Scholarships
OPPORTUNITIES
The Kearney Area Community Foundation manages over 30 scholarship funds. The crtieria for these scholarships are varied, so please take a moment to search our scholarships to determine if you are eligible to apply.
Using the command "ctrl f" search for scholarships, your school or county.
OPPORTUNITIES
Scholarship forms are not availble using a mobile devise. Please check out our current scholarships using desktop view. There you will have the ability to download the following PDF and Word documents for each scholarship.
Scholarships
 Photography by Lori Potter |  Photography by Nebraska Through The Lens |  Photography by Michael Tillotson |  Photography by Manuel Garcia |  Photography by Lori Potter |  Photography by A Ramirez |
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 Photography by Leah Malchow |  Photography by Nebraska Through The Lens |  Photography by Lori Potter |
Board of Directors
KEARNEY AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Todd Thalken
Chair
Todd is a retired florist and local musician. He and his wife, Lois, have been blessed to live and work in the wonderful Kearney community.
Audrey Kauders
Secretary
Now retired, Audrey spent five decades in artistic and arts administration, most recently as Director of the Museum of Nebraska Art. Passionate about arts and culture, she serves on several local and state-wide boards. Her two children live with their spouses, one in Virginia and the other in Oregon, as do her grandchildren.
Jennifer Rowling
Vice Chair
Jennifer is a partner with Tye & Rowling law firm in Kearney whose members have a longstanding history of service to the community. Jennifer and her husband, Chuck, are the proud parents of Evelyn, Charlie, and Sam. Through their children’s activities they have experienced the various opportunities for families in Kearney and have met many wonderful people who live and work in Kearney.
Jeremy Armagost
Treasurer
Jeremy is a Certified Financial Planner with WealthPlan Partners and is grateful to live in such a wonderful community. Jeremy and his wife, Angela, stay busy attending their two daughters' many activities around Kearney.
Sandi Bentley
Sandi is a Certified Public Accountant and shareholder with Bentley & Kisker. In her spare time she enjoys time with her three children and four grandchildren, walking her dog on the family farm, cheering on Husker basketball, and attempting to grow herbs and roses.
Jack Besse
Jack is an attorney at PGBB Law in Kearney. He’s active in the community having served on many boards of area organizations including Kearney Public Schools Foundation, Kearney Trolleys, Fort Kearney Shrine Club and Kearney Chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Lauren Brandt
Lauren serves as the Director of the Kearney SportsPlex for the City of Kearney. Born and raised in Kearney, Lauren has a deep appreciation for the community she proudly calls home and is passionate about creating opportunities for residents and visitors to connect through sports, recreation, and wellness. When she is not at the SportsPlex, Lauren and her husband stay busy supporting their daughter and son at athletic events and school activities. She enjoys traveling, participating in and watching sports, and spending time outdoors with the family's two dogs.
Linette Butler
Linette is the general manager for BD Construction. During college, she fell in love with the community, and today, in her spare time, you can find her on the hike and bike trail, at Yanney Park, or patronizing the local shops and restaurants with friends and family. Linette is married to John and has two grown daughters and five grandchildren.
Sherry Gangwish
Sherry is head of Human Resources at Gangwish Seed Farms where she is a partner with her husband Randy and their two children and their spouses. When not working in their business operations Sherry finds herself enjoying and cheering on the many activities of their six grandchildren. She serves in many capacities at their local church, the Lion’s club, Shelton School Foundation Board and Teammates Board.
Emily Jameson
Emily Jameson is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a partner with Barney Financial Services in Kearney. She and her husband, Aaron, are proud parents of Kayla, Zachary, Alyssa, and Olivia. She is active in the community, volunteering as a youth sports coach, serving on several boards, and volunteering at Kearney eFree Church. When she isn’t working, you can find her supporting her kid’s activities or traveling with her family.
Brad Green
Brad works in the Financial Aid Office at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. He lives in Kearney with his wife, three kids and their dog. When not at work, he enjoys being outside, traveling and woodworking.
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Brenda Jensen
Brenda is the City Manager for the City of Kearney and has a strong love for her community, assisting with growth and development. She has an avid love for traveling and exploring new cities and enjoys spending time with her husband, son Kellan, four-legged children, and friends.
Dave Oldfather
Dave is President of Platte River Investments, L.L.C. He enjoys helping the Kearney Community by being involved with the Buffalo County Economic Development Council, Five Points Bank Advisory Board, Nebraska Diplomats and Nebraska Ag Builders. Dave and his wife Roxanne are the parents of four girls and have four grandchildren.
Fili Sanchez
Fili Sanchez is Vice President and a Commercial Lender at Bruning Bank in Kearney, with 22 years of experience. Beyond his work at the bank, Fili is passionate about giving back and has served on the boards of several local organizations. He values the relationships he has built throughout the community and takes pride in supporting the people, organizations, and businesses that help Kearney thrive. He and his wife, Cathy, are proud parents of their three children and are grateful to call Kearney home.
Vickie Schaepler
Vickie enjoyed a career of working with people with disabilities in public and private service. She serves on the History Nebraska Board of Trustees and Buffalo County Historical Society board. Since retirement, she has pursued her passion for preserving the history of Japanese Immigrants in Nebraska.
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Ron Scott
Ron was a family doctor who loved his career and his patients. He has delightful children who are artists and supporters of the arts. He is an avid traveler and a fan of everything his grandchildren like to do. He has been on the Kearney Public School Board, Kearney Public School Foundation and the Senior College Board of Directors.
Jon Watts
Jon is a Regional General Manager for ALLO Fiber. As part of his work, Jon is charged with creating positive change in the community. A Kearney native, Jon formerly served as Chief Business Officer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Jon and his wife Erin have three children, Ava, Brody, and Mason.
Matt Wecker
​Matt works as a nurse anesthetist at Bryan's Kearney Regional Medical Center. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Abbie, and their three children where they can usually be found at the library or anywhere outdoors.