NCF - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Accountant With
Amy has been an accountant with NCF since 1998. She handles accounts payable and receivable, payroll and fund management. Amy grew up in Milligan, NE, and now lives in Crete with her husband, Craig. She has two teenaged stepdaughters, Ashley and Jessica, and two young children, Gracie and Colton. Amy spends most of her spare time with her family following their many activities.
Job Titles:
- Back to Full Team Director
- Director of Peer Learning
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
Carrie Malek-Madani joined Nebraska Community Foundation in February 2017. Carrie is responsible for developing and implementing NCF's communications and marketing goals and strategies to build awareness and support for NCF and its affiliated funds. Carrie creates and oversees the production of NCF's publications, advertising, social media and video production. She also assists NCF's affiliated funds located across the state with press releases, donor stories, fundraising letters and other marketing tools.
Prior to NCF, Carrie worked for the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln where she managed the organization's public relations, brand strategy and communications efforts. Her previous professional experience includes work for S&S Public Relations, where she developed PR and media relations strategy for clients in industries ranging from technology to education. Prior to S&S Public Relations, she worked for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science's marketing department.
Carrie holds a bachelor's degree in communication: media management, and a master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism & Mass Communications in integrated media communications. She is a member of the National Communication Honors Society, Lambda Pi Eta.
Job Titles:
- Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator
Denise Garey works from McCook, Nebraska providing assistance to Nebraska Community Foundation affiliated funds in southwest Nebraska. As an Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator, she provides training, education and resources to communities as they strengthen and enhance their community impact.
Denise has an associate's degree from McCook Community College and bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has an extensive background in fundraising, economic development, communications and community development. She served as Fund Coordinator for McCook Community Foundation Fund, Housing Director at McCook Economic Development Corporation and Director of Community Relations for Northeast Community College.
Denise is a native of McCook and returned in 2004 with her son, Mack Alspaugh. She enjoys her roles as a grandma, Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club leader, Husker volleyball fan, and rural believer.
Job Titles:
- Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Back to Full Team Director
- Director of Advancement
Janny Crotty splits her time between her home office in Auburn, Nebraska and NCF's headquarters in Lincoln. As Director of Advancement, Janny does fundraising in support of NCF and leads staff and the board of directors in developing and executing a fund development plan to advance the organization's mission. Janny also helps individuals, families, and their businesses make major gifts for the benefit of NCF and NCF affiliated funds.
Janny graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a B.A. in Communication Studies and from Syracuse University with an M.A. in Documentary Film and History. Prior to joining the NCF team in 2016, she worked at Peru State College in the School of Education and before that in development at the University of Nebraska Foundation.
In her spare time, Janny enjoys tending to her family's small acreage, researching local history, camping (and all things outdoors!), cooking, listening to music, and spending time with her husband Ryan, their two children - Liston and Nash, and their dog - Archibald Boy Wonder (Archie) Crotty.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
- Member of Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants
Jason Kennedy joined Nebraska Community Foundation in 2016. Jason is responsible for accounting, financial reporting, investment, regulatory and compliance, human resources and administrative matters for Nebraska Community Foundation. He works closely with our development team, fund advisory committee members and investment managers to provide top-notch service to our affiliated funds and donors.
Jason spent most of his professional career with the University of Nebraska Foundation working his way from junior accountant to the position of senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer.
His previous experience included being a member of the executive team with primary responsibility for managing the financial assets of the foundation. He was the key liaison responsible for working with the foundation's investment, finance and audit committees and implementing strategic plans with the board of directors. Jason also served as treasurer for the Nebraska Alumni Association and other affiliated entities of the Foundation. He has worked with donors regarding all kinds of gift types, including life income arrangements.
Jason is a member of Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is a volunteer coach for numerous youth sports leagues. He and his wife, Tracia, have three teenage sons who attend Norris Public Schools.
Jeff Yost - CEO, President, VP
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- Vice President
Jeff Yost joined NCF as Vice President in 1998 and was appointed President and CEO in 2003. Under Jeff's leadership NCF has sustained a continuous year-over-year growth. Jeff has been instrumental in developing NCF's unique profile among community foundations nationwide. He has guided NCF's evolution as an institution that uses philanthropy as a tool for rural community capacity building and economic development.
Jeff is the author of numerous articles and provides lectures and consulting throughout the U.S. and internationally. Topics focus on the power of philanthropy when it transcends the model of traditional charity and the phenomena of the intergenerational transfer of wealth within the context of small rural places. In the past 10 years, Jeff has worked in over 25 states and internationally in Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia and the former Soviet Union.
Jeff's other leadership positions include serving as a co-founder and chair of the HomeTown Competitiveness collaborative (an award winning community economic development framework), Nebraska representative on the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Community Development Advisory Council, a member of the Council on Foundations' national task force on community leadership, adjunct faculty for the University of Nebraska-Department of Public Administration and a member of the Nebraska State Library Advisory Council.
Yost was honored for his professional and volunteer work in 2002 by being selected one of the Lincoln Journal-Star's "20 under 40-Lincoln's Emerging Leaders."
Prior to joining NCF, Jeff served as a policy and budget advisor to Nebraska Governor E. Benjamin Nelson. Jeff received bachelor's degrees in economics and agricultural business from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a lifelong Nebraska resident and a native of Red Cloud. Yost and his wife Cindy Ryman Yost have three children, Elizabeth, Carter and Harrison.
Job Titles:
- Office and Gift Processing Assistant
Kacie Wise is a Lincoln native and received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Doane University in 2016. Kacie wears many hats as NCF's Office and Gift Processing Assistant, supporting NCF's mission through a variety of clerical and administrative roles.
Prior to joining NCF, Kacie served in various roles at Nelnet followed by nearly six years at Concordia University as the sole Financial Aid Coordinator.
Kacie continues to reside in Lincoln with her husband, Jordan, and their two girls, Ainsley and Nora. In their free time they love to be outside riding bikes, camping, boating, and really anything that involves enjoying Nebraska's abundant nature.
Job Titles:
- Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator
Kara Asmus is the Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator for East-Central Nebraska. Kara works with volunteer leaders to build community awareness, conduct fundraising efforts and to increase community impact through grantmaking and citizen engagement.
Before joining the NCF team, Kara administered the "Drive for Five" program, a talent attraction, workforce development, and career readiness program for the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce. She has also held leadership roles with the Boy Scouts of America, the Columbus Downtown Business Association, and has a background in advertising.
Kara has also served as a member of the Columbus Area Future Fund Advisory Committee, an NCF affiliated fund. Other volunteer experience includes UNL Extension, Columbus Public Schools Foundation, United Way and the Columbus Jaycees, among many other organizations.
Kara obtained a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, specializing in Human Development and Family Rehabilitation Services.
Her hobbies include traveling, flower gardening, and genealogy. She and her husband, Mark, are life-long Nebraskans, both originating from the Hastings Area, and have lived in Columbus for over thirty years. They have two adult sons, Alex (wife Nikki) of Columbus and Austin of Lincoln.
Job Titles:
- Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator
- Fund Development Coordinator
Kara Weander-Gaster is the affiliated fund development coordinator for northeast Nebraska. Kara helps empower volunteer leaders with the training and resources they need to successfully raise funds, engage their community, and increase community impact through effective grantmaking.
Job Titles:
- Back to Full Team Director
- Director of Legal Affairs
Kimberly Peschka Bilder joined Nebraska Community Foundation in 2022. She is responsible for overseeing NCF's policies, fund agreements, contracts, and public/private partnerships and assists with human resources and selected compliance matters.
Kimberly's previous professional experience includes serving as Associate General Counsel at the University of Nebraska Foundation, where she was a subject matter expert in a wide variety of areas, including federal and state tax law related to charitable giving and public charities, corporate governance, employee benefits, fund agreements, and complex outright and planned gifts.
A native of Great Bend, Kansas, Kimberly earned her undergraduate degree at Kansas State University and Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Kimberly and her husband Chris are the proud parents of two sons, Callum and Keegan. In her free time, she enjoys reading, backyard birding, and watching her boys participate in their myriad activities.
As Creative Specialist, Kira crafts compelling messaging and design concepts that translate into dynamic marketing, education and training materials to further NCF's mission and support the work and needs of NCF's affiliated funds.
Kyle Bucknell joined the NCF staff as Senior Accountant in April 2019. His responsibilities include handling general accounting for investments, fees, fund statements, budget analysis and financial reports. Kyle helps fund advisory committee members with questions about their account balances, endowment payouts, and financial reports.
Before joining NCF Kyle was with Bryan Health for over 20 years. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Originally from Lincoln, Kyle and his wife, Jennifer, have four daughters. In addition to number crunching, Kyle enjoys reading, playing tennis, and spending time with his family. He says the best thing about working at NCF is the satisfaction he receives from helping people from across Nebraska to achieve great things for their communities.
As Database Specialist, Liz's primary role at Nebraska Community Foundation is developing and managing an expansive database of NCF's thousands of donors and volunteers.
Michael Wunder is Nebraska Community Foundation's Community Storyteller, tasked with sharing the good news and spreading the word about the NCF network's more than 250 affiliated funds.
Prior to joining NCF, Michael covered southeast Nebraska communities for two weekly newspapers. As a reporter for The News in Waverly, Michael covered Waverly, Raymond, Eagle, Alvo, Ceresco, and Greenwood, among other area towns. He then joined The Voice News in Hickman, where he covered numerous communities in Lancaster, Otoe, Cass and Johnson counties, including Bennet, Palmyra, Douglas, Sterling, Hickman, Eagle, and Waverly. Overall, he spent more than five years as a journalist in the region, writing about everything from crime to sports to school to municipal government.
Michael graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha with a bachelor's degree in journalism. The Omaha native spends his free time reading, listening to music, and playing guitar.
Job Titles:
- Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator
- Fund Development Coordinator
Steve Brewster is the affiliated fund development coordinator for north-central Nebraska. He lives and offices near his hometown of Stuart in Holt County, Nebraska.
Before joining NCF in his current capacity, Steve practiced law full time and served on the NCF Board of Directors for four years, as well as the Stuart Community Foundation Fund for several years, most recently as chair. Before returning to his hometown of Stuart, Steve consulted for nonprofit community and economic development organizations while living in Canada, where his adult daughter, Tala, was born.
Steve graduated with a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics before receiving his law degree, both from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He spends his spare time riding his bicycles and making music with friends.
Job Titles:
- Back to Full Team Director
- Director of Gift Planning
Todd Mekelburg is NCF's Director of Gift Planning and lives in Lincoln. Prior to joining NCF, Todd served as Director of Planned Giving at Loma Linda University Health in southern California where he helped families realize their charitable gift planning goals.
Todd grew up in Yuma, Colorado, but he has a long connection with Nebraska. His great grandparents met and married at Union College in 1893, then farmed in the Lincoln and Amherst communities before eventually settling in northeast Colorado. He attended high school near Shelton, Nebraska and then completed a degree in business administration and accounting at Union College in Lincoln. After working in charitable gift planning in Maryland and Colorado, Todd and his wife, Janya, settled in Lincoln to raise their family. They have two adult children, Drew and Mandy. Todd enjoys travelling to new places and spends time on the golf course, pickleball court, and tennis court.