairman of the College of Criminal
Justice and Information Security at the University of Phoenix. Chairman DeRicco holds a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational
Management. Chairman DeRicco is a
lifelong resident of the State of Nevada.
Commissioner DeRicco’s term expires on June 30, 2025.
Commissioner Jackson:
Susan L. Jackson was
appointed as a Parole Board Commissioner by Governor Jim Gibbons in January
2008. Commissioner Jackson has an
extensive law enforcement and investigative background. Prior to her appointment, she worked within
the law enforcement community, spending 23 years dedicated to public
safety. Her experience began with the
State of Nevada in 1985 with The Gaming Control Board, continuing as a Senior
Investigator with the Attorney General’s Office and as Senior Investigator with
the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Investigation Division. Additionally, she was assigned as an
Instructor and Training Consultant for the Commission on Peace Officer’s
Standards and Training. Commissioner
Jackson earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy,
171st Session, and holds a Nevada Peace Officer’s Advanced
Certification. Commissioner Jackson is a
third generation native Nevadan.
Commissioner Jackson’s term expires on June 30, 2024.
Commissioner Christiansen:
Eric Christiansen was appointed as a Parole Board Commissioner by
Governor Brian Sandoval in July 2018. Prior
to his appointment, he served as a United States Probation Officer for the
United States District Court, District of Nevada, for 21 years. Prior to
that, he was employed as a Nevada Parole and Probation officer and was also a police
officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Commissioner Christiansen earned a Bachelor’s
Degree in Political Science from Washington State University. In 1986, he relocated to Nevada and has been
a resident of Nevada a since that time.
Commissioner Christiansen’s term expires on June 30, 2027.
Commissioner Baker:
Mary
K. Baker was appointed as Parole Board Commissioner by Governor Steve Sisolak
in October 2019. Prior to this she was
employed by the Reno Municipal Court as the court program manager for Specialty
Courts. Mary K. Baker was also appointed
as a Parole Board Commissioner by Governor Jim Gibbons in January 2008. Commissioner Baker has over 42 years’
experience in the Criminal Justice System, working in law enforcement and
community corrections. Commissioner
Baker managed the United States Pretrial Services Office in Reno, for the U.S.
District Court, prior to this appointment.
She served as the District’s Program Development Coordinator, as well as
the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist.
While employed by the Federal Court, Commissioner Baker assisted in the
development of the National Standards for Investigation, report writing and
supervision of criminal defendants. She
served as faculty for the Federal Judicial Center and the training branch of
the Federal Judiciary. Prior to joining
the Federal Judiciary, Commissioner Baker worked as a Juvenile Probation
Officer for Carson City and as a Victim/Witness Coordinator for Clark County
Juvenile Court. Commissioner Baker holds
a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Services and Corrections, and Criminal
Justice, as well as a Certificate of Public Management from the University of
Nevada, Reno. She is a third-generation
Nevadan and has been a lifelong resident of the State. Commissioner Baker’s term expires on June 30,
2025.
Commissioner Bailey:
LamiciaBailey was appointed
as a Parole Board Commissioner by Governor Steve Sisolak in October 2020. Prior to her appointment, she was employed as
a Correctional Caseworker with the Nevada Department of Corrections. Commissioner Bailey has also been employed as
a reentry specialist with the Division of Parole and Probation. Commissioner Bailey served in the United
States Air Force for over 20 years, where she last served as the Director of
Human Resources for Nellis Air Force Base, after serving as a Law Enforcement
Officer. Commissioner Bailey holds a
Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science, with a minor in Business Management from
Campbell University. She also holds a
Master of Arts in Human Relations form the University of Oklahoma. Commissioner Bailey has been a resident of
Nevada since 2012. Commissioner Bailey’s
appointment expires on June 30, 2024.
Commissioner Weisenthal:
Scott Weisenthal was appointed as a Parole Board Commissioner by Governor Steve
Sisolak in February 2021. Commissioner
Weisenthal has approximately 33 years of experience working within the criminal
justice system, with approximately 23 of those years working within the Nevada
Department of Corrections. He began his
career in the prison system in 1988, where he was first employed as a
Correctional Officer at the Nevada State Prison. He worked his way up to a Correctional Casework
Specialist, where he later became a subject matter expert for Intake and
Initial Classification, Sentence Structure and Credits, and was involved in
training staff on policies and procedures.
In addition, Commissioner Weisenthal was employed by the Board of Parole
Commissioners for a period of four years beginning in 2008, where he served as
a Hearings Examiner. Commissioner
Weisenthal retired from state service in 2015, with approximately 27 years of service
to this state. Following his retirement,
he worked as a contracted Hearing Representive for the Nevada Board of Parole
Commissioners for approximately six years.
Commissioner Weisenthal has
always been involved with the community.
He served on the Carson City Little League Board of Supervisors and the
Carson City In-Line Hockey League Board of Supervisors (Sierra In-Line Hockey
League). He has also coached youth
sports such as, baseball, soccer, in-line hockey and basketball. He was a Cub Scout Den leader and a Cub Scout
Cub Master for Douglas County. He also co-founded
the Carson City Jewish Group in 1990, and he is a certified CPR
Instructor. Commissioner Weisenthal has
been a Northern Nevada resident since 1981.
Commissioner Weisenthal’s term expires on June 30, 2025.
Commissioner Schmitt:
Sandy
Schmitt was appointed as a Parole Board Commissioner by Governor Joe Lombardo
in July 2023. Commissioner Schmitt has an extensive background working in law
enforcement, mental health services, and investigations. Working in Parole and Probation for nearly 30 years, first
as a Nevada Parole and Probation Officer for seven years and subsequently as a
United States Probation Officer, for the United States District Court, District
of Nevada, Las Vegas, for 22 years. Most recently, Commissioner Schmitt
was employed with the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services as a
Training Officer and prior to that she was a Mortgage Lending Investigator with
the Nevada Division of Mortgage Lending. Commissioner Schmitt holds a Bachelor
of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In 1977,
she and her family relocated to Nevada and have been residents of Las Vegas
ever since. Commissioner Schmitt’s term expires June 30, 2027.