BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Renee Parker, the newly appointed legal counsel to Gov. Kenny Guinn and former chief deputy to Secretary of State Dean Heller, graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1996.
Renee Parker has been appointed legal counsel to Gov. Kenny Guinn.
Parker, 38, has been Secretary of State Dean Heller's chief deputy since 2000, in charge of managing the daily operations of the agency.
"We are very fortunate to be able to gain the services of such a dedicated, experienced and professional person," Guinn said Friday.
The governor's general counsel is responsible for providing the governor with legal advice and helping to oversee operations of the agencies in the executive branch. The position was vacated a month ago when Keith Munro was named chief of staff following the departure of Michael Hillerby.
Parker said she looks forward to the challenge of assisting Guinn's administration during his final year in office.
Before joining Heller's staff, Parker served as policy advisor and assistant general counsel to the Public Utilities Commission. Before state employment, she was an associate with the law firm of Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro where she specialized in corporate and securities law.
She graduated summa cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1996.
Parker will be paid $108,000 a year in her new position.