DES MOINES (AP) - The former head of the state's Division of Latino Affairs blames his abrupt decision to leave his position on frustrations with poor leadership in state government.

Armando Villareal said his boss, Walter Reed of Waterloo, the director of Department of Human Rights, caused problems with his leadership that were never addressed despite complaints.

Villareal said on Friday that there's "a spectacular lack of leadership on the part of the director of the Department of Human Rights and a management style that has created a lot of distrust."

Villareal said he brought his complaints to the office of Gov. Chet Culver but that Culver's office did nothing to address them.

Reed declined to comment on Friday and referred questions to the office of Gov. Chet Culver.

Culver spokesman Phil Roeder released a statement that did not address Villareal's complaints, but thanked him for his service.

"Mr. Villareal resigned his position late last month," Roeder said. "We appreciate his work on behalf of the state and the Latino community, and are now in the process of reviewing individuals in order to name a new administrator of the Division of Latino Affairs."

Reed, who was paid $85,674 in 2007, became head of the Department of Human Rights in January 2005. He had spent the previous 10 years as director of the Waterloo Human Rights Commission. He had also been a member of the Iowa Board of Corrections.

Iowa's human rights agency includes divisions for Latinos, blacks, Asians and Pacific Islanders, persons with disabilities, women, deaf people, plus community action agencies, and criminal and juvenile justice planning.

Villareal, 61, who was paid $54,000 in 2007, moved to Iowa from Texas in December 2005. He had previously been involved in immigration issues and has promoted economic development programs for Hispanic business people.

His office also oversaw the Iowa Youth Congress, which involves 5,000 minority students who elect 100 youth legislators.

Villareal said Reed did a poor job of communicating the agency's issues to Culver's staff. He also said that Reed had been an impediment to efforts to establish a program to help Hispanic business people develop business plans.

"I think he is incompetent, just incompetent," Villareal said of Reed. "But it is not just the Latinos. I want to be clear about this. It is a problem across the board inside the department."