Head of Nevada Tax Department to resign

Deonne Contine, director of Nevada Tax Department and a key cog to getting recreational marijuana sales off the ground six months ahead of schedule, is resigning.

Contine is leaving the office to pursue an opportunity in the private sector, and her last day is Feb. 9, according to a release from Gov. Brian Sandoval’s office.

Sandoval, who appointed Contine as the director of the Tax Department in Nov. 2014, praised her as someone he could trust with difficult of tasks.

“While I did not support Question 2, once the people voted to legalize recreational marijuana, I knew that I could depend on Deonne to implement the respected and tightly controlled regulatory structure I envisioned to protect the public health and safety of our citizens while allowing businesses to be successful in this new industry,” Sandoval said in a statement. “I thank Deonne for her service and I know she will represent her clients in the private sector with the same work ethic, commitment and skill that she has demonstrated at the Department.”

Contine led the regulatory charge in taking recreational marijuana from a voter-approved ballot measure to functioning industry in under eight months, significantly faster than any other state that has legalized cannabis sales.

“It has been the greatest honor to serve in his administration and to serve the citizens of Nevada,” Contine said in a statement. “We have all done some great work together at the Department — most recently, standing up the entire marijuana industry regulatory and taxation program. Department staff have always stepped up and shown how it is the dedicated public servants that make an agency successful. I am proud to have been a part of it.”

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.