Head of state jobs and rehab will retire

Veteran administrator Myla Florence will retire from state service effective April 2.

Florence will leave as administrator of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. She will be replaced by Birgit Baker, administrator of the Employment Security Division.

The job pays $107,433.

"I want to thank Myla for her more than 30 years of outstanding public service," said Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Guinn named Florence to head the employment department in May 2000. Before that, she headed the state Welfare Division through the lengthy development of the NOMADS computer system and oversaw welfare reform as well as creation of the Aging Services Community Homebased Initiatives Program. Prior to that, she headed the state Health Division.

At the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, she helped implement the workforce system Nevada JobConnect.

Baker has been in Nevada government 24 years. Before taking over the Employment Security Division, she was a fiscal analyst with the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

She received her economics degree from the University of Nevada, Reno.

"Birgit brings strong fiscal and administrative skills to this position," said Guinn.

The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation oversees employment related programs from disabled services to unemployment insurance compensation and has 850 employees with an annual budget of more than $136 million.