Guinn names Reid relative to replace Hawk on board

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005 | 10:48 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn today named Cynthia M. Reid of Henderson to the state Board of Education, replacing John Hawk who resigned Jan. 21.

Reid, 40, is the daughter-in-law of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the wife of Rory Reid, the Clark County Commission chairman. She is an adjunct instructor at the Community College of Southern Nevada. Shetaught English at Chaparral High School in Las Vegas and was a social worker at Child Haven in Las Vegas.

Guinn said, "For many years, Cynthia Reid has been one of the state's leading educators. She has a very clear understanding of the challenges facing Nevada education and what it will take for our state to meet these challenges."

Reid said she has "always been passionate about education and I am grateful to Gov. Guinn for this appointment."

Hawk won re-election without opposition. But just before he was to be sworn into office he announced his resignation. He was involved in a controversy in starting a charter school in Clark County. He was a member of the state board that approved the charter school.

Hawk and his wife Wendi are co-founders of Nevada State High School charter school in Las Vegas that was approved by the education board. And he and his wife had received a federal grant of about $34,320 for start-up costs in April through June 2004.

His application for a charter school was twice denied by the Clark County School District and in April 2004 he submitted it to the state board for sponsorship approval.

The state Ethics Commission said in August 2004 said his position on the education board and his founding of a charter high school in Las Vegas created "an inherent conflict in violation of his statutory duties as an elected official."