GOED TEAM

LEADERSHIP

TOM BURNS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LAS VEGAS

Executive Director

Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development

Governor Joe Lombardo appointed Tom Burns Nevada Governor’s of Economic
Development (GOED) Executive Director on January 30th , 2023.

Burns started his career by attaining his Certified Public Accountant designation with
Deloitte and was subsequently the Assistant Corporate Controller at United Gaming,
the predecessor of Light & Wonder. For more than 30 years he was an insurance
executive in Southern Nevada, specializing in commercial insurance surety.

Burns has served on numerous professional boards, including charitable organizations
and government-appointed committees. He served on the Government Affairs
Committees and Board of Trustees for numerous civic and trade group organizations
including: the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce where he also served as chair for
two years beginning in 2020. He was named to the Las Vegas Global Economic
Alliance Board in 2023.

A University of Nevada, Reno graduate, Burns enjoys spending time with his wife of
38 years, Shelly and his two children, JT and Megan.

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DR. DORIAN STONEBARGER

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

LAS VEGAS

Deputy Director

Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development

Dr. Dorian Stonebarger is Deputy Director for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) where she collaborates with community leaders, and other government agencies to further diversify and strengthen our economy. Prior to GOED, Dorian served as the Chief Policy Advisor to Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Brian Knudsen. During her tenure with the City of Las Vegas, she spearheaded the City’s first affordable housing ordinance and guided legislative efforts to create Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Dorian previously served as the Program Director for Three Square Food Bank, overseeing all childhood nutrition programs, the central kitchen, community engagement, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program efforts. She implemented Three Square’s school catering entity, created initiatives to combat childhood hunger, and assisted in the passage of legislation to ensure that Nevada’s most at-risk students have access to breakfast every morning. Dorian and her husband own two popular Arts District bars, ReBAR and Davy’s, and are opening a third downtown business called Arty’s Steakhouse in the Historic Commercial Center. Dorian holds a Doctorate in Public Policy, a Masters in Urban Leadership, and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, all from UNLV. She is a member of the Governor’s Council on Food Security, and a member and former board member of the Junior League of Las Vegas.

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KARSTEN HEISE

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PROGRAMS & INNOVATION

CARSON CITY

Senior Director of Strategic Programs & Innovation

Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development

Karsten Heise joined GOED in April 2012 as one of the “founding members of the agency” initially as Technology Commercialization Director and continued as Senior Director Strategic Programs & Innovation. He leads Innovation based Economic Development (IBED) drawing on his global experience.
Karsten is the inaugural recipient of the GOED Mike Skaggs Award for Excellence in Economic Development and recipient of the EDAWN-NCET Venture Catalyst of the Year 2022 and EDAWN Coin 2023.

Prior to joining GOED, Karsten spent five years in China working as a member of the senior management team at Asia Assets Limited, Beijing and as an external consultant to the Baron Group Beijing office. Before relocating to China, Karsten worked for more than a decade in the international equity divisions of London-based leading Wall Street investment banks Morgan Stanley, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), and after DLJ’s acquisition in 2001 at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). As a Vice President at CSFB, he specialized in alternative investment structures and international equities. His clients were entrepreneurs, ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices as well as insurance companies, pension funds, asset managers and banks. He oversaw $250M in clients’ assets under management in addition to an annual equity trading turnover of $150M.

His experience in structuring investment solutions and capital markets benefitted his leadership in the creation of both Nevada’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) state venture capital program Battle Born Growth Escalator in 2013 as well as at the 2015 Nevada Legislative Session the drafting and implementation of AB17. The bill authorized GOED to form a corporation for public benefit, Nevada Battle Born Growth Escalator, Inc., a state sponsored non-profit with 501(c)(3) status. Karsten remains the sole Nevada state government official with a background in SSBCI going back to the program’s inception. He architected the structure and led the application and implementation of Nevada’s new $112.9M SSBCI Program following its reauthorization as part of the American Rescue Plan Act and serves as Nevada’s SSBCI Program Manager.

Since its inception in 2013, Karsten has also been administering the Nevada Knowledge Fund for which he devised the underlying rationale including the Applied Research Center concept. The Knowledge Fund is totaling a cumulative $42.5M to date and spurs commercialization at Nevada research universities for laboratory-to-market initiatives resulting in R&D services to the private sector and/or the creation of spinout companies.

He has been instrumental in winning local and federal grants over the years, often in collaboration strategic partners, such as $13.8M US Department of Education ESF-RWP “Project SANDI”; Nevada Attorney General’s Office’s $6M to support the capitalization and the formation of a local CDFI, $4M for a talent retention program for UNR and UNLV science and engineering students, $1.5M for career mapping and training; EDA Build to Scale; EDA TechHub Designation;; NSF Engines Development Award of which he is a co-PI; and most recently SBA FAST and $4.2M for the highly competitive SSBCI SBOP award.

Karsten is an avid champion of libraries and their role in workforce and economic development. He represents GOED as a member of Nevada’s State Council on Libraries & Literacy and has been a regular presenter at national and international library-focused conferences.

He began his career with a German apprenticeship in banking, which makes him familiar with the European vocational training system and whose experience has been driving his workforce development initiatives at GOED. Karsten speaks German and Mandarin Chinese and completed his university education in the United Kingdom with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Buckingham, a Master of Science, M.Sc., in International Business & Finance from the University of Reading, and a Master of Philosophy, M.Phil., in Modern Chinese Studies, Chinese Economy from the University of Cambridge – Wolfson College. He is also an alumnus of the Investment Management Evening Program at London Business School and completed graduate research studies at Peking University as well as Mandarin language studies at the National University of Singapore.

Karsten is a first-generation immigrant and became a naturalized US citizen in 2017. He believes that the American Dream is very much alive and dedicates his public service to his fellow citizens achieving their own.

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MELANIE SHELDON

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

LAS VEGAS

ALEX BACCHUS

NORTHERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR

CARSON CITY

CARLI SMITH

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

CARSON CITY

Director of Communications

Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development

Carli Smith joined the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) in 2019 and now serves as its Director of Communications. Born and raised in Carson City, she earned her Communications degree from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).

Before joining GOED, Carli built her expertise in strategic messaging, brand-building, and digital engagement as the Marketing Communications Coordinator at Nature’s Bakery. There, she managed the company’s social media presence, crafted creative campaigns to boost brand awareness and engage customers, and tracked performance metrics to fine-tune strategies. Her efforts strengthened the company’s relationship with consumers and reinforced its mission of offering feel-good, on-the-go snacks.

At GOED, Carli taps into her love for storytelling and Nevada to communicate the agency’s initiatives and promote the state’s economic strengths. She leads efforts to highlight business expansion, innovation, and community development, making sure that stakeholders, businesses, and the public stay engaged and informed. With a collaborative approach, Carli is committed to positioning Nevada as a dynamic place for new opportunities and sustainable growth.

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