Congressional staff dinner /reception

It is my very real pleasure to welcome you here tonight. We are so pleased to have this opportunity to talk with you about Nebraska agriculture and natural resources, and the work we in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources do as partners with Nebraska. We welcome your insights and your help in doing all we can to strengthen our efforts on behalf of Nebraska, where one in four people depends on agriculture for employment. That number underscores the importance of Nebraska's agricultural farm gate to consumer plate industry, as well as the importance of the work we conduct in IANR.

LEAD Group Presentation

Let me begin today by offering my congratulations to each of you who is a member of this new LEAD class. You are embarking upon a truly exciting, rewarding opportunity, important to both you and Nebraska. Our state needs good leaders, people dedicated to keeping our organizations, communities, and Nebraska strong, and moving forward. We need leaders of courage and compassion, able to think clearly, assess information, formulate a plan, and adjust that plan as needed. We need leaders who work toward a common good.

501(C)(3) Nonprofit Organizations in Nebraska: 2008

Nonprofit organizations are important to the quality of life in communities. They exist in complex variety and include church congregations, private schools, service clubs, business leagues, social and recreational clubs, labor unions, farm bureaus, community theaters, neighborhood organizations and many more. Only the largest of nonprofits are likely to have employees, with most relying upon volunteers to meet their human resource requirements. They obtain their financial resources through donations, investments, grants and fee based activities, such as festivals and educational programs.