Nebraska State Board of Education Members

Kristin Christensen is the Nebraska Program Manager for Reach Out and Read and a former teacher in Lincoln Public Schools. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Mild/Moderate Disabilities and a master’s degree in Education Administration from UNL.

Kristin is a member of the Lincoln Education Association, the Nebraska Education Association, and the National Education Association.

Christensen wants to bring a seasoned educator’s perspective to the decision making process on the board. She hopes to increase student literacy rates across the state, improve the recruitment and retainment of highly qualified and effective educators, and address student and staff mental health and wellbeing so our schools can best serve our communities.

Maggie Douglas is a mental health practitioner, a former teacher, and the winner of the 2019 Alice Buffett Outstanding Teacher Award.

Maggie has a bachelor’s degree in Education from Creighton University, a master’s degree in Secondary Education from UNO, a master’s degree in Mathematics from UNL, and a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from UNO.

Douglas wants to advocate for our students, teachers, and families while on the board. She is looking forward to ensuring that all of our learners have access to the education they deserve.

Lisa Schonhoff has three degrees in the education field: Education 1-9, Curriculum and Instruction with ESL Emphasis, and Education Administration. Lisa began her teaching career teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to preschoolers-adults in Taiwan. She moved back to the United States and taught in Kansas City, Kansas. While teaching first and third grade to inner city students, Lisa became equipped with the skills necessary to teach ESL students living in poverty. She became an Instructional Coach for inner city priority schools and focused on developing teachers in the areas of literacy, math, and ESL. Lisa’s most recent job is developing, coordinating, and teaching the ESL program for Bennington Public Schools, K-12. Lisa’s greatest passion is teaching children to read and looks forward to working on the Nebraska Literacy Plan.

Liz Renner is a communications professional who has worked for women-owned businesses, nonprofits, and public universities. She is currently an independent writer and producer.

Liz holds a bachelor’s degree from Beloit College in History and a minor in Asian Studies and a master’s degree in American History with a specialization in Public History from New York University.

Renner is deeply committed to representing the interests of District 4 and advocating for high quality education for all of Nebraska’s students.

Kirk Penner has 16 years of experience on the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education.  He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Penner is President of Penner Patient Care, which distributes bathing systems to long-term care facilities. He’s also President of Penner Manufacturing, which makes and assembles bathing systems in its Aurora facility for use in both the healthcare industry and residential settings. Penner is active in his community as President of the Aurora Development Corporation (ADC). ADC recruits businesses to Aurora and encourages investment in Hamilton County.

Sherry Jones is a retired teacher who served for 35 years in Grand Island Public Schools. In her role as a teacher she worked in special education, language arts, and elementary school counseling from Kindergarten through 9^th grade.

Jones is a charter member of the Association of American Educators and a Good News Club leader for Child Evangelism Fellowship. She was named Counselor of the Year in Grand Island in 2006. Jones has a Masters Degree in School Counseling K-12 from University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Jones wants to be a conservative voice on the State Board of Education and believes the state needs education that is protective of children’s hearts, minds and bodies, in line with the will of parents, and mindful of the resources provided by taxpayers.

Elizabeth Tegtmeier has been involved in education for years as a teacher in both a public and private school and as a home school teacher. She has a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Tegtmeier brings her unique perspective on education to the board and wants to represent the needs and interests of all western Nebraskans.

Deborah was elected to the Nebraska State Board of Education in 2018.  She has had a long career dedicated to serving her community and working in education-focused nonprofits.  In the fall of 2020 she concluded her decade-long tenure as the Executive Director of Mentor Nebraska, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the number and quality of youth mentoring programs in our state.

Her work has been recognized with several awards over the years. She most recently was honored with the 2019 “Holland Heroes” Award for ongoing dedication to Children & Families, an award presented by the Holland Institute.

Dr. Brian Maher was selected as the Nebraska Commissioner of Education by the State Board of Education on March 31, 2023, and started in the position on July 3, 2023.

Dr. Maher is a long-time educator with strong Nebraska roots.  He served as superintendent at Sioux Falls School District (South Dakota) from 2015 to 2020; a 25,000-student school system where he led during the beginning stages of a worldwide health pandemic. Maher also served as superintendent at both Kearney (2007-2015) and Centennial (1999-2007) Public Schools in Nebraska. In his tenure as a school superintendent, he successfully led four bond referendums in three different school districts. Dr. Maher was also an administrator at Waverly, Elkhorn, and Johnson-Brock Public Schools and a teacher at Elkhorn and Clarks Public Schools.