One of our main focuses at NNDC is our loan funds which are available for reuse to new and/or expanding businesses. With this in mind, we are happy to announce two new businesses which we have assisted. The Edge, which is a Polaris and Kawasaki dealership, located in the building which once was Sun Motor Sports, will be open soon. The second business is Healing Hands Wellness Center, which is a massage/fitness center that will be located in downtown Crawford. Congratulations to these new businesses.

Each year NNDC holds the Annual Meeting within 30 days of the end of the fiscal year, which is December 31. Vice President Jerry Schumacher and the events committee have been busy planning this year’s gathering. Two of the current board members will be leaving the board, which means the membership will be asked to vote to fill the vacant positions. Our by-laws also state that in order to vote, a member must be in good standing and current on their dues. If a red X appears in the box at the end of this letter, your dues would need to be paid before you could vote.

Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 17, 2008. In the event that you are unable to attend, you may vote by proxy, which means upon request, by calling NNDC at 432-4023, a ballot will be mailed to you prior to the meeting. After receiving the ballot by mail, you may vote for the individuals that the Membership Committee nominated or choose a write-in candidate. Any nominee must be a member of NNDC and agree to being nominated. A member choosing to write-in a candidate must file a nomination statement, in writing, to the Board Secretary prior to the start of the annual meeting. This statement and proxy vote can be mailed to Jim Dickey, Board Secretary, NNDC, 706 West 3rd Street, Chadron, NE 69337. For the individuals planning to attend, voting will also take place during the meeting. Nominations will be taken from the floor that night.

NNDC nominees are Kristie Dexter and Greta Kickland. Following is a few paragraphs about each candidate.

Kristie Dexter

Kristie was born in Hoven, SD where she graduated high school. Her career in the financial service industry started in 1990 in Salem, Oregon at MaPS Federal Credit Union. After moving to Chadron, she worked at First National Bank of North Platte. She then took 2 years off to raise her son and started her career at Bank of the West, at that time known as Community First National Bank, in 1998. Since that time, she has held several positions including Insurance Agency Manager in Alliance. She obtained her Series 7 license several years ago, so in addition to management of the branch, she is also a financial services officer.

Kristie currently resides south of Chadron, with her husband, Dusty and son, Tyler. She is a member of Rotary, chairperson for our local March of Dimes and has served on the NNDC loan committee for the last two years. She enjoys cooking, gardening and her horses.

Greta Kickland

Greta moved to Chadron in 1989 after high school graduation to attend Chadron State College. She graduated from CSC in May 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Psychology and Criminal Justice.

Liking the area, she decided to stay. Most relevant to NNDC is her current position that she has held for just over 5 years, as a Workforce Coordinator for Nebraska Department of Labor. Her responsibilities include serving as a human resource consultant for area employers. She assists with recruiting, screening and interviewing qualified applicants for job vacancies, helps develop accurate job descriptions, answers questions related to labor market information and labor/safety standard laws.

Greta also works with job seekers to complete job applications, resumes, cover letters, etc.

Seeing Chadron grow is important to her since she is raising a family and sees daily how hard it can be for people to raise a family on low wages and no benefit jobs. Finding companies that offer stability, decent wages, and benefits is rewarding for her.

A formal invitation to the Annual Meeting will be mailed to all members the first week in January. Until then, enjoy your families and the happiness of the season.