Tony Goins Named as Head of Nebraska Department of Economic Development

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced on July 31 the appointment of Tony Goins, CEO and partner of Capital Cigar Lounge, as the new director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (opportunity.nebraska.gov). Goins has an extensive background as a business executive in Nebraska and elsewhere. He currently is director of branded products at Lincoln Industries and before that served as chief operating officer and executive vice president for Cabela’s World’s Foremost Bank.

Before coming to Lincoln, Goins served as an executive for CertusBank and JPMorgan Chase. He also worked for American Express and USAA.

Goins will replace Dave Rippe, who stepped down August 9 to return to Hastings, where he will work in real estate and talent development. Goins, who will start in October, will be Ricketts’ fourth economic development director since he took office in 2015.

“It’s an honor to join Governor Ricketts’ team, and I look forward to working with the administration and our private-sector partners,” Goins said. “Together, we can grow our state’s brand and take our business recruitment efforts to the next level.”

The mission of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain business and talent individuals throughout the state. Learn more at opportunity.nebraska.gov.