Pillen thanked Dr. Monica Oldenburg, a Lincoln anesthesiologist, for her work. The governor appointed her to the commission in April, and the Legislature confirmed her, 34-11, in May. Her peers named her chair at the commission’s first meeting in June.
In her resignation letter, Oldenburg wrote that she couldn’t “adequately” commit the time needed for the volunteer position with her familial and physician commitments. Lawmakers have proposed compensating the currently unpaid commissioners $12,500-a-year for their service.
Those interested in the statewide, at-large seat can submit an application online at https://governor.nebraska.gov/boards-commissions-open-positions by mail a completed application to the Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 94848, Lincoln, NE 68509-4848.
Commissioners serve six-year terms subject to legislative confirmation. The commission includes two at-large seats alongside the three members of the Liquor Control Commission, who are also appointed by the governor and serve staggered six-year terms based on the state’s congressional districts.
In 2025, Pillen asked all three former members of the Liquor Control Commission to resign. He first replaced a member for more “cannabis experience” and later removed the others in the midst of a law enforcement scandal involving the executive director. No commissioner was implicated in that ongoing controversy.
