Founding Executive Director Samuel J. Meisels and the Buffett Institute’s Strategic Planning Commission created a comprehensive strategic master plan in 2013 to set forth the guiding principles and key strategies for our work. Building on this foundational work, the Institute has written a new plan for 2020-25. View the plan
Organizational affiliation listed reflects individuals' positions during their time as members of the commission.
Lori Byrne
Vice President, UNO Campus Director of Development, University of Nebraska Foundation
Tonia Durden
Assistant Professor, Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies, UNL
Tracy Edgerton
Associate Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy, University of Nebraska Foundation
Nancy Edick
Dean, College of Education, UNO
Carolyn Edwards
Professor, Department of Psychology, UNL
Sarah Edwards
Professor and Chair, Department of Teacher Education, UNO
Ayman El-Mohandes
Dean, College of Public Health, UNMC
Rosa Gofin
Professor, Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, UNMC
Gladys Haynes
Director, Nebraska Early Learning Initiatives, Buffett Early Childhood Fund
Melody Hobson
Administrator, Office of Early Childhood, Nebraska Department of Education
Barb Jackson
Associate Professor, Department of Education and Child Development, Munroe-Meyer Institute, UNMC
ReNae Kehrberg
Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Learning, Omaha Public Schools
Eleanor Shirley Kirkland
Director, Step Up to Quality, Nebraska Department of Education
Marjorie Kostelnik
Dean, College of Education and Human Sciences, UNL
Sarah Ann Kotchian
Director of Early Childhood Policy and Public Relations, Building Bright Futures
Lillie Larsen
Member, Nebraska State Board of Education
Michael Leibowitz
Director, Munroe-Meyer Institute, UNMC
Brian Maher
Superintendent, Kearney Public Schools
Chris Marvin
Associate Professor, Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, UNL
Max McFarland
Professor, Department of Counseling and School Psychology, UNK
Gay McTate
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Family Enrichment, Ltd.
Dawn Mollenkopf
Associate Professor, Department of Teacher Education, UNK
Thomas Pristow
Director, Division of Children and Family Services, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Sue Obermiller
Vice President, Nebraska Head Start Association; Early Childhood Programs Director, Central Nebraska Community Services
Helen Raikes
Professor, Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies, UNL
Jessie Rasmussen
President, Buffett Early Childhood Fund
Ed Scantling
Dean, College of Education, UNK
Susan Sheridan
Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, and Director, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, UNL
John Sparks
Stokes-Shackleford Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, UNMC
Jane Stavem
Associate Superintendent for Instruction, Lincoln Public Schools
Ted Stilwill
CEO, Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties
Fawn Taylor
Executive Director, Early Childhood Services, Omaha
Becky Veak
Director, First Five Nebraska
Brian Wilcox
Professor, Department of Psychology, UNL, and Director of the Center on Children, Families, and the Law
Debora Wisneski
Associate Professor and John T. Langan Professor of Early Childhood Education, Department of Teacher Education, UNO