Another Government Boss Creates Toxic Workplace
Picture this: You get a new job in June. By September, you’re so fed up with your boss that you quit. That’s exactly what happened to Nevada’s top public health official, Dena Schmidt.
Schmidt ran the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. She lasted just two months before throwing in the towel. Why? Her boss, Richard Whitley, created what she called a workplace full of “intimidation, humiliation and abusive behaviors.”
This isn’t just office drama. This is your tax dollars at work – or not working, as the case may be.
What Really Happened
Internal emails show Schmidt couldn’t take it anymore. She wrote to Whitley that “it has become clear that my leadership is no longer aligned with the direction you envision.” Translation: We don’t get along, and you’re making my life miserable.
But Schmidt didn’t stop there. She told her coworkers she “cannot continue to be subjected to intimidation, humiliation and abusive behaviors.” She even apologized to anyone who witnessed a particularly bad meeting the day before she quit.
“What I experienced yesterday was not the first, but it will be the last for me,” Schmidt wrote. “I need to do this for my own peace of mind and self-dignity.”
That’s government speak for “my boss is a bully.”
Meet Richard Whitley: The Million-Dollar Manager
Whitley isn’t some new guy learning the ropes. He’s been running Nevada’s health agencies since 2015. That’s nearly a decade. He was appointed director of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) — by far the largest state agency — in 2015, and Gov. Joe Lombardo re-appointed him to the role in 2023.
Whitley has worked for the state since 1986, when he was a senior psychologist for the Nevada Women’s Correctional Facility. He joined DHHS in 1997. That’s almost 40 years on the government payroll.
As director, Whitley will oversee more than 5,500 employees and a combined state and federal fund budget of more than $4.5 billion. That’s billion with a B. And he’s managing it so poorly that qualified people are running for the exits.
Why This Matters to Conservatives
This story hits three big conservative concerns: government waste, poor management, and lack of accountability.
First, there’s the money. Schmidt started her job in June and quit in September. How much did taxpayers spend recruiting, hiring, and training someone who lasted two months? What about the cost of finding her replacement?
Second, there’s the management problem. The Legislature unanimously approved the Lombardo-backed proposal to split the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services into two, creating the Nevada Health Authority that would oversee Medicaid, the state’s health insurance exchange, the Public Employee Benefits Program and other services. The legislature just reorganized the whole department this year. But if the leadership is toxic, shuffling the org chart won’t fix anything.
Third, there’s accountability – or the lack of it. Whitley has been in charge for nearly ten years. He’s survived multiple governors. When problems happen in his department, nothing seems to stick to him.
The Other Side of the Story
Whitley isn’t talking. When asked for comment, he referred reporters to a brief statement from a spokesperson. The statement just confirmed Schmidt resigned and named her temporary replacement. No explanation. No apology. No promise to do better.
Some defenders might say we don’t know Whitley’s side of the story. Maybe Schmidt was the problem. Maybe she couldn’t handle the job. But her email suggests this wasn’t a one-time thing. She wrote about “behaviors” plural, and said what happened “was not the first.”
What Comes Next
Schmidt’s deputy, Andrea Rivers, is now running things temporarily. The question now is how to prevent this kind of situation from happening again.
Governor Lombardo has been working hard to reform Nevada’s bloated government agencies. Earlier this year, the legislature unanimously approved his proposal to split the massive Department of Health and Human Services into two smaller, more manageable agencies. This was a smart move that should help improve oversight and accountability.
The governor likely didn’t know about the day-to-day management problems when he reappointed Whitley in 2023. Leaders can’t be everywhere at once. But now that these issues have come to light, there’s an opportunity to make things better.
What Conservatives Can Do
Support Governor Lombardo’s government reform efforts. The department split he championed is exactly the kind of change that can help prevent these problems. Smaller agencies are easier to manage and monitor.
Why did Schmidt really quit? What’s being done to fix the work environment? Is this the kind of leadership Nevadans deserve?
Push for transparency. Government emails and documents should be public. Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent and whether their employees are being treated properly.
Support government reform efforts. When agencies are too big and managers have too much power, problems like this happen. Smaller, more accountable government works better for everyone.
The bottom line is simple: Government workers serve the people. That includes treating each other with basic respect. When bosses create toxic workplaces, taxpayers pay the price through turnover, poor performance, and wasted money.
Dena Schmidt chose to leave with her dignity intact. Now it’s up to the rest of us to demand better from the people we pay to serve us.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
