Board of Directors

Stan Dart, Chair

Stan received his BS in Geography from Eastern Illinois Univ. in 1966 and an MA in Geography from Rutgers University in1968. In 2007 he retired as an Emeritus Faculty after nearly 40 years teaching in the Department of Geography (University of Nebraska – Kearney). His teaching areas include Physical Geography, Geology, Environmental Issues, and the Southwestern US. Carol and Stan have two children and three grandchildren. In retirement Stan enjoys, among other things, the five G’s – Golf, Gardening, Great friends, Gin-and-tonics and “Gee ---being part of Senior College.”

Bill Wozniak, Secretary

Bill Wozniak is a psychologist who has taught at UNK for 41 years. He graduated from Notre Dame and has advanced degrees from Miami University. He is currently semi-retired and will be fully retired in May 2020. He has been active in a variety of service groups, but is especially fond of his hospital visits with his therapy dog, Jackson. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he follows the Browns and the Indians, but is really a fan of the Fighting Irish. 

Dorann Bartels, Treasurer

Dorann graduated from Gordon High School and received her BS in home economics education with an art minor from Chadron State College and a gerontology minor from UNK.  She served as Senior Services Coordinator for Good Samaritan Hospital for 33 years, developing and managing programs focused on promoting positive and healthy aging practices.  Managing the Lifeline personal emergency response program was a primary part of her job for 24 years.  One duty she especially values was being part of Senior College's original steering committee.  Dorann serves as pianist at Family of Christ Lutheran Church and is a member of Chancel Bells and the Visual Art Ministry Team at First Lutheran.  She volunteers for GSH and Crane River Theater and is a member of P.E.O.  Her interests include knitting, crocheting, sewing, silk painting, and needlecrafts, all usually enjoyed while listening to audio books.  Dorann and her husband, Paul, have lived in Kearney since 1987 and have two sons living in Omaha and Ann Arbor, allowing travel opportunities, both short and long distances.

Sharon Ingram, Administrative Assistant

Sharon is a graduate of Scottsbluff High School and received her BA in Education at Wayne State College. She received her MS in Education and an endorsement in Computer Science from Chadron State College. She taught high school and middle school English and computers and served as an adjunct faculty member in math and computers at Chadron State College. After retirement, Sharon and her husband, Jerry, spent five years roaming the USA as fulltime rver’s before settling in Kearney in 2001. She and Jerry have two sons – one in Nebraska and one in Florida.  Their six grandchildren are dispersed in Texas, Colorado and Florida! Her interests include genealogy, reading, camping, traveling and volunteering.

Pat Candy

Pat has been a resident of Nebraska since moving from Colorado while in high school. She retired after 16 years from the Kearney Visitors Bureau and is now working part-time for Brookdale Kearney Nothridge Community as a Concierge/Receptionist - loves the job!!! She currently serves as chair of the Peterson Senior Activity Center Advisory Board; vice-chair of the Kearney Womens Club; secretary/treasurer of Noon Kiwanis. She is a member of the United Methodist Women, D.O.E.S. and Eastern Star. In her "spare" time, Pat volunteers with many organizations.

Connie Francis

Connie is an emeritus faculty of UNL Extension. She has a BS in home economics education and extension from UNL and an MA in counseling from Chadron State College. Her hometown is Lexington. After graduating from UNL, she lived and worked with rural families in Thailand for 6 months, an experience which has had a profound impact on her life. Connie had a 32-year career with UNL Extension, mostly as a family life educator. In 2003 she was invited to become part of the Nebraska Rural Initiative; definitely a growth experience which led to working in rural tourism development for the last 9 years of her career. She was married to her husband Richard for 34 years before his death in 2005. She has lived in Kearney since 2009 and is active in First Baptist Church. She also is an elementary student mentor, co-leads an interdenominational Bible study, travels – and mostly enjoys her family; 2 daughters and sons-in-law (both Doug!) and 4 grandchildren.

Sharon Hoffman

Sharon and her husband have lived in Kearney since 2005.  They have six children, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.  They grew up in the Roseland area, raised their family in Blue Hill and spent 15 years in Cambridge before retiring to Kearney.  Sharon graduated from Hastings College in 1987 with a BA in Social Science/Education.  She was mostly a stay at home mom and has been a strong community volunteer all her life.  She is a life long learner and looks forward to working with Senior College.

Connie Jelkin

Connie has always been a Nebraska girl and has a special place in her heart for the plains and the Platte River.

Connie graduated High School from Bertrand and received her BA from KSC.  Learning and trying new things are important so she also received her teaching endorsement in Psychology, and an endorsement in Early Childhood Education. Then back to school for an endorsement in Library and back to school again for her MS in Informational Technology. Connie taught in the Library and Computer Labs at Kearney Public Schools for 25 years and is recently retired.

Jim is her patient husband of 45 years.  They have three children and two grandchildren. It's wonderful to join the Senior College learning opportunities.

Deanna Jesse

Deanna graduated from Medicine Valley High School, Curtis and received her BA in Psychology and Masters in Agency Counseling from UNK.  For 32 years she worked for the NE Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired in the positions of Orientation Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Program Specialist for Older Blind Services.  She is a Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Blind.  She has served on the Kearney Area Arts Council Board, Safe Center Board, including serving as a treasurer.  She currently serves on the Peterson Senior Center Advisory Board as Vice Chair and the MONA Guild Board.  She enjoys travel, dance, sewing, crocheting and reading.  Her husband Mark Foradori is the Marketing Coordinator at the Platte River Archway. 

Carol Lomicky

Carol S. Lomicky, professor emerita of journalism, taught at the University of Nebraska Kearney for some 30 years. From 2006-2012, she was associate dean of graduate studies and research and director of the Institutional Review Board. She retired in 2012. She began her journalism career as a newspaper reporter and editor at several Nebraska dailies. Carol received her Bachelor’s degree from Kearney State College in1978; her master’s degree from KSC in 1982, and her Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1996. She has published articles in scholarly journals; received numerous honors related to teaching and scholarship including the 2002 first place national teaching award from the Association for the Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) for the teaching strategy titled "Enliven History and Public Record Research—in the Cemetery." Carol currently serves on the Merryman Performing Arts Center Board of Directors and has served on the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Board, Kearney Public Library, Advisory Board, and The Friends of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) Board. Carol designs and fashions 18-inch doll clothes and donates these (with American Girl dolls) for non-profit fundraisers and to underprivileged girls at Christmastime through the local Salvation Army. Carol was awarded the Kearney Hub Freedom Award, 2017, in the medical/health category for her hearing loop advocacy.

Ken Mumm

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Ken lived with his mother and grandparents until his father returned from WWII. After his return, Ken’s family moved to Omaha for three years, but then moved to the Seward, Nebraska area where Ken graduated from Seward High School.  Ken has degrees in secondary education, secondary reading, and school administration.  Ken taught English at Maywood High School and Pound Junior High in Lincoln. After being encouraged to join the ranks of school administrators, Ken accepted the assistant principal position at Kearney Junior High. After transitioning the junior high to a middle school, Ken joined the UNK College of Ed as a lecturer in child growth and development and everything middle school.  Ken retired in 2009 and with wife, Bonnie, loves to travel, volunteer for Kearney Area Habitat and serve on the Literacy Council, Senior College, and Habitat boards.  Ken is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Senior College Curriculum Committee. 

Dorothy Miller

Dorothy Miller is a graduate of Shickley High School and received her BS in Education at UNL and her MA from Doane College.  She taught high school English 24 years; her teaching areas included literature, film, composition, and creative writing.  She has served on the Safe Center Board, the Kearney Literacy Council Board, and the MONA Guild Board.  She  currently serves on the Kearney Public Library Foundation and Advisory Boards.  Her interests include being a docent at the Museum of NE Art, teaching Argentine tango, yoga, reading, writing, cooking, and entertaining.  She and her husband, Bob, have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in Chicago, LA, Kearney, and Connecticut, and as a result enjoy traveling often.  

Angela Nickel

Angela Nickel grew up on a farm in Wood River, Nebraska, and graduated from Grand Island Central Catholic High School.  She earned her BA and MA degrees in Education from Kearney State College/University of Nebraska Kearney.  Angela taught elementary school for 34 years and was involved in both the state and national Math and Science Associations.  In 1995 she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching - Elementary Science.  She served on the Governor’s Early Childhood Education committee and was a Kearney Public Schools board member from 2013 - 2020.  She currently serves on the CHI Good Samaritan Foundation Board. 

Angela and her husband Dirk have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren.  Angela enjoys reading, Zumba, reading, walking at Fort Kearny Recreation Area, reading, tending to their yard, and reading!

Karen Park

Karen Park is a graduate of Sterling, Colorado high school and Bryan Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Lincoln, Nebraska. She spent most of her nursing career years in operating rooms in Lincoln, Houston, Texas, Clarkson Hospital in Omaha, and Good Samaritan in Kearney.  She was married for 43 years to Bob Park who died in 2004. Three children call her Mom; Mary Ellen lives in Chicago, two sons, Michael and Matthew live in Kearney.

Outside interests are gardening, baking, reading, traveling, and enjoying 4 grandchildren. She is an active member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and has been involved with MONA as a docent and library volunteer. She parks at the MONA construction sight regularly to watch the new building progress.

Senior College Board and Curriculum activities have been a most enjoyable pastime for the past 8 years, and she looks forward to another year on the Board with people who have become good friends.

Ron Scott

Ron is a retired (from Kearney Clinic) family practice doctor originally from Hastings. He and his wife Mary are now enjoying travel and Senior College. He has many interests including music, history, politics, science....”I guess I'm just a perpetual student of about anything!”

Christy Walsh

Bio coming soon!