Dr. Thom Reilly is currently a Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University (ASU). He is the former Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) where he served as chief executive officer and oversaw, under the authority of an elected board of regents, a complex system that includes R-1 research universities, four-year undergraduate institutions, a research institute and community colleges.
He currently is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
He previously served as County Manager for Clark County Nevada (the Las Vegas Valley), where he provided both regional and municipal-type services. As the chief executive officer, he reported to an elected board of commissioners and was responsible for a $5.8 billion budget and over 12,000 employees.
Reilly has extensive experience in the private sector, serving as managing principal of The Reilly Group, a management consulting firm and as former vice president of social responsibility at Caesars Entertainment, Inc. He was also the former head of the Nevada child welfare system
Reilly has authored numerous published works on public pay and benefits, governance, and child welfare. He is co-editor of the Ethics, Corruption and Governance Series for Rowman & Littlefield Lexington Books, and serves of the Editorial Board for the academic journal Public Personnel Management.
He received his master’s and doctorate of public administration from the University of Southern California. He earned his master of social work at ASU and a bachelor in social work from the University of Memphis.
