2022 Speaker Bios
Patty Pansing Brooks - Education
Kevin Wycoff, MD - Marijuana Legislation
Kevin Wycoff, MD - Marijuana Legislation
Patty Pansing Brooks is a state senator, attorney, small business owner, and lifelong community organizer.
Patty has a proven track record of values-led policymaking and coalition-building to make positive change for all. She was the Co-Chair of the $6 million Union Plaza Fundraising Campaign to create Lincoln’s first urban park. Patty also served as Co-Chair of the $9.6 million Centennial Mall renovation, which helped make the 7 blocks between our Capitol and our State University a beautiful, historic celebration of Nebraska for all visitors. Finally, she was the Co-Chair of the $250 million Lincoln Public Schools bond issue in 2007 with former Senator and friend, Kathy Campbell. That bond issue improved every school in every zip code in Lincoln.”
In her two terms as a state senator representing Nebraska’s 28th District, Patty has fought hard and achieved victories for our most vulnerable neighbors, particularly children. One focus of her legislative career has been youth justice reform: Patty introduced and passed bills that have expanded children’s rights to legal representation in the justice system, established automatic sealing of children’s court records when they have completed their sentences, and reoriented the purpose of school peacekeeping officers away from bringing more children into the justice system, and toward keeping kids in school.
Kevin Wycoff, MD - Marijuana Legislation
Kevin Wycoff, MD - Marijuana Legislation
Kevin Wycoff, MD - Marijuana Legislation
Dr. Wycoff completed his undergraduate education at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln and received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1975. He completed his residency at Sioux Falls Family Practice, Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1978. He was affiliated with the American Academy of Family Practice from 1978 - 2018 and had credentials with the American Board of Family Practice from 1978 - 2018. He served as President of the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians in 2010-2011.
Dr. Wycoff was born and raised in Lexington, Nebraska. Dr. Wycoff and his wife Paige have three grown sons, Tyler, Reid and Cole.
His hobbies include skiing, reading history and historical fiction, mowing his lawn and being with his family.
After 40 years of service to the Hastings area, Dr. Kevin Wycoff retired from Family Medical Center in December 2018. He and his wife, Paige, moved to Omaha to be closer to family
Joe Nigro - Criminal Justice System
Kevin Wycoff, MD - Marijuana Legislation
Joe Nigro - Criminal Justice System
Joe Nigro is a lifelong Nebraskan. He graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln with a B.A. in 1980 and a J.D. in 1983. Joe has worked in the Lancaster County Public Defender’s Office as an attorney for the last 38 years, successfully representing thousands of people. In 2014, Joe was elected as the Lancaster County Public Defender. He was reelected in 2018. Joe has been married to Shari since 1985, and they have three children, Margaret (Kyle), Betsy (Tanner), and Nick, and three grandchildren, Teddy, Imogen, and Eloise. They lost one grandchild, Jude.
Joe served on the board of the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association and currently serves as a member of the House of Delegates for the Nebraska Bar Association. Joe also serves on the Supreme Court Problem Solving Court Committee, the Supreme Court Committee on Practice and Procedure, the Justice Behavioral Health Committee, and the Lancaster County Justice Council. Joe chaired the Supreme Court Mental Health Court Committee.
Joe has served the community in a variety of ways. He was chair of the Lincoln Cable TV Advisory Board, chair of the UNL College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Board, and was a board member of the UNL Alumni Association and the Board of Directors of the Bridge. Joe chaired the Christ United Methodist Church Advisory Committee for ten years, served on the Christ United Methodist Church Board of Trustees, and currently serves on the Christ United Methodist Church Foundation Board. Joe was also the Mayor’s Liaison to the Lincoln Public Schools, a member of the LPS Curriculum Council, and was a member of the LPS Calendar Committee. He was president of the Lincoln East Parent Advisory Committee, and coached youth soccer, basketball, and football for 12 years.
John Cartier - Voting Rights
John Cartier - Voting Rights
Joe Nigro - Criminal Justice System
John Cartier is an attorney and graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law. John comes to the team with experience working on several elections including his own for Lincoln Board of Education. Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, John moved to Nebraska in 2010 to attend Concordia University on a track and field scholarship where he studied marketing and journalism. Now calling Nebraska home, John is excited to help Civic Nebraska achieve its goals of ensuring elections across the state are non-partisan, accessible and modern.
When not working, John enjoys spending time with his wife, son and cat. Occasionally, he can be found jogging along the beautiful MoPac Trail in Lincoln. Spare moments are spent chipping away at his personal goal to read a biography on every United States President.
Martha Shulski - Climate Change
John Cartier - Voting Rights
Martha Shulski - Climate Change
A native of Nebraska, Dr. Martha Shulski serves as the State Climatologist and is an Associate Professor of Applied Climate Science in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. She directs the Nebraska State Climate Office, which operates the Nebraska Mesonet – a state weather monitoring program with 70 research-grade observing stations across the state.
Shulski has degrees in meteorology, agricultural meteorology and soil science. She joined UNL in 2009 and has 18 years of experience in the areas of applied climatology, weather and climate monitoring, impact assessment and stakeholder engagement. Martha was one of the contributing authors on the Fourth National Climate Assessment released in 2018. Her work has taken her to remote Alaska villages but now she is glad to call Nebraska home.
Brad Meurrens - Mental Health
John Cartier - Voting Rights
Martha Shulski - Climate Change
Brad is the Public Policy Director at Disability Rights Nebraska. Brad directs our work on state and federal legislation, regulation, or other public policy affecting Nebraskans with disabilities. Brad educates state and federal policymakers about disability issues and provides our agency’s perspective and input on disability policy. He also works with individuals and groups across the state to foster and support people with disabilities as advocates.
Larry Wright, Jr. - Native American Issues
Larry Wright, Jr. - Native American Issues
Larry Wright, Jr. - Native American Issues
Larry completed his Masters at Nebraska Wesleyan University and received his Executive Education Certificate from Harvard Business School.
He served 7 years as the Chairman for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. He stepped down recently to take on the role of Director of Leadership Engagement for the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C.