Staff
Aly Ramage, Executive Director
Aly Ramage, has been serving as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Main Street Network since March of 2024. Born and raised in rural Beaver Crossing, Nebraska, Aly has a passion for helping smaller communities. Her educational and professional experience lies in Architecture (Master of Architecture), Community & Regional Planning, and Urban Design. With this, she has extensive knowledge of implementing the Four-Point Approach in Partner Communities.
Executive Committee
Chair, Pat Joyner, Weeping Water
Pat Joyner is a local Main Street Manager in Weeping Water. As head of the Revitalization Association of Weeping Water (RAWW), Pat has promoted Main Street, secured funds, and completed a variety of projects. Prior to RAWW, she worked with the Plattsmouth Main Street organization. Pat's extensive Main Street knowledge has proved to be an incredible asset to our state board.
Vice Chair, Luke Virgil, Wayne
Luke Virgil has been the Executive Director at Wayne Area Economic Development (WAED) since 2017 but has been working in economic development since 2012. Since starting at WAED, he has championed quality childcare, affordable housing, and reliable broadband access as strategies to attract talent and help rural Nebraska thrive. During his tenure at WAED, the organization has emphasized of tourism in Wayne and supported tourism-related business development and activities throughout the community. Virgil is a graduate of the Nebraska State Chamber’s Leadership Nebraska Program (Class IX) and is the co-chair of their Alumni Advisory Council. He participated in the Sherwood Foundation’s Community Catalyst Program (Cohort 15) and serves on various boards and committees in Wayne and Northeast Nebraska. Virgil grew up near Wahoo, NE and received his B.S. in Political Science at Wayne State College. He and his wife, Megan, have a son, Brody, and a daughter, Brynn.
Secretary, Ashley Peterson, Omaha
Ashley Peterson is the Marketing Coordinator for a sports software company called, ScoreVision. As a board member, she lends her creative strategy, promotion, and marketing skills to build visibility and awareness of Nebraska Main Street Network initiatives. Prior to her experience with ScoreVision, she served as an architectural associate for a firm specializing in historic preservation called Architexas. Her passion for historic preservation and community engagement fuels her desire to help revitalize the main streets of rural communities in Nebraska. Ashley’s energetic personality and knowledge of the architectural industry provide the ability to develop relationships with businesses and support their desire to further their reach.
Ashley graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Design - Architecture in 2019 and has served on the board for over a year. She hopes to continue building strong relationships and preserving foundational structures that contribute to the history of our great state.
Treasurer, Dylan Schweer, Clay Center
Dylan Schweer is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In 2023, he graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration. He is currently employed at Nebraska Bank of Commerce. There, he oversees the teller line, manages scheduling, and strengthens customer relationships. Dylan's knowledge of business, banking, and available funds will prove crucial to the financial success of our organization.
At-Large Board Members
Dr. Sonya Grace Türkman, Lincoln
Dr. Sonya Grace Türkman is an Assistant Professor of Interior Design in the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her interdisciplinary background spans art, design, and architectural history; she holds a PhD in Art from the University of Georgia and an MA in Interior Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Türkman’s research investigates the social and spatial dynamics of designed environments, with a particular focus on historic urban markets and the cultures of labor that sustain them. Her scholarship contributes to the expanding discourse of interior architecture as a site of cultural, ethical, material, and preservation-oriented inquiry. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and contributed chapters to edited volumes from Routledge and Peter Lang. Prior to her appointment at Nebraska, Türkman taught at Istanbul Technical University, where she focused on historic preservation and adaptive reuse in one of the world’s most architecturally complex cities. She currently serves on the City of Lincoln’s Historic Preservation Commission and brings this expertise to her role on the board of the Nebraska Main Street Network.
Emeritus Board Members
Kevin Andersen, Omaha
Kevin Andersen currently works with the City of Omaha as Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Development and Development Services in Mayor Jean Stothert's administration. Previously, Kevin has worked as a planning consultant for JEO Consulting Group in Omaha. His experience also includes the Nebraska Department of Economic Development where he worked on strategies for workforce development, downtown revitalization, community and business development and public facilities projects. He has served as President of the Nebraska Planning and Zoning Association-Metro Chapter, is a member of the Nebraska Main Street Network Board of Directors, and has served on the Heritage Nebraska Board of Directors. Andersen has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is a candidate for a Master of Community and Regional Planning degree at UNL.
Ex-Officio Board Members
Michael Sothan, Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
Michael Sothan is the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the State of Nebraska. Her office and staff operate under the auspices of the Nebraska State Historical Society. Additionally, Michael is a former director of Main Street Beatrice.
Dave Honz, Nebraska Department of Economic Development
Dave Honz is an Economic Development Manager at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and is with the Field Service Team as a Business Development Representative for Southeast Nebraska. He has held a number of positions since joining DED in 1989; working with businesses, communities, development organizations, and individuals to improve Nebraska. He works with Federal, State, and local resources to plan and invest in community and economic development projects across the state. Prior to joining DED, he worked for the Southern Iowa Council of Governments as a Planner, where he operated a Revolving Loan Fund for business financing, prepared strategic plans for communities, wrote and administered grants from various agencies.
Dave is a native of Omaha and lives in Lincoln with his wife and two children. He graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, minor in Economics.
