Assistant city manager retiring

Friday, July 1, 2005 | 11:25 a.m.

Vicki Taylor, the assistant to Henderson City Manager Phil Speight, will retire July 5 after more than 30 years in public relations in Southern Nevada.

Taylor will be retiring on medical disability due to her diagnosis two years ago with multiple sclerosis, officials said.

Taylor joined the city in 1996 as its first public relations and public information officer. In that position, she was responsible for strategic communications, emergency communications planning, issue and crisis communications management and media liaison.

Taylor was the first woman in Nevada to achieve national accreditation by the Public Relations Society of America and is one of less than 100 public relations specialists in the world to hold dual accreditations from that organization and the International Association of Business Communicators.

"Vicki has shaped the field of business communications with government public information, not only in Las Vegas, but nationally as well," said Roger Buehrer, a fellow of the two organizations.

During her tenure, Taylor developed an award-winning Web site. She also led the city in developing the Bird Viewing Preserve, the first of its kind in the state.