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Governor Pillen Announces New Executive Director to Nebraska Crime Commission 

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of former Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Supervisor and Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director Bryan Tuma as the next executive director of the Nebraska Crime Commission. He replaces current director Don Arp, who submitted his resignation to Gov. Pllen this week, to pursue career interests outside of state government.  

"Bryan has extensive experience in public safety, particularly in law enforcement and in the area of emergency management,” said Governor Pillen. “He is a five-star recruit for this role – someone who has leadership, administrative, and strategic planning skills that will greatly benefit the Crime Commission and its work in supporting other agencies tasked with protecting the public.”  

Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly echoed Gov. Pillen’s confidence in Tuma, noting that he has worked with him over many years. 

“Bryan Tuma is a perfect fit for this position. He has earned an outstanding reputation in the law enforcement and emergency management fields, said Lt. Gov Kelly. “We are very pleased that he answered the call again to serve the citizens of Nebraska.”  

Tuma has nearly four decades of experience in state government. Thirty-two of those years were with the Nebraska State Patrol. In 2005, Tuma was appointed by then-Governor Dave Heineman to serve as superintendent of NSP, a position he held until his retirement in 2011. After that, he was safety coordinator for DuPont Pioneer. In 2014, he returned to state service as the assistant director for the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). His most recent experience with the state has been as the safety and emergency preparedness coordinator for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).  

Tuma has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). He will assume his new duties for the Crime Commission on June 12.  

Arp has served as director of the Crime Commission since his appointment in 2019. Gov. Pillen thanked Arp for his years of public service and wished him well in all future endeavors.