Capital Focus: Briefly

New spokesman named for attorney general's office

Edie Cartwright has been named Public Information Officer for the attorney general's office.

She has 35 years experience in corporate Public Relations in the aerospace and defense industry. Most recently, she served as director of public relations and communications for L-3 Integrated Systems in Dallas.

Cartwright and her husband have relocated to Reno, where they lived in the early 1980s.

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said Cartwright's job will be to help keep the public informed about the issues her office handles.

New personnel director named

Teri Thienhaus has been named Personnel Director for the state of Nevada.

She was a senior deputy attorney general working primarily with personnel law. She also has served as the primary deputy for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Business and Industry.

"Considering the diverse array of issues facing state employees, it will be invaluable to have someone with an in-depth knowledge of state law," said Gov. Jim Gibbons in announcing the selection. "I believe she will be an excellent leader in this critical position."

A former registered nurse, Thienhaus received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law after earning a Bachelors of Arts in German Studies from the University of Cincinnati. She moved to Nevada in 1995 and worked in private practice before joining the attorney general's office in 1999.

"The state's most important resource is its employees, and our recovery from our economic problems hinges on the strength of Nevada's workforce and the ability of the Department of Personnel to support state leadership," said Thienhaus.

She replaces Todd Rich, who resigned to return to the private sector. In the interim, deputy director Shelley Blotter served as director.

Hospital care center certified

Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center has received Medicare certification for its ContinueCARE center.

A spokesman for the hospital said that means for the first time, patients requiring long-term hospital stays because of complex medical conditions can get that care in Carson City.

Lita McCaw, administrator of ContinueCARE said that means families in Carson City and the surrounding area can spend more time visiting loved ones who require long-term hospitalization.

"In our experience, complex medical cases have no timeline," she said. "In fact, many diseases and injuries need treatment in a hospital setting designed especially for long-term medical care. We're pleased to bring this specialty treatment to residents of Carson City and beyond."

Water summit set Friday in Winnemucca

A summit designed to bring the state's water users together is scheduled for Friday in Winnemucca.

The Agricultural Water Summit is being hosted in conjunction with the Nevada Cattlemen's Convention. It will include a history and overview of issues including interbasin transfers of water, the changing demands on surface and ground water in Nevada and how water is put to beneficial use.

"Nevada's agricultural producers and other water users are concerned about the potential ramifications of interbasin water transfers," said Tony Lesperance, director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture. "We want to get these folks together to hear what is happening and ask a few questions."

A representative from the Southern Nevada Water Authority will discuss who the water users are and their competing values and interests.

The summit is sponsored by the Agricultural Council of Nevada, Nevada Cattlemen's Association, Nevada Department of Agriculture, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Nevada Agricultural Foundation, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Former insurance commissioner takes lobbying job

Alice Molasky Arman has joined Western Insurance Company as Senior Vice President of Government Relations.

Molasky Arman recently retired as Nevada's insurance commissioner.

Western Insurance Company and its affiliates, Western Bonding Company and Western Assurance Company, are based in Nevada and were founded by Dick Rottman, himself a former Nevada insurance commissioner.

Molasky served as insurance commissioner 13 years until retiring in September. During that period, she helped the state make medical malpractice insurance available after major providers pulled out of Nevada, privatized the state's industrial insurance system and launched a statewide media campaign to warn the public about the dangers of unauthorized insurance. That public outreach program served as a model for the national program of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.