Rural America, particularly northeast Nebraska, has given me so much that I often took it for granted as a young person. As I ventured out into the world, I wanted to explore all things urban, as well as other countries. When I had an opportunity to move out of state to pursue my education, ultimately, I found I couldn't actually move away permanently.
I have always considered rural Nebraska home, and since I grew up in the same part of the state where the Center is located, I came to really care about many of the organization's initiatives. It felt like a natural fit for me to do work that supported what I loved most about rural places. It's the people and the sense of community that make it so great.
Since coming to the Center in 2014, I’ve held different positions, which prepared me for taking on the role of chief people officer. I have seen the growth, changes, and challenges the organization has faced. My skills and experiences as program director filled a need we had for someone serving in a cross-functional role looking across the organization and how we're operating as a mission-aligned team overall. I also feel creating well-established relationships with support staff in our main office have been helpful and bring additional insights to the role.
When I'm not working, I like to spend time with my spouse and our three kids, as well as my very large extended family who live both here and all over the country. I enjoy frequenting our local farmers market during the season and supporting our amazing local business owners as much as possible in my hometown of West Point, Nebraska.
