About Katherine

Katherine Yriarte – pronounced “YAR-tay” - candidate for Washoe County Commissioner, District 5, where every voice matters and every community counts.

A Nevada Story

Katherine moved to Reno as a child in 1986 and never left. This is home. She's built her life here with her husband Daniel, her partner of over 10 years in marriage and in their professional horse training business, Team Yriarte Horsemanship, since 2016. Team Yriarte Horsemanship (www.teamyhorsemanship.com) is one of the most trusted training operations in northern Nevada, specializing in behavioral rehabilitation, gentling mustangs and rescue horses, and biomechanics.

Katherine lives in service every day. She has worked nearly five years as a veterinary assistant at Comstock Equine Hospital, runs a private mini pig rescue with 10 pigs in her care, and she founded and serves as president of the Nevada Equine Council, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that exists to strengthen, unify, and represent the equine industry statewide in Nevada (www.nvequinecouncil.org). In the past, she has volunteered with nonprofits providing equine-assisted learning to at risk youth, children in foster care, and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. She understands responsibility and caring for the vulnerable—whether they have two legs or four.

Leading All of District 5

District 5 spans 5,827 square miles - 89% of Washoe County geographically -from ranches to suburbs, from Verdi and Somerset to the North Valleys, to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation and Gerlach, and everything north of those communities to the Oregon border. Katherine sees this diversity as the district's greatest strength.

She's a moderate conservative Christian who leads with compassion, humility, and integrity. Her faith guides how she serves: with transparency, accountability, and genuine care. She respects separation of church and state while letting timeless values of service and dignity guide her decisions. She's not a career politician and that's the point. Katherine brings real-world experience: managing budgets, running businesses, founding and leading a nonprofit organization, and the problem-solving skills learned from years training horses, caring for rescue animals, and working in veterinary medicine.

Fighting for the Vulnerable

Her personal journey of caring for her parents has deepened her commitment to supporting families at every stage of life. With her father in an independent senior living facility in west Reno and her mother living with her after the passing of her stepfather, Katherine is inspired to advocate for policies that make multigenerational living more dignified and attainable. Additionally, her commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities is deeply personal. One of her closest friends is the mother of a remarkable teenage daughter with special needs, whose strength and resilience have profoundly impacted Katherine's life. This experience has opened her eyes to the gaps in county resources and the pressures on parents and caregivers, inspiring her to advocate for stronger programs, better accessibility, and increased support for families of children and adults with disabilities. Katherine is particularly passionate about addressing the intersection of mental health care, homelessness, and our most vulnerable populations.

Seniors 55+ are the fastest-growing homeless population, expected to triple by 2030. People with disabilities experience homelessness at two-and-a-half times the general population rate. Mental health diagnoses among seniors spiked 57% between 2019-2023, yet two-thirds get no treatment.

Her solutions: Mobile Mental Health Support Teams, creating a Supportive Housing Pipeline through partnerships, streamlined accessible housing regulations, and a Caregiver Support Network with respite vouchers, peer groups, and 24/7 hotline. She'll work to implement Homelessness Prevention—an At-Risk Registry and Hospital-to-Home Program intervening before people lose housing.

Her principle: build on what exists, partner instead of duplicate, remove barriers, focus on those who want help.

Standing with Rural Communities

As a professional horse trainer, veterinary assistant, and president of the Nevada Equine Council, Katherine lives agricultural life daily. She'll protect farms and ranches by working to establish a Rural Infrastructure Fund directing growth revenues to rural roads, emergency services, and broadband. She'll work to require Rural Impact Assessments for large developments and implement Right-to-Farm protections. She wants to empower Community Advisory to have binding input. Katherine will use her vote safeguard open spaces, agricultural lands, and trails from unchecked development. She believes in smart growth that respects existing communities and infrastructure capacity and local control over development decisions. Preservation of recreational access and natural resources is paramount.

Championing Small Business

Running her own training business, rescue operation, and nonprofit organization, Katherine knows government should enable success, not obstruct it. She will work to implementing Fast-Track Home-Based Business approval, replacing rigid regulations with performance-based standards, and conducting business-led regulatory audits. Her goal for an Agricultural & Equine Business Protection Ordinance would shield existing operations from encroaching development.

Honoring Tribal Sovereignty

Katherine's commitment to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe: work WITH them, not around them. Their sovereignty is foundational, not symbolic. She pledges government-to-government respect and early engagement on all issues. No county decisions affecting tribal land or water without tribal leadership involvement from the beginning is her goal.

Leadership That Listens

  Katherine is a coalition builder offering practical, specific solutions, not vague promises. She brings authentic rural roots, business experience, nonprofit leadership, hands-on animal and people care, and genuine compassion for seniors, people with disabilities, and those struggling. Her leadership is anchored in real-world experience: navigating local regulations, collaborating with community partners, and listening to the concerns of her neighbors and fellow business owners. Katherine believes that true leadership begins with listening, and she is committed to ensuring every resident of Washoe County has a voice in shaping the future. 

She believes in faith, hard work, and neighbors caring for one another. She'll protect property rights, invest tax dollars wisely, strengthen emergency response, and make county government transparent and accountable.

Every voice matters. Every community counts. That's Katherine Yriarte's promise to District 5.