Scott Whittemore has been selected as the new administrator of the Nevada Taxicab Authority.
A deputy commissioner with the state Division of Mortgage Lending, Whittemore was chosen from among three finalists for a job vacated in March by longtime state employee Ron Grogan.
The decision to pick Whittemore, a graduate of UNLV’s Boyd School of Law and the son of former Nevada political powerbroker Harvey Whittemore, was made by State Department of Business and Industry Director C.J. Manthe. She is expected to make the official announcement soon.
The administrator supervises the oversight of 16 Southern Nevada cab companies at a time the taxi industry is experiencing dramatic changes amid the rise of ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft. Although cab ridership has been down substantially in recent years, last year the companies transported nearly 20 million customers.
Grogan’s tenure with the authority was punctuated by a withering audit that found drivers had overcharged customers some $47 million in recent years by “long hauling” them. Grogan often butted heads with members of the authority’s board, the panel charged with reviewing and implementing regulations.
The two other finalists also showed strong resumes for a job that pays $121,000 a year. Karen Neill is a former FBI analyst and official with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Byron Goynes is a longtime Las Vegan and former City Planning Commissioner and Clark County Business Licensing officer.
