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Dedicated to honoring the extraordinary women who have made North Platte and Lincoln county better through their lives and accomplishments. The Women's Head 2 Toe Expo is proud to recognize these women.
2007 Nominees
** Click to view category nominees
| Social Services | Business |
| Volunteer | Youth |
| Government | Education |
| Cultural Arts |
Jacque Amwg: Nominated by Sandra Meyer
Jacque’s job as Bereavement Coordinator and Social Worker at Great Plains Hospice is where the nomination as a Woman of Achievement begins, but not where it stops. She is a special volunteer for her work in the community. She was a co-coordinator of the Grief Camp Footsteps, Co-Facilitator of “Understanding your Grief class, of the Tapestry Grief Support Group, and the facilitator of First Friday Friends grief support group. She volunteers countless hours for the First United Methodist Church as a member of the Health Cabinet, Labyrinth Committee, and Adult Sunday Sunday School Teacher.
Brenda Brooks: Nominated by Maria Duran
Brenda earns her nomination through her work with the Child Protective Services. She leads her team to make every child’s needs a priority. Brenda balances her life between family and work, always providing mentoring not only for her children but also for children in the community. Brenda is involved with Harvest Christian Church, Child Advocacy center and with Sane Sart Committee.
Kim Seelmeyer: Nominated by Maria Duran
Kim earns her nomination by her dedication to helping children and families. She has been involved with the Child Advocacy Center from the beginning and has helped get the center ready through countless hours in demolition, rebuilding, cleaning and painting. She is also a key part of the fundraising for the center. Kim is involved in Youth Volleyball, Community Domestic Violence Prevention Group, and the Sane Sart Committee.
Melissa Smith: Nominated by Maria Duran
Her strength and leadership in the workplace and community are demonstrated through her work with troubled youth. Melissa works hard and makes sure her staff works equally hard to provide families with support and services to improve their lives. She carries out her determination to improve the community by volunteering on the Sutherland Community Improvement Committee and the Court Improvement Project. Her passions for the youth in the community have earned her a nomination as a Woman of Achievement.
Darlene Albrecht: Nominated by Rae Jeanne Swedberg
Darlene has shown she deserves her nomination for her work and dedication through the management of her business Cement Products. She continues to improve our community by removing condemned structures and cleaning up the vacant lots. She regularly supports area 4-H youth programs and many area school programs.
Kathy Bourque: Nominated by Pam Cain, Allison Benally, and Janet Stewart
Her ownership of The UPS store is just the beginning of her involvement in the community. She plays an active role in various boards and organizations each working towards the betterment of our community. Demonstrating outstanding commitment to improving her workplace and community has earned her a nomination.
Cindy Bradley: Nominated by Patrick Keenan
Cindy has been nominated for her vision and commitment to this community by focusing on quality patient care, for both the patient and their families. She has led the hospital through the last 20 years and has guided its growth from 20 to 70 physicians and doubled the number of employees to 740. Her involvement in the community is evident through her role as a foster care provider.
Lisa Dominisse: Nominated by Rose Stehno
As the Executive Director of DEVCO, Lisa worked at making North Platte a community of choice to live in. Lisa continues to contribute to the community as the President of the North Platte Community Daycare Center. Her quest for higher education led her to Bellevue College where she obtained her Master of Business Administration degree in 2006. Currently Lisa is the Director of Human Resources at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center. These and many other attributes earned the nomination as a Woman of Achievement.
Sharon Owen: Nominated by Bruce Jakubowski
Sharon’s ownership of the largest used bookstore between Kansas City and Denver is one of the many reasons she has been nominated for this award. In addition to her obvious success in business she volunteers at the Lincoln Connection and hosts many Author signings.
Katherine Rounsborg Hall: Nominated by Kim Schroll
Katherine is a dedicated Mother, Attorney; Volunteer in the community and an inspiration to all women. Kathy returned to college while raising a young family, and since her graduation in 1994 has been very active in the community. Her leadership has had an impact on many lives both personally and professionally, which has earned her this nomination.
Sharon Skinner: Nominated by Clarine Eickhoff and Sandra Meyer
Sharon’s nomination comes for her work and dedication to the community through her involvement with The Mall for the past 35 years. Sharon has been a member and a volunteer for a number of organizations in the community, she continually gives of her time because of the pride she has in her community and the career she built.
Christine Sommer: Nominated by Daryle Ordway and Kathleen Carsten
Christine has been nominated for her business, All aBout Caring, which provides in home health care for people of all ages. Over the past five years, her clientele has grown from 1 or 2 patients to a caseload of over 50. She was named “Nurse who Makes a Difference” by the Nebraska Center for Nursing.
Teresa Sweeley: Nominated by Rosemary Johnson
Teresa is an outstanding business woman who offers love and a sweet spirit to her many customers at Vic’s Popcorn. She is focused on community and is extremely generous in her donations. She has been honored many times for her business success and giving spirit and will continue to be honored by her nomination as a Woman of Achievement.
Doris Davis: Nominated by Rita O’Neill
Doris’s nomination comes from hours and hours of dedicated volunteer work for our community. Heartland Quilters Guild, NebraskaLand Days Governor Art Show, Relay for Life, Christmas at the Cody’s, Great Plains Regional Medical Center silent auctions for quilts, Veterans’ Medical Memorial Campaign, Canteen Dinner Theater and Dance, and many more organizations have benefited from her tireless efforts. Currently she is involved in a quilting project that provides a memorial quilt to the families of service men and women who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Molly O’Holleran: Nominated by Lisa Huebner
For years she has and continues to provide an exceptional example of a committed volunteer for the community. She has earned her nomination through the countless hours of her time to help organizations such as: Art Study League, Friends of the Library, Nebraska Association of School Boards Legislation, North Platte Public School Foundation, Relay for Life, Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Education Foundation.
Catherine Brittenham: Nominated by Hannah Stone
The Make-A-Wish foundation of Nebraska grants the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions to enrich their human experience with hopes, strength and joy. Cathy’s tireless effort in the organization of the wishes for children in our community has earned her the nomination of a Woman of Achievement. She is the sole wish granter in our community and without her efforts over the past 10+ years; the Make-A-Wish foundation would be unable to help children in the community. Cathy is truly a unique person giving of her time and talents out of love for children.
Diane Finch: Nominated by Jane Hornung
Diane has been constant in the lives of many young people in the community through her work as a Speech and Drama coach for Arnold High School for 20 years. She has served as a counselor for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Camp, along with working in the CREW School to Work program promoting career development. A number of additional community involvements have earned her the nomination in the youth category.
Kimberley Stewart: Nominated by Judy Pederson
Kimberley has earned her nomination by providing leadership, as chairperson of the committee that eventually became the Boys and Girls Club of Lincoln County. Without her organizational efforts our community would have missed out on the Boys and Girls Club. Most recently Kimberley was awarded the Presidents’ Volunteer Service Silver Award. This honor is given to those individuals who serve two years or 4,000 hours of volunteer service.
Karin Lange: Nominated by Karen O’Conner
Karin earns her nomination through 27 years of employment at the Nebraska Department of Labor. She has devoted her entire career to assisting individuals find employment, while helping employers find qualified personnel. Karin was involved with developing a relationship with DEVCO and played a vital role in bringing the Wal-Mart Distribution Center to North Platte.
Judy Pederson: Nominated by Nancy Striebel
Her contributions to the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center should be commended. She was instrumental in working with the City throughout the process. She continues to serve on the Marketing Committee, as well as Chairing the Signage and Fixed Asset Committees and also serves on the Route Committee. Her outstanding leadership and active involvement in our community makes her nomination much deserved.
Trudy Merritt: Nominated by Linda Sukraw
Trudy is dedicated to education through her career at the North Platte City Recreation Center, she trains life guards, teaches all aspects of water safety, trains city personnel in emergency techniques. She continues to earn her nomination by her participation and coordination of walks, runs, and triathlons.
Dr. Midge Mougey: Nominated by Mary Roberts
Midge’s enthusiasm for teaching has earned her a nomination in education. The leadership that Dr. Mougey demonstrated began to transform her school into a place where faculty and children were excited to start each day. She was awarded as Nebraska Region 5 Distinguished Principal of the Year for 2004 – 2005.
Carol Norgaard: Nominated by Phyllis Swigart
Her role as a North Platte High School teacher in the English department is one reason why she deserves the nomination of a Woman of Achievement. Carol has always been aware of the difference in her students’ abilities and personalities, while recognizing their need to achieve. She gives of her time to many education organizations including her participation in P.E.O., a women’s organization that supports education of women.
Janice Bachman: Nominated by Shandell Sims
Janice has been a quiet steady influence in the music of North Platte for many years; she has participated in many community activities, some of which are Community Playhouse Pit Orchestra, Municipal Band, Living Christmas Tree and many more. Teaching at the Madison Middle School and the North Platte High School gives Janice a chance to keep music alive with the youth in the community. Her love and dedication to the benefits of music in North Platte truly earn her a nomination as a Woman of Achievement.
Wava Best: Nominated by Vikki Carlson
Wava is a critically acclaimed artist having won many awards both locally and nationally for her work, but that is not the sole reason she deserves this nomination. Wava is giving of her time and talents to the people of this community in order to better lives through art. She has donated countless hours to teach art to the seniors at the NP Senior Center, adult’s pottery classes, and children at the Children’s Museum. She is also involved in the Creativity Unlimited Arts Council whose goal is to beautify our community by adding art to the parks and other locations throughout the city.
Mary Beth Dodson: Nominated by Sandra Meyer
She is an artist, a writer, a creator and a teacher. She does all these things with joy and shares her knowledge with others gladly. She is the current President of the Art Study League, member of the Association of Nebraska Arts Clubs, Chairman of the Fine Arts and Crafts for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Mary Beth is passionate about teaching art in acrylic, oil and watercolor. Her skills and love of art have earned her this much-deserved nomination.
Anne Schmit: Nominated by Sara Morris
Anne has more than 30 years of participation, direction, time and achievements in the cultural arts landscape of North Platte. She is a player, a director, a set builder, an obtainer of donations, and board member of the Community Theater. Her contributions to the community have been even greater in the hundreds of people she has developed into theatre devotees. She was a teacher at St. Patrick’s High School for many years until becoming a permanent member of the English Staff at North Platte Community College. Anne has earned her nomination through her vast knowledge, love and passion for the arts.
Rajean Luebs Shepherd: Nominated by Cindy Bradley
Rajean’s nomination comes for her love and dedication in teaching and sharing the benefits of art in the community. She has been a teacher for more than 30 years and spent 10 years working for the international, educational program Up with People. Rajean served as Director of Kid’s First Preschool where she was instrumental in starting this program, which has grown to be one of the finest pre-school programs in our community. She saw her dream of becoming a published author when she was selected by Sleeping Bear Press to author C is for Cornhusker, A Nebraska Alphabet. Rajean is truly a woman of tremendous achievement.
