Alexis began her career in early childhood as a Head Start para and quickly grew into a lead teacher. For the past five years, she has owned and operated her own family home child care business, where her commitment to quality is evident through her achievement of Step 4 in Nebraska’s Step Up to Quality program.
Dedicated to continuous learning, Alexis has earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and is currently pursuing her associate’s degree in early childhood at Central Community College. She is an active member of the Spanish Early Childhood Conference Committee, where she consistently contributes new ideas and champions opportunities to bring education to her community.
Alexis demonstrates professionalism in all aspects of her work, both within her business and in her broader community roles. She was recruited to join the Grand Island Sixpence program as a coach, where she integrates cultural practices, advocates for providers, and supports non-English-speaking child care professionals. Her leadership has extended to state-level advocacy—such as meeting with the state fire marshal to push for consistent inspections and fair feedback for providers. Alexis has also made a local impact, including successfully advocating for zoning changes before the Grand Island City Council to expand opportunities for new child care businesses.
Now serving as a Sixpence coach in Grand Island and as a Champion with the 6 Regions 1 Nebraska initiative, Alexis continues to amplify the voices of providers, instill best practices, and strengthen the early childhood field. Her passion, advocacy, and leadership are making a lasting impact on children, families, and providers across her community and the state.
Tasha began her journey in 2003 at the K-State Child Development Center, where she worked until 2006. That same year, she joined the UNK Child Development Center, sharing her passion for learning and growth until 2009. During this time, she also served as Secretary of Kearney Area Association for the Education of Young Children (KAAEYC), furthering her involvement in the early childhood community. After taking a year off, Tasha returned to the UNK Child Development Center from 2010–2011. She then opened her own in-home childcare, which she operated with care and commitment for a full decade, from 2011–2021. During those years, she gave back to the profession by serving as both Vice President and President of the In-Home Providers group. In 2021, Tasha returned to center-based care, rejoining the UNK Child Development Center—now known as the LaVonne Kopecky Plambeck Early Childhood Education Center—where she continues to make a difference as a preschool teacher.
Her commitment goes far beyond the classroom. Mrs. Tasha consistently goes above and beyond to support not only the children in her care but also her colleagues and her community. Her dedication is evident in the countless ways she invests her time, energy, and heart into helping children grow, learn, and thrive. Tasha is a Pyramid and Rooted and Relationships Graduate and will always share her love of this model to any who would like to hear about it.
Donna McGlee Martin was at the foundation of Dr. LaVonne Plambeck’s Montessori schools from August 1969 - 2016, and remains a full-time, Lead Montessori Primary (3 - 6) teacher and school director to date at the Montessori Educational Center that sports one of Omaha’s first Nature Explore classrooms, which Donna and her fellow teachers helped raise money to create.
Entrusted at a young age with managing the business operations of one of LaVonne’s schools in 1969, Donna was also hand-trained by Dr. Plambeck to guide children’s learning in all areas of the Montessori Primary classroom. She worked beside Dr. Plambeck during the 1970’s and helped to launch a pilot Toddler class, initially held on Saturday mornings that soon expanded into a full-time program.*
In addition to educating over 1600 children over the course of her 54-year teaching career in year-round Montessori school classrooms in Nebraska, Ms. Martin helped to set up age 0 - 6 Montessori classrooms for Dr. Plambeck during the schools’ expansion into Colorado in the 1980’s. She has also served as a co-Montessori teacher trainer in one of her favorite areas of the Montessori classroom - Science.
Over the years, many teachers have successfully completed their Montessori teaching internship under the guidance of Ms. Martin and are still involved today in ECE, including her sister and two daughters. Her daughter and classroom assistant Meghan says that Donna is “giving, has a heart for helping and is a strong advocate for doing what’s best for children.” According to Pam Plambeck, daughter of the late Dr. LaVonne Plambeck, ”Miss Donna’s sincerity, reliability, dedication and impact on the lives of young children is notably significant. Not only is she easygoing and fun to be around, she sets a high bar for others.”
Nici JohnsonNici Johnson is the Director of Early Childhood at Educational Service Unit 13 where she leads a department of fierce early childhood advocates, working for programs and initiatives that support the panhandle region with a collaborative spirit and a love of innovation. As a loyal member of the Panhandle Partnership community collaborative, Nici facilitates the Systems of Care Birth to Eight workgroup where members use the methods of Collective Impact to reduce competition, braid funding, and use a systems lens for determining how to best serve children and families in all 11 counties of the Nebraska panhandle. Her favorite parts of her job include supporting people in finding the “why” of their work, removing barriers to progress, and creating a culture in Nebraska, but specifically the panhandle, that is committed to the “long game investment” of early care and education.
Nici participates as a partner from the west on many workgroups and advisory committees with state partners, some of which are the Buffett Early Childhood Institute’s Evaluation Network Team, the First Five Nebraska’s ECE Shared Leadership and Financing Work Group and was a member of the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission. She was formerly one of the Early Learning Connections Coordinator Team and has worked in several other EC capacities for ESU 13 before becoming their first Director of Early Childhood. Nici lives in Sidney with her husband Jed. They have three sons and two corgis.
