CPNRD Staff

Office Hours 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m. | (308) 385-6282
215 Kaufman Ave | Grand Island NE 68803

Appointments Recommended!

The Central Platte NRD staff would like to provide you the best customer service possible. Since our District ranges from Gothenburg to Columbus, we work with thousands of landowners each year. In order to better serve you, we highly recommend that you call and make an appointment since many of our staff work out in the field and are not available for walk-ins.

Making an appointment will save you time, effort, and possibly another trip to our office. To make an appointment with any CPNRD staff, please call (308) 385-6282.


Lyndon Vogt	General Manager Lyndon is responsible for seeing that all the programs, projects and priorities of the CPNRD Board of Directors are carried out in a timely and efficient manner. He's also responsible for all NRD staff and their activities, acts as contracting officer for the District, and oversees the long-range and short-term planning and finances of the District. Lyndon began his career in 1996 at the Lower Niobrara Natural Resources District and then moved to the Upper Niobrara White NRD in 2001. Lyndon began his employment with the Central Platte NRD in June 2013.
Dianne Miller	Administrative Director Dianne assists the General Manager with administrative aspects of the District and serves as office manager. She oversees the accounting system including investments, payroll, prepares payments to vendors, and computes amounts to be billed to project co-sponsors and the State on various projects. She assists with developing budget recommendations, finalizing & submitting the annual budget to the state auditor and county clerks, and prepares election certifications for the Secretary of State and county election commissioners. Dianne oversees the District’s operations, insurance, and drafts board meeting minutes. She serves on the NRD/NARD Employees Benefits and NARD Intergovernmental Risk Management Pool Association Loss Control committees. Dianne began working for the Mid-Platte Valley Watershed in 1971, which was merged into the Natural Resources Districts. Dianne has been employed by the NRD since 1972.
Tom Backer	Projects Assistant Tom manages the tree planting crew and does all of the physical maintenance of the NRD's projects including the Upper Prairie/Silver/Moores Flood Control Project, Kearney Northeast, Wood River Floodway, and 40 flood control dams. Tom has been employed by the NRD since 1984.
Sara Carlson	District Secretary, Merrick County Field Office Sara is the Secretary for the NRCS/CPNRD in the Merrick County Field office. Her duties include incoming and outgoing telephone calls, ordering supplies, sending correspondence letters, keeping track of irrigation records, updating farm folders with new farms and transferring out farms to different counties. She also assists with many NRD and conservation programs. Sara has been employed with the CPNRD since 2007.
David Carr	Range Management Specialist David is the Prescribed Fire Program manager and NRD Safety Program coordinator. He works with private landowners, and other organizations to successfully plan, implement and monitor prescribed fires, which are done for rangeland and habitat improvement. His duties include planning and coordinating fire training, and public education involving the safe use of prescribed fire. David helps out wherever is necessary including taking water samples, depth to groundwater measurements, and collection of gallons per minute measurements on irrigation wells. David has been employed by the NRD since 2004.
Dan Clement	Water Resources Specialist Dan's duties include issuing groundwater well permits, assisting in updating water well registrations, technical assistance in well decommissioning, setting up the water quality sampling protocol and measuring surface flow in the rivers and streams throughout the NRD. He is also the vadose zone coordinator and helps with chemigation systems inspections, reading irrigation well flows and taking GPS locations for the Groundwater Management Plan.
Kelly Cole	Programs Coordinator Kelly manages the Conservation Tree Program, and cost share for CPNRD producers through CPNRD, the Nebraska Soil & Water Conservation, Buffer Strip, Well Decommissionin, WILD Nebraska, and the Pheasants Forever Pivot Corner programs. Kelly handles travel arrangements for board/staff. She also coordinates the Nebraska Children's Groundwater Festival. Kelly has been employed by the NRD since 2001.
Mark Czaplewski	Staff Biologist Mark participates in the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, a basin-wide effort to aid in the conservation of threatened and endangered species using the central Platte River. He is a member on the Land Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, Adaptive Management Work Group, and alternate to the Governance Committee. He also helps out with the Nebraska Habitat Conservation Coalition, Lower Platte Basin Coalition, and is coordinator for the Platte Basin Habitat Enhancement Project. He works on in-stream flow issues, wetland projects, and other endangered and non-game species matters as the arise. Mark has been employed by the NRD since 1997.
Tricia Dudley	Resources Conservationist Tricia assists with the Water Quality & Quantity programs, GIS projects, and static water level measurements. She previously worked for the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture. Tricia has been employed by the NRD since 2016.
Brandi Flyr	PhD District Hydrologist Brandi's duties center around surface water and groundwater studies. The Platte River Cooperative Hydrology Study (COHYST) requires much of her time as she works with others to develop the groundwater database and regional groundwater models for the Platte River Area above Columbus, NE. The Conjunctive Management Study, the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and Water Action Plan committees are additional items Brandi is involved with. Other hydrology work tasks include high groundwater investigations and storm water runoff from precipitation events. Brandi has been employed by the NRD since 2017.
Deb Jarzynka</b>	Secretary/Receptionist Deb greets people and directs them to the appropriate staff. She orders office supplies, maintains the copy machines, distributes mail, and maintains the filing system. She prepares bank deposits, the monthly board meeting packets, and quarterly travel for the board. She keeps track of expense reports and staff leave. Deb has been employed by the NRD since 1988.
Samantha Keith	District Secretary, Dawson County Field Office Samantha is Secretary for the NRCS/CPNRD Dawson County Field Office. She's the first point of contact for landowners that come in or call the office. Her duties include data entry, records management, and mailing. Samantha also helps administer the conservation programs. Samantha has been employed by the NRD since 2009.
Dean Krull	Demo Project Coordinator, UNL As an employee of the University of Nebraska and a long time partner with the Central Platte NRD, Dean conducts field demonstrations with the agricultural clientele throughout the district; focusing on best management practices that coincide with CPNRD's Groundwater Management Plan. He has partnered with CPNRD since 1980.
Marcia Lee	Information/Education Specialist Marcia conducts the District's public relations, education, and wellness programs. She is responsible for District outreach with local media, print materials, and social media. As part of the District's educational outreach, she coordinates the outdoor classroom program, Nebraska Children's Groundwater Festival, and regional high school contests for land judging, range judging, and the Envirothon. Marcia has been employed by the NRD since 1999.
Shelly Lippincott	District Secretary, Buffalo County Field Office Shelly is Secretary for the NRCS/CPNRD in Buffalo County. Her duties include file management, ordering and tracking, quarterly reports to NRCS state office, yearly irrigation water management records to producers, incoming and outgoing land transfers, and assist with NRD conservation programs. Shelly has been employed by the NRD since 2000.
Shane Max	Resources Conservationist Shane's duties include measurement of groundwater quantity levels, collection of water samples for quality analysis, water flow metering, chemigation inspections, GIS projects, prescribed burning, and assisting in other NRD projects. Shane has been employed by the NRD since 2012.
Jesse Mintken	Assistant Manager Jesse work closely with engineering firms, local, state and federal agencies on the District's projects. He also works with landowners on projects that are in the same proximity of their land including flood control. He was also heavily involved in the rehabilitation of the Dawson County irrigation canals. Jesse has been employed by the NRD since 2007.
Sandy Noecker	Data and Compliance Officer Sandy's duties include overseeing the District’s Groundwater Quality Management Program, including maintaining & compiling records and data submitted for the program. She also maintains records for the Chemigation Program and submits required reports; checks well registrations, and helps Dawson County Irrigation Districts with their appropriation changes and updates. Sandy has been employed by the NRD since 1979.
Angela Warner	GIS Coordinator Angela provides technical assistance in the design, maintenance, development and creation of databases, maps and other related GIS (Global Information Systems) projects. She deals particularly with the certification of irrigated acres and waterbank transfers allowed within the District. Her additional duties include: acting as a liaison with the county assessors, assisting with well registrations, and troubleshooting GIS issues. Angela has been employed by the NRD since 2006.
Courtney Widup	Water Resources Technician Courtney conducts data collection and analysis for the District’s water quality and quantity programs, as well as providing GIS assistance and database management for those projects. She is responsible for collecting water samples, water level measurements, assisting with research projects and various other NRD ventures. Courtney began her career at the Upper Big Blue NRD in 2009, before joining the Central Platte NRD in 2018.
Luke Zakrzewski	GIS Image Analyst Luke's primary duties involve maintaining databases associated with certifying irrigated acres and the NRD's Water Bank. Luke also develops and manages GIS/GPS datasets for other NRD projects and occasional field work when needed. Luke has been employed by the NRD since 2011.