Nebraska State Historical Society Director Daryl Bohac, appointed by Gov. Jim Pillen last November, answered questions for this month’s newsletter about his key priorities for NSHS and his background before joining the organization.
What is your background?
My educational background is in psychology. I have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and I worked in that field from 1994 to 2003. I left my position at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry to accept a full time position with the Nebraska National Guard. I retired from the military in October 2023 after 45+ years of military service. The first 25 years I served as a reservist in the United States Marine Corps and as a member of the Nebraska Air National Guard. I retired as the Adjutant General of the Nebraska National Guard and as the Director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency on June 30, 2023.
What brought you to the Nebraska State Historical Society?
A phone call! I was not looking for full-time employment when I received a call asking if I was ready to return to public service. Nevertheless, when I was asked if I would consider becoming the director of the Nebraska State Historical Society, I recognized that I could continue to do what I like best, which is to help others do things they didn’t know they could do and help organizations achieve excellence.
What are your key priorities for the Nebraska State Historical Society? What will you focus on?
My key priorities are:
- Help all our sites be places all Nebraskans want to visit and return to and would recommend us to their family and friends.
- Help NSHS be a place people enjoy coming to work, a place where they feel valued, and would encourage others to join our team.
- Garner the respect and confidence of our elected officials for the Nebraska State Historical Society by sharing the great work the staff does.
What is the most interesting thing you have learned so far in your short time at the Nebraska State Historical Society?
There is a sacred room in the headquarters building in Lincoln where Native American sacred objects are kept.
What are you most looking forward to learning more about at the Nebraska State Historical Society?
I want to better understand the process that leads to us displaying artifacts and information. Where does it start? What are the steps?
Do you have a favorite topic/person from the history of Nebraska?
I like learning about our immigrant populations – how did they get here and why did they choose Nebraska?
