GETTING TO KNOW OUR MKT FAMILY - RICHARD SCHOEN

New MKT member Richard Schoen, a professor at UNLV's School of Dental Medicine, arrived in Las Vegas in April 2012 from Susanville, California. He grew up in the SoCal's Orange County, graduating from UCLA and Loyola Chicago Dental school. For 27 years before moving to Las Vegas Richard was a Dental Director for two Indian Health Centers.

Richard enjoys music and is the secretary of the Southern Nevada Bluegrass Music Society. He also belongs to the Nevada Old Time Fiddlers Association and the Las Vegas Blues Society. When not teaching he plays the guitar, banjo and mandolin, and is an avid fly fisherman. He loves to play golf and is a model railroader. Richard is a member of the ADA, Nevada Dental Association and is currently the secretary for the Southern Nevada Dental Society. He is also a member of Sigma Alpha MU Fraternity and Alpha Omega Dental Society. He is a fan of both the Silver and Golden Knights.

Richard has two adult children. He and his son, a sportswriter with the Review Journal covering the Golden Knights, live together in Henderson. His daughter is married and lives in Oakland, California where she manages a restaurant/bar. Her husband owns a recording studio and plays in a rock band.

Richard said that he joined MKT because "I wanted to belong to a synagogue that was close to where I live. I did not want to belong to a big box temple where I was just a number. Prior to moving to Vegas, I had an 85 mile drive to the nearest temple so proximity to where I live was important to me." Richard was previously active in synagogue life, serving on the board of two synagogues where he belonged. His children were both called to the Torah in celebration of their bar and bat mitzvah, and his son was a CIT at Hess Kramer, part of Wilshire Boulevard Temple's summer camp program. Richard said that he would like to be part of a caring Jewish community and is looking forward to making friends and participating in the greater Las Vegas Jewish community.