We all use email to keep in touch with friends and family, to communicate with fellow workers, and to notify customers about important upcoming specials or deadlines.  Email is a daily part of our lives.  Imagine the ability to more personalize your email messages, or to grab the attention of those you are communicating with by making your messages stand out by adding beautiful photos to your words.   
 
            Thanks to the ingenuity of State Webmaster Linda DeSantis and Ron Swenson, Application Development Manager in the Application Design & Development Division of the Nevada Department of Information Technology, Nevadans now have the ability to include photos from across our beautiful state of historic locations and landmarks, natural wonders, recreational opportunities, special events, and many other places.   Using primarily the great photo work of State Photographer Rich Johnston, Linda and Ron have created a website with hundreds of photos from throughout the Silver State.  You can get to the website by logging on to the State of Nevada website (http://nv.gov) or by going to http://gov.state.nv.us.  Besides the terrific photos, you’ll also be able to link to video information about many of the sites and places included on the website. 
 
            Nevadans can click on a photo, follow the easy instructions, and in no time flat, send an email message showcasing our state.  It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s free!  There is no cost to the user or the state.  The site also enables visitors to see the wonders of Nevada and help plan a trip to various spots around the state.  Further, state agencies can include an eye-catching photo along with their message when they use a list serve to communicate with customers around the state and around the world. 
 
            Of course, another natural use for this new website is as a research tool for teachers, who can use the site to take their students on a tour of Nevada without ever leaving the classroom. 

            I would like to personally recognize and thank Linda, Ron, and Rich for their outstanding contributions to the state, and for making this project a reality.  And, I’d like to encourage people to visit this dynamic new website that showcases the beauty, history, and recreation spots that make us all proud to call Nevada home.