Governor Pillen promotes Nebraska budget administrator to lead one
LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen promoted three state employees Thursday who oversee the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services and the Department of Environment and Energy.
Pillon announced that current state budget administrator Lee Will will oversee Administrative Services Department. The department partially manages the budgets of state agencies and oversees state employees. Effective Saturday, Weir will also serve as the department’s chief operating officer.
Lee Will, current state budget administrator. (Courtesy of Governor Jim Pillen’s Office)
Neil Sullivan will replace Will state budget administrator. Will’s salary will be $205,000. Sullivan’s bonus will be $155,000, according to the governor’s office.
Pillen also announced Thursday that he will be joined by Cara Valentine cabinet as interim director Nebraska Department of Environment and Energystarting on Monday. Valentine has served as deputy director for the past eight years.
Will has been with Nebraska State Government since 2015 as a Budget Management Analyst and Deputy Budget Administrator. In 2020, he was appointed state budget administrator.
In a statement, Pillen described Weir as an “exemplary leader” in the state’s budget process “for the benefit of all Nebraskans,” and he said he was grateful for what Weir brought to his new role. Something to get excited about. Weir worked closely with Pillen on various forms of property tax relief proposals throughout the year and helped implement “efficiency savings” through out-of-state analysis.
“Lee worked closely with state agencies and our legislative partners to provide sound forecasts and budget recommendations,” Pillen said. “At DAS, he will be able to implement additional spending reductions through direct oversight of state procurement, facilities and fleet operations.”
Pillen announced earlier this month that Director Jason Jackson, who has led the department since 2018, will resign on Friday. Jackson has also served as the state’s chief human resources officer since 2016.
A spokesman said Weill has not been officially named chief human resources officer, but he will be in charge of the state’s personnel department.
Sullivan has been in Nebraska government since 2014 and followed the same path as Weill, serving as a budget management analyst before serving as deputy state administrator in 2020. Business Manager for Veterans Home.
Valentine comes to Nebraska from Missouri, where she served as an environmental attorney for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and general counsel for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
She succeeds acting director Thad Fineran, who was recently promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army and will be leaving Nebraska for an out-of-state posting.
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