County planning director to be assistant manager

Clark County's method of operation has always been to look within the organization when searching for a professional to fill a vacant position.

That may have seemed like a great challenge for County Manager Dale Askew, who a month ago learned he had to replace 14-year planning veteran Bonnie Rinaldi as his assistant.

But two weeks later, Askew was all but sure about a replacement.

With the County Commission's blessing Tuesday, current Planning Director Richard Holmes officially will be named assistant county manager. And taking Holmes' place likely will be assistant planning director John Schlegel.

"Everybody's first choice, including mine, would be for Bonnie to stay for the rest of her career," Holmes said Thursday. "I have a lot of respect for Bonnie. During the last year and a half, I've gained more respect; I've tried to take notes and learn from her because she has been very successful."

Rinaldi publicly announced her intent to resign in December, saying she wants to spend more time with her 7-year-old daughter, Nicole. She will remain with the county until Holmes takes over March 1.

Askew said Thursday it wasn't too difficult to decide on the 50-year-old Holmes, who in June will celebrate his 20th anniversary as a Clark County employee.

"The county has a tradition of hiring from within; growing our own managers," Askew said. "It's good for morale because it demonstrates a career path to the top. I was a direct result of that. I grew up here at the county."

And it wasn't a difficult decision for Holmes to take the position. He said the reason he took the job was because he was asked.

Looking at his current salary of $121,825 a year and the range the assistant county manager makes -- $84,847 to $131,512 -- his decision certainly wasn't based on promises of a huge raise.

Holmes, who has a solid background in regional planning, said he is enthused by the County Commission's new direction, focusing more on regional growth, regional collaboration and the county's smart growth program.

"We have new leadership and new issues have been developing over the last years," he said. "There will be lots of interesting programs for me."

Holmes also said the county's planning division's leadership is stronger than it has been in years.

"I think it's a good time to make the decision because the Planning Department will be in good hands," Holmes said of Schlegel, who came over to the county from the city of Las Vegas about a year ago.

Clark County has one county manager and two assistants. Michael Alastuey oversees operational departments, including finance, election and general services. Like Rinaldi, Holmes will supervise development divisions such as planning and public works.

Holmes said he doesn't plan to do the work of the 1,500 employees in his divisions, but empower supervisors and assign them major blocks of responsibility.

In 1979, Holmes moved to Clark County -- where the population was just 481,000 -- from western Massachusetts, where he worked on a regional planning commission that oversaw 32 cities and towns. He handled the environmental aspects of growth like water quality, air quality and toxic chemicals.

"We had different toxic chemicals but the same concerns," Holmes said. "It links back to the same federal laws that keep us busy with water quality issues today."

Prior to his time working on the regional planning commission, the Boston native worked on the Jefferson County, Ky., planning commission.

He took a grant-funded environmental position when he first came to Clark County and eventually was hired by the county. Holmes was promoted to planning director in 1984.

He graduated in 1971 from Union College in upstate New York with degrees in industrial economics and civil engineering. He received a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Arizona.

archive