Over 93% of Lowman Elementary School’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch, meaning many students count on school-provided meals. Los Vaqueros generously arranges food deliveries from Three Square Food Bank twice a year so students can take home healthy food packages over the holiday breaks.
Los Vaqueros Las Vegas assisted with the building of Courtyard Wonders – a student garden featuring a desert plant habitat, fish pond, and vegetable garden. Students take pride in planting and caring for the garden with plans of having a Farmer’s Market.
H2O Grow aims to educate students, nurture healthier lifestyles, and inspire communities by providing materials and instructional support for schools to create hydroponic gardens. The gardens offer a unique, hands-on approach to learning that enriches STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education programs, fosters mentorship between schools and students, and enlightens kids about how food actually grows!
Real Talk’s mission is to change the lives of youth, one person at a time, through education, mentoring, and passion for a positive future. The voluntary members of the Real Talk Youth Impact Program share their real-life “stories” with at-risk youth, hoping that those listening will make better choices. Los Vaqueros provides funding for certain participants in the program to receive sponsorships for youth activities.
Rodney grew up in Kingman, AZ and was a member of the National Honor Society at Kingman High School where he graduated in 1984. Rodney was on his way to West Point under the sponsorship of Senator John McCain until a knee injury disqualified him. He worked a couple of jobs until starting at Jeld-Wen in 1986 where he started in production, making doors and windows. Rodney, never one to settle would work up to Supervisor then to Production Manager and eventually General Manager. He was the first person at Jeld-Wen to reach that level without a college degree. He left there in 2012 to start his own business consulting company, Magnum Opportunities.
In his free time he loved powerlifting and riding his Harley. In 1999 & 2000 he took 1st & 2nd place at the US championship and 3rd and 4th place for the world bench press. Rodney’s passion for riding motorcycles lead him to ABATE of Arizona (American Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education) a motorcycle rights organization where of course he later became chapter president. After relocating to Henderson, NV he became a member of Los Vaqueros where he also served one term as president. Los Vaqueros is a non-profit organization of business men that give back to the community by empowering and aiding children and their families across Southern Nevada. In addition to all that, he was an ordained minister with Word of Life Ministries for nearly 20 years.
Rodney was a mentor to so many and left an indelible mark on countless people’s lives. He was a force of nature with his capable ways and brilliant mind. He could enter a room alone and walk out with friendships as he didn’t know a stranger.
The impact you made in your short time here is immeasurable and will never be forgotten. In the words of Rodney, “Live a rich life”.
Stephan was born and raised in the beautiful City of Dortmund, Germany.
After his military service in the German Artillery in Hannover, he studied
Civil/Structural Engineering at the Technical University in Aachen, before
spending the #rst two years of his career in Berlin, participating in the
design of a whole city block in the former East Berlin right behind where
the wall used to be.
When the project was completed, he decided to pursue his Master’s degree
in Structural Engineering at Arizona State University. After successful
completion, Stephan worked in Phoenix for a couple of years, before moving
to Las Vegas and being involved in many strip projects, such as Bellagio,
Venetian, Crystals, 63 CityCenter and the Sphere.
Stephan founded his own company, Kordt Engineering Group, in 2013,
before selling it to Canadian Engineering #rm RJC Engineers in 2022,
where he is now in charge of the continued growth of the US Operations.
Besides working a lot Stephan likes to travel with his wife, kids and friends,
following his hometown soccer team, Borussia Dortmund, to a few games in
interesting cities every year, riding his bicycle and visiting his daughter in
Milwaukee, where she is attending Marquette University and the Wisconsen
College of Medicine, and his son in Phoenix where he studies Biomedical
Engineering at ASU.
With so many good things happening in his live, Stephan found Los
Vaqueros to be the perfect Organization to give back a little and to enjoy the
camaraderie with fellow businesspeople.
Orest Komarnyckyj DDS enjoyed a prestigious career as a periodontal regenerative surgeon moving to a new passion in June 2018. He retired after 33 years to pursue new passions. At 71 Dr. Orest has taken on a new role as a Men’s Life Coach. He lives with his wife of 31 years, Oksana an M&A advisor, and a powerful businesswoman. His status as an empty-nester with two out-of-college, employed, bad-ass daughters has left him with time and energy to share decades of successes, failures, and wisdom. He also gets satisfaction from being in Los Vaqueros and sits on the board.
Dr. Orest is not afraid to talk about uncomfortable topics In his coaching program. He has conversations with men that they would not have with anyone else.
Alexander Koch is a past President, past Treasurer, and current Board Member of Los Vaqueros and has been a member of Los Vaqueros since 2011. He is excited to volunteer his time with such a great group focused on helping enrich the lives of at-risk youth in our valley.
Alex grew up on Long Island and has been in Las Vegas since 2004 when he graduated with a BS in Hotel Administration from Cornell University. Working with some of the premier gaming companies in America, Alex has worked for MGM Mirage, Golden Nugget Gaming, and Las Vegas Sands in financial and operational planning & analysis as well as mergers and acquisitions. In 2009, Alex began working for the Lee family in town, first in their Eureka Casinos operations and now running their family office and real estate companies.
Alex lives in Las Vegas with his wife, daughters, and dog. In his free time, he enjoys reading, volunteering with Cornell Alumni Associations, and traveling with his family.
With more than 20 years of experience providing civil engineering, planning, and design of a diverse spectrum of projects across southern Nevada, I’m excited to extend my expertise to support the Las Vegas Los Vaqueros as a board member. As part of a dynamic team, I’ve honed my skills in planning, design, and construction management, ensuring the success of complex, large-scale developments. In addition to my professional endeavors, I am passionate about giving back to my community by aiding disadvantaged youth and military families in southern Nevada. With a commitment to excellence and a drive to make a difference, I’m dedicated to leveraging my skills to positively impact the lives of those in need.
11th Annual Children’s Hope Golf Tournament – registration open – become a sponsor!
To register, donate prizes, or sign up for a sponsorship please contact Ben Parks at (702) 595-6003 or info@losvaqueroslv.com. Deadline is October 20, 2017. This event sells out every year, so please sign up immediately to ensure a foursome.
http://losvaqueroslv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-Los-Vaqueros-golf-tournament.pdf
