ayor Leirion Gaylor Baird today announced that State Senator Kate Bolz will join her staff as a Policy Aide for Economic and Workforce Development on December 1. She is replacing Alyssa Martin, who has accepted another position in the private sector.
“Kate is a recognized and accomplished leader in our City and State, and we are excited to have her join our team,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “Her talents and experience are well suited to this role, where she will lead our Lincoln Forward initiative, which works to foster the conditions for Lincolnites to flourish and thrive and for our community to achieve real and sustainable growth.”
Bolz, who recently ran for the 1st District Congressional seat, has represented District 29 in Lincoln in the Nebraska Unicameral since 2013. She served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, and as a member of the Retirement Committee, Executive Board, Children’s Commission, and Oversight Committee on Corrections.
Bolz has been Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of Service Providers since 2013. She previously was the Associate Director for Economic Opportunity Programs for the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest. She has also been an adjunct professor at UNL, Nebraska Wesleyan and Union College. She has bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Sociology from Nebraska Wesleyan and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan.
“The Gaylor Baird administration's dedication to economic and workforce development is vital as Lincoln continues to grow and as our community works to create new opportunities for workers impacted by the coronavirus,” Bolz said. “I’m eager to use my skills and experience to build economic prosperity for Lincoln businesses and residents.”
Mayor Gaylor Baird said the purpose of the Lincoln Forward initiative is to develop strategies for facilitating the type of economic growth and development that will best position Lincoln for future success, as measured by the wellbeing or thriving of Lincoln’s residents. “We know that a large part of what makes Lincoln special is its quality of life,” she said. “It is important that Lincoln continues to maintain a competitive advantage relative to other cities, and that Lincoln not only counters the prevailing national trend of declining wellbeing, but reverses that trend and serves as a beacon to all who seek the good life.”
The Mayor expressed her gratitude to Alyssa Martin for her dedicated service to the city. “I am grateful to Alyssa for her commitment to excellence and tireless work as part of my administration,” said the Mayor. In her role, Martin guided and provided critical support for the Mayor's Economic Recovery Task Force and played an instrumental role in the development and execution of the Lincoln COVID-19 Response Fund and city efforts to promote cultures of compassion and belonging, including through the NeighborLNK program. Her last day with the City is Friday, November 20.