Meet the Board

Gail Brand (NE), Central Regional Director

Gail BrandThis is my second year as serving as Central Regional Director and I have learned so much.  One of the most important things I have learned is how wonderful the members of the national board are. They are very caring people and care a lot about our organization and making it run at it’s best.  I would recommend anyone to run for an office on the National Board.  It will be a very rewarding experience for you, no matter what stage in your career you are.  Do it, you will enjoy it!

I have been Extension Educator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension for 20 years. The interesting part about the amount of years that I have been in Extension is I was in Extension for 6 years, left for 18 years, and came back for the last 14 years.  Extension has changed alot, but I still love it as much as I did when I was 25.  Extension is still about sharing research-based information with the families in our communities.  What has changed is the way we deliver our programs.

I have a B.S. Degree in Family and Consumer Science Education and a M.A. Degree in Housing and Human Development.  I provide educational opportunities for individuals and families in the areas of early childhood, parenting and building relationships. The last 2 year and half I have been working 40% of my time on a military grant to help childcare providers provide better care for our military families.  I also work with the communities in community development.  I helped in starting Seward County Bridges Coalition that has received many dollars in grants for individuals and families in Seward County.

I live in Seward, Nebraska about 35 miles east of Lincoln NE. My husband is a Vice President at Jones National Bank in Ag Lending. We have three grown children, our son lives in Indiana and our two daughters live in Nebraska about 1-2 hours away. All three are married and have great spouses.  We have six “perfect” grandchildren - 4 month, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of age. And at the present time we are hoping for more grandchildren!