Lincoln, NE – The History Nebraska Foundation, which raises funds exclusively to support History Nebraska, has elected three officers to serve the organization in 2022.
The officers are: Ann Bruntz of Friend, president; Kim Elder of Paxton, secretary; and Bryan Zimmer of Plattsmouth, treasurer.
Bruntz is a former member of the History Nebraska Board of Trustees, a long-time community volunteer and former development director at the University of Nebraska Foundation. She has served on several beef boards at the local, state, and national levels. Bruntz is active in her church, community club and the Kregel Windmill Museum Board in Nebraska City. She and her husband, David, are trustees at the University of Nebraska Foundation, and the couple was inducted as honorees of the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement in 2018.
Elder is a former president of the History Nebraska Board of Trustees and is a retired educator, coach and administrator at Paxton Consolidated Schools and Educational Service Units #14 and #13. Throughout his career, Elder has worked with organizations in Western Nebraska to enhance students’ historical and geographical experiences by organizing, scheduling, and planning activities and events to educate and entertain about 2,000 elementary students each year. He also served as the professional development director for a Federal Teaching American History grant focused on graduate coursework for teachers, and in-person trips to bolster their classroom work through visits to historical sites in the U.S.
Zimmer iis Principal/Owner of AO Main, an architectural firm in Omaha. Since moving to Omaha in 1991, Zimmer has been involved with various nonprofits, including the Joslyn Castle, St. Cecilia Parish, the Douglas County Historical Society and AIA Omaha. Zimmer is also a former president of the History Nebraska Board of Trustees and was founding board president of the History Nebraska Foundation.
In addition, Tom Kraus of Madrid and Jamesena Moore of Bellevue were named to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Kraus grew up on a family farm and after a 10-year stint in natural gas production and ranching, he returned to Nebraska as a third-generation farmer where he pioneered no-till farming. Wanting to share area history with travelers, he organized the placement of a historical marker for the Crossing of the Northern Cheyenne near Ogallala. Kraus is on the advisory boards with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research Center in North Platte and the USDA Committee in Akron, Colorado. He also participated in the Nebraska LEAD Program. As a member and past president of the Ogallala Rotary Club, Kraus served as District Governor of Rotary International in 2008-2009, and participated as a counselor for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award Camp. He also served on a number of farm-related committees and boards.
Before retiring, Moore worked as vice president of volunteer and community services at the United Way of the Midlands. She is a founding commissioner and past chair of ServeNebraska where an award is annually given in her name to volunteers in the state who make a difference. She is a past national president for the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems. In the National Association of Social Workers, Moore served as president of the Nebraska Chapter, national second vice president and national secretary as well as chair of its President’s Council. She also served as first vice president of the American Association of State Service Commissions. Moore has been a leader in the Nebraska Business and Professional Women’s Foundation; Nebraska 150 Foundation; Governor’s Residence Advisory Committee; Friends of the Governor’s Advisory Fund; and Offutt Enlisted Spouses Club.
Other members of the board, are David Levy of Omaha, Galen Hadley of Kearney, Katherine Endacott of Pleasant Dale, Pamela Snow of Ashland, and History Nebraska Executive Director Trevor Jones of Lincoln.
History Nebraska was formerly called the Nebraska State Historical Society. The History Nebraska Foundation was established in 2020. For more information contact Executive Director Tyler Vacha at tyler@historynebraskafoundation.org or 402-853-4282.