Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird on Tuesday announced her selections to fill vacancies on the Lincoln Electric System Administrative Board. She has nominated Kate Bolz, Dr. Martha Durr, Eric Schafer and recommends Karen Griffin for reappointment.
“This deeply qualified and diversely experienced slate of candidates will provide LES and our community with strong leadership and thoughtful guidance,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “We thank them for stepping up to offer their valuable time and talents in service to our community.”
Kate Bolz is the Nebraska State Director of USDA Rural Development. She was previously Mayor Gaylor Baird’s Economic Development Policy Advisory and a Nebraska State Senator for District 29. She is a Rabble Mill Board member and former member of the United Way and Lincoln Public Schools Foundation boards.
Dr. Martha Durr is the Nebraska State Climatologist, Director of the Nebraska State Climate Office, and Professor of Climatology in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Previously, Dr. Durr served as the Director of the High Plains Regional Climate Center and was an Applied Climatologist for the Alaska Climate Research Center.
Eric Schafer is the President of Telesis, Inc., the umbrella company for Data Security, Inc., Lazlo, Inc., Empyrean Brewing Company, Telesis Holdings and Avert Vertical Cultivations. Telesis, Inc. has more than 350 employees and distributes products locally, regionally and internationally.
Karen Griffin is a professional geologist with more than 25 years of experience. Formally a Vice President and the Groundwater Technical Leader for Olsson, her work focused on protecting and restoring groundwater and surface water resources. As an environmental geologist, she worked in California and Colorado before moving back to her hometown of Lincoln in 2004. She has volunteered the Great Plains Trails Network, Lincoln Literacy and other community organizations.
Three vacancies on the LES Board are created by the departures of Kim Morrow, Layne Supp and DaNay Kalkowski.