Panel to conduct in-person interviews for tourism job

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 | 2:55 p.m.

CARSON CITY – A search committee has decided to bring in all six semi-finalists for face-to-face interviews to become director of the state Commission on Tourism, which is facing a dramatic decrease in its budget.

The panel, headed by Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, conducted phone interviews with the six.

The committee initially decided it liked Pasquale Barone, who has been managing director of global sales for Eos Airlines in Purchase, N.Y.; Dann Lewis who was manager of transportation and tourism in the Maine Department of Transportation; and Kim Stoll who is a former corporate director of marketing for the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno.

But Krolicki said telephone and face-to-face interviews are entirely different and he convinced the other panel members that the full Tourism Commission should see all six, probably in early February.

The tourism commission will nominate the final three to Gov. Jim Gibbons, who makes the appointment to the $117,000 a year job.

The other three are Tamara Hollingsworth, general manager of Tahoe Beach & Ski Club and Vacation Resorts International; Tom Jensen with Windermere Real Estate in the state of Washington; and Charles Pullen, regional supervisor for Northern California and Nevada for Zimmerman Advertising in Florida.

While the governor has stressed the importance of tourism to the state’s economy, he has recommended a 59 percent decrease in his budget for the state’s tourism development fund.

The agency has been supported by three-eighths of one percent of the hotel-motel room tax and has a budget this fiscal year of $20.4 million. Gibbons is recommending that the tax go to the state coffers and the commission, like most other agencies, be supported from the state’s general fund.

Gibbons’ budget would lower the present $20.4 million spending program to $8.2 million next fiscal year, and then up to $8.6 million in fiscal 2011.

The staff would be reduced from 30 employees to 20.

The commission is also responsible for publishing the Nevada Magazine, whose budget is $2.2 million this year. It would be sliced to $1.4 million the next fiscal year and then rise to near $1.5 million in 2011.

Gibbons’ budget also eliminates any grants to the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas and the Western Folk Life Center in Elko. They both received $100,000 last fiscal year and $50,000 this fiscal year.

The governor is recommending $492,000 for next year, down from the $644,844 for the present year, to keep six tourism offices in foreign countries open. For instance, there is $252,150 allocated for the China office, considered a prime country for drawing high-rolling customers to Las Vegas.

The advertising and marketing budget of the tourism commission is reduced from $9.1 million to $4.5 million next year and than up to $5.1 million in fiscal 2011.

Gibbons also proposes merging the tourism commission with the state Economic Development Commission, a move tourism members oppose.

Tourism Commissioner Chuck Bowling of Las Vegas said it would be “irresponsible” to take the focus off tourism. “We have got to have somebody to focus on tourism," he said.

Tim Maland resigned as tourism director in September.

Krolicki questioned whether the tourism commission should move forward with nominating the top three candidates in view of the recommendation to the Legislature to merge the two agencies.

Commissioner Ryan Sheltra of Reno expressed the view of all the panel members, saying “We have got to move forward.” He said this was a “crazy” time and the new director could be in the job only three months if the agencies are combined by the Legislature.

This appointment has been shrouded by controversy in a fight between Gibbons and Krolicki. Gibbons appointed Kirk Montero of Reno to the job, saying it was too important to leave it vacant since last September.

Montero was one of more than 60 who submitted applications. But he was not on the finalist list. And the commission said Montero submitted his application after the deadline had expired.

Cy Ryan may be reached at (775) 687 5032 or cy@lasvegassun.com.