Governor's chief of staff takes job with Whittemore firm

Mike Hillerby, chief of staff to Gov. Kenny Guinn, has resigned effective Friday to take a job with Wingfield Nevada Corp.

Wingfield Nevada is the umbrella corporation for longtime lobbyist and developer Harvey Whittemore.

Hillerby said he will be executive vice president for the corporation, which includes Wingfield Springs, Coyote Springs, and The Resort at Redhawk. It also includes Whittemore's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome foundation, a collaboration between the University of Nevada, Reno medical school and Nevada Cancer Institute.

He said he has enjoyed working for the governor, but that the offer from Whittemore was an excellent opportunity.

Hillerby will be replaced as chief of staff by Keith Munro, who has been Guinn's legal counsel and deputy chief of staff. Munro will be the fifth person to hold that title in Guinn's two terms.

Guinn praised the job Hillerby has done in the past two-and-a-half years.

"He has worked on all of the major issues we have faced and been instrumental in guiding our legislative agendas since the 2001 session," he said.

Hillerby was Guinn's legislative lobbyist before becoming chief of staff. Prior to that, he was director of the state's Department of Cultural Affairs and, before that, a lobbyist for several sessions of the Legislature.

He said his job at Wingfield Nevada will include government relations and lobbying at the Legislature. But, he said, he won't be lobbying any executive agencies until after the end of Guinn's term in office next January.

Guinn said Munro's work as general counsel since 2000 makes him perfectly suited to take over the position of chief of staff.

- Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.