This year’s Annual Judicial Branch Employee Recognition Awards will be presented virtually on December 15, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. CST. Employees of the Judicial Branch and members of the public may watch the ceremony via NET at https://netnebraska.org/interactive-multimedia/television/judicial-branch-employee-recognition-awards.

Acknowledging the unique challenges COVID-19 brought this year, the Judicial Branch is awarding two winners for certain categories. One award is to recognize the work of employees in the court and probation offices, and the other is to recognize employees at the administrative office.

These awards are the highest honors given by the Nebraska Supreme Court in recognition of exemplary performance by those in the Judicial System.

The 2020 Award Recipients include:

Outstanding Probation Support Staff (The Jean Miller Memorial Award)  

• Jeremy Meiners, District 2 Probation, Papillion

 

Outstanding County Court Staff 

• Karen Borgheiinck, Hall County, Grand Island

 

Outstanding Probation Officer (The LaDonna Snell Memorial Award)

• Meghan Moland, District 9 Probation, Kearney

 

Outstanding County Court Clerk Magistrate 

• Ron Murtaugh, Douglas County, Omaha

 

Outstanding Probation Supervisor (The Bob Keller Memorial Award)

• Samantha Besemer, District 5 Probation, Seward

 

Outstanding Clerk of District Court (The Marjorie Schaffer Memorial Award) 

• Valorie Bendixen, Hall County, Grand Island

 

Outstanding Administrative Employee 

• Gene Cotter, Deputy Administrator, AOCP, Lincoln

 

Innovation Awards

Women of Cheyenne County Court and District Court, Sidney

• Lori Bartling
• Tracey Bartling
• Korey Wells
• Debra Hume

Communication Team, AOCP, Lincoln

• Janet Bancroft
• Jared Callahan
• Heather Benson

 

Diversity Leadership Awards 

District 3A Probation Drug Testing Unit, Lincoln

• Jimmy Terrell
• Jennifer Bacon
• Patti Molzen
• Donal Washington
• Bradley Atkins
• Yaa Baeta

LGBTQ Training Team, AOCP, Lincoln  

• Michelle Nunemaker
• Niki Svik

 

Outstanding Customer Service  

Lancaster County Court Probate Division, Lincoln

• Keri Pritschau
• Vicki Kyles
• Meg McCrina
• Jamie Bohlen
• Emily Lucas
• Marci Heier
• Kris Nelson

JBE Staff, AOCP, Lincoln  

• Melissa Ireland
• Jerid Wedige
• Greg Sunderman
• Niki Svik
• Sherri Gelvin
• Jezharela Arteaga
• Heather Kowalski

 

Outstanding Teams 

Sarpy County Court Judicial Assistants, Papillion

• Katie Boyd
• Stephanie Rosenthal
• Monica Malchow

AOCP IT Team, Lincoln  

• Chris Hepburn
• Shane Smith
• Anh Nguyen
• Grant Abel
• Gayla Burns
• Ryan Habe
• Jennifer Jennings

 

Employees of the Year  

• Stephanie Skinner, District 12 Probation, Gering 
• Jacey Rader, AOCP, Lincoln