State Tourism Commission director not among finalists for his job

The man who Gov. Jim Gibbons last month appointed to serve as state Tourism Commission director was not among six finalists that commissioners chose today 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.

“We established at the last meeting that Mr. Montero was not an active applicant,” Krolicki said following today’s meeting of the Tourism Commission.

Gibbons announced on Christmas Eve that he had appointed Montero to the job, even though a state law requires 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.

Krolicki said today that the commission will begin interviewing the six finalists as early as next Wednesday, but it may be some time before the list is winnowed to three. He noted that Gibbons in tomorrow’s State of the State address may propose consolidating the operations of the Commission on Tourism and Economic Development.

Until the Legislature acts during the session, it may not be known if the Tourism Commission director’s position even will continue to exist, Krolicki said.

In all, 67 people applied for the vacant position. 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 the state of Washington.

— Charles Pullen, regional account supervisior for Zimmerman Advertising in Fort Lauderdale, Fl.