Carsonite a finalist in Tahoe director search

A Carson City woman made the final cut in the search for a new director for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Nevada Administrator of State Lands Pam Wilcox along with a principal planner from Salt Lake City and the director of California's Inyo County Water Department are the final candidates for the position.

All three will be interviewed today for the top position at the TRPA.

A four-member committee of the agency's governing board spent about nine hours Monday and Tuesday interviewing nine finalists for the agency's executive director position.

Bill Allayaud of Salt Lake City and Gregory James of Bishop, Calif., are the other two candidates.

The 14-member board is supposed to make a decision this evening.

Wilcox has been the administrator of Nevada State Lands since 1981 and has been the executive officer of the Nevada TRPA since 1993. She also coordinates Nevada's efforts at Tahoe, including overseeing a multi-agency team of employees focusing on Tahoe restoration.

Allayaud has been a principal planner for Salt Lake City since 1997. And he has experience as a planner, legislative coordinator and manager for the California Coastal Commission.

James has been the director of California's Inyo County Water Department since 1981. An attorney, James has served Inyo County as legal counsel during that time and previously was a deputy district attorney for the county.

More than 100 people applied for the job.

Dave Solaro, an El Dorado County supervisor and member of TRPA's board, chaired the interviews, and he said Tuesday that he was impressed with the pool from which the agency was able to choose.

"Any one of several would make an excellent executive director," he said.

The new director will guide the bistate agency as it tries to implement its Environmental Improvement Program, thus organizing the construction of $900 million dollars worth of erosion-control projects and other restoration programs that experts say are needed to save Lake Tahoe's famed clarity.

Jim Baetge, executive director for five years, left in January for health reasons. The acting executive director, Jerry Wells, has announced he will be leaving May 26 to take a position in Oregon. He had been the 10th finalist before the announcement.

What: TRPA interviews

When: Wednesday, 1 p.m.

Where: Tahoe Seasons Resort, Saddle Mountain Road at Keller

Information: (775) 588-4547