How to Contact Us

Nebraska Folklife Network
Gwen Meister - Executive Director
5620 Hunts Drive - Lincoln, NE 68512
Phone and Fax: (402) 420 - 5442
Email:info@nefolklife.org_
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NFN Board of Directors

Dr. Steven Swidler

Dr. Stephen Swidler is Associate Professor of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Instruction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research has centered on rural schools and on teacher education. He has experience with folklife projects in the schools and has participated in Iowa’s folklife institute for teachers. He is president of the Nebraska Folklife Network.

Nancy Gillis is Executive Director of the John Neihardt State Historic Site and the Neihardt Foundation’s Institute for Vision and Learning. She also teaches U.S history, world history and Native American history and cultures at Wayne State College, Nebraska Indian Community College, and Northeast Community College. Nancy is a speaker with the Nebraska Humanities Council and Wayne State College Speakers Bureaus. She is a member of the Cherokee Tribe.

Yolanda Nuncio is Central Service Area Administrator with the Nebraska Health and Human Services System in Grand Island. She was formerly Principal of Morton Elementary School in Lexington. She holds an MA in Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and is bilingual in Spanish and English. She is dedicated to preserving her culture and educating Nebraskans about cultural diversity. She also serves on the Nebraska Mexican American Commission.

Mike Shonsey is the CEO of Bassett Feeding, Inc in Bassett. He is a native Nebraskan and is the fourth generation of his family to feed cattle. Mike holds a masters degree in American folk culture and museum studies from NYSU at Cooperstown. Prior to running his own business, Mike was Executive Director of the Western Nebraska Art Center in Scottsbluff. He is a former Colorado state folklorist. Mike shares his knowledge of, commitment to and passion for the arts, folklore, and folklife in many different ways.

John Smolsky is a partner and certified public accountant with the firm of Fuhrman, Smolsky & Furey, P.C. in Omaha. John is a native of the area, having grown up in Omaha’s longstanding Polish ethnic community and he is familiar with many ethnic traditions in Omaha and elsewhere in the state. John is the Vice President of the Nebraska Folklife Network.

NFN Staff

Gwen Meister has an MA in cultural anthropology and an MBA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her specialty is public folklore. Gwen served as folk arts coordinator for the Nebraska Arts Council from 1991 to1995. Gwen is passionate about ensuring a bright future for the traditions of Nebraska's unique variety of cultural

groups. With help from other Nebraskans who recognized this need and with financial support from the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, Gwen founded the Nebraska Folklife Network in 2003.

Gwen Meister

The Network is a Nebraska nonprofit organization and has been granted IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.

NFN Volunteers and Supporters

The Nebraska Folklife Network salutes special supporters and volunteers:

Bassett Feeding Company (Bassett) deserves a special thank you for it's generous ongoing support of all the NFN's educational and organizational activities. Your help has been invaluable to us!

Union Bank and Trust Company (Lincoln) has generously supported production of the NFN Cultural Encounter Kits for schools during 2006 and 2007. Our heartfelt thanks to our friends at all the Union Bank locations across the state for helping to make it possible to provide these resources to teachers and students in Nebraska schools!

James and Kathy Wood (Omaha) Jim and Kathy have been faithful supporters of the NFN since we began this work in 2003. Thanks so much for your investment in preserving Nebraska traditions and passing them on to future generations Kathy and Jim!

And last, but certainly not least, thanks to our public funders:

*National Endowment for the Arts

*Nebraska Arts Council

*Nebraska Humanities Council

*Lincoln Arts Council