Amanda Barker, Lincoln Community Foundation
Amanda serves as the Director for Community Engagement + Partnerships at LCF. She previously served as senior advisor to the mayor of Lincoln, managing a portfolio of federal and state policy and liaising for the Parks and Libraries departments. She also previously served as the Deputy Executive Director and Director of Civic Health at Civic Nebraska, where she expanded civic health programming to rural Nebraska and developed a civil discourse curriculum. In short, Amanda's life's work is to provide individuals with the tools to meaningfully contribute to the civic fabric of their community.
Michelle Birkel, Southeast Community College Educational Foundation
Michelle Birkel has served as ED of the SCC Foundation since '21, leading fundraising efforts to support scholarships, capital projects & program needs across SCC’s 15-county service area. Previously, she was with Partners in Mission, working nationally with school leaders on advancement, leadership, and board development. From '05–'17, she served as Director of Advancement at Pius X, where philanthropic support reached record levels. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UNL and lives in Lincoln with her husband, Paul. Together, they have 4 children and 8 grandchildren.
