Members

Education Council an image of a brain formed by white circuts on a dark blue background with more circuits, along with red, orange, yellow, and white squares

Members

The Education Council membership includes representatives from the following groups: K-12, Postsecondary, and Non-voting liaisons. The Commission may solicit nominations for new or replacement members from the respective subsector groups.

Membership Details

Post Secondary

Member Representing Alternates
Mr. Derek Bierman
Chief Information Officer
Doane University
1014 Boswell Ave, Crete, NE 68333
p: (402) 826-8333
derek.bierman@doane.edu
Term 7.1.2023-6.30.2025
Independent Universities
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation)
Mr. Ryan Dorshorst
Director of Technology Operations
Doane University
1014 Boswell Ave, Crete, NE 68333
p: (402) 826-6750
ryan.dorshorst@doane.edu
Mr. Andrew Buker
Assistant Vice President, Infrastructure Services
University of Nebraska
6001 Dodge St, EAB-008, Omaha, NE 68182
p: (402) 554-2175
abuker@nebraska.edu
Term 7.1.2023-6.30.2025
Public Universities
(as recommended by the President of the University of Nebraska)
Mr. Brett Bieber
Assistant Vice President, IT Client Services
University of Nebraska
411 Love Library South, 1248 R St, Lincoln, NE 68588
p: (402) 472-0496
brett.bieber@nebraska.edu
Mr. Nick Muir
Chief Information Officer
Wayne State College
1111 Main St, Wayne, NE 68787
p: (402) 375-7107
nimuir1@wsc.edu
Term 7.1.2024-6.30.2026
State Colleges
(as recommended by the Chancellor of the Nebraska State College System)
Ms. Ann Burk
Chief Information Officer
Chadron State College
1000 Main St, Chadron, NE 69337
p: (308) 432-6311 x101
aburk@csc.edu
Mr. Brandon Eckmann
Enterprise Architect
Northeast Community College
801 E Benjamin Ave, Norfolk, NE 6870
p: (402) 844-7078
beckman1@northeast.edu
Term 7.1.2023-6.30.2025
Community Colleges
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Nebraska Community College System)
Mr. David Cone
Chief Information Officer
Northeast Community College
801 E Benjamin Ave, Norfolk, NE 6870
p: (402) 844-7483
dcone@northeast.edu
Mr. Jeremiah Ourada
Director of Technology and Resource Center
Nebraska Wesleyan University
5000 Saint Paul Ave, Lincoln, NE 68504
p: (402) 465-2332
jourada@nebrwesleyan.edu
Term 7.1.2024-6.30.2026
Independent Universities
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation)
Mr. Bryce Swiggum
Director of Information Services Infrastructure
Nebraska Wesleyan University
5000 Saint Paul Ave, Lincoln, NE 68504
p: (402) 465-2169
bswiggum@nebrwesleyan.edu
Dr. Jaci Lindburg
Director of Digital Learning
University of Nebraska-Omaha
6001 Dodge St., EAB110P, Omaha, NE 68182
p: (402) 554-2020
jlindburg@nebraska.edu
Term 7.1.2022-6.30.2024
Public Universities
(as recommended by the President of the University of Nebraska)
Ms. Kate McCown
Director of Academic Technologies
University of Nebraska
Brace Laboratory 305
510 Stadium Dr, Lincoln, NE 68588
p: (402) 472-0406
kmccown3@nebraska.edu
Mr. Tom Peters
I.T. Service Manager
Central Community College
3134 W. Hwy 34; Grand Island, NE 68802
p: (308) 398-7365
tpeters@cccneb.edu
Term 7.1.2024-6.30.2026
Community Colleges
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Nebraska Community College System)
Mr. Keith Vincik
Director of Network and Infrastructure Services
Central Community College
3134 W. Hwy 34; Grand Island, NE 68802
p: (308) 398-7365
kvincik@cccneb.edu
Ms. Cheri Polenske
Chief Information Officer
Nebraska State College System
1233 Lincoln Mall, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68508
p: (402) 471-2505
cpolenske@nscs.edu
Term 7.1.2023-6.30.2025
State Colleges
(as recommended by the Chancellor of the Nebraska State College System)
Dr. Paul Turman
Chancellor
Nebraska State College System
1233 Lincoln Mall, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68508
p: (402) 471-2505
pturman@nscs.edu

K-12

Member Representing Alternates
TBD Teachers
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Nebraska State Education Association)
Ms. Angela Blankenship
Media Specialist
Lexington Public Schools
Pershing Elementary School
1104 N Tyler St, Lexington, NE 68850
p: (308) 324-3765
angela.blankenship@lexschools.org
Mr. Matt Chrisman
Teacher-Technology Coordinator
Mitchell Secondary School
1819 19th Ave, Mitchell, NE 69357
p: (308) 623-1707
mchrisma@mpstigers.com
Term 7.1.2023-6.30.2025
Teachers
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Nebraska State Education Association)
Ms. Lori Feldman
Teacher
Lincoln Public Schools
Lux Middle School
7800 High St, Lincoln, NE 68506
p: (402) 436-1220
lfeld@lps.org
Mr. Scott Isaacson
Technology Director
ESUCC
2320 N. Colorado St, Fremont, NE 68026
p: (402) 721-7710
tdeturk@esu2.org
Term 7.1.2025-6.30.2027
Educational Service Units
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the ESU Coordinating Council)
Mr. Gregg Robke
Administrator
ESU 4
2301 Dahlke Ave., Auburn, NE 68305
p: (402) 414-3099
grobke@esu4.net
TBA Private-Parochial Education
(as recommended by the Executive Officer of the Nebraska affiliate of the Council for American Private Education)
To Be Announced
Mr. Corey Gearhart
Chief Information Officer
Grand Island Public Schools
800 N 8th St, Loup City, NE 68853-0628
p: (308) 385-5900
cgearhart@gips.org
Term 7.1.2025-6.30.2027
Administrators
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators)
Mr. Matt Moore
Director of Technology
Papillion La Vista Community Schools
420 S Washington St
Papillion, NE 68046
p: (402)-537-6200
technology@plcs.org
Mr. Leonard Kwapnioski
Executive Director of Technology
Columbus Public Schools
2508 27th St, Columbus, NE 68602
p: (402) 563-7000 x11517
kwapnioskil@discoverers.org
Term 7.1.2023-6.30.2025
Administrators
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators)
Mr. Rob Uctman
Coordinator of Technology
Bennington Public Schools
11620 N 156th St, Bennington, NE 68007
p: (402) 238-3044
ruchtman@bennps.org
Ms. Elizabeth Kumru
Board Vice President
Ralston Public Schools
8545 Park Drive, Ralston, NE 68127
p: (402) 331-4700
lkumru@ralstonschools.org
Term 7.1.2024-6.30.2026
Boards of Education
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards)
Dr. Shavonna Holman
Board Member
Omaha Public Schools
Teacher and Administrative Center,
3215 Cuming St, Omaha, NE 68131
p: (531) 299-0222
shavonna.holman@ops.org
Mr. Gary Needham
Director of Technology
ESU 9
5807 Osborne Dr W, Hastings, NE 68901
p: (402) 463-5611
gary.needham@esu9.org
Term 7.1.2024-6.30.2026
[Co-Chair, K-12 Education]
Educational Service Units
(as recommended by the Executive Director of the ESU Coordinating Council)
Mr. Scott Jones
Distance Learning Director
Southwest Nebraska Distance Education Network
1221 W 17th St
North Platte, NE 69101
p: (308) 534-2427
scott.jones@esusixteen.org

Non-Voting Liaisons

Liaisons Representing Alternates
Dr. Mike Baumgartner
Executive Director
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
140 N 8th St., Ste 300, Lincoln, NE 68509
p: (402) 471-0029
mike.baumgartner@nebraska.gov
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education Dr. Kathleen Fimple
Academic Programs Officer
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
140 N 8th St., Ste 300, Lincoln, NE 68509
p: (402) 471-0030
kathleen.fimple@nebraska.gov
To Be Announced Department of Education Christina Struebing
State E-Rate Coordinator
Department of Education
500 S 84th St, 2nd Floor, Lincoln, NE 68510
p: (402) 314-4201
christina.struebing@nebraska.gov
Dr. Matthew McCarville
Chief Information Officer
Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer
501 S 14th St, 4th Floor, Lincoln, NE 68509
p: (402) 471-3717
matthew.mccarville@nebraska.gov
Department of Administrative Services
TBD Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission Ms. Molly Delany
Chief Strategy Officer
Nebraska Public Media
1800 N 33rd St, Lincoln, NE 68501
p: (402) 472-9333
mdelaney@nebraskapublicmedia.org

Education Council Coordination:

Callie Richards

Education IT Programs Officer
(402) 471-7969
 Callie.Richards@nebraska.gov