Genoans chose new member

Genoans recommended that the sole applicant for town board, Dave Whitgob, get the job Tuesday.

Whitgob is a three-year resident of Genoa and is presently vice president, special projects, of the California State Automobile Association with offices in San Francisco. The recommendation that Whitgob be named to the town board will be forwarded to Douglas County commissioners for consideration at their Feb. 15 Stateline meeting.

Interim Town Manager Lisa Granahan said Whitgob was working in the Bay area on Tuesday when the town board was making its decision, but that he would attend the meetings in the future.

She said Whitgob intends to retire from his job in the spring.

The Genoa Town Board is an advisory board to Douglas County and consists of five members.

Whitgob will replace town board member Jack Pettit, who moved in December.

The town board has experienced significant turnover over the past year with only one member, Bill Donohoe, still on the board.

Granahan introduced new events coordinator Sheryl Gonzales of Promotional Design Group to board members on Tuesday.

A contract with Gonzales was approved by Douglas County commissioners last week. She was selected to coordinate Candy Dance and other Genoa events.

Gonzales, who was the second choice for town manager when Tom Peters got the job a year ago, will be paid $38,000 to fulfill the contract.

The money is coming out of the $45,000 the town is paying the county for management services.

In recent years it has been harder and harder to find volunteers to take charge of the whole event, which draws 30,000 people a day to Nevada's oldest town.

For the past three years town managers have coordinated the annual fundraiser.