Meet The Team
Proposed Executive Director
Candy Farthing
Candy brings 20+ years of education leadership in hybrid learning and dual enrollment. As Executive Director of Oregon Connections Academy, she quadrupled enrollment while scaling systems and supports. As COO of Coral Academy, she helped expand from 3 campuses to 6 while maintaining 5-Star ratings and a 95%+ graduation rate. She currently serves on Amplus Academy's Board, chairing its transition to an independent charter model.
Proposed Operations Director
Amy Spero
Amy brings 20+ years of experience in operations, team leadership, and business development, with a focus on expanding access and driving results. As Director of Marketing & Engagement at Nevada State High School, her team achieved the highest conversion rate in the organization’s history while reducing the annual marketing budget by more than half. Efforts included expanding ELL enrollment through multilingual outreach.
Proposed Board Chair
Nathan Atkins
Nate brings executive experience within a Fortune 100 company, where he managed $100M+ budgets and led large-scale operational strategy. He has since applied that expertise to scaling teams, improving efficiency, and driving results across health, education, and public-sector work. His background in compliance, analytics, and strategic planning strengthens board governance and ensures alignment to mission, accountability, and long-term impact.
Proposed Board Vice President
Shelly Edwards
As a bilingual school psychologist, school administrator and Director of Special Education programs, Shelly brings critical experience across special populations, compliance and accountability systems, and school leadership. As a Child Find Coordinator, she leads large-scale identification, evaluation, and placement systems, ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements. She now supports over a dozen local charters, bringing expertise in MTSS and high-quality services for diverse learners.
.png)
Proposed Board Secretary
Willis Bowden III ESQ
Founder and managing partner at Willis Bowden Law, Willis's team represents hundreds of court-involved youth annually. He brings deep expertise in legal compliance, governance, and open meeting law, strengthening the Board’s oversight and accountability. His work provides direct insight into the needs of highly mobile and disconnected students, grounded in a long-standing commitment to the local community, ensuring at-risk youth continue to have real opportunity and access to quality education.
_edited_edited_edited.png)
Proposed Board Treasurer
Dayana Vidal Garate
Dayana Vidal, MSA, is a dual enrollment graduate who earned her Masters in Accounting by the age of 21,. After working in the finance department of a Nevada dual enrollment charter network (8 campuses) for 4 years, she was promoted to the school network's Accountant. She brings firsthand perspective of a student in a historically underserved student group, and the impact programs like NECCA Academy can have in the Hispanic and English language learner communities.
_edited_edited.png)
Proposed Board Member
Anya Earl
As Executive Director of SAFY of Nevada, Anya brings extensive leadership in family services, supporting thousands of youth experiencing foster care, homelessness, trauma, and complex needs. She leads a 40-person organization serving treatment-level foster youth, with a strong track record of stability and permanency outcomes. With deep expertise in wraparound supports, crisis response, and multilingual family engagement, she strengthens the Board’s focus on high-need students. She also brings extensive board leadership experience, including multiple board chair roles, and leads training in trauma-informed and restorative practices.
Proposed Board Member
Tara Miller
Tara Miller, M.Ed., is a North Las Vegas parent board member and Program Coordinator at Jo Mackey Middle School. She was part of the team that led the school’s growth from a 3-Star to 5-Star NSPF rating, driving measurable gains including +8% ELA AGP over three years and +7.1% math growth in one year, with proficiency increasing from 25.6% to 38.4%. She launched WIN block, reduced subgroup gaps by 14%+, and strengthened family engagement, bringing a results-driven, student-centered lens to the Board.
Proposed Board Member
April Tidwell
As School Leader of Clear Horizons Early College, April brings proven experience leading a high-performing 9th-12th grade early college model that ranks among the top in both its district and state. She has a strong track record of driving results for students often considered at higher risk, ensuring access to rigorous coursework with the supports needed to succeed. Through ongoing collaboration, NECCA has drawn key best practices from Clear Horizons to strengthen its own model and implementation. April's expertise in aligning dual enrollment, student supports, and college readiness strengthens the Board’s ability to oversee the model with clarity and focus on outcomes. April brings a practical, execution-driven perspective grounded in real results, and we are excited to have her as a proposed board member.
Interested in Joining our Team?
Send us a note using the form below.