Weatherman’s wife backed as successor to Brodsky

Monday, July 18, 2005 | 10:41 a.m.

Clark County School Board member Denise Brodsky, who announced her resignation Thursday, wants the leader of her parent action committee to replace her on the board.

Although it is up to her School Board colleagues to choose her successor, Brodsky said Friday she has been considering several individuals who she believes would best represent her district. At the top of Brodsky's list is Terri Janison, wife of KLAS Channel 8 chief meteorologist Kevin Janison.

"It's completely up to the board, but I hope the person they do appoint has been a positive influence in the district and has demonstrated their commitment to our schools and our students by their actions and not just their words," said Brodsky, 45. "I believe Terri Janison has all of those qualifications and would be an excellent choice."

Brodsky was re-elected to a second term in November. Her final School Board meeting will be Aug. 4. She begins her new position as executive director of the United Way of St. Charles Parish, located near New Orleans, Sept. 1.

Janison, who moved with her family to Las Vegas 11 years ago, said she was interested in the job and hoped to be considered by the School Board.

"We're all grateful to Mrs. Brodsky for the wonderful work she has done," Janison said. "I'm honored that she would put her faith in me."

Janison worked closely with Brodsky last year when they served on a legislative interim committee studying childhood obesity. Janison is also a member of the Action for Healthy Kids community organization.

Per state law, the School Board must appoint a successor for Brodsky who will serve until the next general election in September 2006. Whomever is elected at that time will complete the remainder of Brodsky's four-year term, which runs through 2008.

School Board President Larry Mason said in his 11-year tenure there has never been a vacancy that wasn't filled by a public election. The School Board will have to discuss how it plans to carry out the appointment process, Mason said.

"We'll want to hear from the public, and hopefully we'll get a good list of interesting possibilities," Mason said.

Whoever replaces Brodsky will vote with the rest of the School Board on a new superintendent. Janison said she would favor candidates who came with experience handling large schools and the concerns of parents that often come with them.

The Janisons have two children: son Colin will enter the fourth grade next month at Lummis Elementary School, while daughter Taylor will be a sixth grader at Becker Middle School.

When asked whom else she might favor to fill her School Board shoes, Brodsky named Frank Albano, who challenged her for the seat in last year's primary. Brodsky later appointed Albano, a retired Clark County substitute teacher, as her representative to the Attendance Zone Advisory Commission.

"Frank has done a very good job with what's really in a lot of ways a thankless task," Brodsky said.

Albano, 62, spent 20 years as a full-time teacher in three states and has completed post-graduate work in special education studies. He could not be immediately reached for comment.

Brodsky said she would not support the election's second-place finisher, 30-year-old mortgage broker Ryan Devins, as her replacement. She said Devins, who had 27 percent of the vote to Brodsky's 73 percent on the November ballot, dropped from public view after the election. Devins also lacks a track record of participation in the PTA or other community groups, Brodsky said.

"This is a person who blew in for an election and blew right out after it was over," Brodsky said.

Devins became a vocal -- and visible -- critic of the School Board and district management in the months leading up to the primary. He focused much of his attention on travel expenses accrued by Brodsky and other School Board members, and he also questioned Superintendent Carlos Garcia's decision to give 10 percent raises to two key deputies.

Devins, contacted Friday, said he has been out of the public eye because he has been traveling extensively, setting up a new business venture. With the bulk of the traveling completed, he plans to be return to working from his home office in Las Vegas.

Devins, who has two young children in Clark County schools, said he knows Terri Janison from her work in the community.

"Terri's a great lady, and I have a lot of confidence in her, but this is still something I would want to put my name in for," Devins said.

However, Devins said, he knows his chances are likely slim given his recent history with the School Board.

"I don't think I'm the most popular guy or anybody's first choice," Devins said.

Eric Herzik, professor of political science at UNR, said the School Board is under no "legal obligation" to consider either the incumbent's input or the results of the past election in choosing the successor.

"However, from a moral standpoint, it would be wise to listen to the constituents," Herzik said.

That could be accomplished by holding a town hall meeting or inviting the public to submit nominations, Herzik said.

Municipal elections are not the same as the rules for the "Miss America" pageant, where the first runner-up's duties include completing the term if the winner becomes unavailable, Herzik said.

Appointing the runner-up makes even less sense when ballot results reflect a landslide, Herzik said.

"When it's 60-40 and there are two wildly divergent candidates, you don't want to stomp on the wishes of the 60 percent," Herzik said. "In many of these situations, the elected body decides to choose someone who is most likely to represent the constituents in the like spirit of the incumbent."