Marilyn Dondero Loop

Marilyn Dondero Loop is a native of Las Vegas, growing up in a family dedicated to public service. The fourth child in a family of five children, Marilyn and her brothers and sister learned at an early age the importance of public service and giving back to the community.

Marilyn’s mother, Thalia, was a member of the Clark County Commission for 20 years and currently serves on the University of Nevada System Board of Regents. Marilyn’s decision to run for the Assembly came as a result of what she learned from both of her parents: “sitting on the sidelines was not an option.”

From her late father, Harvey N. Dondero, Marilyn inherited a deep commitment to education. Harvey N. Dondero was a highly respected educator in Clark County. He served as a teacher and was a long time Assistant Superintendent under many of our key Superintendents. He has a school named in his honor, the Harvey N. Dondero Elementary School in the southwest part of Las Vegas.

Marilyn graduated from Las Vegas High School and received her B.S. in Elementary Education at UNLV, where she was a Rebel cheerleader. In the mid-80’s, she returned to UNLV to get her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and also acquired a media specialist credential.

During her 30-year teaching career, Marilyn taught at Laura Dearing Elementary, Harvey N. Dondero Elementary, Rose Warren Elementary and R. Guild Gray Elementary (which sits in the heart of AD 5), and Elaine Wynn Elementary. In addition to teaching kindergarten, second and third grades, she was also a librarian. Retiring from the school district in 2004, Marilyn currently works for a publisher of textbook materials.

While teaching and raising three daughters, Marilyn also found time to mentor new teachers and to work on education and community projects. In 2001, she was awarded the Southwest Region Teaching Star award for her commitment to education. Committed to improving literacy on all levels, Marilyn currently serves on the Spread the Word Nevada Board of Directors.

Now a grandmother, Marilyn says she wants to make Nevada a better place to live, work, raise a family and retire—now and in the future.

“Those childhood lessons of involvement and commitment to community left a lasting impression on me,” Marilyn says. “Our state and community are facing unprecedented challenges—schools in need of resources, rising cost of health care for families and retirees, people struggling to get by in this uncertain economy. As I walk door-to-door, I hear one story after another of people concerned about providing for their families, hanging on to their jobs or getting by on their retirement checks, worrying about how well their kids are doing in school, caring for aging parents.

“I strongly believe we don’t have to be satisfied with the status quo. I believe we can do better. And I believe we can do it by working together with a determination that we can find solutions to today’s challenges.”



Paid for by the Marilyn Dondero Loop Campaign