A Day in Honor of John Tsarpalas

WHEREAS, John Tsarpalas has dedicated his life to advancing the principles of free enterprise, having been inspired in the 1980s by the ideas of Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics - championing the values of supply and demand, private property, and open competition; and

WHEREAS, as a construction contractor in Illinois during the 1990s, John experienced firsthand the burden of excessive government regulation and answered that experience with public service, serving as volunteer campaign manager for five consecutive Republican victories and later as Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party; and

WHEREAS, John broadened his impact through education and advocacy work with the Sam Adams Alliance, supporting activists and organizations in more than ten states - including Nevada - in their efforts to protect free enterprise from government encroachment; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, John and his wife of forty-eight years, Mary Beth, made Henderson, Nevada their home when John assumed the presidency of Nevada Policy, bringing with him a passion for policy research and a deep commitment to defending the principles that have long defined the Silver State; and 

WHEREAS, under John's leadership, Nevada Policy modernized its outreach through innovative digital and social media platforms - doubling and tripling engagement rates and equipping a new generation of Nevadans with an understanding of free market principles; and 

WHEREAS, in 2022, John and his team successfully challenged the long-standing practice of state employees serving simultaneously in the Nevada Legislature, securing a landmark Nevada Supreme Court decision that upheld the Constitutional Separation of Powers; and

WHEREAS, for the past eight years, John has served as a devoted board member of Keystone Corporation - founding the Keystone Young Professionals, contributing to its legislative committee, and recruiting members across the State of Nevada in defense of open commerce and economic opportunity; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, John led the successful statewide effort to defeat Ballot Question 3, delivering more than sixty public presentations and - in partnership with Keystone - mobilizing grassroots organizations that distributed 250,000 pieces of educational literature door-to-door, ultimately flipping the vote by fourteen percentage points and preserving Nevada's election system; and

WHEREAS, John Tsarpalas has recently announced his transition to President Emeritus of Nevada Policy at year's end, leaving an indelible mark on Nevada's civic and policy landscape and looking forward to spending more time with his three daughters and his infant granddaughter; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOE LOMBARDO, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2026, as a day in honor of 

JOHN TSARPALAS