Governor Brian Sandoval entered office during the most trying economic environment in Nevada’s modern history. The Great Recession might have ended in June 2009, but its effects lingered in the Silver State years later. By the time Sandoval was sworn into office on January 3, 2011, the economic downturn had claimed nearly 200,000 jobs, shuttered 6,400 businesses and catapulted the unemployment rate to a national high of 13.9 percent. As Sandoval prepares to leave office eight years later, Nevada is once again among the nation’s leaders in job growth, population expansion, business investment and other key indicators of a solid economic footing. While the turnaround shares many causes, Sandoval’s policies and administration played key roles in Nevada’s economic rebound.

One of Sandoval’s primary platforms upon entering the Governor’s Mansion was improving economic diversification throughout the state. Nevada’s reliance on the tourism and construction industries made it more susceptible to volatile national and global economic cycles, and diversification creates a broader and more stable economy to better withstand economic downturns. To this end, Sandoval established the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), a collaboration between the Governor’s Office and the Nevada Legislature.

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