Nine apply to become next director of History Nebraska

History Nebraska, formerly known as the Nebraska State Historical Society, is located just off the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus at 1500 R St. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN – Applicants to become the next director of the state historical society include a supervisor of Nebraska historical parks, the head of an Indiana agency that handles historic documents and the manager of an agricultural exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair.

The list of applicants obtained by the Nebraska Examiner also includes a former Lincoln City Council member, a state legislative fiscal analyst and a former History Nebraska librarian who had complained about the policies of the agency’s then-director, Trevor Jones.

One of the 10 applicants was listed in error – Rob Dump, publisher of a group of community newspapers based in Hartington, said he was seeking appointment to the History Nebraska Board of Trustees, and not the director’s job.

July 1 was the application deadline for the job of replacing Jones, who resigned two years ago after six years in the post.

He left the job with the intention of traveling in Europe, just prior to the release of a state audit that accused him of improperly misappropriating a private donation to the history agency.

Charge of theft by deception

Jones is now awaiting trial on a criminal charge of theft by deception in Lancaster County District Court.

Since Jones resigned, Jill Dolberg, who had headed History Nebraska’s historic preservation office, has served as interim director.

Dolberg was not among the list of applicants released by the Governor’s Office. Gov. Jim Pillen, under a law passed this spring by the Nebraska Legislature, will choose a new director.

Previously, the 14-member History Nebraska board of trustees picked the director, as it has since the agency was founded as the Nebraska State Historical Society 146 years ago.

But state lawmakers, citing the controversy surrounding Jones and a previous case involving an assistant director embezzling funds, voted to shift the agency from an independent entity to one under the supervision of the governor.

The job paid $164,800 a year when Jones quit. There is no timeline for selecting a new director, according to Pillen spokeswoman Laura Strimple, and the salary will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

One former trustee, Jim McKee of Lincoln, said he was surprised at the shortage of applicants for director and about how only one was from out of state.

He said there were about 35 applicants for the job when Jones was hired, and only one was from Nebraska. Jones came from Kentucky, where he was director of historical resources for the state’s historical society

McKee said he was not familiar with any of the applicants.

But one, Bob Hanover of Crab Orchard, reportedly had emerged as a leading candidate during a director’s search conducted by the History Nebraska board of trustees. That search process was abandoned earlier this year when it became clear that oversight of the agency and the hiring decision would be shifting to the governor.

Runs historical parks

Hanover, according to his resume, currently supervises the 10 historical parks operated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and he has worked at federal and state historical parks in Utah. Recently, he served as chair of the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board, which reviews and decides whether properties should be included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another applicant in the history field and the lone out-of-state candidate is Chandler Lighty of Indianapolis, who is the director of the Indiana State Archives, the official repository of historical documents in that state.

Another applicant, Sarah Polak of Hastings, works for Nebraska Extension as experience coordinator of Raising Nebraska, an agriculture literacy exhibit at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds.

Others who applied are:

• Scott Danigole of Eagle, a fiscal analyst for the Nebraska Legislature whose responsibilities have included the budget of History Nebraska.
• Cindy Drake of Avoca, who served as a librarian for History Nebraska for more than 40 years.
• Roy Christensen of Lincoln, a former Lincoln City Council member and audiologist who specializes in hearing aids.
• Scott Clarke of Lincoln, owner of a business that designs museum displays.
• Darren Ivy of Firth, owner/publisher of the Hickman Voice.
• Kenneth Albin of Omaha.

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