Chris Sommerich, executive director of Humanities Nebraska, is among six humanities leaders elected to the Board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils (the Federation) at the Federation’s Annual Business Meeting in Providence, R.I. on November 16, 2024.
The Federation of State Humanities Councils advocates for increased investment in and engagement with the national network of humanities councils. Its mission is to support,
connect, and amplify the work and voices of its members, demonstrating councils’ value for communities and their collective impact on civic health and cultural vibrancy.
The Federation’s Board is made up of executive directors of State Humanities Councils and professionals from universities and community colleges, philanthropy, historical societies, museums, and arts advocacy. Federation Board members are selected for their ability to devote significant time, energy, and enthusiasm to supporting the Federation as the national voice of the councils – this means willingness to work as an active and committed
board member.
“This extraordinary group of new Board members brings a deep commitment to the impact the humanities have in our everyday lives,” said Federation President Phoebe Stein. “They also bring an important diversity of perspectives at a time when communities need bridge-building. We are grateful for their willingness to serve at a time when we need the humanities—and the reflection and connection they invite—more than ever.”
Chris Sommerich is the executive director of Humanities Nebraska, whose mission is to help people explore what connects us and makes us human. Chris first joined the council as its development officer in 2004, became development director in 2007, and then executive director in 2011. He has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and achieved a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification in 2007, which emphasizes the highest standard of ethical and professional conduct in fundraising. Chris’s past board service includes Spring Creek Prairie Audubon
Center (2021-2024), the Federation of State Humanities Councils (2014-2018), the Nebraska Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (2005-2011, president in 2010) and
Community CROPS (2009-2014). Chris is a member of Lincoln Downtown Rotary Club #14, Continued has been a TeamMates mentor since 2011, and was a member of Class VII of Leadership Nebraska in 2014-2015.
Other new members of the Federation board are: Shawnrece (Campbell) Butler, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President of Diversity Inclusion at Northern Michigan University; Adam Davis, Ph.D., executive director of Oregon Humanities; Scott LaMascus Ph.D., emeritus Professor of English, writer, and public-humanities advocate based in Oklahoma, Nashid Madyun, Ph.D., executive director of Florida Humanities; and Susan Y. Price, J.D., senior vice chancellor for system development and strategic advancement and chief of staff of the Alabama Community College System.
Learn more about the Federation Board here: https://www.statehumanities.org/board/
Meet the New Board Members.
The Federation of State Humanities Councils (Federation) was founded in 1977 as the membership association of state and jurisdictional councils. The Federation advocates for increased investment in and engagement with the national network of humanities councils. We support, connect, and amplify the work and voices of our members, demonstrating councils’ value for communities and their collective impact on civic health and cultural vibrancy. For more information about the Federation, visit: www.statehumanities.org.
councils were created by Congress in the early 1970s and receive an annual congressional appropriation through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which most councils supplement with private funding. For more information about the state humanities councils, visit www.statehumanities.org/directory.
Humanities Nebraska is a private nonprofit with a mission to help people explore what connects us and makes us human. HN is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, an appropriation from the Nebraska Legislature, private donations,
and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, a public-private partnership with state dollars matching private dollars to benefit the arts and humanities in Nebraska.