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Who We Are

Board & Staff


The Nebraska Stroke Association strives to build relationships with individuals, doctors, hospitals, and organizations across Nebraska in the fight to prevent strokes.

We actively work with these organizations and programs:
  • Lincoln Stroke Partnership
  • Nebraska Stroke Advisory Council
  • American Heart Association/ECC Programs
  • Nebraska Stroke Task Force
  • Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska

Founder
  • Karyl Newman
Executive Committee
  • Kristy Weissling

    Co-President
    University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Speech Language Pathology Program

  • Steve Kinkead

    Co-President
    RehabVisions

  • Kari Hoeft

    Vice President
    Providence Financial

Board Members
  • Denise Gorski

    Former NSA Board President
    Nebraska Medicine, Neurosciences Program

  • Sandy Clonch

    Stroke Survivor Family Member

  • Denise Swenson

    Stroke Survivor Family Member

  • Candice Fryda

    Planned Parenthood, APRN

Staff
  • Christine Widman
    Christine Widman

    Executive Director

Christine Widman is proud to join the Nebraska Stroke Association as Executive Director in 2024. Christine was born and raised in central Nebraska, where she developed a passion for community service and making a positive impact in people's lives, particularly in the realm of health and wellness. Christine earned a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Colorado State University with a specialization in Project Management. She also holds a Certified Brain Injury Specialist certification since 2019. Christine brings clinical experience in stroke rehabilitation as she served on the acute rehab unit stroke and brain injury teams at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital for 8 years. Additionally, she has experience in grants management with the Department of Health and Human Services to administer primary care CDC grants for the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program. In addition to her role with the Nebraska Stroke Association, Christine also serves as the Senior Director of Operations for Bio-Electronics, a subsidiary of the Nebraska Hospital Association.

In her free time, Christine enjoys playing with the Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Violist. She was particularly proud to serve on the LSO Innovation Committee in helping to design and pilot the Harmony In Healing program, which provides chamber music performances in local Nebraska hospitals, other health care and memory care facilities for patients who would not have otherwise had the opportunity to attend a music performance in the traditional concert hall setting. She has had the pleasure of performing for medical patients in various settings, from hospital chapels to hallways to bedside on the critical care unit. She lives in Lincoln with her husband, Andy, and 2 children, Reese and Evan.

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