Clark County director of Department of Family Services to resign

By Jackie Valley

Thursday, July 2, 2015 | 10:47 a.m.

Facing public criticism, Lisa Ruiz-Lee, director of Clark County's Department of Family Services, sent a letter to her staff Wednesday announcing her resignation.

"The decision to leave was mine and it was not an easy one," she wrote in an e-mail. "The 17 years I have spent with the County, a majority of those at DFS, have been nothing short of extraordinary. Through the years here and through the work with many of you, I have had the opportunity to serve the community, and more importantly, children and families."

The memo indicated that Ruiz-Lee would remain on staff "a few weeks," but her final day at the helm was not listed. An interim director has not been determined, Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said.

Ruiz-Lee became interim director of the department in August 2011 and was appointed director nine months later. Her work with the county began in 1998, which included a long stint in the Clark County Manager's Office. In 2007, she was named assistant director of DFS.

She faced criticism more recently, including among DFS staff, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Last year, a commission formed on the recommendation of Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta began looking into the shortcomings of the county's child welfare system. A report was issued this spring that identified a number of problems, including lack of resources for early services to prevent child removals, delays in processing and high caseloads.

"She had one of the most difficult jobs in the County and she worked tirelessly to make improvements in the child welfare system," Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said in a statement. "While she accomplished an awful lot, there's always more to be done. I wish her the best in her future endeavors."

Even so, Assistant County Manager Jeff Wells pointed out her accomplishments, which included creating comprehensive mental health services to address child well-being, creating a safety intervention permanency system designed to quickly identify children at risk and provide the necessary services and launching a quality parenting initiative to increase the number, training and quality of foster parents.

"During her tenure, she has established several systemic changes that will improve the lives of children in our system for years to come," Wells said in a statement.

It's unclear what Ruiz-Lee's future plans include. In her note to staff, Ruiz-Lee said she looks forward to being able to "cheer the department on from the sidelines" and continue advocating for children.