Secretary/Treasurer of National Rural Development Organization Elected

    COLUMBUS, NE, December 15, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The National Rural Economic Developers Association (NREDA) has unanimously elected Rick Nelson as Secretary/Treasurer during the organization's annual membership meeting held during the 2015 NREDA Annual Conference in Denver, CO for a one year term. He will assume their role on January 1st.

Rick Nelsen is the Economic Development Manager for Nebraska Public Power District.  His duties include marketing NPPD's service territory to prospective new businesses, assisting existing businesses with their expansions and helping communities with their local economic development programs including organizational development, marketing, and planning.  Prior to joining NPPD in the fall of 1996, he was with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for seven years, including six as the Deputy Director of the Business Recruitment Division.  He also spent nearly 8 years on staff with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce as Vice President for Research. Nelsen has just gone off the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association after serving as President in 2005-2006 and twice served two consecutive two year terms on the Board, and is a Board member of the National Rural Economic Developers Association (since January 2003).  He is also a member of the International Economic Development Council, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Executive and a board member of Heartland Economic Development. Nelsen is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University, the Institute for Organization Management, the Heartland Basic Economic Development Course and the Economic Development Institute.  He obtained his Certified Economic Developer designation in 1993.  A native of Friend, Nebraska, Rick resides in Columbus with his wife Sonya and together they have three daughters, Alexandrea, Courtney and Mackenzie.

"All NREDA activities are designed to help members succeed in meeting the diverse economic development objectives and challenges faced by local, regional and statewide economic developers and the rural communities they serve," said NREDA President Rand Fisher. "The Association supports its members and their economic development allies with networking and educational publications, a comprehensive annual conference, and advanced economic development education workshops and webinars." Fisher continues, "We are very pleased to have Rick Nelson join the Board of Directors to serve the members around strategic issues.

About NREDA
NREDA is an organization of 280 economic development professionals focused upon the issues and opportunities of rural America. It is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of its membership through ongoing education and networking programs, while serving as an information source and conduit for developers, site selectors and existing/prospective businesses to NREDA members and the areas they serve. For more information about NREDA visit http://www.nreda.org or contact NREDA headquarters at (515) 284-1421.

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