Mike Peterson

Mike Peterson joined Nebraska Community Foundation as the Affiliated Fund Development Coordinator for North Central Nebraska after serving as the Project Manager at Holt County Economic Development for two years. Prior to his time at HCED, Mike dedicated 36 years to education, retiring from O’Neill Public Schools in 2023.

During his time at HCED, Mike launched a weekly video series called “Monday Minute,” which highlighted various businesses, events, and organizations in Holt County. These videos garnered thousands of views on social media and contributed to the initiative to “Grow Holt County.” He also organized the inaugural “North Central Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge,” which successfully engaged young entrepreneurs in the region and is set to continue in the future.

Mike hails from Nebraska’s panhandle, having graduated from Gering High School. He earned his B.S. in Business Education with honors from Western New Mexico University and obtained his Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Doane University. His teaching career took him from rural Arizona to Long Beach, California, before he returned to Nebraska to teach at Alliance High School and later at O’Neill High School.

Mike and his wife, Liz, are proud parents of three children: Stefani, who works at the Holt County Courthouse; Jordan, a dueling piano performer in Washington D.C.; and Connor, the Vice President of First Bank and Trust in Minden.

In his free time, Mike enjoys being one of the “Prep Running Nerd” photographers for cross country and track events, collecting license plates, listening to his vinyl record collection, and coaching hurdles at St. Mary’s High School in O’Neill.