RPEN President Don Mello Retires After Ten Years of Service

Don Mello became active in the local chapter in 2001 after retiring from CC Communications as the General Manager. He was an RPEN member for 23 years and was elected president in 2013. He served in that position until December 2023, when he announced he would be stepping down, but would continue to be an active chapter member.

Now, after ten remarkable years as president of the Representing Public Employees of Nevada (RPEN), Churchill Chapter.

RPEN is vital to public employees’ state, county, city, and PERS retirees as it represents them at the legislative level, now through Terri Laird, Executive Director, and lobbyist. She presented Don with a beautiful plaque in recognition of his many years as president. She was one of the many local and regional dignitaries on hand to wish Don and Saundra Mello well going into their next chapter of life.

City of Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford, RPEN State President Lynne Bellatori, Past State President Leon Borden, and many active and retired City of Fallon, Churchill County, Churchill School District, and CC Communications employees enjoyed celebrating with Don, Saundra, and other Mello family members.

Serving ten years as chapter president, Mr. and Mrs. Mello spent many hours representing the chapter at the state level. They attended many state functions, mostly legislative sessions, to help retirees keep, maintain, and improve benefits such as insurance and pensions and raise incoming wages for state employees.

The Churchill RPEN Chapter's presidency is now in the capable hands of Acting President Mayris Turner. She served as Vice President for several years, filling in for Don at state and chapter functions as necessary in Don’s absences.

Any employee that contributes to the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS), active or retired, is invited and encouraged to attend the monthly meetings every second Thursday at 10 a.m. of each month, except July and August. There is a $8.00 per month membership fee that helps represent and maintain the local chapter. The meetings are held at the Fallon Youth Center, 324 Pennington Circle.