Staff

George Combs – General Manager

Since he came to his position in 2015, George Combs has dedicated himself to the year-round role as the General Manager of the fourth largest rodeo in North America. His job involves coordinating countless moving pieces to ensure the success of this historic ten-day event. As a relatively new addition to the Reno Rodeo team, George brought a wealth of business and rodeo experience from his previous home in Caldwell, Idaho. At the time of their move, George and his lovely wife, Shannon, had been living in Idaho for 52 years. He jokingly explains that it took them that long to “grow their wings.”

The couple is settled now with absolutely no regrets of making Northern Nevada their new home. Their daughter and her family, including three grandchildren, remain back in Idaho. Happily, their son and daughter-in-law relocated to Reno in 2017. October 2018 brought a fourth grandchild – a son and then in 2020 brought the fifth grandchild, a daughter.

George enjoys watching the rodeo events, noting steer wrestling as his favorite, but engaging with the fans at the end of each night is what he looks forward to the most. He makes a habit of standing by the gate and chatting with visitors as they exit. He loves to see their smiles and personally thank them for attending. For George, knowing he has helped to deliver a fun, affordable and family-oriented experience is one of the most rewarding parts of his job.

Jalaine Johnson– Controller

Jalaine is the Controller for the association supporting the financial activities of the Reno Rodeo.  A native Nevadan, Jalaine has lived in the Reno/Sparks area her entire life and always looks forward to attending the rodeo each year.  While she enjoys all the rodeo events, the one she is most passionate about is Barrel Racing.  She enjoys cheering on the hometown contestants competing in their events, especially the ones she has seen advance through the ranks over the years and become professional cowboys and cowgirls.

Jalaine has been passionate about rodeo and western heritage since she was young, showing horses and competing in reining and barrel racing.  She and her husband proudly continued this path supporting their daughter as she competed in several rodeo events with various local clubs over the years.   Jalaine’s current passion are her 2-grandchildren, Braxten & Brierley.

When Jalaine is not working to support the Reno Rodeo, she can be found traveling with her husband whenever possible, spending time with friends, camping and exploring the outdoors on their UTV.

She is proud to work with an exceptional and extremely hard-working staff and the passionate, dedicated volunteers that work tirelessly each year to put together an amazing rodeo benefiting our local community.

Mikayla Williams – Administrative Assistant

As a seventh generation Nevadan, Mikayla was born and has lived in Reno for twenty-nine years and has always loved the Reno Rodeo. Her family has been involved with the Reno Rodeo all the way back to her great grandmother volunteering, and now Mikayla is continuing the tradition.

Mikayla joined the Reno Rodeo Family in 2018. She is an Administrative Assistant, and she is the one that will help wherever is needed and is always a friendly face to see in the office. Her duties in the office include answering questions, answering the phone and helping the sponsor chair with fulfillments, as well as being just a helpful hand.

Mikayla’s personal rodeo experience is that it doesn’t matter what age you are, you will fall in love with the Reno Rodeo. She also sees how much of the rodeo is just one big happy family and everyone has been very welcoming to her. She has appreciated all the love and support she has gotten while being with the rodeo. Mikayla would like to thank her Coworkers and the Rodeo Family for being there through the tough times as well as the great times. Let’s see what 2025 has in store for us. It’s A Cowboy State Of Mind!

Chanel Atoa – Ticket Coordinator 

Chanel was born and raised in Kona, Hawaii and moved to Reno in 1991 to attend the University of Nevada, Reno.  She received her BS in Geography and was employed on campus at Lawlor Events Center in the ticket office as a ticket seller.  She eventually moved up and became a supervisor and worked under our 2013 Reno Rodeo President John Tipton at Lawlor Events Center and learned a lot about ticketing through him.  She retired from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2021 to join the Reno Rodeo Association.

Chanel has been married to Levi Atoa who has worked for Q & D Construction for over 20 years.  They have been married for 33 years and have two daughters, two granddaughters and three French bulldogs.  This will be Chanel’s 4th year with the Reno Rodeo Association as their Ticket Sales Coordinator and loves her position, the rodeo and family atmosphere and appreciates every “hard working person in this organization”.

Caitlyn Smernis – Receptionist/Admin Assistant 

Caitlyn Smernis is a proud 6th-generation Nevadan with a deep love for her home state. She enjoys exploring the historic towns of Virginia City, Bodie, and Truckee, as well as camping at Lake Tahoe or Pyramid Lake, often enjoying a glass of bourbon by the fireside with friends and family. Caitlyn is thrilled to be a part of the Reno Rodeo family, looking forward to meeting everyone and contributing to the association and community. She’s eager to share incredible moments and opportunities with all involved.

As an enthusiastic and dedicated Administrative Assistant with over ten years of customer service experience, Caitlyn serves as the first point of contact for visitors. She warmly welcomes guests to our building and provides helpful support whenever needed. In addition to her administrative duties, Caitlyn also assists with front office operations, donations, and event planning and store front operations.