Jeremy Eschliman is the Health Director at Two Rivers Public Health Department leading a passionate team of public health professionals and partners committed to improving health outcomes of the residents in Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Gosper, Harlan, Kearney, and Phelps Counties in Nebraska. Jeremy is a doctorate candidate (DrPH) at UNMC, with a MBA, and dual undergraduate in Chemistry and Biological Sciences. Jeremy maintains a Registered Environmental Health Specialist license.

While at Two Rivers Public Health Department, Jeremy has led the organization by creating and adopting a new financial infrastructure, developing sustainable preventative clinical services, and achieving national public health accreditation. Current areas of growth include the development of a home visitation program (perinatal to age 3 focused) and the expansion of foundational services such as epidemiology and environmental health.

In his leadership and advocacy of environmental health issues, Jeremy was selected as a member of the Radon Resistant New Construction Task force in 2017, advocating for the development of minimum standards for radon-resistant new construction across Nebraska, in addition to supporting funding directed toward the education of the dangers of radon. Jeremy was recently appointed to the UNMC board of counsels to the chancellor and the CyncHealth Foundation.

Jeremy loves spending time free with his wife and children. In his extra time, Jeremy and his family may be caught working with cattle, fixing fence, fishing/hunting, running or traveling.

Learner | Input | Analytical | Achiever | Intellection

Email: jeschliman@trphd.ne.gov

Katie Mulligan is the Planning Section Supervisor. In this position she oversees the Emergency Preparedness team, efforts toward accreditation, and community health planning. Katie started at Two Rivers in 2017 as a health educator and has also worked as an emergency response coordinator. Prior to working at the health department, she earned her bachelors in biochemistry from Hastings College. Katie states that “The goal of public health is to help every person no matter the circumstances. I believe that access to care can change people’s lives and that every person deserves a chance at mental and physical health.” Katie enjoys being out in our community and working with partners to ensure everyone has access to quality care.

Empathy | Connectedness | Developer | Achiever | Includer

Email: kmulligan@trphd.ne.gov

Jacki Connery is the Community Health Nurse Supervisor at Two Rivers. In her position, Jacki works with all the Community Health Nurses, assists with disease investigations, immunization clinics, COVID testing, and wherever else she is needed in the office! Jacki has her BSN, RN. Before arriving at Two Rivers, Jacki spent four years as an infection control nurse and has been a nursing manager since 2013. In her free time Jacki loves to crochet; read; listen to music and sing; and spend time with friends, family, and her dogs!

Positivity | Adaptability | Arranger | Developer | Maximizer

Email: jconnery@trphd.ne.gov

Von Lutz joined the team as a Clinical Services Supervisor. In his role, Von works closely with Long Term Care Facilities to coordinate Covid testing including drive thru test sites across the district. Von obtained his undergraduate degree from Concordia College in Human Services in addition to a Master of Science in Applied Child, Family, and Community Services. Von continued his education obtaining Doctor of Social Work from Concordia College in May 2020. Von is an advocate for children and families and is an active Board Member for The Association of Child Abuse Prevention. In his spare time, Von enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.

Belief | Developer | Input | Responsibility | Ideation

Email: vlutz@trphd.ne.gov

Aravind Menon joined the Two Rivers team in 2020 as our Epidemiologist. In his position, he studies disease progression and analyzes morbidity and mortality data. Aravind Menon trained and practiced as a physician in South and Western India before enrolling for his Masters in Public Health at the Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Science and Technology. Following this, he led a large-scale reproductive health intervention for married adolescent girls in Central India for two years before pursuing a year-long NIH-Fogarty fellowship in Durban, South Africa. During the fellowship, he explored the power of conditional cash transfers to encourage responsible personal behavior among school-going adolescents in a high HIV-prevalence area. After moving to the US over ten years back, he enrolled for his PhD at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, analyzing cervical cancer screening during routine antenatal and postnatal screening visits in urban Malawi for his doctoral thesis. The thing Aravind loves most about his position at Two Rivers is the ability to observe the ability of simple, evidence-based interventions to improve the health of communities and positively impact the lives of countless people. During his spare time, Aravind likes to read fantasy graphic novels and cook Indian food for friends and family. He lives in Lexington with his wife and children aged one & six years.

Input | Learner | Intellection | Ideation | Context

Email: amenon@trphd.ne.gov

Jesse Valenti has been the finance manager at Two Rivers for four years. In his position, Jesse creates and maintains budgets for our programs, bookkeeping(payables, receivables, reconciling), and HR tasks (payroll, insurance). In 2009 Jesse graduated with a bachelor’s in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting from the University of Nebraska Kearney. Before coming to Two Rivers, Jesse worked at Axis Capital Inc, Allmand Bros, and Younes Hospitality. In his free time, Jesse likes to spend time with his friends and family, go to the gym, watch movies, and watch his favorite sports team (Football: Nebraska Huskers, Kansas City Cheifs; Basketball: Chicago Cubs). Jesse participated in the 2020 Kearney/Buffalo County CASA Men in Tights event and won the event as the “most talented” contestant, and he is also serving his first year for the Board at Kearney Area Children's Museum.

Harmony | Positivity | Includer | Consistency | Maximizer

Email: jvalenti@trphd.ne.gov

Andrea Shoemaker is TRPHD's Administrative Assistant. As she is the person you will see in the front of the office she hopes to provide a variety of duties within the office to help everything to run as smoothly as possible. She grew up in Kearney and has worked in healthcare for the last 9 years in varying roles. Before working in healthcare she was in customer services, which has given her the people skills needed for her role with TRPHD. When she isn't working she enjoys spending time with her 2 boys, attending football games, wrestling meets, track meets, and boy scout functions. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, running, being outdoors, and playing with her dog.

Belief | Developer | Connectedness | Empathy | Positivity

Email: ashoemaker@trphd.ne.gov

Hayley Jelinek is a Health Educator at Two Rivers. Her main focus is on mental health, substance misuse/abuse, minority health, and violence prevention. Hayley has 30 years of experience in social work and has worked with both DHHS, hospitals, and Child and Adult Protective Services. In her free time, Hayley enjoys spending time with her family and watching true crime documentaries. Her favorite part of being on the Two Rivers team is meeting new people, forging relationships with community members, and learning new things.

Woo | Communication | Positivity | Activator | Empathy

Email: hjelinek@trphd.ne.gov

Emily Beaver is at Health Educator for Two Rivers Public Health Department. In this role Emily has the opportunity to educate individuals in the community about the importance of healthy lifestyles choices and disease prevention. This education is vital to empower all community members to make informed decisions about their personal health and wellbeing. Emily graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a Bachelor of Science in Education and an emphasis in Health Science. Currently, Emily attends College of Saint Mary to receive her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Emily says, “One area of my job that I enjoy the most is learning about the programs our local community has to offer to residents. Through my position at TRPHD, I have been introduced to a wide range of programs that can benefit individuals and families in our community in unique ways.”

Relator | Discipline | Consistency | Harmony | Developer

Email: ebeaver@trphd.ne.gov

Akaela Lieth is Two Rivers Public Health Department's Marketing and Communications Coordinator. In this position, Akaela hopes to become a reliable source of information to all our partners within the community as well as keep the public informed and up to date on all the happenings within TRPHD. Before making the transition to public health she worked at NTV for 4 years, where she was a producer and director, working through COVID-19. There she gained a lot of experience and learned many skills including, but not limited to, managing chaos. Akaela earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska Kearney in 2017. In her off hours she loves to be outdoors with her dogs and spending time with family and friends. Akaela's favorite thing about being on the TRPHD team is working towards making a difference in her community and working with everyone at TRPHD.

Relator | Restorative | Input | Learner | Command

Email: alieth@trphd.ne.gov

Erica Carpenter is the Emergency Response Coordinator at Two Rivers. Her main focus is to establish positive working relationships with medical, public health and emergency response partners within the health department.
Erica has a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Nebraska Kearney. Before coming to Two Rivers Erica spent 7 years working in social work recruiting foster parents to help at-risk children in foster care. Her passion is helping kids feel safe and loved. Erica loves spending time with her family and friends outside- camping, fishing, or playing at the lake. Her favorite part of being on the Two Rivers team is meeting new people, forging relationships with community members, and helping in her community.

Communication | Maximizer | Woo | Positivity | Includer

Email: ecarpenter@trphd.ne.gov

McKenzie is our Environmental Health Specialist. Prior to joining Two Rivers Public Health Department, McKenzie worked in early phase clinical research and healthcare. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Nebraska Wesleyan University. McKenzie monitors and tracks environmental health issues and diseases that impact our communities such as West Nile Virus, lake algae, public health water violations, radon, lead poisoning, and air quality. McKenzie hopes to inform, educate, and empower citizens about environmental health issues so all have the opportunity to pursue a safe and healthy life.

Harmony | Analytical | Intellection | Consistency | Learner

Email: mpetersen@trphd.ne.gov

Currently, Haleigh is the Home Visitation Supervisor. In this position, she oversees the Family Support Specialists and helps provide direct services to families. Haleigh has held many roles throughout her time at Two Rivers. What she loves the most is being able to help families and children. In 2020, Haleigh graduated from Hastings College with her bachelors in Education. Haleigh is passionate about helping connect those in need with resources to guide them in developing positive relationships and healthy lifestyles. In her free time, she loves to travel and be outdoors boating, fishing, or hiking.

Strategic | Achiever | Discipline | Responsibility | Developer

Email: heschliman@trphd.ne.gov

Hablo Español
Rosa Pinon is a Program Nurse at Two Rivers Public Health Department. She has been a nurse for over 25 years. Being bilingual, Rosa offers valuable translation services to members of our community who speak Spanish. Rosa was born in California and graduated from nursing school in Colorado. She is working full time and going to school to become an RN as well. Rosa has a variety of work experience that make her a valuable part of our team. She has experience as a Surgical Tech, Endo tech II, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, and a Respiratory Nurse. Rosa started work with TRPHD in November of 2020. She is a single mom with 4 kids.

Futuristic | Strategic | Maximizer | Input| Focus

Email: rpinon@trphd.ne.gov

Rita Kaul BSN, RN is a Community Health Nurse. Rita joined the TRPHD team in March of 2022 as a Community Health Nurse. Her current role is to complete Disease Investigations, Immunization Clinics and to educate the public about reportable diseases in Nebraska. Rita grew up in Newman Grove NE and graduated from there. She attended Nebraska Methodist School of Nursing in Omaha NE to become an RN. Rita’s first nursing experiences were in the rural area of Albion NE at the Boone County Health Center. She was able to gain experience in ER, OB, Surgery, Cardiac Rehab and Oncology. In 2000 her and her family moved to Kearney NE where she took a job at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cancer Research. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Regis University in Denver CO. as well as certifications in Oncology. She also completed her Parish Nursing courses to serve as the Parish Nurse at Holy Cross Lutheran church in Kearney, NE. In her free time Rita enjoys time with her husband and 6 grandchildren. She also enjoys walking, gardening and sitting on her garden bench in her backyard.

Discipline | Consistency | Harmony | Responsibility | Learner

Email: rkaul@trphd.ne.gov

Marilyn Warnken is a Program Nurse at Two Rivers on our immunization team. Marilyn gives both influenza and COVID vaccines, but also helps with out VFC clinics. Marilyn started in August of 2020 and her favorite part of being on the team is the people she works with and the communities she works for. In her free time Marilyn enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and three grandchildren camping at Harlan Lake.

Strategic | Includer | Achiever | Relator | Developer

Email: mwarnken@trphd.ne.gov

Liz Wiens is a Community Health Nurse. Liz grew up in North Central Kansas and attended Fort Hays State University where she discovered her passion for health and wellness. There she received both a Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology, as well as a Minor in Gerontology. After graduating and getting married in 2002, she and her husband moved to Minnesota for four years where she pursued her Associate’s Degree in Nursing. Upon graduation, she and her husband moved to Kearney. Since then she has spent much of her nursing career prior to working at TRPHD working in the area of Cardiology. In April 2022, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University and joined the TRPHD team. She is excited for the opportunity to work directly with members of the community in a variety of areas and positively impact their quality of life. In her free time Liz enjoys teaching group exercise classes, being outdoors, reading, and spending time with her husband and four children.

Achiever | Learner | Deliberative | Connectedness | Relator

Email: ewiens@trphd.ne.gov

Jordan Anderson, BSN, RN is a Community Health Nurse. She joined the TRPHD team in May 2022. Jordan grew up in Holyoke, CO and attended Chadron State College for her pre-requisites. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2017. Jordan and her husband moved to Kearney after their wedding in June 2017. She started her nursing career in NICU, then took a temporary school nurse position before moving on to Labor and Delivery. Jordan is very passionate about vaccinations and STD prevention. In her free time, she enjoys photography, crochet, and spending time with her two sons and husband.

Responsibility | Restorative | Relator | Belief | Achiever

Email: janderson@trphd.ne.gov

Hablo Español
Maria Barocio has been part of the Two Rivers team since 2016 as a Community Health Worker. In this position, her main role is to connect people with the services and resources they need. Health services, clothing, or food are some examples of what Maria has community members obtain. Being bilingual, Maria offers valuable translation services to members of our community who speak Spanish. Maria has 26 years of experience working in our communities. Because Maria does a lot of the hands-on work with our community, she has many stories of the way she helps people. One of her favorites is when a man reached out to her for tooth pain. After three phone calls to different dentist, she finally found one that would accept him. Using a three way call she was able to translate and set up an appointment. When Maria asked him why he had not gone to the dentist before, he stated the dental office only spoke English and he never understood, so he hung up. He also did not have transportation to get to the dentist or money to pay for an appointment. Maria was able to be there when they removed the tooth and helped translate. A week later, the same person called and asked if Maria would make another appointment for him, which she happily did. Afterwards, he told Maria “I been having this pain for so long that even I was missing work day”. Maria is a valuable part of the Two Rivers team and always happy to connect individuals with services.

Includer | Arranger | Responsibility | Developer | Achiever

Email: mbarocio@trphd.ne.gov

Nazarria Mackins is a Community Health Worker.
As a community health worker, Nazarria Goes out into the community and provides help with resources, volunteers, and makes connections to people in need. Nazarria has lived the majority of her life in Texas but has also lived in Oklahoma, and is excited to bring her experiences to help the communities in Nebraska.
Nazarria Believes that “If you’re uncomfortable with the advertises of others, you’re feeling the wrong emotion, while we can’t solve all the problems of the world sometimes all people need is someone to listen.”
Nazarria’s favorite thing about the Two Rivers Public Health Department team is the work environment and everyone’s continued progress towards a common goal.
Nazarria likes to go outdoors with her fiancé and friends, Read, cook, and garden.

Learner | Achiever | Input | Harmony | Focus

Email: nmackins@trphd.ne.gov

Brent Roemmich is a Billing Specialist. Brent was born and raised in Kearney, graduating high school in 2004. He then attended The University of NE at Kearney getting a Bachelor's Degree in Music Business in 2008. After working in California for a time, Brent lived in Grand Island where he got his start in healthcare working in local nursing homes and a pharmacy in both clinical and admin roles. Brent moved back to Kearney in 2017 and enjoys being back. He worked for a few local healthcare establishments including the Central Nebraska Veterans home in the therapy department, Genesis Rehab. After taking a job working from home during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was excited to start working for Two Rivers Public Health Department in the spring of 2022! Brent has one son, Jaxon. He spends his spare time singing. Currently, Brent sings for multiple church groups and community choirs around Kearney.

Consistency | Harmony | Analytical | Discipline | Adaptability

Email: broemmich@trphd.ne.gov

Patty Samuelson is a Billing Specialist for TRPHD. She grew up in Lexington and went to college at Nebraska College of Technical Ag, where she received her associate's degree. Before coming to Two Rivers Health Department Patty worked for 5 years for a local business selling appliances. She hopes to gain more business management skills and meet new community members. Patty is very active in the Phelps County 4-H program where she is a club leader, on the swine livestock committee, and the awards committee. She is also a member of the Prairie Quilt Guild where she and her guild make quilts for our local Veterans. Patty, her husband, and 2 kids all enjoy attending antique tractor shows, rodeos, craft shows, flea markets, and music concerts and spending time at home having friends and family out for a barbeque and bonfires and making memories that last a lifetime.

Strategic | Restorative | Adaptability | Communication | Includer

Email: psamuelson@trphd.ne.gov