Thom Reilly Last day as Clark County manager to be Aug. 17

University Chancellor Jim Rogers on Wednesday appointed Clark County Manager Thom Reilly vice chancellor of the University of Nevada Health Sciences Center for the Nevada System of Higher Education.

The appointment must be ratified by the state Board of Regents.

In addition to being vice chancellor, Reilly said, he will be appointed to the Public Administration faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Reilly, whose last day at the county will be Aug. 17, will be paid $250,000 annually.

"It is with some sadness that I leave," Reilly said Wednesday. "I have enjoyed the job. It's been very challenging."

Clark County commissioners are expected to appoint an acting county manager while they search for a replacement. Reilly said he intends to recommend Administrative Services Director Don Burnette, Finance Director George Stevens or Assistant County Manager Virginia Valentine, who previously served as Las Vegas city manager.

"I have a great senior management team," Reilly said.

The announcement Wednesday did not come as a surprise to commissioners, who said Reilly had discussed the possibility of leaving the county.

"Their gain, our loss," said Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates, who in 2001 voted to hire Reilly as county manager. "I have mixed emotions about him leaving. I know he really loves academia, and from that point I respect his decision, but it's a big loss for us."

If Reilly's appointment is approved by university regents, he will embark on his second stint at UNLV. In 1999, he resigned as Clark County administrative services director to serve as an associate professor. In that position, he helped establish the Health Access Consortium, an effort among health, government and civic leaders to work with the medically underserved and uninsured.

The university system's new Health Sciences Center was established to address a shortage of health care workers in the Las Vegas Valley. The center is expected to integrate health education, research and patient care as part of the university experience. The goal is to generate more Nevada-trained health professionals.

"I was offered a good opportunity to get into a project from the ground floor, and that's exciting," Reilly said. "I have a background in health care, and I have always had a connection to the academic community."

Reilly holds a doctorate and master's in public health from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in social work from Arizona State University.

"He's a very good administrator, he's creative and he seems to be able to get along with all sorts of people," Rogers said Wednesday. "Relationships are very, very important. Credibility is very, very important. He's all of those things, and a lot of us thought he was a superstar."

Rogers said he hopes Reilly's ties to the county will encourage county administrators to become involved in the health center.

County sources said Reilly's departure stems partly from frustration over recent scandals plaguing the Clark County Government Center.

Four former commissioners were indicted on federal political corruption charges. Former commissioners Mary Kincaid-Chauncey and Dario Herrera were convicted in May, Erin Kenny pleaded guilty, and Lance Malone is to go to trial in August.

More recently, a criminal complaint was filed against Clark County Recorder Frances Deane, charging her with theft and misconduct of a public official. Although Deane is an elected official, over whom Reilly has no control sources said he was concerned about the county's reputation.

When asked whether those cases factored into his move, Reilly said: "Local government is always a challenge." He would not elaborate.

Reilly also was hammered by members of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association when he publicly announced his opposition to the officers' proposed pay increase.

Commissioner Chip Maxfield, who served on the board that oversees police department finances, praised Reilly for his leadership during the debate over raises.

"Any time you have contract negotiations, they're going to be tough and controversial," Maxfield said. "Thom has always exercised great leadership and the ability to deal with tough issues.

"Thom Reilly served the citizens of Clark County very well. I'll miss him," he said.