Deborah Dancer to lead Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition  

Deborah Dancer, MPA, has been named executive director of the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition. An enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation (also known as the Wisconsin Winnebago Tribe), Dancer comes to the coalition with a range of skills including facilitation, mediation, strategic planning, grant writing, public administration, and advocacy. 
 
“I am honored, humbled and ready to align the skills and experience I have with the incredible work NICWC is doing and give back to the community I love and one which has always given me a sense of belonging,” Dancer said. 
 
“The board is thrilled to welcome Deborah to NICWC and is eager to see the impactful growth she will bring through her leadership,” said Liz Lovejoy Brown, board president. 
 
A mother of five and grandmother of four, Dancer holds a bachelor's degree in sociology, a master’s in public administration and is currently working on a doctoral degree in education specializing in interprofessional leadership. 
 
It was during her senior year of college in which Dancer, who also is of West African descent, said she began searching for her Ho-Chunk Winnebago roots.  
 
“My mother was placed in foster care at a young age, moved through more than two dozen homes and unfortunately like so many other Native youths she became disconnected from her family, her tribe and lost a lot of herself. It is also where she learned to deny her Native American heritage,” Dancer said. 
 
Dancer’s journey led her to internships with her tribe where she interned with the department of mental health and social services as an advocate for victims of domestic violence and the Ho-Chunk Housing Department working with the Ho-Chunk Tribal Security Patrol.   
 
She moved to Omaha at a young age and later graduated from Central High School, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where she gained valuable experience in housing as a UNO-HUD intern.  
 
Over nearly two decades, Dancer worked extensively with tenants and near-homeless individuals, leaving a lasting impact as a program director at Family Housing Advisory Services.  
Her career also included leading community collaboration efforts, where she played a pivotal role in two national initiatives that highlighted Nebraska's contributions to system-wide child abuse prevention. These initiatives were housed within two agencies, with Dancer’s work in leadership roles as a community collaborative coordinator and chief administrative officer.  
 
Most recently, Dancer worked within a large health system as a grant writer (and pre-award coordinator) for nearly two years, further expanding her expertise in nonprofit and organizational development.  
 
Through it all Dancer said she saw the disparity and marginalization of Native American families and initially connected with NICWC through former executive director Misty Flowers, remaining connected to the organization as a member of the NICWC coalition. 
 
“I am absolutely grateful for everything that Misty, and interim executive director Jill Holt have done to take it from its foundational creation to growing it into this vibrant organization that Native families know they can rely upon,” Dancer said. 
 
Said Lovejoy Brown: “The board also wants to recognize Jill, who has been an integral part of our journey from the start, as she leaves NICWC for other opportunities. Jill along with Misty helped to create a strong foundation for NICWC and we wish her the absolute best in her future endeavors.”