Governor Pete Ricketts was sworn in as Nebraska’s 40th Governor on January 8, 2015 and reelected to a second term in November 2018.

Over the past six years, Governor Ricketts has worked with the Legislature to deliver over $1.5 billion in direct property tax relief, dramatically reduce the rate of state spending growth, create new workforce development programming, cut unnecessary red tape to bolster Nebraska’s business-friendly climate, and expand international markets for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers. Thanks in part to the Governor’s leadership, Nebraska won the Governor’s Cup for the most economic development projects per capita three years in a row from 2016 to 2018.

President Donald J. Trump has appointed Governor Ricketts to serve on the Council of Governors and the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.

Born in Nebraska City and raised in Omaha, Ricketts is the son of an entrepreneur and a school teacher. Governor Ricketts and his wife, First Lady Susanne Shore, have been married for 23 years and live in Omaha. They have three children: Roscoe, Margot, and Eleanor.

Ricketts graduated from Westside High School before attending the University of Chicago where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and an MBA in marketing and finance. After graduate school, Ricketts returned to Omaha and worked for Union Pacific before working as a customer services representative in his family’s business, a company that would eventually become known as Ameritrade. He went on to hold leadership roles in the company including Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Senior Vice President of Product Development, Senior Vice President of Marketing, President, and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Prior to his election as governor, he worked to support Nebraska entrepreneurs and startup companies. Ricketts is the founder of Drakon, LLC that supports local entrepreneurs and startup companies. He is also a past board member of TD Ameritrade’s Board of Directors and the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

Driven by a desire to give back to his community and create education and job opportunities, Governor Ricketts has taken on leadership roles in local and state associations and organizations. Currently, he serves on the board of the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts, as a director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation, a member of the Board of Advisors of Opportunity Education Foundation, a member of the Archbishop’s Committee for Development, a member of the Knights of Columbus, and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. Governor Ricketts and his family attend St. Margaret Mary’s church.

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