Clerk's Office

Daren M. McDonald was born in Reno and graduated from Sierra Nevada College as the valedictorian of his class with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Accounting and a minor in Math & Computers. He received his Juris Doctorate from Taft Law School.

He is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) and owner of the public accounting firm Daren M. McDonald, CPA, Chartered. His firm primarily assists businesses and their owners with financial reporting and taxation matters, including income tax. Business clients come from the industries of construction contractors, investment partnerships and multi-tiered partnerships, restaurants and food service, and E Commerce Services.

Daren was appointed to a four-year term on the Board of Equalization in December of 2019. In the past Daren has served on other government and not for profit organizational boards and committees. Most notably, he served for eight years as Board member and Treasurer of the domestic violence shelter for the north Lake Tahoe and Truckee region, and for three years as a committee member of the Placer County Tahoe Basin Design Review Committee, an area planning body.

Eugenia graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Doctor of Philosophy, Economics and a Master of Business Administration degrees. She is the President of Ekay Economic Consultants, an economic consulting company based in Reno. Eugenia's areas of practice include financial, fiscal and economic impact analyses, economic damages, economic analysis, and market and feasibility studies.

Eugenia is a nationally certified valuation analyst (CVA), certified in management accounting (CMA) and master analyst in financial forensics (MAFF), specializing in Financial Litigation. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Nevada Women's Fund and an active member of the Salute to Women of Achievement Luncheon Steering Committee. She is a past Charter member and Public Relations Chair of the Rotary Club of Reno Midtown. Eugenia is also a member of the Washoe County Organizational Effectiveness Committee (OEC) and is an alumna of the Leadership Reno Sparks program.

Eugenia was appointed to the Alternate position for the Board of Equalization in 2014. In November 2015, she was appointed to a four-year term on the Board of Equalization until June 30, 2019.

James Ainsworth has been on the Board of Equalization for 9 years. He served 24 years on the Sun Valley General Improvement District Board of Trustees, with 22 years as the chairman of that board. He served 14 years on the Washoe County Debt Management Commission and 4 years on the Western Regional Water Commission.

Rost C. Olsen is a local attorney, fifth-generation Northern Nevadan, and second-generation Sparks High Railroader. After completing his undergraduate studies at UNR and graduate studies at Eastern Washington University, Rost worked as a substitute teacher with the Washoe County School District before matriculating to Gonzaga University School of Law. At Gonzaga, Rost was in GU Law’s initial accelerated JD class, a small cohort of motivated law students that completed their legal course load in two calendar years.

Upon completing law school, Rost clerked in the White Pine County DA’s Office while studying for the bar exam. After passing the bar, Rost worked as a Staff Attorney at a rural legal aid organization representing domestic violence victims in family law matters before serving as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. David Humke and Hon. Tamatha Schreinert in Reno.

After completing his judicial clerkship, Rost worked three years as a Deputy Attorney General in the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, representing the State of Nevada in civil rights litigation and the State Department of Taxation in various administrative and litigation matters. Rost remains in state service, working as an Assistant Staff Counsel at the Public Utilities Commission.

Rost was appointed to the Board of Equalization for a four-year term beginning January 2025. Rost and his wife live in the Highland Ranch area where they are raising their wonderfully rambunctious little girl.

Education

• Juris Doctor, 2016, Gonzaga University School of Law
• Master of Fine Arts – Creative Writing, 2011, Eastern Washington University
• Bachelor of Arts – English, American History minor, 2009, University of Nevada
• High School Diploma, 2006, Sparks High School

Other Volunteer Experience

• Sparks High Alumni Foundation, Trustee
• Sparks High Booster Club, Former Vice President
• Bruce R. Thompson Inn of Court, Barrister
• Nevada Supreme Court Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics, Chair
• Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection, Temporary Member (2018)
• USA Boxing, Level II Official
• Highland Ranch HOA Board Member