Campus honors Blackwell, Hastreiter
Two outstanding employees have been honored by Central Community College-Columbus.
Britt Blackwell has been named Faculty Member of the Year.
The award is given annually to a Columbus Campus faculty member who displays excellence and innovation in teaching; rapport with students; and institutional, professional and community involvement.
Blackwell is a business administration and accounting instructor. He started at CCC in 2010 as an adjunct instructor at the Grand Island Campus and later accepted a full-time position at the Columbus Campus. From 2015 through 2020, he also was the men’s golf coach.
In 2011, he was appointed as project director of the Bahrain Entrepreneurship Project, a collaborative grant with CCC and Bahrain Polytechnic that was issued through USAID and Higher Education Department.
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One nominator said that Blackwell “showed a keen interest in the success of all of his students. He responded to questions in the classroom with concern that the concepts he was teaching were retained by all. When he became my advisor, he steered me to the 2+2 Guided Pathways. This gave me direction and clear goals as I worked through my classes at CCC. He took the time to encourage me along the way.”
“Professor Blackwell stands out as a supportive, encouraging and graceful academic leader,” said another nominator. “He has gone the extra mile more than once and generously addressed my needs as a remote student. He is responsive, courteous, and has instilled in me a strong desire to succeed in my courses.”
Blackwell earned a bachelor’s degree in animal business from Texas Tech in Lubbock and a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University in Tempe.
He and his wife, Deb, live in Fullerton.
Lora Hastreiter
Lora Hastreiter has been selected as the Employee of the Year.
The award is presented annually to a Columbus Campus employee who demonstrates dedication, enthusiasm and innovation as well as a rapport with students and other staff members and a willingness to go the extra mile.
Hastreiter has been the campus’ admissions director since 2022. Since joining the staff in 2001 as the first TRIO coordinator, she has served as career services director and health programming director.
“From her work with students to staff, I believe she is the epitome of what being a CCC employee should be,” her nominator said.
Hastreiter’s work with international students was specifically highlighted: “Her care for this unique population of students, helps them feel seen and cared for. From legal requirements, Department of Homeland Security meetings, and mounds of paperwork, Lora handles it all with grace.”
As a supervisor, the nomination says that “she is open to new ideas and encourages her staff to grow in all aspects, professionally and personally. She fosters an environment of open communication and trust that leads to success inside of a department.”
Her extensive community activities include the Teammates Mentoring Program, serving on the board of directors for Youth Leadership Columbus and United Way of Columbus, and involvement with the Platte County Health Coalition, Columbus Chamber Leadership Columbus and St. Isidore Catholic Church.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in human services and a master’s degree in counseling and student affairs practice in higher education from Wayne State College. She also is a Certified Career Development Facilitator and serves as a Designated School Official for working with international students.
She and her husband, Ted, live in Columbus. She has three sons and a stepson.
Not bored in Ord
Central Community College-Ord has a lot going on this spring for adults and kids.
The annual Gardening in the Valley event on April 28 drew a record 70 plant enthusiasts of all ages. Guests enjoyed educational presentations from area plant experts and master gardeners, shopped with local plant and garden vendors, and connected with others in the community.
The annual Babysitting 101 class gave 25 students ages 11-15 the opportunity to participate in CPR/AED and First Aid certification. Along with CPR certification, funded by the CCC Foundation and the Ord Center, they learned about babysitting safety and received care training for young children.
Military honors
For the third consecutive year, Central Community College has placed second in the 2026-27 Military Friendly School rankings for small community colleges.
Final ratings of more than 3,200 institutions were determined by their survey score, public data and an assessment of their ability to meet and exceed thresholds for student recruitment, retention, academic progress, graduation rates, career placement and support services for veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses.
“Central’s commitment to support this special group of students makes what I do so much easier and is reflected in great class grades and huge smiles on graduation day,” said Barry Horner, military services director.
CCC’s veterans and military resource centers (VMRC) in Columbus, Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney support to active duty, reservist and National Guard members; veterans; and their family members. The VMRC helps with transferring military credit, scholarships, career planning, registration and accessing military-related resources and programs.
“Earning the Military Friendly designation is more than a badge of honor; it is a reflection of an institution’s deep-rooted values and strategic commitment to those who served,” said Kayla Lopez, Military Friendly vice president of memberships.
CCC is showcased in the 2026-27 Guide to Military Friendly Schools in the April issue of G.I. Jobs magazine.
Wurdeman, Danhauer celebrate 25 years
Two individuals recently completed 25 years of service at Central Community College.
Jennifer Wurdeman
Jennifer Wurdeman of Columbus started work at the Columbus Campus on April 16, 2001, as a receptionist and then moved into an administrative assistant position that served both the admissions and athletics departments. That position shifted into one in which she continued to work with athletics but also took on event scheduling. In 2016, she became a full-time events coordinator and served in that position until 2022 when she became an administrative assistant in the student services office.
While she was events coordinator, she served as chair of the Columbus Visitors Organization, an experience for which she is grateful.
Prior to joining the CCC staff, Wurdeman worked in a doctor’s office and then as an assistant manager for the bar at a bowling center.
She is a graduate of Columbus High School and attended CCC-Columbus where she played volleyball for two years and summer softball but left before completing her degree. She later returned and earned an associate of applied science degree in office technology-medical office.
Together, she and her partner, Brian Soulliere, have two children and two grandchildren.
Marni Danhauer
Marni Danhauer of Marquette joined the CCC staff on May 21, 2001, as a grants accountant in the administrative office. After seven years, she moved into grant writing as the grants development coordinator and later became grants manager. In 2016, she transferred to the Hastings Campus where she served as associate dean of extended learning services for four years before returning to her previous position as grants manager. In 2023, she was promoted to her current position as dean of community and workforce education.
Her previous experience includes working as an accountant for West Interactive, a 900 service bureau, and as a regional controller for a nursing home management company, first in Denver and then in Kansas City. When the company decided to consolidate all their offices to Tennessee, she took the buyout and returned to Nebraska in 1998. She worked with a startup called Sequin Medical and for O’Malley Grain in Fairmont before joining the CCC staff.
Danhauer is a graduate of Marquette High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Midland Lutheran College and a master’s degree in business administration and accounting from Bellevue University. She also holds a community college leadership certificate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
She is a member of the ESU #7 and South Central Economic Development boards and a previous member of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce Board. She owns Jo-Jo’s Gelato and Grill in Aurora, which started its life 10 years ago as a food truck and moved into a building five years ago. An avid gardener, she has started a nursery business called Aurora Blooms.
Together, she and her husband, Jim, have four children and two grandchildren.
Employee news
Administrative Office
Robin Barrera has joined the staff as an information technology systems engineer.
Columbus Campus
Krynn Larsen, TRIO program area director, and Sara Pedersen, resource center assistant, have resigned from their positions. Larsen, however, will remain with CCC as an adjunct personal development instructor.
Two employees have shifted positions: Caitlin Simon, from head women’s softball coach to associate dean of career and technical sciences, and Colleen Vetick, from instructional technology specialist to distance mechatronics program director.
Grand Island Campus
Johnny Garcia, information technology services specialist, has resigned.
Randall “Randy” L. Zalman, 76, of Grand Island, died at his home on May 4, 2026.
Services were held June 13 at All Faiths Funeral Home.
He was born on Dec. 18, 1949, in Red Cloud, to Glen and Hazel (Miksch) Zalman. He graduated from Red Cloud High School in 1968 and later attended Central Community College where he received associate of applied science degrees in horticulture and data processing.
He enlisted and served in the U.S. Army, until his honorable discharge in 1973.
On Aug. 18, 1973, he married Vickie Dominguez. Two children were born into this union. The marriage ended in 2008, and he went on to meet his partner, Donna Anderson.
He began work at Central Community College-Hastings in 1975 as a building and grounds worker. In 1995, he transferred to the Grand Island Campus where he primarily worked in shipping and receiving.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Survivors include two children; Anderson’s three children and three grandchildren; and his brother.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his partner.
Memorials are suggested to CHI St. Francis Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab.
