After more than a decade leading major state health agencies, Nevada Department of Human Services Director Richard Whitley announced he will retire in early November.

In a statement to The Nevada Independent on Tuesday, Whitley said his last day after decades of state service will be Nov. 9. 

“My public service journey has been incredibly rewarding, filled with meaningful connections and shared achievements,” Whitley said. “As I step away, I am excited for the new leadership that will bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the Department's mission.”

Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, said he is grateful for Whitley’s years of public service. 

Whitley has held his appointed position under governors from both parties and is the longest-serving agency head in Lombardo’s cabinet.

“Richard has worked diligently to provide access to quality health services for all Nevadans and his work last session to establish the Nevada Health Authority will leave an enduring impact on our state,” Lombardo said. “We wish him well in retirement.”

Lombardo’s office did not provide details about who the governor may tap to replace Whitley.

Whitley was first appointed the director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, now the Department of Human Services, in June 2015 by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican. He was reappointed to the position in 2019 by then-Gov. Steve Sisloak, a Democrat, and again by Lombardo in 2023.

Serving under three different governors, Whitley oversaw the five divisions that provide state services and public assistance to Nevadans in need, and the department that made up nearly one-third of the state budget from 2015 until 2025. 

Earlier this year, Lombardo and the Legislature split the Department of Health and Human Services into the Nevada Health Authority and the Department of Human Services, a move aimed at better harnessing the state’s negotiating power on health insurance matters. Whitley played a key role in the establishment of the Nevada Health Authority and remained head of the Department of Human Services.

Whitley began working for the state as a senior psychologist for the Nevada Women’s Correctional Facility in 1986 and joined the then-Department of Health and Human Services in 1997. Whitley holds a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Western Oregon University. 

During his tenure, the agency under Whitley came under fire following a legislative audit that concluded the state ignored squalid conditions for mentally ill patients in properties that were paid for by taxpayer dollars. Whitley launched an internal investigation into the matter that led to at least two resignations, including one related to false statements made to legislators. 

The retirement announcement follows the August resignation of Dena Schmidt, the leader of Nevada’s public health agency, who said she was leaving her role as Division of Public and Behavioral Health administrator because of a toxic work environment fostered by Whitley. 

Schmidt had taken up the role in June.

Previously, Schmidt headed the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division. During her tenure, the agency struggled with long waitlists for services for people with disabilities and a budget shortfall that meant the division could not provide certain services.

Officials with the governor's office said Schmidt later rescinded her resignation and will be returning to her position.

This story was updated on 10/21/2026 at 3:18 p.m. to note that Whitley has been in public service for decades and again at 4:32 p.m. to indicate Schmidt rescinded her resignation.