The Western Community College Area (WCCA) Board of Governors is pleased to announce that the At-Large vacancy has been filled by former Nebraska state senator John Stinner.
Stinner was sworn in at the November Board of Governor’s meeting via Zoom. Stinner will serve the remaining term of former At-Large member Dr. Thomas Perkins, who resigned earlier this year.
“We are pleased to welcome John to the board,” said Lynne Klemke, WCCA board chair. “John’s experience in community service and the in legislature is incredibly valuable to our board. He was a tireless advocate for education as a state senator, and I have no doubt he’ll continue that as a member of our board.”
Stinner is one of the original founding members of Gering State Bank and has resided in Scotts Bluff County for more than 30 years. Stinner has dedicated his time to more than 20 civic organizations, including serving on the Gering Public School Board, YMCA, Twin Cities Development, and WNCC Foundation, among others. In 2013, John served as Chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association.
“One of the reasons I wanted to join the board is because I care deeply about western Nebraska, and WNCC is a significant institution in the Panhandle,” said Stinner. “There are always ideas and changes to way education is funded, and with my background in finance and experience on the Appropriations [Legislative] Committee, I feel I may be of some help to the Board in that arena.”
In 2015, John began his first term with the Nebraska State Legislature. He was a member of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee since taking office, and was elected Chair of the Committee in 2017. Not only did he serve on the Appropriations Committee, but he also served on the Nebraska Retirement, Executive Board, Building and Maintenance, Legislative Performance Audit, and Planning Committees. John was also a fellow in the Council of State Government’s BILLD Program.
During and following his time serving the State of Nebraska and District 48, he has garnered many various awards, including: the Golden Torch Award from the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 2021 Nebraska Community College Association Friend of Community Colleges; 2022 WNCC Friend of the College; the 2023 Distinguished NEBRASKAlander Award, and more.