Our Officers
The officers of IRWA Chapter 44:
Lorena Candelario, SR/WA
Chapter President
Lorena Candelario, SR/WA has worked in the right-of-way field since December 1997. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. As a proud member of IRWA since 2003, Lorena earned her certification as a Senior Right-of-Way Agent in January of 2007.
After over 25 years with the City of North Las Vegas holding various positions from administrative assistant to working her way up to Manager of the Real Property Services Division in Public Works for the last 15 years, she retired in February 2, 2023. Lorena’s working knowledge and experience includes right-of-way management, acquisition, relocation, eminent domain, condemnation preparation and coordination, sale and disposal of property, federal land transfers, managing projects involving federal, state, and local agencies with multiple partners, property management, permits, annexations, land development, special improvement districts, negotiating with various private and public sector representatives, project planning and management, and collaborating on legislative matters.
Lorena was a proud public servant since the age of 18 and truly enjoys building relationships with all stakeholders related to her work. She believes that leadership comes from having passion, integrity, motivation, and the care to provide quality work for the community being served. Candelario takes pleasure in being a part of a rewarding and challenging right-of-way career field and enjoys the continued learning required just as much as the sharing of her knowledge and mentoring others to grow in their careers. In her spare time, Lorena is a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother the looks forward to building memories with them.
Through her company, The Candelario Group and involvement with IRWA Chapter 44, Lorena is focused on continuing her work as a leader, mentor and collaborator in the right-of-way field.
Hugh Hadsock
President-Elect
Lorena Candelario, SR/
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
Maria F. Mann, RWA
Treasurer
(702) 229-2032
(702) 229-2032
Wendy Ruiz
Secretary
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.
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.
Todd Salvatore
Events Coordinator
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.
(725) 235-6428
Alis Wishner, SR/WA, RW-NAC
Education Chair
Alis Wishner is the Right of Way Section Manager for HDR in Nevada. She’s worked extensively in the Gas, Power and Water industries and loves that every day brings something new.
Shortly after her relocation to Las Vegas in 2016, she joined the local IRWA Chapter and was asked to co-chair the Education committee. As the Education Chair for Chapter 44, Alis proposed a very ambitious and wildly successful educational curriculum.
Alis started on her right-of-way path in an entry-level position in property management. She expanded her career to the title industry and was quickly promoted to Title Officer. Her Right-of-Way career began as a Right of Way Tech on a project spanning five counties in New Mexico and then as a lead Right-of-Way agent with Southwest Gas in Tucson.
In 2010, Alis joined Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative and completed several high-profile projects as well as developing relationships and skills to bring multiple governmental and private agencies together. Her Right-of-Way experience coupled with AutoCAD experience led her to join the Southwest Gas Right of Way Team in Phoenix.
In October 2016, she began her work as the lead agent in the Backflow Retrofit program at Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority that is still bringing the Southern Nevada water system into compliance with local regulations and the Safe Water Drinking Act. Alis is also a Past President for the Chapter.
During her time in Las Vegas, her drive to improve the educational offerings, and her participation in the Chapter events won her the designation as Chapter 44 Co-Professional of the year in 2018, Chapter 44 Professional of the Year for 2023-2024, as well as the IRWA Professional of the Year for Region 1 in 2018. Her commitment to the association has led to her appointment as the Membership Subcommittee Lead on the IRWA International Marketing & Membership Committee.
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 Right of Way Agent to NV Energy. She is currently working on her certification as a Senior Right of Way Agent and is actively continuing her pursuit of knowledge in the Right-of-Way industry.