At Lincoln South Rotary Club on Friday, March 10, 2023, we learned about one of our newest members, Jeri Brandt.
Jeri grew up with 3 sisters in Lincoln, attending Lincoln East High School.
She started her career as a nursing tech at Lincoln General Hospital (now Bryan Medical Center West). At the time she was interested in pursuing journalism. Her mother pointed out that she evidently enjoyed her work because she was always happy when she returned home.Still wanting to pursue journalism but also keeping up with nursing, she attended the University of Iowa pursuing a double major.
She focused on nursing and, after college, she went into nursing - public health. She also knew that she always wanted to teach and she did that for a number of years at the Med Center.
After she got her doctorate she put all of her skills to work when she joined the staff at Nebraska Wesleyan University. She enjoys bringing things together so during her years leading up to retirement she wrote and directed new training videos.
She likes to keep busy and she continues to work. She was a COVID tracer and she was proud that only about 5 of the 1500 people she contacted were annoyed by the call. She was asked to return to public health and is currently working with the lead safe program, focusing on children 7 and 8 with high lead levels.
What she likes about Rotary? It checks all of the boxes - all of the things she is passionate about - such as education, disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health and water, sanitation and hygiene.
Something we would not know about Jeri - which she was at the University of Iowa she was part of the Scottish Highlanders and all girl marching band.