Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Sandoval appoints officials to two state positions

CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval has announced the appointment of Patrick Cates as director of the Department of Administration that oversees a number of agencies.

Cates is presently deputy director of the Department of Wildlife. In his new position, he will supervise the divisions of purchasing, public works, buildings and grounds, risk management and the auto fleet agency.

Under a change in the law, the budget director in the administration department became director of finance in the office of the governor. Jim Wells was both budget director and administration chief. He is now finance director in the governor’s office.

The governor also named Brian Mitchell, an education fellow in his office, to become program director of the revived Office of Science, Innovation and Technology in Sandoval’s office. That office has been dormant during the economic downturn.

Mitchell will work in aligning Nevada’s education system with the workforce development training program.