Central Platte NRD Staff
You may email any of our staff by clicking on their name or call the NRD office at:
(308) 385-6282 between the hours of 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Ron Bishop General Manager
I am responsible for seeing that all the programs, projects and priorities of the Central Platte NRD Board of Directors are carried out in a timely and efficient manner. I am also responsible for all NRD staff and their activities, act as contracting officer for the District, and I oversee the long-range and short-term planning and finances of the District. Ron recently implemented the first Water Bank program in Nebraska. He began his career in 1968 for the Mid-Platte Valley Watershed, which was merged into the Natural Resources Districts. Ron has been employed by the NRD since 1972 when the NRDs were formed.
Milt Moravek Assistant Manager/Projects Director
I oversee all construction projects from conception to completions. My duties include management when the General Manager is absent, managing the Groundwater Management Program, Legislation, Buffer Strip Program, Feedlot Inspection Program and I'm a member of the State Pesticide Board. I started my career with the Soil & Water Conservation Commission in 1967 and then worked for the Mid-Platte Valley Watershed, which was merged into the Natural Resources Districts. I assist with certifying irrigated acres, variance transfers and purchasing water for the Water Bank. Milt has been employed by the NRD since 1972 when the NRDs were formed.
Dianne Miller Administrative Director I assist the General Manager with the administrative aspects of the District and serve as office manager. I also oversee the accounting system, including investments, payroll and related items, prepare payments to vendors, compute amounts to be billed to project co-sponsors and the State on various projects. I assist with developing budget recommendations, finalize and submit the annual budget to the state auditor and county clerks, prepare election certifications for the Secretary of State and the county election commissioners. I oversee the District’s operations insurance and draft the board meeting minutes. I serve on the NRD/NARD Employees Benefits Committee and the NARD Intergovernmental Risk Management Pool Association Loss Control Committee. Dianne and her husband Ray reside in Grand Island. Dianne began working for the Mid-Platte Valley Watershed in 1971, which was merged into the Natural Resources Districts. Dianne has been employed by the NRD since 1972 when the NRDs were formed.
Tom Backer Projects Assistant
I'm responsible for managing the tree planting crew, reading wells for gallons per minute and tagging wells with ID's for the Groundwater Management Plan. I'm also do all of the physical maintenance of the NRD's projects including Prairie/Silver/Moores, Kearney Northeast, Wood River Floodway, and 40 flood control dams. Tom and his wife Jody have two children- Kayla and Nathan. Tom has been employed by the NRD since 1984.
Sara Carlson District Secretary, Merrick County Field Office
I'm the Merrick County Secretary for the NRCS/CPNRD in the Merrick County Field office. My duties include incoming and outgoing telephone calls, ordering supplies, sending correspondence letters, keeping track of irrigation records, updating farm folders with new farms and transferring out farms to different counties. I also assist with many different NRD and conservation programs. Sara and her husband Byron have two children- Kenslei and Kyler. Sara has been employed with the CPNRD since 2007.
David Carr
Range Management Specialist
I am the Prescribed Fire Program manager and NRD Safety Program coordinator. I work with private landowners, and other organizations to successfully plan, implement and monitor prescribed fires, which are done for rangeland and habitat improvement. My duties include planning and coordinating fire training, and public education involving the safe use of prescribed fire. I help out wherever is necessary including taking water samples, depth to groundwater measurements, and collection of gallons per minute measurements on irrigation wells. David and his wife Jen have two sons- Darren and Josh. Dave has been employed by the NRD since 2004.
Dan Clement Water Resources Specialist
Dan's duties include issuing groundwater well permits, assisting in updating water well registrations, technical assistance in well decommissioning, setting up the water quality sampling protocol and measuring surface flow in the rivers and streams throughout the NRD. He is also the vadoses zone coordinator and helps with chemigation systems inspections, reading irrigation well flows and taking GPS locations as part of Central Platte NRD's Groundwater Management Plan. Dan is involved in the Variance Program and Water Banking Activities. Dan and his wife Peggy have three children- Emalie, Paul and Amanda. Dan has been employed by the NRD since 1988.
Kelly Cole Programs Coordinator
As Programs Coordinator I manage the following programs: Conservation Tree Program, Central Platte's cost share programs, the state cost share programs including NSWCP, Buffer Strip Program, Well Decommissioning and WILD Nebraska, and the Pheasants Forever Pivot Corner Program. I work with the Central Platte NRD awards program and handle all travel arrangements for both the staff and the board of directors. I also help in coordinating the Nebraska Children's Groundwater Festival. Kelly and her husband Josh have two sons- Jaydn and Jaryk. Kelly has been employed by the NRD since 2001.
Mark Czaplewski Biologist
As staff biologist at Central Platte NRD, I am involved in a variety of tasks including participation in the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. This basin-wide effort to aid in the conservation of threatened and endangered species using the central Platte River. My participation includes membership on the Land Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, Adaptive Management Work Group, and alternate to the Governance Committee. I also help out on such efforts as the Nebraska Habitat Conservation Coalition, Lower Platte Basin Coalition, and am Coordinator for the Platte Basin Habitat Enhancement Project. I work on in-stream flow issues, wetland projects and a variety of endangered and non-game species matters as the arise. Mark and his wife Rita have three children- Rachel, Bridget and John. Mark has been employed by the NRD since 1997.
Deb Jarzynka Secretary/Receptionist
I am CPNRD's receptionist/secretary, and my job duties include a variety of things. I'm the person who greets people when they come in or call in and get them to the staff person who can help them. I order office supplies, maintain the copy machines, distribute incoming faxes and maintain the filing system. I prepare and make the bank deposits and open all of the incoming mail and deliver it to the staff. I type, copy, scan etc. items for the staff. I also get the monthly board meeting packets and cards put together and ready to mail out to the directors and others. I type the agenda and financial report handed out at the monthly board meeting. I keep track of the calender, prepare and send out the quarterly travel, and expense reports to directors. I keep record of staff leave and make copies of all of the bills we have received;for payment and mail out with the checks. Deb and her husband Randy have one daughter- Melinda. Deb has been employed by the NRD since 1988.
Samantha Keith District Secretary, Dawson County Field Office
Dean Krull Demonstration Project Coordinator, UNL
As an employee of the University of Nebraska and a long time partner with the Central Platte NRD, my duties are to conduct field demonstrations with the agricultural clientele throughout the district and focus on Best Management Practices that coincide with the Groundwater Management Plan set by the District. Dean has partnered with the NRD since 1980.
Angela Lau District Secretary, Hall County Field Office
Angela serves as a NRCS-CPNRD Field Office Secretary in Grand Island. She serves as the first point of contact for NRCS-CPNRD by receiving and directing incoming phone calls and walk-in customers to appropriate NRCS-CPNRD staff members. She is also responsible for data entry, electronic data backup, file system management, correspondence, supplies purchasing, office facilities management, and administrative assistance for NRCS-CPNRD conservation programs. Angela has been employed by the NRD since 2011.
Marcia Lee Information/Education Specialist
'Information' responsibilities include the In Perspective newsletter, NRD & Fire Council websites, creating/updating brochures, developing agendas for board meetings and keeping the public and media up-to-date about happenings at the NRD. 'Education' responsibilities include working with K-12 natural resources programs including: NR Corner education newsletter, co-coordinating the Nebraska Children's Groundwater Festival, Outdoor Classroom Program, NRD Scholarship program, Central Region Envirothon, Land Judging and Range Judging contests, and presentations as requested by schools and the community. I'm a member of the Grand Island Groundwater Guardian Team that implemented the Outdoor Learning Area at the Nebraska State Fair. Marcia and her husband Jay have three children- Aisha, Alec and Ashton. Marcia has been employed by the NRD since 1999.
Shelly Lippincott District Secretary, Buffalo County Field Office
I am the NRCS-CPNRD field office Secretary in Kearney. My job is file management, ordering and tracking, quarterly reports to NRCS state office, yearly Irrigation water management records to producers, incoming and outgoing land transfers, assist with NRD conservation programs. I grew up in Denver, Colorado and spent lots of time fishing, camping, and hiking in the mountains. I’m married to Dan Lippincott, who is an electrician for Gibbon Packing. I have 2 children, LeRaya and Andrey. On my spare time I go hunting, fishing, camping, and mud dragging with my husband and son. My daughter and I do girly things like watch movies, shop, and scrapbook. Shelly has been employed by the NRD since 2000.
Shane Max Resources Conservationist
Jesse Mintken GIS Coordinator
As GIS Image Analyst, I'm responsible for the creation, dissemination and maintenance of the Geo-spatial Waterbanking and Certified Acres databases. I perform GIS analysis, field collection of data using GPS and mobile mapping as well as computer troubleshooting, map production, dissemination of information to County Assessors and updating of the Certified Irrigated Acres website. I work closely with farmers and landowners to estimate the impact of newly irrigated acres on the Platte River. I help out wherever is necessary including taking water samples, depth to groundwater measurements, and collection of gallons per minute measurements on irrigation wells. Jesse has been employed by the NRD since 2007.
Sandy Noecker Data and Compliance Officer
My duties as Data and Compliance Officer include maintaining and compiling the records and data for the District's Groundwater Management Program for Water Quality & Quantity, and the Chemigation Program; check well registrations and make necessary corrections; make recommendations to management on the purchase of office equipment and maintenance contracts; assist and train office staff on computer software and office equipment; and develop spreadsheet and database programs for staff as needed. Sandy has been employed by the NRD since 1979.
Angela Warner GIS Coordinator
Angela provides technical assistance in the design, maintenanace, development and creation of databases, maps and other related GIS (Global Information Systems) projects. She deals particularly with the certification of irrigated acres and waterbank transfers allowed within the District. Additional duties include: acting as a liaison with the county assessors, assisting with well registrations, and troubleshooting GIS issues. Angela and her husband Shawn have one daughter- Sonja. Angela has been employed by the NRD since 2006.
Duane Woodward Engineering Hydrologist
As District Hydrologist at Central Platte NRD, my duties center around surface water and groundwater studies. The Platte River Cooperative Hydrology Study (COHYST) requires much of my time as I work with others to develop the groundwater database and regional groundwater models for the Platte River Area above Columbus, NE. The Conjunctive Management Study, the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and Water Action Plan committees are additional items I am involved with for the NRD. Other hydrology work task include high groundwater investigations and storm water runoff from precipitation events. Duane has been employed by the NRD since 1992.
Luke Zakrzewski GIS Image Analyst
My primary duties involve assisting with maintaining databases associated with certifying irrigated acres. I also assist with the NRD's Water Bank, which is used to keep track of water reductions so that the reductions may be used to offset new uses in order to maintain the current balance between use and availability. Other responsibilities include developing and managing GIS/GPS datasets for other NRD projects and occasional field work when needed. My wife, Becky, is an elementary school teacher and we have two boys, Jacob (4) and Owen (10 months). I graduated from UNK in 2002 with a BS in Wildlife Biology. Luke has been employed by the NRD since 2011.