NEWSMAKERS 2026Q1
Mid America Bank Pledges $100,000 Gift to Support Peaslee Promise Campaign, Designated to Cindy Yulich Endowment Fund
Cindy Yulich and Dave Hill
Mid America Bank has pledged a $100,000 gift in support of the Peaslee Promise Campaign, a $10 million endowment initiative led by the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center (Peaslee Tech) to expand access to debt-free career and technical education for Douglas County residents. The gift is designated to the Cindy Yulich Endowment Fund, a named fund within the Peaslee Promise Endowment Fund.
Launched in May 2025, the Peaslee Promise Campaign seeks to establish a permanent endowment to provide tuition support for high school juniors and seniors from 12 partner school districts, as well as adult learners from low-income households. The endowment, managed by the Douglas County Community Foundation, will ensure long-term affordability for students while strengthening Peaslee Tech’s financial sustainability.
“The Peaslee Promise offers a tremendous opportunity to Douglas County residents to build great careers without incurring debt,” said Dave Hill, CEO of Mid America Bank. “We’re just really proud to be a small part of this great goal.”
Mid America Bank chose to designate its gift to the Cindy Yulich Endowment Fund in recognition of Yulich’s decades-long impact on the banking industry and her extraordinary service to the Lawrence and Douglas County community.
Visiting Nurses Association names Melinda Ward as the new CEO.
Melinda Ward returned to VNA in the role of Chief Executive Officer. Melinda previously served as VNA’s Director of Operational Excellence from June 2022 to December 2023. She has over 15 years of leadership experience across Home Health, Hospice, and private duty. Since Melinda started, she and the rest of the VNA team have been busy working on the necessary changes to navigate VNA through these challenging times toward a positive, sustainable future.
The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center is pleased to announce the official appointment of Dr. Kirsten Watkins as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Dr. Watkins joined BNC in August 2021 and has more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health care. As a licensed clinical psychologist, she has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and families navigating complex behavioral health challenges.
Dr. Watkins has served as Interim CEO for the past eight months while continuing in her role as Clinical Director, guiding the community mental health center with steady and thoughtful leadership during a period of transition. Her appointment as CEO reflects the Board’s confidence in her vision and leadership and ensures continued stability as BNC advances its commitment to accessible, compassionate, and high-quality behavioral health care for individuals and families across Douglas County.
“We are extremely excited to be able to plan for the long-term future of Bert Nash with Dr. Watkins as CEO. In her eight months as interim CEO she demonstrated the ability to lead with determination and strength despite any outside obstacles that were thrown in her way,” said Matthew Herbert, Chair of the BNC Board of Directors. “As a board we feel very confident that we have found the right person for the job.”
Founded in 1950, BNC has been led by just three CEOs over its 75-year history. Dr. Watkins now becomes the organization’s fourth CEO.
