Voices for Children is honored to recognize State Senator Kathy Campbell with the first-ever Champion for Children Award at the Spotlight Gala. The Champion for Children Award serves as recognition of a current lawmaker who has gone above and beyond on behalf of children and families. In our 25 years as an organization, and in the eight years we have been presenting awards, no other state senator has been recognized while currently serving in the Nebraska Legislature.
Kathy Campbell was elected state senator for the 25th District in November 2008. Since taking office in 2009, she has introduced successful legislation on child welfare reform, children’s health, prenatal care, Medicaid reform, hospital construction, federal funding for nursing facilities, and other issues.
Senator Campbell serves as Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and the Children’s Behavioral Health Oversight Committee, and is a member of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. In 2011, she led the Health and Human Services Committee’s LR 37 review of child welfare reform that was initiated by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2009. The committee issued its findings and recommendations in the LR 37 Report in December 2011; the LR 37 Report was the basis for a number of important pieces of legislation which passed in 2012.
Before becoming a state senator, Kathy completed sixteen years of public service on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, five as the Board’s chair and five as the vice chair.
A native Nebraskan, born and raised in Norfolk, Kathy is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a B.S. and a Masters of Education.
In January 2003, she retired from active management in her family’s business, Campbell’s Nurseries, to become Executive Vice President of CEDARS Home for Children Foundation and CEDARS Youth Services.
Kathy currently serves on the BryanLGH Medical Center Board of Trustees. Appointed by Governor Heineman, Kathy was co-chair of the Nebraska Medicaid Reform Council. Other past volunteer leadership includes serving as Chair of the University of Nebraska Medical Center Board of Counselors and Co-Chair of “Nebraska on the Move,” a statewide organization committed to support of transportation infrastructure and economic development. She served for six years on the Lincoln Electric System Administrative Board. Kathy was Co-Chair of the Lincoln Public Schools Student Housing Task Force and “Education is the Heart of the Community” Bond Campaign Committee.
Kathy is a co-founder of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council and a past president of the Junior League of Lincoln. She was appointed to eight Gubernatorial or Legislative state commissions, most recently, serving as Co-Chair of the Governor’s Task Force for Nebraska’s Future Transportation Planning. In 2005, Kathy was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the Nebraska Commission on the Status of Women. The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce presented her with the Roger T. Larson Community Builder Award in 2006.
Kathy and her husband Dick reside in Lincoln and their family includes son, Andrew, daughter Caroline, son-in-law Jeff and a grandson, Will.
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