UNK Alumni Association, 308.865.8474
Maureen Gaffney Nickels (Class of 1974, MSE 1978) is the newly-elected president of the University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association.
Nickels, who lives near Chapman, is a Uniserv director for the Nebraska State Education Association. Among the areas she works with are the Retired Teachers Association and the Multi-Cultural Association. Before working for the NSEA, she was an elementary teacher for 26 years with the Grand Island Public Schools.
She assumed the duties at the UNK Alumni Association annual board of directors meeting, which was held in conjunction with 2007 Homecoming activities on the campus. Nickels replaces Larry Edwards (Class of 1964) of Fort Collins, Colo.
Other officers for 2007-2008 are Brenda Snodgrass Christensen (Class of 1983) of Minden, president elect; and Bob Warren (Class of 1964) of McMinnville, Ore., secretary.
Nine individuals completed three-year terms on the board of directors and are now trustees of the association. The nine include: Ron Cropp (Class of 1965) of Kearney, Lee Ann Purdy Hogins (Class of 1982) of Kearney, Dr. Shane Jensen (Class of 1996) of Kearney; Rich Rehnberg (Class of 1971) of Holdrege, Ken Vergith (Class of 1978) of Lincoln, Erik Estes (Class of 2001) of Littleton, Colo., Keith Jorgensen (Class of 1950, ME 1958) of Mission Viejo, Calif., and Dr. Teresa Thomsen Paper (Class of 1984, MSE 1990) of Walcott, Iowa.
Larry Feather (Class of 1965) of Grand Junction, Colo., who also completed his term, will serve as the liaison with the trustees during the coming year.
Eight board members were elected to three-year terms that began with the annual meeting. The eight include: Denise Strother Christensen (Class of 1980) of Kearney, coordinator of the Family Advocacy Network at Good Samaritan Hospital; Bryan Kuntz (Class of 1995) of Kearney, vice president of operations for Intellicom Computer Consulting; Nancy Yurges Osterbuhr (Class of 1995) of Minden, a personal banker with Platte Valley State Bank and Trust Co. in Kearney and Nebraska Central Group president of Financial Women International; Cynthia Schug Bahler (Class of 1994) of Lamar, a behavior consultant for area teachers and administrators through Educational Service Unit #15; Doug Burritt (Class of 1995) of Osceola, an insurance agent with The Pinnacle Agency; Lanny Jorgensen (Class of 1963) of Tucson, Ariz., a retired city administrator, former president of downtown development corporations in Lincoln, Racine, Wis., and Greenville, S.C., and the senior project coordinator for affordable housing in Tucson; Dr. Holly Nikels (Class of 1993, MSE 1996, EDS 1999) of Bettendorf, Iowa, an assistant professor at Western Illinois University in the Department of Counselor Education; and Steven James (Class of 1977) of Danville, Calif., is founder and chief operating officer for Background Profiles, and president of the UNK Northern California Alumni Association.
