County may have heart set on Valentine

Wednesday, July 5, 2006 | 7:17 a.m.

Assistant Clark County Manager Virginia Valentine is emerging as a front-runner among potential replacements for County Manager Thom Reilly.

"You probably have to consider her the favorite," Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said. "She has more high-level experience."

With commissioners wanting to name someone to the county's top job sooner rather than later, most say they prefer to look internally rather than conduct a national search for a new manager.

"I think Nevada and Clark County are so unique that a national search would be a waste of money," Commissioner Tom Collins said.

The county's current management team should be considered before anyone else, Commission Chairman Rory Reid said.

"I think the first thing we need to do is look internally and see who wants the job and what their qualifications are," he said.

Reilly, who took a job with the Nevada System of Higher Education, has recommended several of his top managers as replacements. Among them are Valentine, Administrative Services Director Don Burnette and Finance Director George Stevens.

Those recommendations will play a significant role in the commission's decision, Reid said.

"He (Reilly) knows our employees as well as anyone, and his recommendation would carry a lot of weight," Reid said.

Reilly has said that he does not believe that Stevens is interested in the county's top job. On Monday, Stevens suggested he would be more interested in maintaining his current position.

"I like what I do as a chief financial officer," he said. "I am willing to take on anything the board needs me to do, but my true background is in finance, so that's where my strength is. There are other very good candidates out there."

Jacob Snow, general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission, also had been suggested as a potential replacement, but he has decided not to pursue the position, according to Woodbury.

Snow did not return phone calls.

Valentine, appointed assistant manager by Reilly in November 2002, oversees some of the county's most important departments, including air quality and environmental management, comprehensive planning and public works.

She previously served as Las Vegas city manager. When the county created the Regional Flood Control District in 1985, Valentine served as its first general manager.

She earned a master's degree in public administration from UNLV and a bachelor's in engineering from the University of Idaho.

Burnette directs the county's Administrative Services Department. His responsibilities include overseeing human resources and the county's franchise agreements.

Reilly, who directed administrative services before leaving the county in 1999 for a teaching job with UNLV, recommended Burnette as his successor in that post. Reilly returned as manager in 2001.

Reilly accepted a $250,000-a-year position last month as vice chancellor and chief operating officer of the University of Nevada Health Sciences Center.

As head of the new center - which university system Chancellor Jim Rogers hopes the Nevada Legislature will fund during the next session - Reilly will coordinate efforts among the University of Nevada School of Medicine, the UNLV School of Dental Medicine, UNR and UNLV's schools of Public Health, the state's nursing programs and other related health fields.

The center's goal will be to increase the number of health professionals graduating from the system, expand medical research and improve Nevadans access to health care.

Reilly starts his new job Aug. 17.

Woodbury said he hopes commissioners can select a replacement this month. No action related to naming a replacement is scheduled for this week's commission meeting, making July 18 the earliest regularly scheduled meeting at which commissioners could vote on a new manager.

The Clark County manager administers a $5 billion annual budget and oversees more than 11,000 employees among 38 departments, including McCarran International Airport and University Medical Center.