While focusing on inclusion in her work, Audrey Lutz Musilek was introduced to the Center for Rural Affairs and saw firsthand the benefit of and need for the Center’s programs. She met like-minded Nebraskans who loved rural America, and she knew she wanted to be a bigger part of the organization.
Audrey is now a member of the Center’s Advisory Committee as well as its Granary Foundation Board. The Granary Foundation was created by the Center to serve its financial needs.
Advisory Committee members are recruited for their special backgrounds and insight into the Center’s program areas. They meet quarterly, along with the Board of Directors and Center staff.
“I have extraordinary pride in being from Nebraska and also being ‘unapologetically rural’ like the Center,” said Audrey. “Being a Granary Foundation Board member and an Advisory Committee member means I have the opportunity to engage in conversation with other diverse rural Nebraskans with similar interests.”
Audrey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to both groups. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. She has served on local boards of directors, and is president of the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation.
She is a graduate of TEAM: Building Culture, which is funded by Nebraska foundations to help develop nonprofit leaders across the state. Audrey is also involved in Leadership Tomorrow, Leadership Unlimited's flagship program, which enhances community leadership by providing an educational program for individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who demonstrate leadership ability and commitment to the community.
In addition, Audrey has participated in the Nonprofit Excellence Institute, a 12-month, intensive training designed to help local nonprofit organizations strengthen their organizations. She is also certified in Technology of Participation facilitation methods.
She spent the past decade in human services nonprofit organizations. Most recently, she was executive director of an organization that welcomed new immigrants to central Nebraska. Currently, she works for a housing developer in Grand Island.
“My previous work directly corresponds to some of the welcoming work of the Center,” said Audrey. “My other areas of expertise connect to some of the low- to moderate-income housing projects the Center is investing in.”
On a personal level, Audrey identifies with the Center’s work and mission in ways that mean a great deal to her.
“My values are to leave the world a better place, even in small ways, and to reduce barriers for people in reaching equal opportunities,” she said. “These values directly correspond to the environmental, social, and economic justice issues of the Center.”
Audrey trusts the Center will continue to forge ahead on its path toward protecting and bettering rural America.
“I hope the Center continues to be a formidable force in advocacy,” she said. “The Center is a powerhouse organization that is unexpected and yet so necessary for the vibrancy of our rural economies.”
Audrey lives in Grand Island, Nebraska, and joined the Advisory Committee and Granary Board in 2024. Photo submitted.
