Martin Griffith – Housing Specialist from April 6, 2015, to present. Martin also served as both Housing Specialist and Deputy Director from November 2023 to December 2024.

Tell us about your family: My wife Christi and I will be celebrating our 38^th wedding anniversary on November 7, 2025, and we have two adult children, son Tanner and daughter Haleigh. The eldest Tanner is a University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate, 32 years old, and a Project Manager for Northwind Group, which is a company based out of Idaho Falls Idaho. Tanner’s wife is Katie and Katie holds a master’s degree in nursing and is a Nursing Instructor at Iowa Western Community College. Tanner and Katie have a daughter named Parker who will be one year old on Christmas day 2025. The family lives in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Our daughter Haleigh is 28 years old, is a University of Nebraska Lincoln and University of Nebraska Medical Center graduate and is a licensed practicing Physician’s Assistant (PA) at CHI Ortho Trauma (Bergan Mercy) in Omaha. Haliegh lives in Elkhorn and is engaged to be married in 2026 to her fiancé Jackson Shepard. Jackson is a Fremont Police Officer.

Tell us about your pets: We are a family of cat lovers and Feral cat rescuers. We have house cats ranging from four to sixteen years old. Their names and ages are Solo 4, Scooter 5, Bear 6, Leo 6, Baby 9, Monster 10, Tiny 11, Blue 12, and Gizmo 16.

What is your dream vacation? I have already taken it. My favorite vacation would have been the Honeymoon my wife Christi and I took spending ten days on Ipanema each in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Ronald Reagan.

What’s one thing on your bucket list? Seeing my grandchildren grow up.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Helping Nebraskans improve their quality of life.

What is your favorite holiday/time of the year and why? Christmas because it affords me the most time with my family and it’s also my daughter’s and granddaughter’s shared Christmas day birthday.

What was the best gift you’ve ever received? The life my parents gave me.

What are you grateful for? Family.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Crab legs.

What kind of car did you drive in high school? 1971 Buick GS 455

What word best describes you? Dependable.

Zach Fisher, a NENEDD Community Planner, joined the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District in September 2024. Zach is a 2004 graduate of Northeast Community College with an Associates of Applied Science degree in Business Marketing and Management, and a 2016 graduate of Columbia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Prior to joining NENEDD, Zach was the Membership Development Director with the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce where he was able to use his talents to grow their membership to an all-time high. He is a life-long resident of Norfolk and is excited to see all the economic growth happening in the area. Zach will obtain his CDBG certification in October of 2024.

Tell us about your family:

On August 1^st I’ll be celebrating 27 years of marriage to my amazing wife, Alisha. I honestly don’t know how she has pit up with me for this long. We have 3 kids, Shelby, Tyson, and Ava. Shelby is married to our Son-in-Law, Matt, and they will be giving us our first Grandchild in December. We don’t know the gender yet but honestly it doesn’t matter because we’re very excited.

Tell us about your pets:

We have two dogs. Fiona is our 10-year-old Boston Terrier. She has a very different personality because she does things on her terms. Lola is our 5-year-old Beagle/Boston Terrier. She is our lovey, attention-hog. I can’t forget about our Grand dog, Bandit. He is pretty close to being our dog because he spends a lot of time at our house. He loves going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. He is a Black Lab mix and really is just a big Meathead, but we love him.

What is your favorite Movie?

I don’t have one favorite movie. I would say it’s a tie between the original 1978 Halloween and Jaws. I’ve watched them both at least 20 times over the years and will watch them every time they are on TV.

What is your Dream Vacation?

I’m going to be greedy and say I want to visit Ireland and Germany on the same vacation. I would love to explore a little bit of my family heritage.

What is your favorite song and why?

I’m not a country fan but “Drink a Beer” by Luke Bryan has a special meaning to me. It reminds me of my dad who we lost to Lung Cancer back in 2014.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

This was a tough question because there could be tons of good answers. Ultimately, I decided on the first member of my family to come to the United States. Sadly, I don’t even know who that was but I’d love to meet them so I could learn more about where I come from.

What’s one thing on your Bucket List?

Easiest question on this list! I want to go down in a Shark Cage to see massive Great White Sharks. I’m talking about Sharks so big that Jaws would have feared them. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love Sharks.

What is your favorite holiday/time of the year and why?

My favorite holiday is Christmas because I love the family traditions and togetherness. The only thing I don’t like is the cold weather. My favorite time of the year is Summer because I love the hot weather. It’s kind of ironic that my favorite time of the year is the polar opposite of my favorite holiday.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I’m going to go with Tacos. I love them and there are so many different options to keep it fresh. One day it could be beef, the next it could be chicken, and the next could be fish or shrimp. There are all kinds of ways to make a taco.

What kind of car did you drive in high school?

I had a fun Mustang for a while but of course like most teenage guys, I wrecked it. After that my dad made me drive a cheap metal beast that looked more like a submarine than a car.

What word best describes you?

Creative – When I’m doing creative, my brain is happy. I love writing, painting, and woodworking. All these things make me smile when I’m doing them.

What’s a fun or interesting fact about you?

I went back to college at 38 years old to get my bachelor’s degree in business administration. I knew I couldn’t attend classes during the day because I had a family to feed so I did online classes in the evening after working a full-time job. My college was in Orange Beach, Alabama. On a Side Note: It was an amazing place to take a week’s vacation with my family when I attended my graduation ceremony.

Jeff Christensen, NENEDD’s Business Loan Specialist, will celebrate 26 years with the District in September. Jeff provides business consultation and loan packaging services. Jeff has extensive experience in loan fund management, business training, and as a technical assistance provider. He manages NED, Inc. and NENEDD’s $16.7 million Business Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). Jeff has completed the National Development Council’s (NDC) economic development courses, is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), an Accredited Business Planning Advisor (ABPA), a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute and has a Bachelor of Music Education from Indiana University in Bloomington. Jeff has also received National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) training for revolving loan administration and is a member of NADO’s Economic Development Financial Service (EDFS). He has extensive experience in packaging of federal loan programs including EDA, CDBG, USDA’s IRP, REDLG, RMAP and RBEG programs, and private foundation funds. He has been providing technical assistance since November of 2004. In that time period, he has provided technical assistance to over 2,200 small businesses. This has resulted in the creation and/or retention of over 3,800 jobs. Prior to becoming NENEDD’s Business Loan Specialist, he was NENEDD’s Deputy Director for over four years.

Tell us about your family: Married to Kerri for 50 years in August, 3 children, 12 grandchildren.

Tell us about your pets: One dog, Millie Marie, mixed breed, 4 years old.

What is your favorite movie? It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

What is your dream vacation? Attend all NASCAR races in one year.

What’s one thing on your bucket list? Attend all NASCAR races in one year.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Working with the future.

What is your favorite time of the year and why? Summer – warm/hot weather

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Steak

What kind of car did you drive in high school? Ford Mustang Mach 1

What’s your nickname, and is there a story behind it? I have several…all have stories.

What’s a fun or interesting fact about you? My wife and I are high school sweethearts. We had a mock wedding in high school 5 years before we were actually married. The mock wedding was held in an old Lutheran church that was being used for our high school band/choir. One of my best friends performed the ceremony. His father was the Lutheran minister in that church.

The Northeast Economic Development, Inc. (NED, Inc.) and the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District (NENEDD) Board of Directors held their monthly meetings on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at Tornado Alley in Wisner.

NED, Inc. loans approved went to two start up businesses. Sydney Foland will fulfill her dream of something she has enjoyed all her life and will purchase a house and renovate to open Lil Wrangler Ranch Childcare in Belgrade. Caring for children is her passion, as well as serving her community. She will have up to ten kids from ages six weeks to 13 years old. In the future, after clientele is established, she hopes to expand and improve the equipment, and eventually get a van to go on field trips to surrounding towns and possibly opening another facility as the need arises.

Amber Jansen will start her own physical therapy business in Crofton providing physical therapy services to a wide range of patients from 0-99 years old to address the needs of the rural population and the overarching goal of restoration of function after injury and illness or surgery. Her goal is to grow her new business to include an additional physical therapist and a physical therapist assistant. In the future, she would like to consider opportunities to provide fitness services including group fitness classes, personal training, and fitness center memberships.

The complete minutes from the April 30, 2025, NENEDD and NED, Inc. Board of Directors meeting can be viewed on our homepage under Board of Directors.

The May Northeast Economic Development, Inc. and the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District Board of Directors meetings will be held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the Norfolk City Offices at 309 5th Street in Norfolk. The NED, Inc. meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. with the NENEDD meeting to follow.

Battle Creek is developing a master plan for the city park that will include a focus on enhancing recreation and accessibility of the swimming pool, ball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields and picnic areas. The clubhouse and the park’s playgrounds also will be assessed.

Battle Creek to use $15,000 in grant funding for park master planning

(Special to the Daily News  Apr 28, 2025)

Battle Creek was recently awarded $15,000 in grant funding for the completion of a park master plan.

Battle Creek, in partnership with the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District and Norfolk Area Economic Development, applied to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for funds under the civic and community center financing fund (CCCFF).

This funding is utilized to support community facility projects across Nebraska that contribute to a higher quality of life and promote economic opportunity.

“Parks and recreational spaces are not just amenities, they’re essential infrastructure that enhances our quality of life and economic competitiveness,” said Battle Creek Mayor Heath Mettler. “This $15,000 grant will help us develop a strategic vision for Battle Creek Park that maximizes its potential as both a community gathering place and an important amenity for attracting families and businesses.

“We’re grateful to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for the support and excited about the possibilities this planning process will unlock.”

Battle Creek will match the grant award 1:1 to fund preliminary planning efforts that will include a focus on enhancing recreation and accessibility of key amenities such as the swimming pool, ball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields and picnic areas. It also will assess the clubhouse and the park’s playgrounds. The scope of services will include a project kickoff meeting, data collection, inventory assessment, alternative conceptual design and substantial community engagement.

“Placemaking investments like parks are vital to economic development — they help attract and retain residents, support workforce recruitment and create the kind of vibrant communities where people want to live and do business,” said Candice Alder, economic development director for the Norfolk Area Economic Development Council. “This planning grant is an important first step in shaping a community asset that will benefit Battle Creek for years to come.”

Once the planning process is complete, Battle Creek may apply for a future CCCFF grant cycle as a capital construction project. These funds then could be used to renovate and improve Battle Creek’s community facilities. The completion of this preliminary master planning process will contribute to the likelihood of success when applying for future capital construction funds from CCCFF or other opportunities.

Grace Petersen
Community Planning Assistant

NENEDD has a new community planner, Tracy Sporleder, who joined the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District in March 2025.

Prior to joining NENEDD, Tracy worked for the Nebraska Department of Labor as a Business Service Representative- Reemployment Coordinator. She traveled within a 16-county region working with communities, employers, economic development organizations, and chambers of commerce to recruit and obtain quality employees. Tracy conducted FLC housing inspections for NDOL as well. She will obtain her CDBG certification in October 2025. Tracy comments, “From my experiences with NDOL and from northeast Nebraska, I’m excited to assist communities with my team through NENEDD as they continue to grow and prosper for generations to come.”

The Northeast Economic Development, Inc. (NED, Inc.) and the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District (NENEDD) Board of Directors held their monthly meetings on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, via conference call.

NED, Inc. approved two loans. One will partner with Knox County to provide funding to transition ownership of Premier Cable Services, LLC from Kansas to Bill Arnold in Creighton, NE. Premier Cable Services, operating in northeast Nebraska, installs all parts of communications from fiber and coax design, planning, and construction of inside/outside plant to fiber and coax splicing, business installs and fiber to the home.

The 2nd loan comprises NED, Inc. partnering with F & M Bank in West Point to provide funding to transition ownership of the West Point Dairy Queen to the current manager, Alex Norton and his wife Jamie. They have been involved with the West Point Dairy Queen since 2017.

The board also approved one owner-occupied rehabilitation loan for repairs and improvements on a property in Columbus. After these repairs are completed, the house will meet or exceed all of the required minimum rehabilitation standards.

The NENEDD board approved a loan partnering with Midwest Bank in Norfolk, to transition ownership of Superior Car Wash South, located at 1325 Michigan Ave. in Norfolk, to Tyson and Tyler Wingate and operate as Wash Center South, LLC. funding to purchase the business also includes installation of new equipment.

The complete minutes from the March 26, 2025, NENEDD and NED, Inc. Board of Directors meetings can be viewed on our home page under Board of Directors.

The April Northeast Economic Development, Inc., and the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District Board of Directors meetings will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at Tornado Alley, 507 Avenue E in Wisner. The NED, Inc. meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. with the NENEDD meeting to follow.

The Northeast Economic Development, Inc. (NED, Inc.) and the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District (NENEDD) Board of Directors held their monthly meetings on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, via conference call.

The NED, Inc. board approved one business loan as well as an owner-occupied rehabilitation housing loan.

Bryce Hinrichs has formed a real estate holding company, Hinrichs Investments, LLC, and is planning the purchase of two adjacent shop condos to expand his current business, Window Medics, LLC. The project will also provide valuable shop space for small business owners to expand their business as well as for personal use from those who desire more space for personal belongings, hobbies, etc. as Norfolk does not have much if any availability of shop space such as this for rent or purchase.

The board also approved one owner-occupied rehabilitation loan for repairs and improvements on a property in Norfolk. After these repairs are completed, the house will meet or exceed all of the required minimum rehabilitation standards.

The NENEDD board approved a business loan to Cbus Hotels, LLC, for working capital to be used in the initial opening of a brand-new dual brand Mariott Hotel with 102 rooms that will connect via breezeway to the new Harrah’s Casino in Columbus.

The complete minutes from the February 26, 2025, NED, Inc. Board of Directors meeting can be viewed here: NED, Inc.

The complete minutes from the February 26, 2025, NENEDD Board of Directors meeting can be viewed here: NENEDD.

The March Northeast Economic Development, Inc. and the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District Board of Directors meetings will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 via conference call. The NED, Inc. meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. with the NENEDD meeting to follow. Locations will be posted on our website.

The Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District (NENEDD) wishes to congratulate two member communities on their respective Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awards. The NENEDD Planning Department assisted in writing the grant applications for the three awards, announced by the Department of Economic Development on November 12.

The City of Newman Grove was awarded both a CDBG Public Works grant and a Planning grant. The Public Works grant, in the amount of $430,000, will improve streets, storm drainage, and sidewalks. The Planning grant, in the amount of $43,000, will be used to fund a Community Development Plan which will include developing city-owned farm ground into a mixed-use subdivision. The Public Works and Planning grants will both meet the National Objective of Low-to-Moderate Income on an Area Basis (LMA).

The Village of Niobrara was awarded funding for a CDBG Planning grant in the amount of $53,000. The Village will utilize the grant funding to develop a Comprehensive Plan that will guide future actions of the community, including the creation of a Downtown Revitalization Plan. This grant will also meet the LMA National Objective.

“The NENEDD Planning Department is excited to partner with Newman Grove and Niobrara as they continue to strengthen the economic development in their communities,” said Andrea Larson, NENEDD Community Planner.