Board Members

Anna Wishart is the Sr. Director of Public Affairs for Monolith, a clean technology and materials company based in Nebraska. Monolith is the first methane pyrolysis company in the world to achieve commercial scale. In her role, Anna oversees external-facing corporate activities.

Courtney Dentlinger is the Government Affairs Manager of Nebraska Public Power District, and serves as the District’s principal lobbyist at the Unicameral and manages NPPD’s state government affairs activities.

K.C. Belitz is the Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, appointed by Governor Jim Pillen in July 2023. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the Nebraska Community Foundation, supporting statewide growth and development.

Tim O'Brien is the Economic Development Manager for Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). He leads business development, retention, and community growth. Before OPPD, he managed statewide business development at NEDED. Tim holds degrees from UNL and Doane College.

Candice Price is an entrepreneur, business leader, and community advocate focused on economic growth and social impact in Nebraska. Originally from South Florida, she moved to Omaha in 2009 and has built a legacy of leadership and service.

Dan Hoffman has been actively involved in building the support system for new Nebraska enterprises for over 13 years while at Invest Nebraska, working with a variety of public and private sector partners.

Dr. Barrett has served as President of Northeast Community College since 2020. She holds a Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College and business degrees from the University of Wyoming. With 32 years in higher education, she is proud to call Nebraska home.

Ty Lucas is the Chief Lending Officer & Executive Vice President for NebraskaLand Bank. He focuses on portfolio management, customer relationships, and growing the Lending and Business Development team. Ty also serves on the Bank’s Board of Directors.

Cheryl is the Director of Corporate Strategy at Union Pacific Railroad, headquartered in Omaha, NE. She has been with the company for more than 20 years leading economic and industrial growth opportunities for customers, economic development organizations and short line railroads across the Network.

Dave Rippe owns Queen City Development Company, dedicated to economic growth in rural Nebraska. He is the former Director of Economic Development for Nebraska and previously led the Hastings Economic Development Corporation.

Mark began his career at Friedrich Graepel AG in Germany in 2002. In 2006, Mark started Graepel North America in Omaha, Nebraska as General Manager, serving in that role until his appointment as CEO in 2014.