The NE Chamber is governed by a board of more than 60 directors, comprised of some of the leading business people from across the state – representing a broad spectrum of business types and sizes. The NE Chamber Board of Directors establishes the association’s policies with input from members, as well as the Nebraska Chamber’s council meetings.
Executive Council
PAT KEENAN CHAIR President & CEO Keenan Management North Platte 
STACY WATSON TREASURER Tax & Consulting Shareholder Lutz Omaha |
RUSS GRONEWOLD CHAIR ELECT CEO Bryan Health Lincoln 
JOEL RUSSELL IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR President & CEO Millard Lumber Inc. Omaha |
District Vice Chairs
KIM ROWELL VICE CHAIR - DISTRICT I Omaha Market Vice President Cox Communications Omaha |
TOM CHAMPOUX VICE CHAIR - DISTRICT II Retired Lincoln |
SARAH PILLEN VICE CHAIR - DISTRICT III Co-CEO Pillen Family Farms Columbus |
CHRIS ROTH VICE CHAIR - DISTRICT IV President Reinke Deshler |
THOMAS J. HENNING VICE CHAIR - DISTRICT V President Cash-Wa Distributing Co. Kearney |
ZAC KARPF VICE CHAIR - DISTRICT VI EVP & Co-COO Platte Valley Bank Scottsbluff |
District Directors
REX FISHER DISTRICT I Senior Vice President HDR Omaha 
BLAKE WAGGONER DISTRICT I SVP, External Affairs Nomi Health Orem, UT 
KYLE GILSTER DISTRICT I Office Managing Partner Husch Blackwell LLP Washington D.C. |
CHAD DENTON DISTRICT I President CFO Services Omaha 
DAN HARBEKE DISTRICT I Regional Head, External Affairs & Policy Omaha 
PETE FESTERSEN DISTRICT I VP Community & Government Affairs CHI Health Omaha |
CAMERON ARCH DISTRICT I Compliance Officer Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Nebraska Omaha 
NICK BATTER DISTRICT I Corporate Counsel The Waldinger Corporation Omaha 
LIISA STARK DISTRICT I VP Public Affairs Union Pacific Omaha 
BOB CALDWELL DISTRICT II EVP/CAO NEBCO, Inc. Lincoln 
ANWAR RIDA DISTRICT II President TMCO Lincoln 
MARK SCHORR DISTRICT II Of Counsel Erickson & Sederstrom Lincoln 
JOHANNA THREM DISTRICT III VP & General Manager NUCOR Steel, Division of NUCOR Corporation Norfolk 
TONY RAIMONDO, JR. DISTRICT III Executive Board Chair Behlen Manufacturing Columbus 
RYAN PARKER DISTRICT IV CEO Endicott Clay Fairbury 
MIKE SCHAEFER DISTRICT IV Large Tractor & Crop Production Product Quality CNH Industrial Grand Island 
DENNIS SWANSON DISTRICT V President Sandhill Equipment, Inc. Bassett 
SCOTT VOLK DISTRICT V VP Manufacturing Weiland Inc. Norfolk 
MARK BYARS DISTRICT VI VP - Finance & Administration Adams Land & Cattle LLC Omaha 
KYLE ARGANBRIGHT DISTRICT VI President Sandhills State Bank Valentine |
KYLE NIXON DISTRICT I Director, Supply Chain Americas Novonesis Blair 
DAVE WARREN DISTRICT I Chief Legal Officer Hamilton Telecommunications Omaha 
RUSS GRONEWOLD DISTRICT II President & CEO Bryan Health Lincoln 
STEVE MOSSMAN DISTRICT II Attorney Mattson-Ricketts Law Firm Lincoln 
NATE MCHARGUE DISTRICT II Government Relations Lead Olsson Lincoln 
COURTNEY DENTLINGER DISTRICT III VP Customer Services & External Affairs & CCO Nebraska Public Power District Columbus 
JESSICA KOLTERMAN DISTRICT III Director of Corporate and External Affairs Lincoln Premium Poultry Fremont 
RANDY WOOD DISTRICT III President & CEO Lindsay Corporation Omaha 
ZAC HOLOCH DISTRICT IV President & CEO Cornerstone Bank York 
DOUG ROOD DISTRICT IV Senior Operations Manager Collins Aerospace York 
MARK HESSER DISTRICT V CEO Pinnacle Bancorp Elkhorn 
STEVE HORNADY DISTRICT V President Hornady Manufacturing Company Grand Island 
MATT WILLIAMS DISTRICT VI President Flatwater Bank Gothenburg 
ANDY RUBACK DISTRICT VI CEO Flood Communications Omaha |
Appointed Directors
JIM NOLAN DISTRICT I DIRECTOR Vice President - Communications & Government Affairs Mutual of Omaha Omaha 
ARNIE ROBINSON DISTRICT III DIRECTOR President & COO Norfolk Iron & Metal Co. Norfolk |
NICK CUSICK DISTRICT II DIRECTOR CEO Bison, Inc. Lincoln 
JIM EDIGER DISTRICT IV DIRECTOR Chief Legal Officer Hamilton Telecommunications Aurora |
LUKE WASSOM DISTRICT V DIRECTOR General Manger Sargent Pipe Co., Inc. Broken Bow |
DEVIN BRUNDAGE DISTRICT VI DIRECTOR General Manager Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District Gothenburg |
DR. JEFF GOLD UNIVERISTY OF NEBRASKA PRESIDENT President University of Nebraska System Lincoln |
2026 Council Chairs (Ex-Officio Directors)
AGRI-BUSINESS
Laura Field Executive Vice President Nebraska Cattlemen Lincoln VICE-CHAIR 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Brook Aken Director - Economic Dev. + External Relations Omaha Public Power District Omaha VICE-CHAIR Chad Denton CFO Services 
ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY
Anna Wishart Sr. Director - Public Affairs Monolith Lincoln 
LABOR RELATIONS
Scott Moore Partner Baird Holm Lincoln 
MANUFACTURING
Scott Volk Vice President, Manufacturing Weiland, Inc. Norfolk 
NEBRASKA HISPANIC BUSINESS COUNCIL
Yesenia Peck Workforce & Community Impact Manager Nebraska Public Power District Columbus 
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Ansley Fellers Executive Director Nebraska Grocery Industry Association Lincoln 
TAXATION
Stacy Watson Tax & Consulting Shareholder Lutz Omaha 
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Nate McHargue Government Relations Lead Olsson Lincoln VICE-CHAIR Brian Thompson Consolidated Companies |
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Kim Rowell Omaha Market Vice President Cox Communications Omaha VICE-CHAIR Cindie Serrano Lincoln Premium Poultry 
EDUCATION
Elizabeth Lopez-Everett Deputy Director of Public Policy Manager First Five Nebraska Lincoln VICE-CHAIR Tracy Kruse Northeast Community College 
HEALTHCARE
Cameron Arch Compliance Officer Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Nebraska Omaha VICE-CHAIR Pete Festersen CHI Health 
LEADERSHIP NEBRASKA
Tracy Kruse VP - Development & External Affairs Northeast Community College Norfolk 
NE CHAMBERS ASSOCIATION
Jodi Lewellen Executive Director Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce Scottsbluff 
POLITICAL ACTION
Tom Janssen Director - External Affairs Kiewit Corp. Omaha 
SMALL BUSINESS
Derek Rusher President & CEO Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce Kearney 
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Chris Dill Vice President and CIO Kiewit Corporation Omaha |
Past Chairs
JOEL RUSSELL
2025
President & CEO
Millard Lumber, Inc.
Omaha
2025
President & CEO
Millard Lumber, Inc.
Omaha
TODD DUNCAN 2024 Chairman Duncan Aviation, Inc. Lincoln 
SCOTT MOORE 2022 Partner Baird Holm Lincoln 
DJ EIHUSEN 2020 CEO Chief Industries, Inc. Grand Island 
RICH HERINK 2018 Market Executive First National Bank Lincoln 
STEVEN S. MARTIN 2016 CEO Emeritus Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Nebraska Omaha 
CHRIS C. ROTH 2014 President & CEO Reinke Manufacturing Co., Inc. Deshler 
STEVE FORD 2012 CEO Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Lincoln 
MARC LEBARON 2009 Chairman & CEO Lincoln Industries Lincoln 
TOM L. WHALEN 2007 Consultant Yutan 
GARY WARREN 2005 President, Services Corporation Hamilton Telecommunications Aurora 
RICHARD B. CAMPBELL 2001 President Campbell's Nurseries & Garden Centers Lincoln |
RYAN PARKER 2023 President & CEO Endicott Clay Products, Co. Fairbury 
MIKE BOYLE 2021 President Kawasaki Motors Mfg. Corp. Lincoln 
TODD FOJE 2019 CEO Great Plains Communications Blair 
DIRK PETERSEN 2017 Partner Flood Communications of Omaha/Beatrice Norfolk 
KIMBERLY A. RUSSEL 2015 President & CEO Bryan Health Lincoln 
BRIAN C. HAMILTON 2013 President Beardmore Subaru, Inc., Midway Chevrolet, Chrysler in Kearney, NE Bellevue 
RICHARD S. REISER 2010 Lobbyist Nebraska Trucking Association Omaha 
G. LEE GLENN 2008 Director/Consultant Kelley Bean Company Scottsbluff 
RICH BAILEY 2006 Of Counsel Bailey Lauerman Lincoln 
G. RICHARD RUSSELL 2004 President Millard Lumber Inc. Omaha 
C.G. "KELLY" HOLTHUS 1996 Chairman Cornerstone Bank York |
