Glynnis Collins has joined Civic Nebraska as our new Director of Operations, bringing with her a career rooted in stewardship, systems, community, and a deep belief that good work should help people and places thrive.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Glynnis has called Lincoln home for about 10 years. Before making her way to Nebraska, she lived in Illinois and California, building a career in environmental protection, conservation, nonprofit leadership, and organizational operations.
Over the years, Glynnis has built deep expertise in environmental policy and law, land use and open space conservation, natural resource management, and water resources. Before joining Civic Nebraska, she served as Center Director for Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, where she helped connect people with Nebraska’s tallgrass prairie, wildlife, and natural history. She also previously served as executive director of Prairie Rivers Network and worked as an environmental scientist in California.
For Glynnis, joining Civic Nebraska is not a sharp turn away from that career. It is an extension of it.
After years of working in environmental protection, she began thinking more deeply about the systems that make long-term community progress possible. To her, protecting the places we love and strengthening democracy are deeply connected. That connection between stewardship and civic life is central to how Glynnis sees the work ahead.
Whether caring for a prairie, a river, an old Lincoln home, or the internal systems that help an organization serve communities across the state, Glynnis brings a thoughtful belief that what we inherit should be cared for, strengthened, and passed on better than we found it.
That spirit also shapes her love for Nebraska and Lincoln.
One of the first things that impressed Glynnis after moving here was Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature. She was struck by how forward-thinking the idea felt and how much it reflected a sense of civic independence. In Lincoln, she quickly came to appreciate the city’s strong public schools, nonprofit community, and neighborhood spirit.
When she and her family arrived with three young children, Lincoln Public Schools left a lasting impression. She was surprised and delighted to learn that LPS provided the basic school supplies students needed.
“I was like, ‘Who are these people?’” Glynnis said with a laugh. “It made me so happy.”
That sense of community care is one of the things she values most about Lincoln and Nebraska. It is also part of what drew her to Civic Nebraska’s work.
As Director of Operations, Glynnis will help strengthen the systems, processes, and internal supports that allow Civic Nebraska’s work in Civic Education, Civic Health, and Civic Action to move forward with clarity and purpose.
It is a role that fits her well, especially because she has a soft spot for a word that may not always sound flashy but matters deeply in mission-driven work: functional.
“I like that everything is so functional,” she said. “That’s not an inspiring word, but it’s important.”
At Civic Nebraska, we agree. Functional systems help people do meaningful work. They create room for creativity, trust, collaboration, and impact. With Glynnis’s leadership, care, and steady sense of purpose, we are excited for how our operations will continue to grow stronger.
Outside of work, Glynnis still enjoys spending time outdoors. She recommends a visit to Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center for anyone who has not been there yet. Around Lincoln, she enjoys farmers markets, Hub Cafe, Cultiva Coffee, performances at the Lied Center and Nebraska Rep, and walking her dog, Lucy, through her neighborhood.
We are thrilled to welcome Glynnis Collins to Civic Nebraska. Glynnis can be reached at gl*************@***********ka.org.