Executive Director

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. NFA is the state affiliate to Family Policy Alliance which is the Focus on the Family’s policy wing.

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 Intercessory Prayer Network that is now the NFA E-Network informing Nebraskans on key issues that impact the state reaching over 2,500 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.

Policy Director

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 has 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 weekly radio show and podcast, Capitol Connection, airing every Saturday and Sunday in Omaha and Lincoln. In addition to policy, radio, and writing, Nate enjoys sports, hiking, and spending time with his wife, Brenna. 

Communications Specialist

MARILYN SYNEK

Marilyn is a Nebraska native and 2016 NFA Torchbearer Intern. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2018 with a Political Science and Multimedia Communications Bachelor of Science. Marilyn has both state and federal legislative experience. She served as a Nebraska Legislature Page in 2017 and interned for Senator Ben Sasse, Senator Deb Fischer, and Congressman Adrian Smith from 2014-2016.

Administrative Assistant

RACHEL MENTER

Rachel graduated from UNL in 2016 with degrees in Political Science and History and joined the NFA team as our Administrative Assistant in 2017. Previously she was a Torchbearer Intern at NFA in the Fall of 2016.

Rachel is passionate about the work of NFA and the important role it plays in Nebraska’s state politics and social issues. Her relationship with the Lord influences every area of her life and she is very blessed to be working at a Christian organization. Rachel enjoys reading, watching history documentaries, and spending time with her husband, Joel.

Donor Relations & Accounting Manager

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.