Speakers

Our speaker will be Marshall Kohtz.

Born in York, Nebraska in 1953. Grew up in Hastings and graduated from HHS in 1971.Graduated from UNL with a BS in Education in 1975 and have resided in Lincoln since that time.

Co-Founded Pink Ladies of Lincoln Charitable Organization in 2015 and currently serve as Advocate and Pickle Card Sales Agent.  Our mission is to help people who are battling a life threatening illness in the Lincoln area.

Retired in 2019 after a 43 year career in the amusement game industry with Stan’s Music & Games and VVS, Inc  serving in a variety of leadership positions. I’ve worked as a substitute school teacher for LPS since 2020 as a retirement job.

I’ve been married for 50 years to Gail.  Our son and daughter and their spouses live in Lincoln along with our 4 grandchildren.

BIO
BULLET POINTS FOR INTRODUCTION
• Rotary
o Past President of Suburban Omaha
o Past Chairman of Suburban Omaha Foundation Board of Trustees
o Omaha Suburban-Past Seargent-at-Arms, Fundraising Chair, Car Show Chair, Community Service
Chair
o Past Assistant Governor District 5650
o Paul Harris Fellow Plus 1
• Community
o La Vista Community Foundation Past Chairman, current Secretary
o Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce- Past Chairman, Volunteer of the Year & Excellence Award
o Charitable Gift Planners of Nebraska-VP of Marketing/Sponsorships
o Leadership Sarpy Class of 2003
o Friend of La Vista Award 2011
o Omaha Estate Planning Council
o Angels Among US Board of Directors

Tom Kerfoot joined Children’s Nebraska in January of 2016 as a Director of Development for Philanthropy. Tom
attended Bellevue University for Marketing Management and has thirteen years of experience in healthcare
fundraising, working previously for the CHI Health Foundation. Tom has a long record of successfully working with
private donors, foundations and corporate sponsors to secure funding for projects and programs. He has extensive
experience in event planning and management, and collaborated with a team to develop the planned giving program
at CHI Health Foundation.

Tom completed the Certificate in Fundraising Management through the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is
currently the Vice President – Marketing & Sponsorships for the Charitable Gift Planners of Nebraska and is a
member of the Omaha Estate Planning Council. Tom earned the designation of Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy in
2016 through a year-long program with The American College of Financial Services and the Omaha Community
Foundation.

Tom has served in leadership roles for a number of area organizations, and is Past-President for the Suburban Rotary
Club of Omaha and Past-Chairman of the Suburban Rotary Board of Trustees. Tom served on the Board of Directors
for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce and was the Chairman of the Board in 2019. Tom has served on the
Board of Directors for the La Vista Community Foundation for the past twenty years, serving as Chairman of the
Board twice and is currently the Board Secretary.

Tom has received numerous awards and recognition for his volunteer work in the community. He was recognized as
the Volunteer of the Year in 2007, 2013 and 2014 for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce. He received the
highest honor of Chamber Excellence Award in 2016 for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce. He was honored as
the Volunteer of the Year in 2009 for the La Vista Chamber of Commerce. He was recognized as the Friend of La Vista
in 2011 for his work with the foundation and volunteer work in the community.

Mike Comstock serves as the Parks Operations Coordinator for Lincoln Parks and Recreation, where he focuses on communications, community engagement, and public outreach. He works to connect residents with parks, programs, and community initiatives through strategic storytelling and partnership development. Today, he will discuss the Veterans Memorial Garden and the community effort behind creating a lasting tribute to those who have served our country.

Frances Hayes is a marketing communications professional with more than 15 years of experience in strategic planning, marketing, advertising, communications and public relations. Hayes joined the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska in 2018 as Communications Specialist and now serves as the Director of Communications and Public Relations.

Frances plays a key role in strategic communication of the institute's mission. She develops, implements and leads its internal and external communications, enhancing its reputation both domestically and internationally. Hayes also manages the coordination, program planning, administration and logistics necessary to execute the annual Water for Food Global Conference and other DWFI-sponsored symposia.

 

Frances is a native Nebraskan. She holds an interdisciplinary master's degree in marketing, communications & advertising and a bachelor of journalism degree, both from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.