Goodman tabs trainer chief of staff

Dan Kulin

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's personal trainer was formally hired to run Goodman's City Hall office on Wednesday.

The City Council approved the hiring of Frank Butterfield as part of a long list of items approved with one 7-0 vote. Butterfield also started work Wednesday.

Butterfield, 44, will replace Stephanie Boixo, who is resigning as Goodman's chief of staff effective Jan. 1.

Boixo has said she's resigning because she is engaged to Goodman's son Eric. City rules forbid family members from supervising each other.

Butterfield, a Las Vegas native, has helped Goodman lose about 40 pounds since he started training the mayor two years ago.

He also has some business experience, including working as executive director of the Las Vegas Athletic Clubs from 1985 to 1990, and then working for two years as an events manager for Nike.

Butterfield was also self-employed as a traveling motivational speaker from 1990 to 1998, giving talks on workplace and personal motivation, according to Butterfield and his city job application.

The mayor and each council member have personal staff they essentially handpick with the consent of city management and their fellow elected officials. Those city employees -- three for each council member and four for the mayor -- are all required to apply for those positions and pass background and drug tests.

Boixo began working for the city on June 28, 1999, as an executive assistant to the mayor making $45,000 a year. Her salary now is $71,934 a year, according to city records.

Butterfield's starting salary is $60,000 a year.