ABOUT the Ainsworth Child Development Center

Ashlie Wright joined our team in June 2022. We are so excited about what she brings to our team. She works to hard to build a strong team dynamic and positive environment for both children and staff!

Karen O’Hare, and husband Jeremy, who grew up in Ainsworth moved to Brown County in 2018. Karen grew up in a small town in North Carolina and loves living on their family ranch in the Sandhills. Karen works for Bayer CropScience in Sales and in her spare time she can be found playing with her 3 kids, Keegan (7), Grady (4) and Caroline (1), riding horses or camping. She is a founding member of ACDC and is very passionate about the opportunity for the children in families in Brown County to continue to grow and thrive!

Haley and her husband Mark feed cattle and ranch west of Ainsworth. Haley is a graduate from UNL and also a wedding photographer. Since moving back to their home community and being married in 2018 Mark and Haley have welcomed two children, Bogue and Blake. Haley’s been long passionate about rural communities and the lifestyle they offer to families. She joined the board to be a part of the solution-retaining and recruiting young families to our region!

Devyn is a life-long Nebraskan; and after meeting her husband in Omaha during college, they knew they wanted to settle in a rural area. A job opportunity became available in Ainsworth in 2017, they moved to north central Nebraska, and they have loved it ever since. She and her husband, Robby, have 3 daughters, Alora, Claire, and Zoey. Devyn works at Brown County Hospital as the Laboratory Manager and is passionate about helping both the youngest population and their families thrive in rural Nebraska.

Neiley and her husband Don both grew up in and returned back to Ainsworth after college. They have two children, Weston and Bergan, who are 4 and 2. Neiley has been a special education and now second grade teacher for 7 years at McAndrew Elementary, while Don is part of a family farming operation in Brown County. Neiley is passionate about children, especially those in our area. She is excited to see all of the possibilities the Ainsworth Child Development Center will provide for so many children and families!

Reagan was born and raised in Ainsworth, Nebraska and feels strongly about keeping our community alive. Reagan and her husband Marcus moved back to the area after college in 2016. Since getting married in 2017, they have welcomed two children, Parker and Jameson. As an elementary school teacher, working with children and helping to build a solid foundation for them is a passion of hers. Marcus is a loan officer at a local bank and is also active in the community. Reagan, along with several other local moms, panicked when they found themselves without child care in the wake of the 2020 pandemic. They came together, and after a lot of work, helped to create the Ainsworth Child Development Center.

McKenzie Owen Brodbeck is our newest board member. She was born and raised in Valentine, NE and attended Chadron State College for her bachelor’s degree. She then went on to obtain my doctorate in dental surgery, from the University of Colorado. After completion of dental school, she was so eager to return home to the sandhills and found an amazing opportunity here in Ainsworth! She obtained ownership in 2021 of Ainsworth Family Dental. Cory, her husband, is an Ainsworth native, and is an insurance adjuster for Dakota Claims Service. Together, they both enjoy coaching and taking part in several youth activities within the community. Their have a daughter- Sutton (9). They love the community they live in and have planted permanent roots here, and feel very grateful to have such a great place to raise our family. Ainsworth currently has outstanding daycare providers, but we need more of them! She can’t wait to see how the ACDC changes the lives of many in our community by offering this amazing opportunity to so many in need.

Nancy and her husband Scott are natives of Stuart Nebraska and have lived in Ainsworth for over 25 years. They came to Ainsworth as young professionals, with young children, for job opportunities. Their 3 children Joel (Kendra) Steinhauser, Maggie (Jon) Alderson, and Claire Steinhauser are all graduates of AHS. Nancy and Scott also have 2 grandchildren, Brynn and Camden. Nancy is the Chief Risk Officer for The Tri-County Bank and Scott is a School Psychologist with ESU 17. Nancy is a promoter of community development and believes in contributing time and talent to local organizations. She is passionate about childcare and good education and knows the struggles that working families have finding and keeping reliable childcare. Nancy joined the board after being inspired by the vision of ACDC to bring an educational based childcare facility to Brown County.

Marsha and her husband, Phil, both recently retired, are parents of Dustin and Tony (dec). Marsha enjoyed a long career in education with the majority of it spent operating a Christian Preschool. A life-long advocate for the importance of early childhood education, Marsha joined the board to help ensure that high standards of developmentally appropriate educational opportunities were available to all young children in the area. Helping children with individual needs and nurturing them to reach their full potential is a win-win for the community!