Skip has been a member of the Board since April 2015. He graduated from St. Patrick High School in North Platte in 1972. He received an Associate of Arts degree from North Platte Junior College in 1974. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and Theater from Kearney State College in 1976 and a Master of Arts degree from Kearney State College (Speech and Theater) in 1988. Skip taught speech, debate, and drama at North Platte High School for 36 years, retiring in 2013.

He has been married to his wife Susan, also a retired teacher since 1977. They have two sons, Van and Kurt, both graduates of North Platte High School. They have three grandchildren.

 

Skip is an active member of the Episcopal Church in North Platte. He was a very active member of the North Platte Education Association, Nebraska State Education Association, National Education Association, and the Nebraska Speech Communication and Theater Association. He currently judges speech and drama productions throughout the state.

 

Jo Ann Lundgreen joined the Board of Education in January of 2015.

Jo Ann was raised in Montana until her family moved to North Platte the summer before her sophomore year. She graduated from North Platte High School in 1993. She went on to graduate from Southern Utah University with a degree in Communications.

 

Jo Ann began working, part-time, for the Development office at Mid-Plains Community college in April of 2014. She has been an active member of the Jefferson Elementary Parent Teacher Organization since 2003 where she has served as Treasurer, Vice President and three years as President. Jo Ann also served as a member of the District Shaping the Future Committee which studied the NPPS Middle School Reconfiguration.

 

Jo Ann married her spouse, Brent, in 1994; they have four children who attend North Platte Public Schools. They are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints and actively participate in many youth activities in the community including Scouting and coaching various sports.

 

Matthew Pederson joined the North Platte Board of Education in January 2017. He is a proud alum of North Platte Public Schools, having attended K-12 at NPPSD and graduating from NPHS in 2006. After graduation, he attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated in 2010 with a B.S. in Secondary Education with endorsements in History and Political Science. Matt continued his education at the University of Nebraska College of Law where he graduated with a J.D. in 2013. During law school, he served as a substitute teacher for Lincoln Public Schools and coached soccer at Lincoln High School. In 2013, Matt returned to North Platte and joined the law firm of Pederson and Troshynski where he practices in a wide variety of legal areas. Since returning to North Platte, he has been involved with Mid Plains United Way, Sunrise Rotary, North Platte Community Playhouse, NPHS Mock Trial, and Community Connections Mentoring. Matt is married to Lindsey, who practices dentistry in North Platte.

 

Ivan Mitchell joined the North Platte Board of Education in January 2017. Ivan was born in San Diego, California and grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. He relocated to North Platte in 2015 with his family of seven. All five of his children attend North Platte Public Schools.

He is the Chief Operating Officer at Great Plains Health. Prior to relocating to North Platte he served on the school board of the North Star Public Schools, and was the CEO of Towner County Medical Center in Cando, North Dakota. Ivan obtained a Master’s Degree in Public and Healthcare Administration (MPA/MHA) from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nuclear Medicine from Weber State University in Ogden, UT.

 

Ivan’s wife Melissa enjoys participating in the community theater at the North Platte Community Playhouse. His children participate in gymnastics, soccer, and basketball.

 

 

Mark joined the school board in January of 2019. He grew up in southern Nebraska between the small towns of Lebanon and Wilsonville. He attended Chadron State College and received a BA in history with a minor in political science in 2004. From there, he attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received a masters degree in history in 2006.

He began working for the Union Pacific railroad in spring of 2007 where he has been active in his local chapter of the NCFO/SEIU. He has served as a committeeman and secretary of the union. He has made his home here in North Platte since 2007 and married his wife Heather in 2017. Together, they have been active in local community and political groups.

Angela Blaesi joined the North Platte board of education in January of 2021. She was born and raised in North Platte. She graduated North Platte High School in 1996. She is the proud single mother of 3. She has been an involved and active parent throughout her children’s years in the North Platte Public School System.

Angela owns and operates a state-licensed in-home childcare. She currently has the only Step Up to Quality rated childcare in North Platte. She has just received her Child Development Associate Credential and is continuing her education through Mid Plains Community College.

Angela is a member of the Miss Nebraska Board of Directors and runs the Little Sister Program. She is a member of Bethel Evangelical Free Church. She has been a Girl Scout leader, Sunday School Teacher, and soccer coach throughout the years. She is involved with North Platte’s Communities for Kids, Rooted in Relationships, and hopes to help the children of North Platte continue to receive a quality education.