Consultant might land district post

A consultant who once described the brains of School Board members in the colors of red and blue could see more green coming his way from the Clark County School District.

Dale Erquiaga, the president and owner of Get Consensus in Phoenix, would make between $81,528 and $109,116 annually if the Clark County School Board on Thursday approves his hire as executive director for government affairs, public policy and strategy.

"We are lucky to get him," said Joyce Haldeman, who is the district's associate superintendent for community and government relations and would be his boss.

She described Erquiaga as a well-qualified applicant -- he was once Nevada's deputy secretary of state -- who beat out a dozen or so other applicants. Erquiaga did not return a phone call for comment.

Haldeman stressed that Erquiaga no longer will be performing "Emergenetics," which assesses and describes people's thinking patterns in colors of blue, red, green and yellow. It's usually done as a team-building exercise so colleagues can learn how their peers arrive at decisions.

Companies such as Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and Bank of America have used Emergenetics.

In a yearlong consulting contract that ended in April, Erquiaga, who is based in Phoenix, was paid $84,000, plus $2,000 for travel expenses to perform Emergenetics and help write the district's strategic plans.

His hire as a consultant in 2008 raised the hackles of critics who thought Emergenetics was a waste of time and money. Haldeman acknowledged the criticism could follow him into his new job. "It might be something he will have to overcome," she said.

Kevinn Donovan of United Parents of Henderson, a citizens' watchdog group, said the potential hire is another example of district administration wasting money on bureaucrats while schools and students suffer.

Haldeman said that Erquiaga's hire is overdue and well within her budget, which has been cut 12 percent. The position has been vacant since November 2008.

With serving as the district's lobbyist in Carson City, the position has been expanded to include more community projects. Haldeman envisions Erquiaga working on plans to ease the racial isolation at schools in the historically black community of West Las Vegas, which has an increasing Hispanic population.

Haldeman said she has reduced the community and government relations budget by cutting support staff, leaving two positions for public information officers vacant and trimming other expenses.

Besides being president and owner of Get Consensus consulting firm, Erquiaga has worked as vice president and managing director of R&R Partners in Scottsdale, Ariz., from 1999 to 2006.

From 1997 to 1999, he was director of marketing for the Howard Hughes Corp. He was chief deputy secretary of state from 1991 to 1997.

He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1985.

Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-374-7917.