About

Boldly and intentionally embracing participatory philanthropy to put money where youth voice is.

Inclusive Participation

For years, we’ve been known for providing supportive funding directly to youth and youth serving organizations across Nebraska. Now, we’re asking for your participation in helping to ensure our good reputation remains steadfast.

Our plans are to boldly do away with traditional grant making by intentionally embracing participatory philanthropy –  collaborating with young people, nonprofit partners, community members with lived experience, and local stakeholders.

Thank you for joining us as we grow to be better grant makers. Through inclusive participation, we will continue Arvilla’s legacy of engaging youth to determine what “investing in the good life for kids” really means.

Participate Today to join us to put money where youth voice is!


Vision

Nebraska youth thrive within inclusive communities and participatory systems of care.

Mission

To empower youth, inspire change makers and energize partnerships for impact.

Values

Youth Voice

Community Wisdom

Meaningful Engagement

Collaborative Learning

Trust through Transparency

Board Members & Staff

Andrew Hunzeker

Board Member, Project Grant & Scholarship Chairperson

View Bio

Andrew is outreach services manager for the EducationQuest Foundation in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. He works with community agencies in western and central Nebraska to help clients research college options, find scholarship resources, learn about financial aid, complete college applications and complete the FAFSA.

Andrew joined the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors in 2020.

Denise Harris

Past President, Vice President, Development Committee

View Bio

The importance of volunteerism was instilled in Denise at a young age by her parents, who demonstrated the value of giving back to a cause greater than themselves. Her motivation stems from a deep appreciation for nonprofits that seek to improve the quality of life for others—one program at a time.

Denise is a native of Alliance and has been an active volunteer in the nonprofit community. Most recently she served as the board president for the Alliance Recreation Center from 2014 through 2020. She is the materials manager at Parker-Hannifin, where she has worked for the past nine years.

Denise joined the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors in 2021.

Dustin Chester

Board Treasurer, Development Committee

View Bio

Since 2020, Dustin has served as a board member and treasurer for the Snow-Redfern Foundation. He is a Kansas native, Red Angus cattle producer and senior vice president of Farmers State Bank in Alliance.

In 2000, Dustin earned an Agricultural Economics degree from Kansas State University and has been in community banking since his graduation.

Dustin moved to the Nebraska panhandle in 2012, is active as an Alliance Rotarian with the Crawford FFA Alumni and is a production agriculture advocate. Outside of work and volunteering, he can most often be found working on the ranch or spending time with friends and family.

Dustin joined the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors in 2020.

Leslie Shaver

Board Member, Development & Marketing Committee Chairperson

View Bio

Leslie is currently the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. She is originally from Hemingford and prior to her career in higher education, Leslie worked for seven years as an attorney practicing law throughout the panhandle with Simmons Olsen Law Firm. Leslie has experience with a variety of boards and organizations aimed toward impacting lives and communities within the panhandle, and throughout the State. The importance of giving back to others and the community was instilled in Leslie from her parents and grandparents, as well as from the family found in her employers. She looks forward to the opportunity to continue to make an impact with the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors.
Her service to the Snow-Redfern board is informed by two strong beliefs. First, “Each person is made in the image of God and each life is sacred.” Second, “Each of us is blessed to be a blessing.” These beliefs echo in Snow-Redfern’s efforts to help young people strive and succeed in spite of challenging circumstances. The young poet Amanda Gorman reminds us that “…there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” The Snow-Redfern Foundation, those we support and our benefactors who make the work possible are lights. The light that is shared helps young people embrace their own light, ensuring we all will have a brighter future.

Ellen joined the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors in 2015.

Teresa Sanders

Board Member, Young Women's Leadership Chairperson, Grant Committee

View Bio

Teresa, her husband Tom, and their two children Wade and Josie ranch northeast of Alliance in the sandhills. In addition to ranching, she manages Diamond T Livestock Services, a business she started 26 years ago that operates nationally with a focus in the beef industry.

Teresa is passionate about youth programs and not only has a vision to see all youth thrive, but to grow and develop into leaders. She devotes many volunteer hours to youth and community programs and loves everything about western Nebraska – especially the rural setting and the people.

She is blessed to have the opportunity to serve on the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors and is committed to having a positive impact on the people and organizations they are involved with.

Jordan Diedrich

Board Member, Development & Marketing Committee

View Bio

Jordan Diedrich is the Executive Director of Twin Cities Development. Jordan started with the organization in January of 2022. He has lived in Nebraska for 12 years, 7 of those years in Western Nebraska. Jordan was previously the Deputy Director of Public Works for the City of Scottsbluff for five years. He has a passion for community engagement and has been involved with NEXT Young Professionals, Riverside Discovery Center, and United Way. He is also a graduate of Leadership Scotts Bluff. Jordan has a 5-year-old daughter, Olivia who is a kindergartener at St. Agnes, and a two-year-old, Charlotte. His wife is a counselor at Gering Public High School.

Jordan joined the board in January 2024.

Sean Ridgeway

Board Secretary, Development Committee

View Bio

Sean joined the board in January, 2022.

Mara Andersen

Board President, Career Pathways Chairperson, Grant Committee

View Bio

Mara is the executive director of the Alliance Recreation Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to unifying and strengthening the community of Alliance, Nebraska. She is dedicated to ensuring children of all ages and income levels have access to unique learning opportunities. She also serves on the board for the Alliance Chamber of Commerce.

Mara joined the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors in 2021.

Stephanie Vadnais

Board Member, Grant Committee

View Bio

Stephanie Vadnais serves as the Program and Compliance Specialist at Beyond School Bells, a program of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. In her position, Stephanie plays a crucial role in providing support to Afterschool and Summer programs throughout the state of Nebraska. Growing up in Aurora, she is deeply committed to strengthening all of Nebraska’s communities by fostering strong relationships and providing extensive resources. Stephanie flourishes in collaborative environments that acknowledge, empower, and celebrate the unique qualities of individuals. Stephanie currently lives in Lincoln with her husband Jesse, two sons (11 and 8), and their lovable Goldendoodle.

Stephanie joined the board in January 2024.

Brett Omar

Board Member

View Bio

Brett is a mental health therapist as well as co-owner at Seasons of Hope Counseling in Alliance. He earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2011 and completed his Masters in Community Counseling at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2014. Brett worked at Mercy Hospital’s inpatient psychiatric unit in Council Bluffs, IA for nearly 8 years. He then became the lead program therapist that the Child and Adolescent Partial Program. This position allowed Brett to work closely with youth struggling with mental health needs as well as coordinate care. He then joined a private practice in the Omaha area for two years before moving to Alliance and starting Seasons of Hope Counseling.

Brett was born and raised in Omaha and met his wife Taylor, an Alliance native, while she was living in Omaha. They moved to Alliance in 2020 and have a son Oliver who is 4 years old and currently attends St. Agnes Pre-School and a daughter, Theadora, who will be one years old in February.

Brett joined the board in January 2024.

Tom Elliot

Board Member, Development Committee

View Bio

Tom joined the board of directors in January of 2022.

Rob Eirich

Board Member, Grant Committee

View Bio

Eirich is a native of Bayard, NE, raised on the family farming/ranch operation near Chimney Rock. He is passionate about youth development, resilient rural communities and being an advocate for agriculture.

With degrees from the University of Wyoming (BS) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (MS), he has spent nearly 20 years with Nebraska Extension focusing on 4-H & Youth Development and Beef Cattle Systems, but more recently in University Engagement and Extension Administration.

Rob and his wife, Joanna reside near Scottsbluff. They enjoy spending time with Joanna’s grown children and two grandsons. Other interests and hobbies include photography, watching or judging livestock show, and visiting his brothers on the family operation.

Rob joined the Snow-Redfern Foundation board in 2023.

Rosey Higgs

Board Member, Development and Marketing Committee

View Bio

Rosey earned her BSW and MSW degrees from the University of Nebraska Omaha, where she also serves as an adjunct instructor. She has extensive and varied experience in the nonprofit sector, including work in child welfare, domestic violence, homelessness, intellectual and developmental disability, HIV prevention, and mentoring as well as development, program evaluation, and strategic planning. She has a passion for collaborative work and capacity building.

Rosey also serves on the Board of Directors for the ACLU of Nebraska and Equal Play Inspiring Confidence (EPIC) For Girls. She formerly served on the Boards of the Maha Festival & The Big Garden, as well as on the ENOA Foster Grandparents Advisory Council. She is a graduate of Nonprofit Executive Institute Class 4, Leadership Omaha Class 35, Leadership Council Bluffs Class 31, and ICAN Defining Leadership 2014. Rosey lives in Omaha with her wife, their dog and their two cats. She is constantly and unapologetically covered in pet hair.

Rosey joined the Snow-Redfern Foundation board in 2023.

Karla Bennetts

Board Member, Grant Committee

View Bio

Karla moved to Wilcox, Nebraska with her husband and four youngest children in 2008 from Denver Colorado.

One of her core values is to show value and care to every human. Her passion for children comes from life experience which includes being the oldest sister in a family of eight children, parenting seven children (now ages 42 – 18 years old), and providing foster care for ten years. She enjoys photography, travel and spending time with her large family, and thirteen grandchildren.

She has been the Executive Director at Families CARE since 2011. This job is a great fit, where the primary focus is on providing support to parents of children in Central and Northern Nebraska with mental and behavioral health struggles. Karla is also a Board member on the Nebraska Foster Care Review Board and is on the Central Community College Advisory Board for Human Services.

In 2016, Karla graduated with her Associates Degree in Human Services from Central Community College, along with Certification in Business Supervisory & Management, and Chemical Dependency.

Karla joined the Snow-Redfern Foundation Board in 2023.

Megan Walter

Board Member, Development and Marketing Committee

View Bio

Megan is currently the Manager of Customer Engagement for the fifth largest public gas utility in the United States, Metropolitan Utilities District (M.U.D.) of Omaha. In her work there, her passion lies with community outreach and helping fundraising efforts for the M.U.D. Home Fund, a program where 100% of donations goes directly to helping families in need receive utility assistance.

Megan is excited for the opportunity to have an impact on the lives of children in Nebraska. She was raised in Alliance, NE before leaving after high school to attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney and ultimately moving to Omaha to be closer to family. She still has strong ties to her hometown as the softball complex in Alliance is named after her father, Hal Murray.

Megan joined the Snow-Redfern Board of Directors in 2023.

Sara Wilcox

Executive Director

View Bio

Sara Wilcox is the Executive Director of the Snow-Redfern Foundation, where she leads the organization's efforts to empower youth, inspire changemakers, and energize partnerships for impact. With a background in nonprofit management within child and youth systems of care and a passion for participatory philanthropy, Sara is committed to amplifying community wisdom, youth voice, meaningful engagement, and collaborative learning. Prior to joining the Snow-Redfern Foundation, Sara held leadership roles in several nonprofit organizations, where she gained valuable experience in program implementation and development, strategic planning, and building partnerships for impact.

Sara is passionate about weaving innovative solutions and youth-driven practices into all aspects of the child-serving spectrum, cultivating opportunities, and leveraging the power of collaboration. She envisions a future centering on the leadership, wisdom, and voices of youth and the communities that raise them up, including redistributing power to youth and communities directly affected by issues addressed through philanthropic funding support.

Sara is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney and has received various certifications over the years. Her greatest blessing is to be a wife and the mother of two amazing young adults, two active teenagers, and a dog that believes he is a child. Though she is passionate about her work, she also enjoys teaching yoga, hiking, reading, camping, and serving on other nonprofit boards.

Amy Gullion

Executive Assistant

View Bio

Amy has had several roles with the Snow-Redfern Foundation, formerly known as Nebraska Boys Ranch, over the 30 years she has served. First, she served as a house parent at the Ranch with her husband, Steve, which encompassed a variety of responsibilities for the care of the residents.

Amy then worked as an assistant to the campus administrator at the Ranch. The last few years before the Ranch closed, she worked at the business office in Alliance. After the Foundation evolved into a grantmaking entity, Amy was offered a part-time position as an executive assistant. Steve and Amy have three children—Danny, Allison and Scott—who grew up at the Ranch.

“It is very heartwarming to see how the Foundation continues Arvilla Snow-Redfern’s wishes of helping youth and families across Nebraska.”
Amy is a true living demonstration of the foundation’s mission and has given her all to serving her community and youth. Her dedication and hard work are beyond comparison and her smile lights up every room she enters.

Amy has been with Snow-Redfern for nearly 35 years!

Maycee Quick

Youth Engagement Coordinator

View Bio

Maycee Quick is currently a Master of Business Administration student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she also earned her bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management with minors in Business Management and Leadership Communications. As a Western Nebraska native, Maycee is ecstatic to facilitate community engagement and youth empowerment across the state as the Youth Engagement Coordinator.

Currently, Maycee is the SLICE (Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement) Graduate Assistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her role focuses on leading a student advisory board that promotes student involvement across the student population. Maycee has worked in strategic event planning and community growth within a variety of communities in Nebraska through Rural Extension. She is excited to be working with the Snow-Redfern Foundation as this position aligns perfectly with her vision of empowering youth and enhancing community systems throughout Nebraska.

Name

Title