Coroner receives top award

Monday, May 23, 2005 | 9:46 a.m.

Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy has been named public administrator of the year by the local chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.

Murphy was recognized for his work in improving identification of unidentified dead bodies.

Murphy, coroner since June 2003, said that nationally coroner/medical examiner offices usually have less than 1 percent of all the dead lacking positive identification. In Southern Nevada the highly transient population and the large number of visitors coming to Las Vegas compounded the problem for the coroner's office, where unidentified corpses date back to 1967.

Murphy and his investigators set up a Web site to post appropriate pictures, artist renderings, jewelry and artifacts from the unidentified. So far, 21 out of 182 dead people posted on the Web site have been positively identified.

The American Society for Public Administration also recognized Leonard "Pat" Goodall with the Public Administrator Lifetime Achievement Award. Goodall, UNLV president from 1979 to 1984, chaired the 17-member Clark County Community Growth Task Force, which met for a year before presenting its final 190-page report to handle growth.

Las Vegas Neighborhood Services Director Orlando Sanchez is being recognized as the emerging public administrator of the year.

The ASPA will recognize the three men at its second annual luncheon Thursday at the Cashman Center Club Level Restaurant. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. and is open to the public at a cost of $18 per person. Part of the proceeds will benefit the ASPA Scholarship Fund for students in public administration. Call 455-3530.