Friends of Lied Board of Directors

Hello, I’m Jan Cook, President of the Friends of Lied for the 2021-2022 season. I have been on the Friends of Lied Board for four years and am eagerly looking forward to serving as president of the board this year.  As long as I can remember, my family has attended events at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts and because of this we have created many wonderful memories. 

I am a true believer in giving back to my community and state through volunteer opportunities.  I believe that it is every individual’s responsibility to support the organizations and agencies that contribute to making Nebraska the “Good Life”.  Yes, Nebraska is a place for everyone to enjoy.  In addition to serving on the Friends of Lied board, I serve on the Stuhr Museum Board of Trustees.  I, also, volunteer for their special events and just completed a year as the president of the board.  I most recently served on the executive Board of an international educators’ organization with my last position being that of Vice-Chairman of the Board.  I chaired many committees for the organization which allowed me to grow and learn from people around the globe.  I volunteer for the Nebraska State Fair, Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill Industries and CASA.

My background is in education.  I taught at Barr Middle School in Grand Island for 38 years. After retiring from middle school, I completed my educational career as a supervisor of student teachers for the University of Nebraska-Kearney.  Throughout my career, I observed how our community became welcoming to families who have immigrated to Nebraska.  I loved how we learned from each other, as young minds would share their stories about what they experienced to travel to Nebraska because of the opportunities here. 

Please join me this year as we share the creativity at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

If you would like to nominate yourself, or someone you know, for a position on the Friends of Lied board, please download, fill out, and return the New Member Commitment Summary & Nomination Form above to Amy Ossian at aossian2@unl.edu. Nomination forms will be reviewed by the current board of directors at the beginning of each calendar year and prospective board members will be notified after the March board meeting. New board members will begin their positions in May of each year.