PVT FILE PHOTO Fely Quitevis shares the microphone with former president of The Philippines Fidel Ramos, during a luncheon at the Mountain Falls Golf Resort in June 2007. Advertisement

Nye County Republican Party Central Committee chairman and businesswoman Fely Quitevis was appointed Tuesday by Gov. Jim Gibbons to fill the vacancy left by Nye County Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos.

Liakopoulos resigned Dec. 31. Quitevis' term will expire in January 2011. She will represent District 5 on the commission, an area south of Calvada Boulevard on the west side of Pahrump Valley Boulevard, east of there the boundaries are south of Manse Road.

"I am confident Ms. Quitevis has the professional and personal experience to represent the people of Nye County with distinction," Gibbons said in a press release issued Tuesday. "She possesses a wealth of business experience and professional relationships that will benefit the Nye County Commission."

Quitevis immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in October 1984. She began selling real estate in Pahrump in 1993 from California and moved here in 1999.

Quitevis is the owner of Precious Properties. She recently opened Precious Looks, a beauty salon in a shopping mall managed by her company, Rockingham Capital Partners. Quitevis said she is now opening a home health care business.

This past Christmas Quitevis celebrated 15 years with her significant other, Russ Bateman.

Quitevis has been active in fundraisers and other events for the Republican party as well as for Gibbons and his wife Dawn during their 2006 campaigns.

"Of course I was excited. He called me personally. It's a great honor for me to be called by the governor himself," Quitevis said.

Quitevis said Gibbons picked her partly because he knows she is a hard worker.

"I've known him since he was a congressman, I don't know how many years, probably 10 years," Quitevis said.

Quitevis said she doesn't know yet how well she will work with the other commissioners.

"I would like to work with them and I hope they will feel the same way. (Commissioner) Gary Hollis was so nice to me. In fact I just arrived at my office, he gave me a tour of the different offices," Quitevis said.

She was sworn in Wednesday.

Quitevis said she's unsure whether she will remain as Nye County Republican Party Central Committee chairman.

Quitevis admitted taking a seat on the county commission will require a major learning curve. She said Hollis gave her a pile of reading material she will study while traveling with Bateman Feb. 4 on an upcoming trip to London, Dubai and New Delhi for a reunion with classmates from the Harvard Business School. Quitevis plans to attend her first county commission meeting Feb. 17.

"I have attended probably a couple meetings when I had projects that were brought in front of them. That's when I attended a public meeting. I will get involved. Probably the most important thing for me to do is read every project that is presented and then discuss it with the other commissioners," Quitevis said. "Whatever is good for the county, for the people, it's always for the benefit of all the residents in Nye County."

When she submitted her application for the vacancy, Quitevis said the slowdown in the economy allows her more time away from her real estate business to devote to the county commission. After her appointment, Quitevis said her children help run the real estate business. She also has a manager who can operate the beauty salon in her absence.

Quitevis said she's interested in trying to help the senior citizens. She serves on the Pahrump Valley senior center board, as well as the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Asian-American Leadership Council, the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors.

Asked whether she'll run for election in November 2010, Quitevis said. "There's a lot of things that will happen in two years. If I like the job and I can give service."

The other applicants who confirmed they applied for the vacancy included former county commissioner Patricia Cox; Pahrump Republican Women's Club President Lilian Donohue; Pahrump Regional Planning Commissioner Dan Schinhofen; former candidate Pat Garlough, who lost to Liakopoulos in the August 2006 primary by 15 votes; Pahrump Public Lands Advisory Board member Marvin Minnick and Dr. Michael Reiner.

The governor's office refused to release information on the applications they received for the vacancy.