SIDNEY, Neb. - Keep Sidney Beautiful (KSB), an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and a partnered program with the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce, is welcoming a new Director. Jason Nelke, 36, of Sidney, was chosen by Chamber administration and members of the KSB Board to assume the role of Director for the organization.

In a conversation with KSID, Nelke explained he moved to Cheyenne County in 2016 to take over a Nebraska pioneer farm. His hometown is Lovingston, Virginia, a small, rural, town in the Blue Ridge Mountains which, besides the geographical differences, reminds Nelke a lot of Cheyenne County. Nelke also obtained a degree in environmental sciences with his major in Marine Biology and minor in Ecology from Sheldon-Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska. The similarities to home and a desire to help better the environment were two key reasons why he applied for the open KSB Director position.

“My main focus is trying to build this organization into something,” Nelke said. “I feel like Keep Sidney Beautiful has been fluttering over here, I’m not sure how many people in this County even know about us. One of my first steps right now is getting the word out, getting the community involved, getting some volunteers, and just really trying to rebuild it from the ground up.”

Currently, Nelke is focusing on the volunteer program in particular by writing policies to set the foundation for a strong group. He noted he plans to reach out to area high schools, retirement communities, the local Justice department, and other resources to help facilitate the program as it starts to grow. With his background in the farming industry too, Nelke also mentioned he would like to work with the agricultural community to hear their thoughts and/or concerns on the environment and ways Keep Sidney Beautiful might be able to help.

In all, Nelke stresses the importance of making the KSB program one that will allow those involved to make a difference in multiple ways throughout the community.

“I really hope for this to become more than just picking up trash and sorting bottles,” Nelke explained. “I want volunteers to be able to come, spend time with us, and not only help the community, but at the end of the day have something that you can be proud of, that you can take ownership of, that you can use for a job reference or recommendation later on in life.”

While Nelke is in the process of setting the guidelines and goals of Keep Sidney Beautiful, he did add if anyone is interested in becoming a Board member or volunteer to contact him directly by calling (308)254-5851, or emailing office@cheyennecountychamber.com.

- Dewayne Cook