Our Team

Keep Nebraska Beautiful Staff

Robert “Bob” Verkuilen,
President and CEO

Bob joined Keep Nebraska Beautiful as President and CEO in March 2021. His love of the outdoors is a great fit with KNB’s mission to reduce waste, increase recycling efforts and beautify our communities. He looks forward to putting his energy and experience towards increasing awareness for KNB and working alongside the KNB Staff and Board to enhance existing and develop new programs. Bob received his degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN). Before joining the KNB Team, Bob spent fourteen years in the investment industry and the last twelve years in development/fundraising. In his free time, Bob enjoys golfing, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.


Pete Stadig,
Programs Director

Pete’s 20 year commitment to KNB is fueled by his desire to help realize the goal of socioeconomic and environmental sustainability. As Programs Director, he takes special interest in the Materials Exchange and Food Waste Reduction Programs, producing both The Link, and ReFresh Nebraska quarterly newsletters. He is also passionate about helping schools dispose of hazardous chemicals through the School Chemical Cleanout Campaign. A graduate of UNL, Pete is the proud father of 2 great kids, and a prairie lover. In his free time, he loves camping, kayaking, playing disc golf, hiking in nature, and biking.

Melanie Brinkman,
Program Manager

Melanie joined Keep Nebraska Beautiful in July 2021 and as a Lincolnite, she believes in KNB’s mission of inspiring Nebraskans to take steps to improve and beautify our state. Melanie aspires to educate more Nebraskans of the effectiveness to reduce gratuitous landfill in our local communities by participating in programs like Litter-Free School Zones and helping communities with their cleanups. Melanie loves walking through the local parks with her two daughters, finding treasures while thrift shopping, and rollerskating.

Rachel Oceguera,
Program Associate

Rachel Oceguera joined Keep Nebraska Beautiful in May 2023. She is a recent graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Environmental Studies and a lifetime of passion for sustainability. She has been volunteering with KNB affiliates for more than half of her life! Rachel’s role involves encouraging Nebraskans to participate in programs like Materials Exchange, while showcasing our work through social media and graphic design. In her free time, Rachel loves to critique movies, explore nature, create pottery, and go thrifting with loved ones.

Keep Nebraska Beautiful Board of Directors

Steve Mossman

Steve Mossman

Chair

Steve is a gubernatorial appointment to the KNB Board of Directors​. He is one of the leading attorneys in the Midwest in the areas of natural resources and environmental law, solid waste law, water law, and agricultural law. When not in the office or spending time with his three daughters, Steve enjoys spending time outdoors running, hunting and fishing.  He also enjoys politics and public policy, literature, University of Nebraska athletics, and current events.

Blake Peterson

Blake Peterson

board member

“I first became involved with KNB because of a desire to enact positive change on the environment I call home. I see the organization as being a cornerstone for environmental education in Nebraska, and I am thankful for the opportunity to help expand our programs. I am very excited about our new newly recognized “Keep Nebraska Beautiful Day” on June 25th as I hope it encourages people to get out and beautify their communities.”

Daryl Cisney

Daryl Cisney

Board Member

Cisney, an alumnus of UNL in Agriculture, Agronomy and Natural Resources, is from Ogallala, Nebraska. He has been active in Nebraska Range Youth Camp, Citizens’ Advisory Board – UNL Center for Grassland Studies, and president of the Keep Keith County Beautiful Board of Directors. Daryl has received an Alumni Achievement Award from the Association of UNL -College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resource Alumni, and a Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award from Society for Range Management International. Daryl’s long list of service and achievements shows that he is an enthusiast for Nebraska’s natural resources improvement.

Julie Sommer

Julie Sommer

Board Member

A lifelong Nebraskan with a deep appreciation for the state’s natural beauty, Julie holds degrees from UNO and UNL and has spent over a decade at UNMC advancing science and sustainability. She serves on the Executive Sustainability Council and is passionate about conservation both locally and globally—previously working as an eXXpedition ambassador and with Friends of Roatan on waste reduction efforts. A dedicated camper and explorer of Nebraska’s parks, she and her husband are raising their three children to love the outdoors as much as they do. She’s excited to support local impact through her service on the board.

David Miller

David Miller

Vice Chair

David is an avid outdoors enthusiast, conservationist and a lifelong resident of the State of Nebraska.  He has spent 17 years volunteering for various organization including the Boy Scouts of America, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and has had several leadership roles in other community based non-profit organizations. David joined the KNB board to become more involved in an organization that manages programs that have a beneficial impact on Nebraska. The school chemical cleanout is his favorite KNB program. Professionally, he manages the engineering department for a renewable plastics manufacturer.

Alan Bartels

Alan Bartels

Board Member

Bartels is a writer, photographer, gardener, student of nature, father, chronic volunteer, and wanderer.His award-winning children’s book, What’s Going Down in Prairie Dog Town? was published in 2018 and includes a foreword by primatologist Jane Goodall. His photograph of a Blanding’s turtle (photographed in the Nebraska Sandhills) appeared in the March 2020 issue of National Geographic Magazine. Bartels was previously named Conservation Educator of the Year by the Nebraska Wildlife Federation. Bartels and friends remove litter from a 2-mile stretch of highway near Calamus Reservoir.

Matthew Gutzmann

Matthew Gutzmann

Board member

“My favorite program is the School Chemical Cleanout. There’s a real need there, and I’m glad we are able to help fill it. My personal commitment to sustainability centers around the potential opportunities that re-purpose everything you can in manufacturing. I’ve had tremendous success by finding the value in wastes and finding things to do with them other than landfill them.”

Tory Kort

Tory Kort

Board Member

“My employer, Chief, has been a long term supporter of KNB. Through the years Chief has participated in KNB events and had a person on the board. I got involved through the annual golf fundraiser a number of years ago and more so when I began serving on the board in 2017.  I like all the KNB programs, but the ones that stand out to me are the School Chemical Cleanout, used oil, and the Materials Exchange.”

Eric Krakowski

Eric Krakowski

Board Member

Eric is the Assistant Principal at Duchesne Academy in Omaha where he also serves as Sustainability Coordinator. Under his leadership Duchesne became the first school in Omaha to implement composting and install solar panels. Duchesne was recognized as a US Department of Education “Green Ribbon School” in 2020 and in November 2022 achieved its goal of becoming “Zero Waste.” Eric is passionate about helping schools achieve their sustainability goals and enjoys his family, baseball, reading, and being in the great outdoors.

Adam Hoebelheinrich

Adam Hoebelheinrich

Treasurer

Adam was looking to get more involved in non-profits and had a client suggest KNB to him.  “It is an organization I believe in and I’m happy to be a part of. I really am proud of the work KNB does with schools to help inform the next generation of the mission to keep Nebraska beautiful.” Personally he works to keep nature as good or in most cases better than he found it and is working to pass that message on to his children!

Mike Bassett

Mike Bassett

board member

“I had a friend (Matthew Gutzmann) who was appointed to the board. After he had been on the board a little while he contacted me and said, ‘this is right up your alley’. I investigated and discovered that it did indeed align with my way of thinking and shortly thereafter I was nominated to join.” Personally, he is the Director of Operations for a company that makes polylactic acid(PLA) plastic from corn. “The plastic we produce has a much lower carbon footprint than plastics produced from oil and is recyclable and can be compostable.”

Kyle Hildebrand

Kyle Hildebrand

Board Member

“Nebraska is a very special place to me and I wanted to give something back, because I want it to stay beautiful for future generations. We all have an ethical responsibility to help where we can and I wanted to contribute to something I believe in. KNB allows me to put my time and environmental stewardship passion into a statewide organization that supports numerous beneficial programs revolving around a central goal.”

Dana Stahl

Dana Stahl

Affiliate Liasion

Originally from Northern Michigan, Dana’s path to conservation started early by picking up bottles and cans to earn money for her horses and college fund. A college environmental science class sparked a deeper passion for sustainability, and soon she had her entire family, including her 90-year-old grandmother, recycling. After earning a teaching degree, she moved to Kansas and unexpectedly began a six-year career in conservation. In 2018, after relocating to Nebraska, she connected with Keep Cass County Beautiful, where she went from board member to Assistant Director, and now serves as Director. She’s especially passionate about zero waste, composting, and believes in reducing consumption first before recycling. Outside of her work with KCCB, she’s a lifelong dog rescuer (currently mom to four rescue dogs and a horse), has hosted seven international exchange students, and loves to travel—having explored all 50 U.S. states and 32 countries. One of her guiding inspirations is Jane Goodall, whose words she lives by: “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Angela Ullman

Angela Ullman

Treasurer

“I am passionate about my home state and the organizations that work so hard to make it what it is! I’m excited to be a part of an organization with like-minded professionals who are passionate about the mission of Keep Nebraska Beautiful. The concept behind the materials exchange program is an exciting one and I very much appreciate the collaboration available to Nebraska businesses.” She comment on her own life: “Being a parent, we try to ‘lead by example’ by recycling everything that can be recycled. We also grow our own garden and walk/bike wherever we can (almost every day!). When we miss an opportunity for more sustainable living, our children are the first to let us know! I think their willingness and/or motivation to help us ‘course correct’ is certainly exciting for the future!”

Erin Ebmeier Peters

Erin Ebmeier Peters

Board Member

“My current role is the Manager of Construction Property & Facilities at Children’s Nebraska and my career has focused in construction project management in corporate, government, and healthcare environments. My credentials include a Bachelor’s of Science & Design Degree from UNL (Go Huskers!), an MBA from The George Washington University, NCIDQ Certification, and LEED AP accreditation in building design and construction.
I am excited to join the board at Keep Nebraska Beautiful with a focus on the Public Relations & Events Committee where I aim to support sustainability programs and efforts throughout our community and our state.”

Jamie Karstetter

Jamie Karstetter

Board Member

Jamie Karstetter is a native Nebraskan and an outdoor enthusiast with five children and two grandchildren. She has more than 20 years of combined proposal development, content creation and grant writing and editing experience. Jamie’s volunteer history includes serving on Omaha’s Keystone Community Task Force (KCTF) Board of Directors. Jamie considers it an honor to join the KNB Board and work with other Board Members to help maintain and promote the beauty and preservation of our great state & believes deeply in the program’s mission to improve and beautify our communities and that all Nebraskans have an individual responsibility for enhancing our environments.

Michael Linder

Michael Linder

Board Member

“I have been aware of KNB for many years and have appreciated all of the programs and the work of affiliates across the state. Nebraska is fortunate to have a strong, statewide network of local entities carrying out environmental stewardship. The opportunity to serve on the Board and help KNB and the local affiliates fulfill their mission was very appealing to me.” His favorite program is the School Chemical Cleanout which helps teachers, schools, the environment all in one.