Power of the Herd
By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Brenda Jensen is a big supporter of the Nebraska Good Life Opportunities Program.
When the new scholarship program was announced last fall, she came to the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus to meet with prospective students and talk about her career.
“Public administration is kind of an unknown field,” she said. “I don’t think there are a lot of 17- and 18-year-olds who even understand this is an opportunity for them. That’s why it’s important to promote this field of study.”
As city manager, Jensen oversees the day-to-day operations in Kearney, a growing community with around 34,000 residents. This includes everything from garbage collection and wastewater treatment to law enforcement, parks and recreation, library services and street maintenance.
“I get to lead an organization that has an impact on everyone who calls Kearney home, whether it’s for a day because they’re just here visiting or whether they live, work or own a business here,” she said. “We get to make a positive impact on people’s lives, and that’s pretty rewarding.”
In addition to directing a municipal workforce of more than 300 full-time employees, Jensen is responsible for developing and maintaining the city budget, coordinating projects and initiatives with council members and planning for the city’s future.
Her efforts can be seen at Kearney Regional Airport, where SkyWest offers daily flights to Denver, or the new Kearney SportsPlex, a 209,000-square-foot indoor athletic facility that’s scheduled to open this spring. The city is also competing for a Good Life District through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. That project, estimated at $225 million, would expand the hospitality district near Interstate 80, bringing more stores, restaurants, visitors and jobs to the community.
Jensen calls her position exciting and fast-paced – an “amazing career” for someone who enjoys teamwork, problem-solving and lifelong learning.
“No two days are the same, so you’re not going to get bored,” she said. “That’s another thing that I think can be appealing to a high schooler. They don’t necessarily want to just sit behind a desk. They like the opportunity to do a variety of things and learn and grow. I think that’s one of the things that makes this field so intriguing. I’m literally learning something new every single day.”
A partnership between UNK and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Good Life Opportunities Program was created to inspire more students to pursue careers in government and public administration within the state. Participants receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend UNK and guaranteed admission into the Master of Public Administration program at UNO, as long as they maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
The program also includes two field study experiences – a one-week trip to Washington, D.C., to learn about federal policymaking and a one-week journey through the Southern U.S. to study contemporary civil rights issues – along with internship, research and professional development opportunities.
Available to incoming, in-state students, the program is designed specifically to prepare participants for high-demand, high-wage positions such as city managers, urban and regional planners, nonprofit directors, public policy administrators and economic development officials, among many others.
“There’s a huge demand right now for public administrators who are good communicators, who are transparent, who are trustworthy and who have a vision. It’s a career that can take you pretty much anywhere,” said Jensen, who moved to Kearney in 2011 after earning a bachelor’s degree in community and regional planning from Iowa State University. She also holds a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in local government from UNO.
Jensen worked as a community planner for 7 1/2 years before accepting a position with the city of Kearney, a community she’d “fallen in love with.” She served as director of development services, assistant city manager and deputy city manager before her appointment to city manager in 2024.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, she’s one of nearly 38,000 people working in public administration positions across the state. That number has grown by 14% since 2010, mirroring a national trend.
Like Jensen, Development Council for Buffalo County President Trevor Lee discovered his passion for public administration during college.
The Cambridge native attended UNK for two years before completing a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and master’s degree in urban and regional planning at the University of Colorado. He spent 10 years as the economic development director in Ravenna, Ord and Beatrice, then moved back to central Nebraska in 2022 to lead the Development Council for Buffalo County.
In his current role, Lee focuses on promoting Buffalo County as a premier location for business location and expansion.
“Oftentimes, we’re kind of that middle person between the public sector and private sector,” he explained. “We want to help create conditions that make our communities ripe for investment.”
The development council has been part of several major projects in recent years, including the Buckle corporate headquarters, Central Nebraska Veterans’ Home, Kearney Regional Airport improvements and TechoNE Crossing, an industrial park for tech companies and data center development. The organization recently submitted a $3 million grant application that would add more affordable housing in Kearney.
“If there’s a shovel going in the ground or a dozer moving dirt in Kearney, we’re probably associated with that project in some shape or form,” said Lee, who also serves as president of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association.
One of the perks of the job is getting to interact with some “really cool people,” whether he’s meeting with the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or flying on the governor’s plane during a business recruitment trip. However, that’s not the driving force each day.
“Of all the professions, this is one where you have a profound capacity to make an impact right where you live,” Lee said. “As a resident of that community, you can see the benefits firsthand. You get to hike on that trail that you helped write a grant for and take your family to this fabulous park developed through a public-private partnership.”
Zach Markussen attended UNK with assistance from the Nebraska Promise program, which covers undergraduate tuition for in-state students who have a family income of $65,000 or less and meet academic qualifications.
A UNL transfer, the Kearney native benefitted from the support and guidance provided by faculty in the UNK Department of Political Science, particularly professor Chuck Rowling, who’s directing the Good Life Opportunities Program.
“I think the professors are a huge strength here,” Markussen said. “I got my internship at City Hall because I mentioned to Dr. Rowling that I was interested in having an internship and I asked him what I should do. He immediately found me one.
“All of the professors are like that. They really want to help students and give us those opportunities.”
Markussen completed his internship last summer, working alongside Jensen and Assistant to the City Manager Bradley DeMers. He was part of a variety of projects, including budget analysis, researching fee schedules and copywriting for the city’s website. The internship also allowed him to learn more about local government and the city manager’s role.
“It completely changed the way I look at the city. Every time I’m driving and I see a broken curb now, the first thing I think about is how much that’s going to cost to fix,” he said with a laugh.
Before the internship, Markussen wasn’t sure which career path he wanted to follow. Now, he’s focused on public administration with a goal of working in either city or nonprofit management.
“I want to be able to help communities in whatever way I can, and city management and nonprofit work are really good ways to do that,” he said. “During my time in the city manager’s office and City Hall, I got to see the positive impact you can have on people’s lives.”
Markussen graduated magna cum laude in December with bachelor’s degrees in political science and English writing. He currently works at Kearney Public Library with plans to start a Master of Public Administration program this fall.
“I’m really lucky to get the opportunity I had through UNK,” he said. “I got to do something really cool, and it led me down this amazing career path.”
For more information on the Nebraska Good Life Opportunities Program, visit go.unk.edu/goodlife or contact UNK political science professor Chuck Rowling at rowlingcm@unk.edu or 308-865-8171.
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