LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Governor-elect Jim Pillen announced Tom Riley will continue as the Director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. Riley will be a critical leader in Governor-elect Pillen’s work to move the Perkins County Canal Project forward.
“Tom has shown visionary leadership in fighting to preserve and protect our state’s most precious resource, our water,” said Governor-elect Pillen. “He has worked for years with Nebraska stakeholders on the Perkins water project. His leadership is vital in bringing this water home to Nebraska. Tom will continue to pursue policies that benefit our farmers and ranchers.”
Riley has served as the Director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources since 2020. Previously, he spent two decades at the Flatwater Group, where he is a company founder. At the Flatwater Group, Riley managed water projects across the state including irrigation and water supply, restoration of Nebraska’s unique saline wetlands, and stream and reservoir restoration. He also has worked for over a decade as a senior engineer and project manager for a national firm. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering.
