Board of Directors2024-02-19T09:09:17-06:00

Board of Directors

Board President

Rosemary Ohles resides in Lincoln and is an experienced professional on the operations side of banking and financial advising, having worked at Riggs Bank in Washington and Thrivent Financial in Rockville, Md. She combines a keen aptitude for financial analysis with a passion for building strong and equitable communities. She served as a seminar facilitator for the Council of Independent Colleges’ program on Presidential Vocation and Institutional Mission from 2016 to 2023. She was a very active volunteer from 2007 to 2019 at Nebraska Wesleyan University, while her spouse was its president. Rosemary is a member of the Statewide Advisory Board of the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the Mission Committee of Immanuel Communities, which has senior living facilities in Omaha, Lincoln, and Iowa. She has also served on the board of the Asian Community and Cultural Center, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, and Augsburg Fortress Publishing House (now 1517 Media). Rosemary graduated with a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

President Elect

Judy Pederson resides in North Platte where is the owner of Pro Printing and Graphics. She previously worked for Wells Fargo Bank as a property manager in the Corporate Properties division. Judy currently serves on the University of Nebraska Medical Center Board of Counselors, the Governor’s Commission on Housing and Homelessness, and the Mid Plains United Way Board of Directors. She previously served on the North Platte City Council for two terms and as an elected representative on the Twin Platte Natural Resources District Board for one term. She also was a write-in candidate for the Nebraska Legislature in 2018.

Secretary 

Eric Reznicek resides in Lincoln where he has been a data analyst lead with Hudl since 2014. Eric also serves on the Leadership Council of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Group, which aims to empower members of Lincoln’s young professional community. Prior to his work at Hudl, Eric was active in student government at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) where he served on the student senate and also was the student body president from March 2012 to March 2013. As president of the student body, Eric held a student seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. In his time in student government, Eric also traveled to Washington on multiple occasions to lobby on behalf of UNL, The Association of Big Ten Students and other organizations. Eric holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UNL.

Treasurer

Chris Rodgers resides in Omaha where he is the Director of Community and Government Relations for Creighton University and also the District 3 Representative on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Sworn into office Jan. 4, 2005, and re-elected to a fifth term in November of 2020, Rodgers is focused on improving the local public health system, the social determinants of health, strengthening adult corrections programs, reforming the juvenile justice system and wisely spending taxpayer’s dollars. He served as the president of the National Association of Counties (NACo) in 2012-13. In that role, Rodgers brought national attention to two important issues: smart justice and cybersecurity. Chris graduated in 1992 from Creighton University with a bachelor of arts in journalism. He also has Masters of Business Administration from Creighton and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Board member

Dr. Lissette Aliaga-Linares resides in Omaha where she is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Her areas of expertise include demographic change, informal employment and urban poverty in major Latin American cities and Latino communities in the United States. She has served as a consultant to various international development organizations and currently co-leads the Nebraska chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network. Dr. Aliaga-Linares holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru and Ph.D. and master’s degree in sociology and social demography from the University of Texas at Austin.

Board member

Claude Berreckman, Jr., resides in Cozad where he is managing partner in the Berreckman & Bazata, P.C. law firm. A 1982 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law, Claude has long been active within Nebraska’s legal community having filled many roles within the Nebraska State Bar Association as well as serving on the 11th District Judicial Nominating Committee and the District 6 Committee on Inquiry. Claude presently serves as a member of the Cozad Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors and as a member of the Rights Review Committee of South Central Developmental Services, a local agency that serves individuals with handicaps. He also organized and coached the Cozad Youth Track Club for 20 years. Before law school, Claude received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hastings College.

Board member

Jerry Bexten resides in Omaha where he served as Director of Education Initiatives for The Sherwood Foundation from 2006 to 2021. Prior to joining The Sherwood Foundation, Jerry worked for Omaha Public Schools for 33 years where he taught middle school history and language arts for 12 years, was as an assistant principal at the middle school and high school levels for 10 years and was a principal at the middle and high school levels for 11 years. Jerry has a bachelor’s degree in history from Creighton University and master’s degrees in history and educational administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Board member

Kathy Campbell resides in Lincoln where she represented District 25 in Nebraska Legislature from 2009 to 2017. While in the Unicameral, Kathy was chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and she also served on several other committees including the Executive Board and the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. In 2011, Kathy led the HHS Committee review of child welfare reform. Prior to serving in the Legislature, Kathy worked for her family business, Campbell’s Nurseries; served as executive vice president of the CEDARS Home for Children Foundation; and was a teacher in the Lincoln Public Schools and Sierra Vista (Arizona) Public School districts. She also served on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners and Lincoln Electrical System Administrative Board as well as several other board and service positions for organizations in Lincoln and beyond. Kathy holds bachelors and masters’ degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Board member

Dr. Jordan Colwell resides in Scottsbluff and is Chief Nursing Officer at Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance. Jordan’s career in health care includes work as Director of Clinic Services with Regional West Physicians Clinic, Nursing House Supervisor with Regional West Medical Center, Chair of the Health Sciences Division at West Nebraska Community College and service as a Captain and Flight Nurse in the Air Force Reserve. Currently serving his second term on the Scottsbluff City Council, Jordan holds bachelor’s degrees from Chadron State College and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, master’s degrees from Clarkson College and Walden University and a doctorate in business administration from Walden.

Board member

Tammy Day resides in Norfolk where she co-owns and operates Daycos, Inc., and she serves as Vice President of the Norfolk Public Schools Board of Education. Tammy also is an active community philanthropist and change-maker who focuses on innovative approaches to positive community change through initiatives such as Daycos4good, the Youth Philanthropy Contest and the Philanthropy Council of Northeast Nebraska. In addition, Tammy is a mentor, speaker, and trainer who helps people, businesses, nonprofits and communities learn new ways to make a difference. Tammy holds bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and German from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Board member

Dr. Jamar Dorsey, Sr., resides in Omaha where he works as a consultant for educational and non-profit programs in the space of diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Dorsey also has worked as a public school teacher, mentor, coach, mediator, and non-profit director. He serves on several boards including the Great Plains Black History Museum, Concord Meditation Center, the City of Omaha: Human Rights and Relations board, 100 Black Men of America (Omaha), RESPECT and the North Omaha Community Partnership. Dr. Dorsey holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Grambling State University, an administration certification from University of Nebraska Omaha and a doctorate in education from Doane University.

Board member

Curt Friesen resides in Henderson where he farms corn and soybeans and represented District 34 in the Nebraska Legislature from 2014 to 2022. While in the Unicameral, Curt was Chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, Vice Chair of the Natural Resources Committee and served on the Revenue Committee. Prior to his time in the Legislature, Curt was on the Board of Directors for the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District, including two years as Chairman, and served as the Mayor of Henderson. Curt, a former member of the Nebraska Corn Board, holds an associate degree in diesel technology from Southeast Community College.

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