A Pahrump couple has been chosen to help co-chair the Richardson for President Nevada Small Towns and Rural Communities Advisory Board, a spokesman announced Monday.

Susan and Tim Terrill will join Bob Johnson, former chairman of the Churchill County Democratic Party, and Marco Ruelas, former Mesquite city councilman, in overseeing the board, which will include community leaders from every region of the state and help rally and organize voters in towns outside of Reno and Las Vegas, said Josh McNeil.

The four co-chairmen will work with Richardson for President staffers Lance Whitney, former chairman of the Elko County Democratic Party, and Amanda Nelson, chairman of the Young Democrats Rural Caucus.

"Bill Richardson knows small towns, he knows us, and he knows what we need," Susan Terrell said. "Richardson's impressive achievements as governor of New Mexico make him the right candidate for rural Nevada.

"He did not just talk about creating new jobs in rural areas; he did it. He did not just talk about how hard it is to get health care in rural areas; he did something about it."

"Small towns are suffering," said Johnston, "and we need a leader who is willing to talk about the very real challenges facing our communities. Bill Richardson is the only candidate who has taken the time to reach out to rural Nevada, where we have problems with water, land use and access to good health care. He is the only one with the guts to talk about solutions, whether they are popular or not."

Richardson was the first candidate to have reached out to small communities such as Gardnerville, Carson City, Elko, Fernley, Pahrump and Boulder City, McNeil said. "To date, he is the only candidate to have campaigned in many of these communities."

Richardson himself said the input from the board "will be invaluable as we step up our fight to help and support small towns in Nevada and across the country."

Aside from the Terrells, the advisory unit includes Sally J. Clapp, treasurer of the Paradise Democratic Club, and Judy Howarth, Vern G. Clapp, Nona Hamblin, Dawna Gilbert, Tom Gonzales, Liz Prince, James Gallagher and Joshua Martin.