Two more from Miller’s cabinet to stay on with Guinn

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 11:33 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov.-elect Kenny Guinn is retaining two more of the Miller cabinet -- state Human Resources Director Charlotte Crawford and Prison Director Bob Bayer.

This brings the number to six that Republican Guinn is keeping from the Democratic Administration. In addition, he also is going to retain some of the clerical staff in the governor's office in the new administration.

Crawford, 50, and Bayer, 49, were both appointed by Gov. Bob Miller to their present jobs in January 1995. Both earn $92,000 a year.

Crawford, a specialist in mental health, oversees a department with a budget of more than $1.3 billion a year that includes welfare, health, child and family services, Medicaid, the youth detention centers and mental health programs.

Under her direction, the state has started the health insurance program for children of the working poor and the Family to Family project to help parents of newborns.

Bayer supervises some 20 prisons, conservation camps and restitution center with a budget of about $170.3 million a year. Besides dealing with security, Bayer has had his share of personnel problems.

He fired a psychologist who wanted to start a western town complete with a bordello, but the Nevada Supreme Court overturned the dismissal. He sought the resignation of a female warden who had become too close to an inmate. And one of his wardens was dismissed after it was disclosed he was pilfering funds at the prison in Lovelock.

Under his tenure, Bayer has been involved in major expansion as the inmate population grew. The first private prison in Nevada -- a women's facility in North Las Vegas -- was started. Plans are going forward for a 3,000 inmate prison at Cold Creek in Southern Nevada.

During the political campaign, Guinn said there would not be any mass firing initially. He has already announced he is retaining Budget Director Perry Comeaux; Carol Jackson, director of the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation; Marlene Lockard, head of the Department of Information Technology and Dennis Neilander at the state Gaming Control Board.