Gibbons’ pick for tourism chief left out

CARSON CITY -- The man who Gov. Jim Gibbons last month appointed to serve as state Tourism Commission director was not among six finalists that commissioners chose Wednesday to fill the position.

Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki said the commission previously decided that the application Kirk Montero submitted was late, so he was not considered for the position. As lieutenant governor, Krolicki is chairman of the Tourism Commission.

Gibbons announced on Christmas Eve that he had appointed Montero to the job, though a state law required him to make the appointment from the three finalists chosen by the commission.

Because of the law and the commission's opposition, the governor's office announced Dec. 30 that it would not try to put Montero in the $117,000 a year post at this time.

But Gibbons also accused Krolicki of lying when he said Montero's application was submitted late, an allegation the lieutenant governor denied.

The six finalists are Pasquale Barone, managing director of global sales for Eos Airlines in New York; Kim Stoll, corporate director of marketing, advertising and publicity for the Peppermill resort in Reno; Dann Lewis, former project manager for transportation and tourism initiatives in the Maine Department of Transportation; Tamara Hollingsworth, general manager of the Tahoe Beach and Ski Club and property manager for Vacation Resorts International in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Tom Jensen, Realtor with Windermere Real Estate in Washington state; and Charles Pullen, regional account supervisor for Zimmerman Advertising in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.