NDVS Leadership

On March 11, 2024, Governor Joe Lombardo announced his appointment of Colonel Mary Devine to serve as the head of NDVS becoming the 17th director since the department was first established in 1943.

Devine is a 36-year career officer with the Nevada Army National Guard and most recently served as the Chief of Staff to the Adjutant General, serving directly under Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry. Prior to that role, Devine served as the Nevada National Guard’s ninth U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for six years, overseeing nearly $1 billion in federal assets. Devine also served as a Brigade Commander in the 991st Aviation Troop Command and as a Battalion Commander in the 422nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion.

Devine is engaged in the Reno-area community serving as the chair on the United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra’s Board of Directors. She is also very involved in her church, Grace Church Reno.

She received a degree in Business Administration from the University of Montana and her Master’s in Military Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

Contact: ndvs-leadership@veterans.nv.gov

The NDVS Deputy Director of Healthcare Services oversees Nevada's two State Veterans Homes; the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home in Sparks and the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City. Mr. McBride also manages the department's health and wellness programs including the Suicide Prevention Programs, Healthcare Champions Exposure Risk Initiatives, as well as special trainings to include areas of Military Sexual Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Parkinson's Disease, and outreach to caregivers and survivors. Additionally, Mr. McBride oversees the Veterans in Care (VIC) recognition program that seeks to recognize and honor veterans and spouses of veterans living in community based assisted living or skilled nursing care facilities.

Mr. McBride brings 22 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including 11 years as a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility administrator. Earlier in his career, he served as a previous administrator at the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home.

Mr. McBride holds a degree in Business Administration/Linguistics from Northern Arizona University and a Master's in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix.

He lives in Sparks with his wife, Shawna. They have three children: Jade, Ryan, and Owen. His son, Ryan is an active duty U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman. Mr. McBride's father, Wayne, was a U.S. Air Force veteran.

Contact: ndvs-leadership@veterans.nv.gov

The NDVS Deputy Director of Benefits oversees Nevada's two State Veterans Memorial Cemeteries. These two cemeteries are the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City and the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley. Mr. Ferrer will also manage the Department's Veterans Advocacy Support Team (VAST), which is  comprised of the Department's statewide Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) as well as the Nevada Veterans Advocate program (NV Advocates). The NV Advocates are trained volunteers who help connect veterans, military members and their families to their earned benefits. Additionally, he will supervise the Department's outreach team and unique veteran population programs.

Mr. Ferrer has served as a Senior Operations Manager with more than 20 years of military experience. He is a member of several military veteran organizations such as the National Guard Association of the United States and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is also a member of the Command and General Staff College Alumni Association and other college alumni associations.

Mr. Ferrer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University, MI, a Master of Arts degree from American Military University, and a Master of Science degrees from National Defense University.

Mr. Ferrer lives in Reno with his wife, Alicia. They have two children, Amanda and Ayden. You can see Ro either out on the golf course, hiking, or traveling with his family and friends on his spare time. 

Contact: ndvs-leadership@veterans.nv.gov

Joseph Theile oversees four key administrative areas that play a central role in the operation of NDVS including Financial Services, Human Resources, Grants and Contracts, and Information Technology (IT) Operations. He joined NDVS in October of 2015 and has over 20 years of experience in business analytics; grant and contract management; and policy development.

Before joining NDVS Theile served as the point of contact for the Medical Marijuana Program for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and was instrumental in the creation of regulations to govern medical marijuana establishments. He also was responsible for the oversight of the application review process for the awarding of licenses to new establishments.

He also spent a little over 3 years with DHHS developing and administering a comprehensive health program through a grant from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to educate healthcare providers and the public about safe injections. He was responsible for every aspect of the safe injections program also known as the “One and Only Campaign”.

Theile holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. He has over a decade and a half of experience working with the State Legislature, including working for the Legislative Counsel Bureau as a Research Analyst giving him a unique understanding of the legislative process.

Contact: ndvs-leadership@veterans.nv.gov

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Terri Hendry joined NDVS as Communications Director in December of 2016. She has spent more than a decade in strategic communications, public relations, and public affairs for private companies, public entities, and advertising agencies.

Previously she spent more than 25 years in media, serving as a main anchor for the Reno, ABC-affiliate, KOLO-Channel 8 and as an investigative reporter at the Reno, NBC-affiliate, KRNV-Channel 4. She is an award-winning broadcaster and an inductee in Nevada’s Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

While not a veteran herself, her father and husband were combat veterans, with her father serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and her husband serving in the Vietnam War as a U.S. Army Ranger. She enjoys writing about and sharing veteran's stories as well as the department's successes.

Terri received a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida with a specialty in Public Relations.

Contact: ndvs-leadership@veterans.nv.gov

Blanche Dieket oversees Human Resources for the Nevada Department of Veterans Services. She is responsible for the management of the department’s HR systems and handling of employee relations. She ensures compliance with regulations, assesses staffing needs, hires employees, manages payroll processes, as well as supports and develops employee training and compensation plans.

Blanche has been with the State of Nevada for over 19 years, serving in a human resources capacity. She began her Human Resources career at the University of Nevada, Reno in 2003 where she spent 10 years and moved to the Department of Health and Human Services for 9 years before joining NDVS as Human Resources Officer in February of 2022. Blanche brings with her a breadth of personnel experience, and in addition, she taught English as a Second Language at Truckee Meadows Community College for 10 years.

While not from a military background, Blanche has a personal and professional background in the diplomatic field and understands military family. On a personal note, Blanche has a passion for cooking and hosting friends and family.

Blanche holds a master’s degree in Philology from Moscow State Linguistic University, Russia and a Human Resources Management Certification from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Contact: ndvs-leadership@veterans.nv.gov

Brandon Torres joined NDVS in 2011, becoming the agency’s IT Manager in 2021. Born in Oahu and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, Brandon moved to Nevada ten years ago after accepting his first position with NDVS as an IT Technician. Over the past decade, Brandon has worked his way up from a technical position into management. In his current role, he serves as the lead for the NDVS IT team to support the completion of projects and the achievement of the department’s technology goals.

Brandon has more than twenty years of experience in various IT positions, including starting his own business in Hawaii. At NDVS, Brandon most recently provided key IT support to the Southern Veterans Home and the Southern VAST Teams serving as an IT Technician and IT Professional.

Brandon does not call his colleagues co-workers; he refers to them as family. As an NDVS leader, he brings that same energy to the entire department, doing what he can to help others and their IT needs. Currently a resident of Las Vegas, Brandon lives with his wife, two girls, a dog, and a cat. He also has a daughter in Hawaii and a grandson he’s looking forward to spoiling, every chance he gets.

Contact: torresb@veterans.nv.gov