Staff

Donna is a Nebraska native who grew up in Monroe, a rural town with only 350 people. She's proud of the values of humility, hard work, and gratitude that her small-town roots instilled in her. She loves working for the Foundation because of Omaha's generous and engaged philanthropic community — and it thrills her to be a part of creating positive community impact here. One of Donna's favorite local spots is Lake Zorinsky where she can easily be spotted on her runs; just look for her two (large four-legged) running partners, Macy and Stella.

Donna has been with the Foundation since 2020

Melanie returned to Omaha and the Foundation after a three-year hiatus working for the State of Iowa in Des Moines. Since returning to Omaha, she’s enjoyed being able to attend her grandchildren’s baseball and softball games. Her philanthropic interests lie in childhood development and children at risk. Her personal passions reflect her appreciation for the rural life she knew as a child and her intimate understanding of the sacrifices that career military families make.

Melanie has been with the Foundation since 2020

Kelli supports organizations that serve seniors, children, and animals. While not originally from Omaha, she feels right at home because of the sense of community her neighbors have created. One of her favorite activities is an early morning walk at Zorinsky Lake with friends.

Kelli has been with the Foundation since 2018

Vanessa joined the Foundation after various positions in both the government and nonprofit sectors in Omaha. She brings a strong background in fundraising, development, and relationship-building to her new role. As a new mom, she is passionate about mentorship and youth development. Her favorite thing about Omaha is that her family—close for lots of quality time together!

Vanessa has been with the Foundation since 2020

In her previous role, Wynter helped students and families navigate the complicated processes of college enrollment and seeking financial aid. That passion for collaboration and discovering new possibilities for people made her a perfect fit for her role as a Donor Services Specialist. With over 70 plants in her home she’s got a bit of a green thumb, so don’t hesitate to ask her for a few flora tips.

Wynter has been with the Foundation since 2021

Katie, who previously worked as an estate planning attorney, lives in a 90-year-old Dundee home that she and her husband painstakingly restored. She's particularly proud of the original bright yellow and powder blue art deco tiles in both bathrooms. When she's not living a real-life episode of This Old House, Katie likes to take long walks with her two dogs in Memorial Park.

Katie has been with the Foundation since 2022

Eyerusalem was most recently a Project Director at the Women’s Center for Advancement and is our new Process & Database Administrator. It’s important that her work makes an impact on the world around her and she sees that happening in the work at OCF. She’ll be one you call when you can’t get the ball return to work at the bowling alley. As a student, she was the building manager at the student center that included a bowling center.

Eyerusalem has been with the Foundation since 2021

Sunni joins the Omaha Community Foundation as a Donor Services Specialist after working at the Story County Community Foundation in Ames, Iowa. She uses her community foundation experience to help others make an impact in our community by working with the people and organizations who are making things happen. Ask Sunni about her love of being active outdoors and brick oven pizza.

Sunni has been with the Foundation since 2021

For the past nine years, Nathan was Executive Director at The Big Garden in Omaha and joins us as a Donor Services Specialist. He brings over 25 years of nonprofit experience to OCF and uses that experience helping to figure out the different passions each donor holds and how they can best affect our city. Want to talk about finding and replacing an alternator on a Chevy pickup? Nathan can be your “car guy” resource.

Nathan has been with the Foundation since 2021

Anne was drawn to OCF because of its vision for impacting the community in a different way—it was about harnessing the exceptional generosity of so many in our community to provide opportunity for all. The endless supply of frozen York's Peppermint Patties that are available in the staff break room may have drawn her here, too.

Anne has been with the Foundation since 2015

With a background in program management, Laura is especially interested in serving refugee, migrant, and low-income families to ensure they have equitable access to quality healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Originally from a small town, Laura loves that Omaha is an urban but close-knit community. On the weekends, you can find her exploring local restaurants and coffeeshops.

Laura has been with the Foundation since 2021

Megan is passionate about sharing compelling stories—having worked across newspapers and government communications. Though much of her free time is claimed by her children’s activities—she’s a Scout leader, band parent, and gymnastics cheering section—whenever possible, you’ll find her outside exploring nature or taking a long evening walk. She also loves a good book, a good meal, and a very large cup of coffee.

Megan has been with the Foundation since 2022

As a former journalist, Ally is passionate about community building and telling stories to inform, inspire, and connect. She's also the founder of an award-winning live storytelling series in Sioux City, Iowa, where she's coached over 150 community members to share their true stories since 2016. A few of her favorite things are hiking, plants, good design, dark chocolate, and contemporary art. Want to try yoga? She's a certified teacher.

Ally has been with the Foundation since 2020

Omaha has always felt like a big, small town to Melisa; she loves that there is always something to do on the weekends and all the local restaurants there are to choose from. A true Midwesterner, Melisa can drive a tractor and is a super-fan of her alma mater's football team; she has only missed six Iowa State games since 2000.

Melisa has been with the Foundation since 2007

Born and raised in Omaha, Nicole can’t imagine raising her kids anywhere else. She’s passionate about creating opportunities and supporting the next generation. In her free time, she likes walking or biking on Omaha’s many trails, taking time to reflect and enjoy nature. Favorite meal? Anything with queso.

Nicole has been with the Foundation since 2022

Beckie loves that Omaha-Council Bluffs is working to improve in all aspects of community life. It isn’t easy, but watching the effort being made is worth it. Personally, she's committed to supporting children, animal rights, and the theater. Her daughter introduced her to the theatre years ago, and now she’s hooked on attending as many shows as possible. She particularly loves the many small community theaters throughout Omaha.

Beckie has been with the Foundation since 2006

Diane’s philanthropic interests are mostly directed towards those who cannot help themselves, especially animals. She loves the feeling of helping others through her work—and that there is something to smile about every day at OCF. Omaha-Council Bluffs has always felt like home to her; she can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Diane has been with the Foundation since 2001

Yvette loves to support nonprofits that lean toward children, animals, and cancer organizations. Yvette appreciates that our community is quieter and less hectic than a typical big city. She and her family enjoy going for bike rides on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Council Bluffs.

Yvette has been with the Foundation since 2013

Kristin brings a wealth of accounting knowledge to OCF with experience in the public sector, nonprofits, and small businesses. In looking for a new accounting role, it was important she found a place where her talents were helping make her community better. Omaha has always been home and Kristin loves walking just about anywhere in town and maybe stopping at a new coffee shop along the way.

Kristin has been with the Foundation since 2021

Jody has always worked in accounting, most recently at a tractor dealership in Ocala, Florida. Yes, she's a lifelong Floridian now living in Nebraska. She loves to read when has a moment to herself. Most of her time is spent with her family, and they enjoy watching movies and going to concerts. They’re also foodies and looking forward to exploring Omaha’s restaurant scene.

Jody has been with the Foundation since 2022

Michelle has loved accounting since high school and followed her passion. She sees her fascination with numbers as a constant challenge in an ever-growing field. This comes through in her hobbies, too. Michelle is a quilter, which requires measurements and math. Getting together with friends to laugh and sew is an added bonus.

Michelle has been with the Foundation since 2022

Stacey gets excited about coming together with others to learn about the emerging needs in our community. She has enjoyed participating in two local giving circles (Omaha Venture Group and 100 Women Who Care Omaha) where the collective gifts can have a greater impact than what would be possible if everyone acted on their own. Fun fact: Stacey performed in a leading role in an opera during her undergraduate years.

Stacey has been with the Foundation since 2014

Sydney returns to her hometown after being Program Director at Storytime Village in Wichita, Kansas. She is excited to be that connector between nonprofits and the resources they need to get their work done. Don’t be surprised if she responds to a question in a foreign language. She studied French for 10 years and is currently learning Italian.

Sydney has been with the Foundation since 2021

Meridith has a passion for place-making and works to promote community development through public policy, advocacy, and community engagement. Prior to leading Front Porch Investments, Meridith served as a Program Associate in Community Development Initiatives at The Sherwood Foundation, where she focused on affordable housing, transit, and neighborhood development. She has worked towards addressing equitable access to opportunity and completed the first Regional Assessment of Fair Housing for the Omaha-Council Bluffs municipal area, as well as helped to implement the Housing Affordability assessment released in Spring of 2021 for the Greater Omaha Metropolitan Area.

Naomi is passionate about community building, diversity, and accessibility in online and physical spaces, and is equally driven by a vision of adequate affordable housing so folks can thrive, not just survive, in the places they call home. Naomi previously served in executive leadership at Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, and consulted with nonprofits and organizations on inclusive program design, mutual aid and housing solutions. In addition to recently leading the COVID-19 eviction prevention and rental assistance program, and the 2020-2021 Winter Plan non-congregate shelter efforts in Omaha, Naomi is a licensed Realtor, and recently ran for Omaha City Council in West Omaha.

Eva is passionate about creating opportunities for children, families, and communities to thrive. She is committed to upstream systems-change and partnerships to achieve lasting impact. She recently completed an MBA with a focus on strategy, partnership, and organizational effectiveness. Eva has worked for the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, in several child-serving nonprofits in Phoenix, and in the Arizona Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families. She is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), a graduate of Leadership Omaha, and a member of the Leadership Omaha Curriculum Committee.

Eva has been with the Foundation since 2022

Tess Houser is passionate about community progress and believes in the power of authentic relationships and resource sharing to bring about lasting change. Committed to the advocacy of access, equity, and community voice, Tess seeks to be a resource to others, connecting them with opportunities to advance their missions and celebrate their work, both personally and professionally.

Tess has been with the Foundation since 2019

Kali Lynn Baker passed away on Friday, October 2, 2020 at age 44, due to complications from breast cancer that had more recently metastasized to her liver. At the end, she was surrounded by loved ones and passed peacefully and painlessly. Kali began her career in Omaha in the marketing departments at Borsheims and Kiewit, before ultimately taking her talents to the Omaha Community Foundation (OCF) where she served first as Director of Communications, and then as Vice President of Community Investment until her passing. It was at the Foundation that she was able to channel her devotion to community into a career. Throughout her 13 years at OCF, Kali spearheaded Omaha Gives, the community’s 24-hour celebration of giving, and launched The Landscape, a comprehensive community-indicator project incorporating policy and data. Kali’s love of community and caring for others defined her life.