Upper Big Blue NRD welcomes new members to board of directors

Four newly elected representative were sworn in to serve on the board of directors of the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District in January 2023.

Newly elected directors include Teresa Otte, Kevin Peterson, Matthew Perry, and Anthony Bohaty. Directors who were re-elected in 2022 also took the oath of office at that time, including Doug Dickinson, Bill Stahly, Paul Weiss, and Bill Kuehner, Jr.

The Upper Big Blue NRD is governed by a 17-member board of directors. These directors are elected by registered voters within the district to serve a four-year term. Elections are held every two years for half of the board seats. The board sets policy for the district and works closely with the staff through a committee system to carry out the district’s goals.

Within the board, members elected officers to serve for two-year terms to fill the chairman, vice chairman, treasurer, and secretary posts. The board members serving in these leadership roles were all reelected to another term in those positions: Lynn Yates, chairman; Bill Kuehner, Jr, vice chairman; Douglas Dickinson, treasurer; and Bill Stahly, secretary. The Nebraska Association of Resource Districts (NARD) delegate and alternate for the Upper Big Blue NRD were also elected. Paul Bethune will continue to serve as the NARD delegate, and John Miller was elected to serve as the alternate for this position.

Meet the new directors

• Kevin Peterson, Sub-District 1 Representative 
  Kevin Peterson is a farmer/livestock producer from the Osceola area who enjoys sports and golf in his spare time. Kevin ran for the board due to his dedication to community service. He felt that the NRD board was a great opportunity to serve. When asked what he wished more people understood about the work of the Upper Big Blue NRD, he responded: "Finding balance with different interests and regulation needs is an enormous undertaking. The board and staff of the NRD work hard to protect the district's resources and be responsive to our citizens." 
  
   
• Matthew Perry, Sub-District 8 Representative
  Matthew Perry works full time as a physical therapist in York. His hobbies include spending time in nature with his family (wife and two sons), reading, and following Husker athletics. Perry was interested in board service because protecting Nebraska's natural resources is important to him and to future generations. Perry wishes more people understood that the NRD is not only about water conservation, but that it is concerned with a wide variety of natural resource projects and priorities.
  
   
• Teresa Otte, At-Large Member
  Teresa Otte is a born and raised Nebraska farmer from the David City area. When she isn't caring for her animals and land, Otte loves to follow Husker volleyball and women's basketball. Otte is interested in serving on the NRD board as she has "always had an interest in the use and conservation of our natural resources." 
  
  When asked what she wished more people understood about the work of the NRD, Otte responded, "The organization is our local control. The Upper Big Blue NRD is here to serve you whether you are urban or rural."
  
   
• Anthony Bohaty, Sub District 7
  
  A lifelong Nebraskan, Anthony Bohaty joined the NRD board of directors in 2023. He was employed at Southern Public Power District for nearly 24 years, before leaving to pursue production agriculture full time in 2022. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys spending time with his wife, Carmen, and their four children.
  
  When asked why he serves on the board of the NRD, Anthony had this to say: "I felt the need for new people to get involved.   As I considered running for this board, I was approached by many constituents, who believed that the key to solving our nitrate issues involved getting new people onto the board with the hope they would bring new ideas and be more open minded toward future solutions.  I am passionate about being part of the solution that will mediate and solve the issue we have with rising nitrate level in our water.  Having a young family, clean water is an important issue for me and I want to help bring safe drinking water to all residents of the Upper Big Blue NRD.  I believe it is vital to have board members who have formal education, training, and a solid background in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Soil Sciences, as this knowledge will be the basis where our high nitrate solutions are built from.  As a 1991 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I felt I had the course work and formal training and background to build on as a board member.  My 24 year tenure working for Southern Power District, has given me the skill set to work with people of differing opinions and has allowed me to successfully find compromise on tough issues that allowed us to work toward positive solutions that are beneficial for all parties involved."
  
  Anthony wishes more people understood that the NRD has many responsibilities. "I feel one of the most important things the Upper Big Blue does is to protect the quantity and quality of our ground water.  I also want everyone to understand that the NRD has other equally important issues that include Water, Soil, Urban Conservation, Trees, Wildlife, Recreation, Grazing Lands & providing education to those that live and work in our District."  

The board of directors of the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District. 

back row (L-R): John Miller, Bill Kuehner, Jr., Kevin Peterson, Lynn Yates, Paul Bethune, Anthony Bohaty, Douglas Dickinson, Paul Weiss; front row (L-R): Jeff Bohaty, Micheal Nuss, Rodney Grotz, Teresa Otte, Matthew Perry, Bill Stahly, Kendall Siebert, Richard Bohaty (not pictured, Roger Houdersheldt)