Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

One of my priorities as Governor is to have direct contact with the citizens of this state. I said in my remarks to the members of the Legislature and the people of Nebraska on the day I was sworn into office that I intended to reach out from border to border, to hear first-hand from our citizens their thoughts, concerns and ideas for our state.

I said that I expected to spend a great deal of time visiting communities and listening to Nebraskans, and as I look back over my first year in office I am especially pleased that these months afforded the opportunity to do just that. While many Nebraskans reached out by sending e-mails or letters to my office in Lincoln, I was continually impressed to see residents turn out to share what was on their minds as I traveled across this state.

From an airport crowded with residents in McCook and the surrounding area on the day I delivered my first state of the state address, to Valentine, where I spent an afternoon last spring hearing from residents about the issues that concerned them, to the producers, community development officials and students who took the time to attend and be part of the discussions during our statewide Farm Bill Listening Sessions last fall; I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to connect with Nebraskans in every corner of this state.

My goal during the last year has been to do everything in my power to earn the trust, respect and confidence of the people of Nebraska, and my promise was that I would not shy away from difficult issues. We have talked openly about the challenges facing our state, from how to streamline and sustain Medicaid to developing solutions for sustainable water management and reinforcing the strength of public education.

Over the past year, we’ve been successful in our effort to improve Nebraska’s business climate with the creation of the Nebraska Advantage. This jobs-creation economic incentive package is already helping communities of all sizes take significant steps forward in their economic development efforts, and I look forward to seeing the announcements of many new projects come together in the months ahead.

While we have also made important progress in making the education of our children a fiscal priority and put safeguards in place to protect our communities from the growth of local methamphetamine labs, we have only begun to address several other challenges.

Achieving a balance with regard to our state’s water needs is an issue we will need to address this year and for several years to come, and curbing the fast-paced growth of Medicaid while still providing meaningful assistance for those who need it requires an upfront conversation about our priorities as a state in the coming years.

When it comes to setting a future course for our state, I said one year ago that I intended to lead a statewide conversation for input on the direction we are headed. I remain committed to making our state an even better place in which to live, work and raise a family, and I am committed to continuing those discussions. I feel incredibly honored to serve as Governor of this great state. In the year ahead, I want to continue making the changes that will help our state excel as we work to meet the challenges of the future.

Each and every community and citizen is important to the success of our state, and I am confidant that our best days are still ahead because of the commitment and motivation I’ve witnessed in the cities, towns and rural communities throughout this great state.