Senate confirms multiple gubernatorial appointments to health boards

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Senate adopted Health and Human Services Committee reports advancing and confirming a slate of gubernatorial appointments to state health-related advisory bodies.

Senator Hardin presented the committee’s reports and summarized professional backgrounds for nominees. The chamber confirmed Dr. David Owens for reappointment to the Nebraska Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee; Hardin cited Owens’ professorship in dermatology and pathology at Columbia University and federal research experience.

The committee also reported the reappointments and appointments of April Dexter, Kate Hesser, Catherine Cusack, Myra Stoney, Jim Ulrich and Tracy Zamora to the Nebraska Rural Health Advisory Commission; nominees’ clinical, administrative and rural health backgrounds were described on the floor.

Cheryl Livingston was presented as an appointee and Linda Mentink for reappointment to the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Finally, the committee reported multiple nominations to the State Board of Health, including Mark Birch, Jamie Dodge, Patricia Kucera, Ryan Palmer, David Rees, Jeremiah Ruthwich, Jacob Sykes, and Dan Vele/Dave Bailey, with summaries of education and relevant experience provided by the committee’s floor presenter.

Clerk announcements recorded unanimous or near-unanimous adoption of the committee reports for these appointments.

The confirmations move the nominees to their respective boards and advisory positions; any statutory responsibilities connected to those boards remain in effect as the appointments are completed.