Board of Directors
Tri-Faith Initiative is committed to responsible and responsive governance for the benefit of its stakeholders.
Our Board includes 25 Directors. There are five representatives from each of the three faith partner congregations and ten local community representatives, all with strong ties to the Omaha community. Our work would not be possible without a strong, dedicated network of community representatives and volunteers.
The Board of Directors believes that communication is an important part of the governance process in carrying out its oversight duties of Tri-Faith Initiative.
Please direct your email correspondence to the Board Chair at: chair@trifaith.org
Executive Committee
Joe Gerstandt, Chair
Rick MacInnes, First Vice Chair
Amee Zetzman, Second Vice Chair, Asst. Treasurer
Nuzhat Mahmood, Secretary
Karim Khayati, Treasurer
Trisha Hoffman-Ahrens, Development Chair
Dr. Paul Williams, Clergy Representative
Dr. Ali Khan, Immediate Past Chair
Wendy Goldberg, Executive Director
Board Members
Temple Israel
Bob Freeman
Bob Freeman is a senior partner at Fraser Stryker PC, LLO and is a founding member of the Tri-Faith Initiative, and served as chairman of the Tri-Faith Board of Directors from 2006-2015. He is a past Board President of Temple Israel and remains an active member of the congregation. Mr. Freeman has served in leadership roles and as counsel to numerous Community Boards, including the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA), the Omaha Sports Commission, and the Crane Trust. He is also was an adjunct law professor at Creighton University Law School. Bob and his wife, Robyn, have three daughters and three grandchildren.
Richard Heyman
Bio coming soon!
AMEE ZETZMAN
Amee and her brother own and operate All Makes Office Equipment Co, a 103-year-old, family owned office furniture and technology company. Amee oversees all day-to-day activities in 5 locations. She is responsible for all financial matters including financial reporting, commissions, and general accounting procedures, as well as overseeing the purchasing, customer service, operations and IT departments.
Amee has is dedicated to the Omaha community and supports several other organizations, such as Heartland Family Friends Guild, Temple Israel, Women’s Center for Advancement, and the Madonna Hospital Foundation.
Ilene Arnold
Dr. Ilene D. Arnold has lived in Omaha for 21 years. She became involved in Tri-Faith Initative after she retired in September 2019 and started volunteering in the Tri-Faith Initiative Garden and Orchard when COVID-19 left few safe volunteer opportunities. Her volunteer work at the garden motivated her in 2021 to become an Extension Master Gardener with the UNL Douglas/Sarpy County extension office. Ilene is currently a member of the Temple Israel Board of Trustees and part of the Building and Grounds Committee. Prior to her retirement, she spent 27 ½ years as Public Health Veterinarian with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) protecting public health by ensuring meat, poultry, and egg products were safe for human consumption. Dr. Arnold received numerous awards during her career, including special commendations award, Administrator’s Group Honor Award for Excellence and a Merit Award for Supervisory Excellence.
Prior to working for FSIS, Dr. Arnold worked for IDEXX Laboratories in Maine as a poultry Veterinarian technical expert for their Flockcheck® product line traveling throughout North and South America. Besides her VMD in veterinary medicine, Ilene also has a master’s degree in animal pathology from the University of Rhode Island, and completed a 2-year residency in Avian Medicine and Pathology at the University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded the E.L. Stubbs Award in Avian Medicine upon her graduation from veterinary school.
Countryside Community Church
Nancy Behringer
Nancy has lived in Omaha since 1980 having moved with her family from Pittsburgh, PA because of a job transfer for her husband, George. She found Omaha to have many wonderful opportunities for meaningful volunteer work for many nonprofit organizations that enabled her to raise three children and participate in the community in fulfilling ways for the past 40+ years. The Westside School District, Omaha Symphony Association, Henry Doorly Zoo and, dearest to her heart, Countryside Community Church all allowed Nancy to achieve leadership positions that gave her a sense of accomplishment in the Behringer Family’s adopted city. She is a past Moderator of Countryside and recently was one of six members of the Countryside Relocation Committee which guided the church through raising $26 million, construction of the building, and establishment of the congregation on the Tri-Faith Commons…a most rewarding and challenging undertaking!
Curiosity and a sense of adventure led Nancy and George to live and work in Saudi Arabia for 4 years, 1998-2002. That curiosity has prompted them to travel the world upon retirement visiting about 60 countries.
Nancy and George’s family has grown to fifteen widely scattered family members including 7 terrific grandchildren. Nancy’s interests include travel, books and learning about the natural world.
Trisha Hoffman-Ahrens
Trisha Hoffman-Ahrens is a communications strategist and entrepreneur with over 25 years of c-level experience in the publicly traded real estate and nonprofit arts and entertainment sectors. Recognized as a transformational leader, innovator, and activator, Trisha works with executives and nonprofit and for-profit organizations to harness new opportunities, embrace change, and achieve breakthrough results. Her current work includes raising $8.5 million to establish a placed-based arts initiative in Houston, Texas, helping publicly traded companies increase their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Score, and licensing and packaging professional development eLearning specific to the tech industry. Trisha is also founder and managing partner of RE Imagined Residential, LLC, a creative real estate solutions company revitalizing neighborhoods one home at a time. Active in the communities in which she lives and works, Trisha has served on the boards of Avondale House, a residential facility for children and adults with autism (Houston, TX), University of North Texas School of Business (Denton, TX), River Oaks Women’s Breakfast Club (Houston, TX), and Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE – Omaha, NE). She joined the Board of Directors for the Tri-Faith Imitative in 2019 and is a member of its Development Committee. Trisha is an engaged member of Countryside Community Church, having served as Chair of the Board of Art and Music for two years and beginning a three-year term on the Board of Trustees in February 2020. A life-long learner, active speaker and IBSTIPI certified facilitator, Trisha holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Voice from the University of Kansas and a Master of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan. She has two adult children, Drew and Lindsey.
Rick MacInnes
Rick MacInnes spent his career in the telecommunications industry meeting the growing digital demands for small businesses and consumers. Experienced in leading strategic operations, marketing, communications and customer experience, he retired most recently after 7 years as COO & EVP Marketing for JButler Group, a sales, marketing and fund development consulting business. Previously, Rick retired from a 33-year career with Qwest Communications (CenturyLink), as Director – Strategic Product Sales & Marketing, focusing on high-speed internet. He holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State University. As an active member of Countryside Community Church, Rick is a past Moderator of the Church Council and was Chair of the Countryside Relocation Committee leading the church’s building project on the Tri-Faith Commons. He has been Chair of both Deacons and the Youth boards at Countryside. Rick, a graduate of the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Leadership Omaha program, also held other board and leadership positions for the Omaha Children’s Museum, AIM Institute, Crèche Child Care Center, Youth Leadership Omaha, Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Henry Doorly Zoo, and the Westside Community Schools. Rick and his wife, Cathy, have two married daughters and three grandchildren.
Mark Stursma
Mark Stursma is a City Planner and has worked in both the private and public sectors over the past twenty-five years. He is currently the Planning Director for the City of Papillion where he manages the Planning Department, oversees development regulation and negotiation, guides long range planning initiatives, and advises the Mayor, City Council, Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment on all things related (and sometimes unrelated) to City Planning. Mark earned a BS in Community & Regional Planning at Iowa State University. More recently, he received an MS in Negotiation & Conflict Resolution from Creighton Law School. In conjunction with this degree he was inducted into the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society and received certification in mediation. Mark and his wife, Brenda, have two sons, Luke and Matt. In his free time, Mark enjoys cycling and photography.
Rev. Dr. Keith D. Herron
Rev. Dr. Keith D. Herron serves as Intentional Interim Minister for Countryside Community Church. An ordained United Church of Christ minister certified in both Interim Ministry and Intentional Interim Ministry, Keith brings deep experience in helping congregations prepare for a new, settled minister. He helps lead worship and provides pastoral care for the congregation. Keith has a progressive theology and believes being free to be your real, authentic self is essential to faith development. He’s a prolific writer of social, ethics and religious articles and commentary. His most recent major work is Living a Narrative Life: Essays on the Power of Stories (Smyth & Helwys, 2019). Keith began his ministry with Countryside on August 8, 2022.
American Muslim Institute
Dr. Hesham Basma
Dr. Hesham Basma has been a member of the AMI board of directors since 2014. Hesham completed his bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences and his master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences (biochemistry) from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He was then awarded a two-year scholarship to complete the research component of his Ph.D. training at the University of Tennessee (Memphis) and subsequently received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Al-Azhar University.Hesham and his family moved to Omaha in 2001 and he joined the biochemistry department at the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a post-doctoral research associate. He is currently an instructor in the department of internal medicine at UNMC and is also an on-call pharmacist at Lakeside Hospital’s inpatient pharmacy. Hesham and his wife, Lobna, have 3 daughters.
Karim Khayati
Karim Khayati is a founding member and Vice-President of the American Muslim Institute. He a Technology Professional and Consultant covering a diverse range of industries and technologies. He holds both an MBA from Creighton University and a Bachelor’s degree from the IHEC Carthage and is a graduate of the Leadership Omaha program. Karim is married to Olfa and they have 4 children.
Bintou Taal
Bintou Taal is Senior System Administrator for Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD). Bintou graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and an MBA in Management Information Systems from Bellevue University. She is currently serving as the past president of the MUD Employees Speakers Bureau, president of Dickinsons Landing Home Owners Association, Board member of the Green Omaha Coalition, and member of the T&L Key Communicator committee for Westside District 66 schools. She is passionate about education, environmental justice and loves volunteering.
abdul Mackie
Abdul M. Mackie, has been living in Omaha since 2017 and has been a congregation member of AMI since 2018. He volunteers his time with the Tri-Faith Initiative and AMI. Mackie is employed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Lincoln, where he serves as the Education Liaison Representative for the states of Kansas and Iowa. Prior to joining the VA, he worked for the Ford Motor Company as a Human Resource Associate in both Dearborn Michigan and Buffalo New York, and has also worked for non-profit education and training, and social service agencies in the metropolitan Detroit area. He received a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of Detroit-Mercy and a Bachelors of Arts degree in History from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Community Representatives
Denise Bartels
Bio coming soon!
Ralph Kellogg
Ralph Kellogg is the Vice President of People & Training at Lutheran Family Services, overseeing all aspects of the organization’s Human Resources strategic and operations initiatives. Previously, Ralph has worked for such organizations as Nebraska Appleseed, Centris Federal Credit Union, and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). In addition to his experience as a business analyst for Con Agra Foods and an adjunct professor of Human Resources for Bellevue University, Ralph also holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Bellevue University as well as a Master’s degree in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Creighton University.
Joe Gerstandt
Joe Gerstandt is a speaker, author, and advisor bringing greater clarity, action, and impact to organizational diversity and inclusion efforts. Joe has worked with Fortune 100 corporations, small non-profits, government entities, and everything in between. He speaks at numerous conferences and summits and is a featured contributor for the Workforce Diversity Network Expert Forum. His insights have been published in Diversity Best Practices, Diversity Executive, HR Executive, numerous other print and on-line journals, and he co-authored the book Social Gravity: Harnessing the Natural Laws of Relationships. Joe serves on the Intersectional Culture and Diversity Advisory (ICD) Council for the social networking platform, Twitter, the U.S. Technical Advisory Group’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and joined the Board of Directors for the Tri-Faith Initiative in 2020. Joe served four years in the United States Marine Corps, including participation in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, attended Iowa State University and then spent 6 years working in management and business development for technology and communication companies. Following a career change, he went to work for a grassroots non-profit organization where he was drawn to issues related to diversity and inclusion and then became actively involved in that work. His keynote messages and interactive workshops have brought greater clarity, action, and impact to existing and new organizational diversity & inclusion efforts for such clients as Boeing, Toyota, Nestle, Mutual of Omaha, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, ConAgra Foods, Target, John Deere, TD Ameritrade, Eli Lilly and Marathon Oil.
Dr. Ali S. Khan, MD, MPH
Dr. Ali S. Khan, MD, MPH is Professor and Dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a retired Assistant Surgeon General with the US Public Health Service. Dr. Khan’s professional career has focused on health security, global health, and emerging infectious diseases. He is committed to education with a purpose measured by impact and supporting efforts to make Nebraska the healthiest and most equitable state in the Union as a national and global model for wellbeing. Dr. Khan’s passion for public health and social justice drives his service to communities. He currently serves on the boards of The Wellbeing Partners and the Metro Omaha Medical Society as well as being a member of the Nebraska Colon Cancer Medical Advisory Group. He is also a member on the World Health Organization Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network Steering Committee. Dr. Khan moved to Omaha in 2014.
Nuzhat Mahmood
Nuzhat Mahmood moved to Nebraska as a young adult after completing her masters degree at Iowa State University, and made her home in Lincoln and Omaha for more than 25 years. During that time, she served in many of Omaha’s civic organizations, including the board of Omaha’s Tri-Faith Initiative, American Muslim Institute, Nebraska Appleseed, Nebraska Medicine’s Chancellor’s Board of Councillors, Girls Inc., and as President of the Omaha West Rotary club. She is passionate about serving others and working to create thriving community. She now pursues her career in fintech in the state of New Jersey, where she lives with her family. She has many hobbies including reading, hiking, and tennis.
Harnoor Singh
Harnoor Singh is the Director of Student Development for the Walter Scott, Jr. Scholarship Program, Nebraska’s premier undergraduate STEM living and learning scholarship program. Harnoor has been responsible for designing and developing the educational, leadership development, and design thinking architecture, which focuses on delivering high-impact, experiential, and curricular learning opportunities for all students. The Scott Scholars Program seeks to enrich students’ lives through character, technical, social, and emotional development.
A native of Fremont, California, Harnoor received his Bachelor of Arts in Health and Exercise Science from the University of the Pacific. He also received a Master of Medical Science Degree from the Boston University School of Medicine and a Master of Medical Anatomy from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He has completed the Design Thinking Executive Education Program at the d.school- Hasso Plattner School of Design at Stanford University. Harnoor is working toward earning his Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Higher Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Anthony Scioli
Anthony Scioli is a partner at Kutak Rock LLP, a national law firm. He has served and continues to serve on non-profit boards dedicated to serving children, the elderly, families in crisis, and the community. Anthony is honored to have learned from Jesuit priests and Chabad Rabbis. He embraces the Jesuit teaches of homines pro aliis (men and women for others) and cura personalis (care for the whole person). He also values the Chabad approach to reach out to others with acts of good and kindness. Anthony and his wife, Andee, have two sons.
Dr. Maryanne Stevens, RSM, PhD
Dr. Maryanne Stevens, RSM, PhD serves as President of the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. Dr. Stevens has a bachelor’s degree in math and sociology from College Misericordia in Dallas, Pennsylvania; a master’s degree in theology from St. Louis University; and a PhD in religion and education from Boston College. Dr. Stevens was honored with the Chief Executive Leadership Award at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District VI Conference and the Mactier/Clark Literacy Educator Award, both in 2015. In 2018, Dr. Stevens was inducted into the Greater Omaha Chamber Business Hall of Fame. She serves on several community boards and has made numerous presentations to local and national professional groups on women’s issues, the value of gender specific education, and the value of meaningful work.
Barry Thomas
Barry Thomas the Senior Consultant for Human Resources and Diversity Equity and Inclusion projects at BCT Partners. He also is an adjunct professor in the Black Studies Department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Barry previously served the students of Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska as an educator for 19 years as Director of Equity and Diversity, a social studies teacher on the middle and high school level, as well as Supervisor of Social Studies. In the Omaha community, he is on the advisory board for the African American Empowerment Network Leaders and recently accepted a role on the Board of Directors for Heartland Family Services and the Urban League of Nebraska. Barry is also an Executive Board member of the Omaha Branch of the NAACP and a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. A dedicated husband of 17 years to Sherie, a captain in the Omaha Police Department, and father of three young women, Barry’s biggest joy comes at watching the success of his girls.
Dr. Paul A. Williams, PhD
Paul A. Williams, PhD is an Associate Professor of Religion and the Chairperson of the Religious Studies program, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Born in central Africa and raised both in Congo and in Texas, he earned a BA degree (Anthropology and South Asian Studies) from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, and a PhD from the University of Chicago, where he specialized in the historical anthropology of religions (esp. African Religions, Buddhism, Christianity) and theological ethics. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he has served both Disciples of Christ congregations in Illinois and the Korean Presbyterian Church of Omaha, Nebraska. Currently, he teaches courses on African Religions, History of Christianity, Islam, New Testament, and a survey of World Religions, conducts research in central Africa and east Asia, and has played a key role in the development of the Goldstein Center for Human Rights at UNO, where he serves as Assistant Director. He also works as a board member for Education Congo (dba NALB), a non-profit organization that supports capacity building projects in higher education in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr. Williams welcomes the opportunity to speak with community and religious groups about (1) inter-religious encounters, both dialogue and conflict between and among Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other religious communities and (2) the role of religious organizations in socio-economic development in central Africa.
We are also grateful for the many key volunteers from all three faith groups who have donated large amounts of time to this project.
Spread the Word
