KAREN BOWLING

Karen owned a small business in Lincoln, Nebraska for 25 years and brought her business management skills to the Nebraska Family Alliance Team in 2001.

After serving as the Outreach Director for 15 years, Karen became the Executive Director of Nebraska following a search by the Board of Directors. Karen’s experience at the Capitol and her passion to see a state where God is honored, religious liberty flourishes, families thrive, and life is protected positions her to provide strategic leadership to the NFA Team.

Karen established NFA’s Capitol Prayer Initiative which is now the NFA E-Network informing Nebraskans on key issues that impact the state reaching over 5,000 people in 200+ Nebraska communities. She serves as the State Coordinator for the National Day of Prayer and provides leadership for Prayer Place a 24/7 Prayer Center located near the Capitol inside the NFA facility.

Karen has two adult sons, a daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren that keep her busy, laughing, and young at heart. She enjoys speaking, leading a Ladies Bible Study and mentoring young women.

NATE GRASZ

Nate is a 5th generation Nebraskan and graduated from Colorado Christian University with degrees in business administration and political science. Prior to becoming the Policy Director at NFA, Nate was an associate producer for the nationally broadcast Hugh Hewitt Show, a program and policy analyst at the Centennial Institute, and worked on various political campaigns.

Nate is also an Alliance Defending Freedom Areté Academy alumnus and has authored and published his own book on religious liberty, “Would the Pilgrims Still Come to America Today?: The Deteriorating State of Religious Liberty in America,” which includes a foreword by Lt. Col. Allen West. He is the host of NFA’s Capitol Connection podcast. In addition to policy, radio, and writing, Nate enjoys sports, hiking, and spending time with his wife, Brenna. 

MARILYN NEWLAND

A Kearney native, Marilyn graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2018 with dual degrees in political science and multimedia communications. During college, Marilyn worked for several nonprofits and elected officials. She served as National Right to Life’s Federal Legislation intern in 2015, paged for the Nebraska Legislature in 2017, and interned for Senator Ben Sasse, Senator Deb Fischer, and Congressman Adrian Smith from 2014 to 2016. She was NFA’s 2016 Torchbearer Intern.

With a passion for brand consistency (and fashion), Marilyn manages NFA’s communications and social media accounts. She dabbles in graphic design, video production, audio engineering, and web development for the organization.

Marilyn is one of five children and a fraternal triplet. An avid pun enthusiast, she loves Nebraska politics, black coffee, and her sassy toy Yorkie named Chanel. Marilyn and her husband Edward have been married since 2021. In their free time, they love hiking, swimming, and showering Chanel with love and attention.

JOHN HORSECHIEF

John is a Native American and affiliated with tribes that include Pawnee, Otoe Missouria, Hopi, and Creek. He has a bachelor’s from Creighton University and a master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in non-profit and non-governmental organizations.

Prior to NFA, John worked in different development and operation capacities at a non-profit homeless shelter in downtown Omaha.

John has been happily married to his wife Tabitha for seven years, and together they have four children. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, staying active in his church, going fishing, studying politics, and watching movies.

DAWN WITT

Dawn graduated from UNL in 1997 with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. She has worked in public accounting and as a Certified Internal Auditor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also serves as the Treasurer and Financial Secretary at Southview Baptist Church.

Being blessed with husband Brian and four wonderful children, Dawn enjoys the quiet moments in the morning to hear from God, fitness classes at the gym, reading, cheering on her children in their activities, leading in Awanas and her Precepts Sunday School class. Having her parents and Brian’s parent’s close is a blessing for their whole family. It allows her parents to see their grandchildren grow and her children are able to know and see their grandparents live out their faith.

She is excited to be part of the team at NFA where it truly is a team, focused on God and serving together in a Christ-like way. She feels blessed to be able to help NFA with the important work of influencing policy, mobilizing prayer and empowering people.

KELLY LANKA

Kelly graduated from Bryan College of Health Sciences in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Ultrasound. She worked at the Pregnancy Center in Lincoln from 2014-2018 before joining the Nebraska Family Alliance team.

Kelly is married to her husband Troy, and they have four kids. In her free time, she enjoys reading and attending her childrens’ activities—especially baseball. Her hobbies include photography, quilting, and scrapbooking.