GOVERNOR’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE
CARSON CITY–Gov. Brian Sandoval today announced he has appointed Chris Nielsen as executive director of the Department of Taxation, effective July 2.
“Chris has the institutional knowledge and the background necessary to continue to ensure that taxes legally owed to the state are properly collected and distributed in a timely and efficient manner and that taxpayers are treated fairly,” Sandoval said. “I am pleased that Chris has agreed to serve our state in this way.”
A graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, Nielsen holds a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law. Currently the deputy executive director at the Department of Taxation, Nielsen was also the interim executive director from March 2011 to September 2011.
During the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature, Nielsen tracked legislation and testified before committees on numerous occasions. Using innovative solutions to close budget holes, Nielsen implemented tax amnesty programs in 2008 and 2010 that brought in a total of over $70 million in previously uncollected revenue for the state and local governments.
Previously, Nielsen served as general counsel in the office of Governor Jim Gibbons and as senior deputy attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General for the state of Nevada.
