Our Officers
The officers of IRWA Chapter 44:
Hugh Hadsock
Chapter President
Hugh Hadsock has 27 years of professional experience specializing in in right-of-way acquisitions and relocations following federal, state, and local laws and Federal Regulation 49 CFR Part 24, the Uniform Act. He previously was employed with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), SCDOT and several consulting firms. Hugh has worked directly with 10 state departments of transportation, 40 metropolitan planning organizations, various city, and county governments, and numerous federal and state governmental agencies. His primary focus has been streamlining programmatic procedures, expediting project delivery, and piloting innovative delivery methods.
Hugh has developed, planned, and managed numerous transportation programs and politically sensitive projects throughout much of the country. His expertise is in right-of-way including railroads and utilities, outdoor advertising, scenic byways, civil rights, and American Disabilities Act (ADA) programs. He has managed a variety of different construction delivery methods for traditional bid-build, design-build, CM/GC, and Corridor Preservation.
Hugh joined the IRWA in 2002 and has been a member of chapters 31, 32, 38, 44 and 51. He has presented nationally and regionally for FHWA at AASHTO and the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) conferences.
Hugh is married to Debbie Hadsock, and they have one son, Tyler. They have been in the Las Vegas area since April 2022 and live in the Henderson area
Todd Salvatore
President Elect
Mr. Salvatore has 22 years of real estate, right of way, and relocation related experience utilizing federal, state, and local regulations for numerous projects throughout the US. Through this experience he has had extensive interaction with utility agencies, state DOTs, county and city governments, and private developers using design-build, program management consultancy, and design-bid-build delivery methods. He has also worked for numerous housing authorities and affordable housing consultants overseeing a variety of permanent and temporary residential and commercial relocation projects in compliance with the Uniform Relocation Act across the country.
Wendy Ruiz
Treasurer
Wendy Ruiz is a Right-of-Way Agent with the Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority since 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Wendy has been a licensed Realtor since 2002 in California and began her Right-of-Way experience when she joined OPC in 2018. During her tenure with OPC, she gained experience in Right-of-Way utilizing federal, state, and local regulations for numerous projects and gained experience in the permanent and temporary residential relocation of projects in compliance with the Uniform Relocation Act.
Her Right-of-Way experience continues to expand working with Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority in assisting the Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority obtain their rights for the infrastructure of their water facilities for the distribution of water throughout the valley. Since her career with the Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority, she has implemented processes and procedures for the developer easements and has held workshops with engineering firms on how to get their easements review timeframe faster, which resulted in the reduced number of edits to their easement submittals. She found her passion in Right-of-Way and is grateful for being a part of an organization that is “Building a better world together” one project at a time. Wendy is currently working on her certification as a Senior-Right-of-Way agent and looks forward to expanding her knowledge and be a mentor in the Right-of-Way industry.
Douglas Johnson
Secretary
Doug began his Right-of-Way career with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) as an Agent 1 in 2016. Before becoming a Right-of-Way Agent, he worked 13 years as an Engineer Technician on a survey crew at NDOT. As a Right-of-Way Agent at NDOT, he gained experience by coordinating utility adjustments, coordinating railroad encroachments, and managing railroad agreements for NDOT roadway projects; and he also gained experience managing leases and licenses for Right-of-Way in NDOT jurisdiction.
Doug has been an Agent with the City of Las Vegas (City) since 2023. At the City he continues to expand his Right-of-Way Agent experience by acquiring property necessary to construct City projects.
Patrick Denison, SR/WA
Professional Development Chair
Patrick Denison is a Right-of-Way Agent with the Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority. He is a past Chapter 44 President for 2020-2021 and earned his SR/WA designation . With 9 years of Right-of-Way experience he brings over 25 years of Civil Design and Land Survey experience with him. Patrick has assisted with the design and construction from large commercial site, residential subdivisions and utility corridors.
April Robledo
Events Committee Chair
April is currently working at AtkinsRéalis, where she’s been fortunate to spend the last year on the Right-of-Way team. April joined Chapter 44 this year and is eager to deepen her service to the association and to the chapter. With over twenty years of experience in the real estate industry, April is passionate about leveraging her expertise to make a meaningful impact.
(702) 551-0337
Alis Wishner, SR/WA, RW-NAC
Education Chair
Alis Wishner is the Right of Way Section Manager for HDR Engineering in Nevada. She’s worked extensively in the Gas, Power and Water industries in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Montana and Nevada. She started on her right-of-way path in an entry level position working property management in Tucson, Arizona.
Shortly after her relocation to Las Vegas in 2016, she joined the local IRWA Chapter and was asked to co-chair the Education committee. In October of that year, she began her work as the lead agent in the Backflow Retrofit program at Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Alis is proud of her work with the IRWA. She is a Past President for Chapter 44, and in 2018-2019, she won the designation of Co-Professional of the Year for the Chapter 44, and Professional of the Year for Region 1. Additionally, she was recognized as Chapter 44 Professional of the Year in 2023-2024, and again in 2024-2025. She currently serves as the Membership Subcommittee Lead on the IRWA International Marketing & Membership Committee.
(702) 938-6071
Melody Yurasek, RWP-GN
Nominations & Elections Chair
Melody joined the IRWA in 2006, while working at the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) where she began her career in the Right-of-Way field. Melody worked primarily on Developer Projects for LVVWD, working closely with Private Developers, as well as Engineers, Attorneys, Surveyors, Landowners, Directors, Managers, ROW Agents, and Government agency staff to deliver projects on time. Melody retired from LVVWD in January 2021. In 2022, Melody began work as a Contract Senior Right of Way Agent at NV Energy. She is currently working on her IRWA designation as an SR/WA and is actively continuing her pursuit of knowledge in the Right-of-Way industry.
Grace Morales
Membership Chair
Grace is currently working as an Assistant Right-of-Way Agent with the Las Vegas Valley Water District, where she currently supports her team with document management. She joined IRWA Chapter 44 this year and is excited to serve as an Officer while continuing to grow in the profession. Grace began her right-of-way career at AtkinsRéalis, where she gained hands-on experience with acquisitions, escrow coordination, and public agency relations. She is passionate about learning, connecting with others in the industry, and contributing to the success of the Chapter.