Staff spotlight: Teresa Tietz shares her love of numbers and small communities

Small Towns

Teresa Tietz is no stranger to any of the crucial tasks that make a business tick. Two decades of experience left her familiar with accounts payable, payroll, donations, and daily office operations, and she’s ready to take on her newest role as an accounting and office assistant with the Center for Rural Affairs.

Teresa worked as a Medicare reimbursement specialist at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in West Point, Nebraska, for 22 years and has lived and breathed rural her whole life—a combination that made her new position feel like a perfect fit.

“I grew up in Bancroft, Nebraska, and have been living in rural America ever since,” said Teresa. “My love for numbers and small-town communities made me want to be part of the Center team.”

As an accounting and office assistant, Teresa helps with day-to-day accounting and office duties, and she has a passion for this line of work.

“I am excited to learn more about the Center’s developmental area, and make the jobs of the accounting personnel easier,” she said. “Hopefully, I can add in some new, innovative ideas over time, too.”

Above all else, Teresa loves her family and rural life.

“I married a farmer and have learned much more than I ever could have imagined about farming,” she said. “We have raised cattle and calves, and now just stick with the crop side of things, raising corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. I have even helped combine! This summer, we are integrating an underground irrigation system in a couple of our fields.”

Teresa and her husband raised their three children—Carly, Carsten, and Caragan—on her family’s farm between Bancroft and West Point, Nebraska.

“They are my whole world,” she said. “Our youngest just graduated high school and is heading to college in the fall. The older two are married and each have a daughter, and we have another grandchild on the way. We are new at the grandparent thing and we absolutely love it.”

Along with enjoying time with her family, when Teresa isn’t working she loves watching her kids participate in sports events, and going to Kansas City Royals baseball games.

Reach Teresa at the Center’s main office in Lyons, Nebraska, at 402.687.2100, ext. 1000, or [email protected].