Nevada labor commissioner named

Michael Tanchek, who has been deputy labor commissioner for three years, was named state labor commissioner on Friday.

The appointment of Tanchek, 53, to the job paying $72,000 a year was announced by Sydney Wickliffe, director of the state Department of Business and Industry.

Tanchek has been acting labor commissioner for three months. He succeeds Terry Johnson, who became a deputy director in the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Tanchek said Johnson left the agency in good shape and he wants to follow in his footsteps. Johnson's staff cleaned up a backlog of thousands of wage claims.

Before his labor commission service, Tanchek worked for the state Economic Development Commission and state Public Utilities Commission.