Nevada's state computer chief quits

CARSON CITY - Marlene Lockard, opposed to a Guinn administration plan to fold her agency into another state department, is resigning after five hectic years as Nevada's computer chief.

''It's just time to go,'' Lockard said Monday, adding there was no blowup between her and top staffers of Gov. Kenny Guinn who suggested the agency consolidation last week.

Budget Director Perry Comeaux proposed that Lockard's Department of Information Technology become a division within the state Department of Administration, which he heads.

At a Thursday meeting of a panel reviewing basic government operations, Lockard was asked to comment on the proposal but opted to say nothing. Later that day, she submitted a letter of resignation.

Comeaux said Guinn hadn't endorsed the idea of putting Lockard's agency into his. Comeaux said he proposed the merger after the governor expressed interest in consolidated ''mega-departments.''

''There's nothing negative. Everything is positive,'' Lockard said Monday. ''I've enjoyed working for Gov. Guinn very much.''

The GOP governor praised Lockard for the job she's done as information technology director, a cabinet-level post paying $92,914 a year. He had retained the appointee of former Democratic Gov. Bob Miller since taking office in January 1998.

''I hate to see her gone,'' Guinn said. ''She's a longtime employee of the state and she's always given 100 percent-plus. I also understand it's a difficult situation to work in.''

Lockard has more than 22 years of state and federal government service. Before running information technology, she was a longtime aide to former governor and current U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev.

As information technology director, Lockard was in charge of a massive state effort to fix Year 2000 computer bugs.

Her agency also helped more than 200 state agencies comply with Guinn's directive to establish Web sites - although some offer little more than a few names and telephone numbers.

The department's effort to make government more user-friendly included a state agency phone book plus making various agency forms available to people over the Internet.