Meet Clara Andriola
Clara Andriola has lived in Washoe County since 1988. She’s widely-known as an entrepreneur, a friend to local business, and a community advocate. Clara was quick to spot a business opportunity when workplaces moved from paper to digital processes. She started and built the largest technical training company in the region, boasting clients locally and around the world.
Later, she represented the independent building trades, as President and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Nevada. In that role, Clara embarked on a campaign to preserve free enterprise. She fought to ensure that Nevada’s right-to-work law would extend to building contractors and the building trades workforce. The effort required immersing herself in labor policies at the local, state, and federal level.
Clara pushed reforms to level the field for open shops. She initiated changes that were ultimately beneficial to all of Nevada’s construction companies. She also kept a sharp eye on public works projects, promoting careful use of taxpayer dollars.
Clara shifted gears in 2012, turning her attention to the nonprofit world. As Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter, she had a voice in the region’s emergency readiness and response plans. Answering a desperate need to increase blood donations, she worked with the Nevada Legislature to lower the donor age threshold to 16, with parental consent.
Clara has spent the last decade as Executive Director of the Reno Rodeo Foundation, a charity created by the century-old Reno Rodeo Association. She’s been gratified to fulfill a mission she loves, supporting children in need with college scholarships and youth charities. Under Clara’s direction the foundation’s annual Denim Drive expanded by more than 350 percent in 10 years. The Denim Drive provides clothing and hygiene items that are needed immediately by children who’ve been removed from unsafe homes. The program has helped thousands of children in 14 Northern Nevada counties.
Clara has a reputation for solving problems with hard work and strong leadership. She takes pride in being "Your Conservative Voice of Reason" on the Washoe County Commission.
Community Involvement & Recognition:
Best in Business 2020 High Profile Leaders to Know
Top 20 Most Powerful Women of the Sierra Nevada
Association of Fundraising Professional Sierra Nevada Chapter board member 2018
Graduate of Chamber of Commerce Reno-Sparks Leadership 2017
Nevada Women’s Fund Salute to Women Honoree
Rotary Club Sparks Centennial Sunrise past member and marketing chair
Historical Leadership Roles:
Council Member, State of Nevada Apprenticeship Council, Labor Commissioner appointed
Commissioner Member and Chair, State of Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education, Governor appointed
Board representative and founding member, Nevada Board of Plumbing Examiners
Chair, Building Codes Council of Northern Nevada – Nominated by the Construction Industry Statewide
Board Member, Nevada Governor’s Workforce Investment Board, Governor appointed
Member, Vice-Chair Sparks Planning Commission
Member, Sparks Advisory Committee
Advisory Board Member, State of Nevada Small Business Development Center
Board Member, Academy of Career Education High School
Member, American Society of Association of Executives