Columnist Mike O’Callaghan: Reilly’s qualifications negate need for search for Askew successor

Friday, June 22, 2001 | 3:53 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is executive editor of the Sun and publisher of the Henderson Home News and Boulder City News, where this column first appeared.

Wisely the Clark County Commission ignored editorials in both Southern Nevada daily newspapers, which called for a search to replace outgoing County Manager Dale Askew. Those editorials were written after some commissioners expressed the desire to appoint Thomas F. Reilly without further searching for a replacement.

Opening up a search process that would cost thousands of dollars and several weeks and months would be the proper way to find a replacement if a Nevadan the quality of Reilly wasn't available. Thom Reilly has been a resident and taxpayer in the Silver State since 1987.

There is no good reason to allow a vacuum to exist in county government while a search goes on for weeks and months. People with government experience know that without a strong and qualified leader, it takes very little time for the creation of a mess that will have to be cleaned up by a new administrator.

There was no lengthy search, either in or out of Nevada, for prior successful county managers like Askew, Pat Shalmy and Richard Bunker. None of them had a better background and track record in government than Reilly, and they were successful.

So who is Thom Reilly and why is he qualified for being the new county manager? His biography tells us he came to Nevada in 1987 to accept a position as chief of social services with the Department of Human Resources, Nevada State Welfare Division in Carson City. Subsequently he was promoted to deputy administrator.

He moved to Las Vegas in 1991 to work with the state's Division of Child and Family Services in an administrative capacity. During that time (1995-1996), he also served as statewide coordinator of Gov. Bob Miller's Family Resource Center Project. Reilly served as director of Clark County Administrative Services for 2 1/2 years (1997-99), where he was responsible for administering and planning Clark County's legislative initiatives, franchise agreements, emergency management, policy and program development and strategic planning efforts.

In August 1999 he departed from Clark County to accept a position as associate professor at UNLV. There he instructed a number of graduate level courses in public administration and social work.

Reilly holds a doctorate of public administration and master's of public administration from the University of Southern California, as well as a master's of social work from Arizona State University, and a bachelor's degree in social work from Memphis State University.

He has published numerous articles, manuscripts and technical reports in the areas of health and human services, environmental planning, citizen participation and collaborative decision-making.

What is even more impressive is the active roll he has played in our community. His knowledge of neighborhood problems and willingness to get down into the working level of solving them is important. He knows the people, and large numbers have come to know him as a person they can turn to for help.

His accomplishments in Nevada haven't gone unrecognized, either. In 1999 he received the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce "Community Achievement Award in Public Services" and the same year received the "Outstanding Leadership Award" as a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer. In 1996 the National Association of Social Workers, Nevada Chapter named him "Public Servant of the Year."

Offering Reilly a two-year contract as county manager shows that a majority of the commissioners are still in touch with reality and have acted in the best interest of Southern Nevadans.