David Byerman

David Byerman
Secretary of the Senate, Nevada Senate
In office August 30, 2010 – February 1, 2015
Personal details
Born	David Byerman
Political party	Non-Partisan
Spouse(s)	Caroline Byerman
Children	Amanda Will
Residence	Las Vegas, NV
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania University of Redlands
Website	http://leg.state.nv.us/Senate/

David Byerman was the 40th Secretary of the Senate for the Nevada Senate.^[1] He was appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford on August 18, 2010^[2] and was then unanimously elected by the full Nevada Senate on February 7, 2011^[3] and on February 4, 2013.^[4]

Biography

Byerman is a graduate of McQueen High School in Reno. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Redlands, with a double major in history and political science, serving as President of the student body. Byerman earned a Master of Governmental Administration degree from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.^[5][6]

He is married to Caroline Byerman. They have two children, Amanda and Will.^[1]

Early career

Byerman began his career as Executive Director of Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities, Inc., a public-private partnership that promotes alternative fuel vehicles. Under Byerman's leadership, Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities developed from a start-up non profit to the become the winner of the "Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence," an honor awarded by Governor Tom Ridge in 1998.^[7]

Byerman moved back to his home state of Nevada in 1998 and served on the senior staff of Governor Bob Miller. There, Byerman served as Executive Assistant to the Governor, a policy position in which Byerman managed transportation, environmental, and information technology issues as a member of the Governor's senior staff. From the Governor's staff, Byerman went on to lead intergovernmental relations for the Nevada Department of Transportation.^[5]

As a volunteer in his community, David has served as President of the Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the State of Nevada's Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy, and Chairman of the Board of the Nevada Association of Nonprofit Organizations.^[1]

Census 2000 and Census 2010

Byerman served as Chief Government Liaison for Nevada for the U.S. Census Bureau during both the 2000 and 2010 Census campaigns.^[8] In this role, Byerman served as the lead strategist and media spokesman for both campaigns. Nevada's 2000 Census Campaign produced the biggest turnaround of any state in the nation; while 2.3% of Nevadans were missed in 1990, the undercount was cut to only 1.6% in 2000. The improved Census count was calculated to have produced $16 million for Nevada annually in additional federal allocations from 2000 to 2010.^[9] Both campaigns were highly successful, and Byerman was widely credited with having played a major role as both an advocate and an organizer.^[2]

Secretary of the Senate

David Byerman was the first Southern Nevada resident ever appointed to serve as Secretary of the Senate.^[10] The position is full-time and non-partisan. As Secretary of the Senate, Byerman served as the Chief Executive Officer and Parliamentarian for the Nevada State Senate.^[11] The Secretary of the Senate oversees a session staff that grows to over 100 during legislative sessions, and includes legislative staff, floor staff, sergeants at arms, research assistants, and others.^[6][12]

Secretary Byerman implemented a wide variety of initiatives to increase accessibility and transparency in government during his terms of office. Channel 21 serves as a communications channel for the Senate and includes Senate news and information, explanations about jargon and legislative terminology, live video of Senate committee and floor sessions, national and local news, and meeting information.^[13] SENarts was a partnership among the Nevada Senate, Nevada Division of Museums and Nevada Arts Council that included arts competitions, programs, and a campaign to build the Senate’s permanent art collection.^[14] uLegislate was a simulation in the Senate Chambers that offered visitors the chance to play the roles of Senators and Senate officers on the floor of the Senate.^[15]

Secretary Byerman continues to serve as Executive Director of the Nevada Youth Legislature in a volunteer capacity.^[1]

After a change in party control in the Senate for the 2015 Legislative Session, the new Republican leadership announced that former secretary Claire J. Clift would be re-appointed to the job, despite her firing from the position in 2010. Ms. Clift's re-appointment marked the first time in Nevada legislative history that the role of Secretary of the Senate had been politicized in this manner.

Awards and Recognition

In May 2013, Secretary Byerman was honored with the Jean Ford Democracy Award by Secretary of State Ross Miller in recognition of his dedication to engaging the public in the democratic process.^[16]

In April 2014 Secretary Byerman was announced by the Clark County Law Foundation as a winner of the Liberty Bell Award. According to the citation, the Liberty Bell Award, "recognizes individuals in the community who uphold the rule of law, contribute to good government within the community, stimulate a sense of civic responsibility, and encourage respect for the law in the courts." ^[17]

At its Legislative Summit, the National Conference of State Legislatures announced in August 2014 that Secretary Byerman was the recipient of the Kevin B. Harrington Award.^[18] The award, named for Senator Kevin B. Harrington, "recognizes an individual or organization for advancing public understanding of state and local representative democracy." ^[18]

References

External links

• Interview with KPVM Television, Pahrump
• Press Conference with Congresswoman Dina Titus, Excerpt
• NCSL Presentation of Kevin B. Harrington Award to Secretary Byerman