Meet the Faculty
James R. Blue
Finding great joy in the presence of kids sparked Jim Blue's entire professional career. Jim is passionate about child welfare - standing with conviction against mistreatment.
Jim is President and Chief Executive Officer of CEDARS, one of the largest child caring organizations in the state of Nebraska serving hundreds of youth each day. He leads this private nonprofit organization to continue a legacy established in 1947 to help kids in crisis and foster strong families. Jim is a Governor appointed member of the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Corrections Juvenile Justice Coalition, and a founding board member of the Children and Family Coalition of Nebraska.
Jim holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska. He has been recognized as a recipient of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Commissioners Award for outstanding leadership and service in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
Michael J. Britten
Dr. Britten, Ph.D., is co-owner and President of Service Research Corporation which provides constituent satisfaction research, market research, mystery shopping and Human Capital Management strategies and solutions to clients throughout the United States. He has developed Human Capital Management strategies and solutions that include talent management, strategic and operational performance management systems, succession planning, screening and selection processes and talent profiling.
Dr. Britten worked several years in corporate America as a training and development manager. He implemented and evaluated competency based technical training programs in a variety of work environments and conducted over 45 intense, five-day leadership development programs for globally placed mid to upper level managers. He has also worked in health care and food service environments and provided consulting services to many industries.
He has published over 130 articles related to customer satisfaction and improvement strategies and co-authored Customer Service - Serve Us America, published by Prentice Hall.
Dr. Mary Sue "Suzy" Carter
Currently assistant to the dean of Doane's Lincoln campus, Suzy has been teaching college students for nearly three decades. She currently teaches classes at the graduate and undergraduate levels and serves as the assessment officer at the Lincoln campus.
She began her teaching career at the University of Missouri - Columbia, and has taught at Texas A&M University and Drury College in her native Springfield, Miss. Suzy was tenured associate professor on Doane's Crete campus head of the business division. She left full-time teaching in 2000 to pursue other interests. From 2000 to 2006 she worked at the international headquarters of Back to the Bible in Lincoln, Neb. serving in a variety of roles, including Chief Ministry Advancement Officer.
Suzy worked with Youth Wtih A Mission in Nicaragua on a number of projects from 1995-1998, is the lead singer in the Christian blues band Consuming Fire and volunteers with the People's City Mission and the American Cancer Society. Suzy earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science form Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Miss., a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Missouri - Columbia, Doctorate in Economics from Texas A&M University. She has published three books in the specialty field's of economics and statistics.
Jeanie Cole
Jeanie Cole is a facilitator and coach for The Leading Edge Capstone option in the Master of Arts in Management program. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Doane College with a B.A. in Human Relations. Jeanie has over 30 years experience in the business world and is currently employed as a Leadership Development Advisor with State Farm.
Jeanie is a certified coach facilitator for Corporate Coach U- Coaching Clinic and a qualified facilitator for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. She has completed 116 hours of Co-Active Coach training and over 200 hours of experiential learning in the Co-Active Leadership Program through The Coaches Training Institute.
The Reverend Karla J. Cooper
The Reverend Karla J. Cooper, the seventh of eight children of Joel and Kay Cooper, ordained an Itinerant Elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, serves as the proud pastor of Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has Dual Standing in the United Church of Christ and serves as Chaplain/Coordinator of Service Programs at Doane College. She is also an adjunct instructor in the Department of Education at Doane.
She is a graduate of Eden Theological Seminary where she received a Master's of Divinity and studied abroad as part of a travel seminar to India studying in three seminaries, Gurukul Lutheran Theological Seminary in Chennai; Tamilnadu Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary in Bangalore. Reverend Cooper also worked with the Church of South India. Because of her work in India, the African Methodist Episcopal Church will establish itself in South India in November 2007. She is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication and completed studies in a Masters of Public Administration Degree with an emphasis in public policy. She is presently pursuing her PhD/Post Baccalaureate studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dr. Don Dickerson
Dr. Don Dickerson has taught at Doane College since 1987. He teaches at both graduate and undergraduate levels on the Lincoln, Valmont, and Grand Island campuses, specializing in ethics, religion, philosophy, critical thinking, intercultural communication and The Leading Edge.
Don has served as teacher, counselor and administrator in elementary, middle, secondary and college levels in education. He has worked in selection and development as a professional analyst, teacher and in-depth interviewer with Selection Research and Gallup, Inc. He has also done training and development for businesses in management and diversity. As headmaster of a junior college and two high schools, he served in Kenya, East Africa, for four years.
Steve Enersen
Steve Enersen is a 1966 graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He has worked successfully as a freelance commercial wordsmith for more than 25 years. Keenly interested in the effectiveness of business and professional writing, he focuses on finding the true (but often hidden) purpose of any writing assignment and then creating easy-to-read, meaningful text that will accomplish that purpose.
Much of Steve's freelance work centers on newsletters, annual reports, brochures, direct mail and other forms of print advertising, plus web site organization and text. His client list includes banks, insurance companies, health organizations, licensing agencies, libraries, engineering firms, foundations, internet service providers, physicians and attorneys.
Steve has extensive experience as adjunct faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, having taught technical writing to engineering students and advertising strategy to advertising majors. He has created a new course for the Master of Arts in Management program at Doane that helps students adapt the writing skills they learned in school to the different demands of the business world.
Dr. Don Fritz
Don Fritz, Ph.D., co-founder of The FGR Group, is a consultant with over 18 years experience working with public and private organizations that are dealing with change. Don regularly facilitates group exploration, vision building, strategic planning, group problem solving, and group conflict resolution. He also provides presentations, keynotes and workshops on leading change at a personal as well as organizational level.
Additionally, Don has worked as a classroom teacher, director of professional development, chief administrator, adjunct university instructor, and a national trainer/facilitator in the areas of organizational planning, effective educational practices and program evaluation.
Bill Kostner
Bill Kostner manages the Risk Management and Benefits Division of the Personnel Department and handles claims, safety, insurance and employee benefits for the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County and Lincoln Electric.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and a Master's in Business Administration degree from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Lake Forest, Illinois.
Bill has over 20 years of experience in the risk management and human resources industry working with numerous governmental and corporate entities in the areas of insurance, claims, loss control human resources and employee benefits.
Bill is a former Peace Corps volunteer to Nepal where he spent two years working on UNICEF sponsored drinking water systems from 1974-76.
Bill was elected President of the Public Risk Management Association for the year 2007-08.
Dr. Dana L. Miller
Dana is the director of The Leading Edge and Thesis/Portfolio Capstone Programs for the Master of Arts in Management (MAM) program at Doane College in Lincoln, Neb. Dana began at Doane as dean of students on the Crete campus (1987-1990), but is especially passionate about teaching and working with non-traditional students. She was instrumental in developing the MAM program's research/thesis courses and creating the portfolio and Leading Edge alternative capstone options. Prior to coming to Doane, she was director of student activities at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash, and spent five years running residence halls for Chapman College in Orange, Calf. and Biola University in La Mirada, Calf. She also spent some time in the corporate world, working her way up from the mailroom to advertising to assistant buyer for a major chain of grocery stores.
Dana has conducted research textbook reviews for Merrill/Prentice Hall Publishing company and has co-authored articles in a number of journals including Qualitative Inquiry, Psychology of Women Quarterly, Qualitative Health Research, Federal Probation, the Ohio State's Theory into Practice journal and most recently (April 2007) in the Applied Environmental Education and Communication international journal. Dana also co-authored a chapter in the book: Innovations in Feminist Psychological Research by Cambridge University Press.
Her degrees include a bachelor's degree, from Vancouver Bible College in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, masters' degrees in Christian Education and College Student Development from Talbot Theological Seminary and Azusa Pacific University in Southern California, and a Ph.D. in Administration, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has mentored and coached many students and employees over her years as a professional.
Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien is an Information Technology Consultant for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (NEDED). At NEDED, he consults with businesses and communities about information technology needs and opportunities technology creates. He also creates and implements strategies needed to recruit and assist existing technology-based industries in Nebraska.
Tim possesses a broad range of technical knowledge with specialties in technology management, e-commerce, marketing and more than 10 years experience with web design. Tim holds a bachelors degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Management Information Systems and a masters degree from Doane College.
Susan Rocker
Susan Rocker currently serves as the advisor for the Master of Arts in Management program at Doane College. She chairs the Quality Team for the Lincoln campus, teaches in the masters and undergraduate programs, and does some advising for undergraduate students as well.
Before coming to Doane College, Susan owned and operated a small business for 12 years. As is the case with small business, Susan was responsible for a variety of business functions including recruiting and training quality staff, negotiating funding contracts, billing, daily operations management and fiscal oversight. In addition to operating her business, Susan worked extensively providing consulting and training throughout the U.S. and was a successful grant writer. Susan sold her business in 2005 and began working at Doane College.
Susan earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Human Development and Family Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her Master of Administrative Arts degree from Doane College.
Elmer C. Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Smith has been involved in higher education as an administrator and faculty member for nearly 40 years. He has taught at Southeast Community College, Nebraska Methodist College, Concordia University, the University of Nebraska and Doane College. He has served in a variety of capacities including admissions and program management. His teaching experience includes Systems Theory, Program Planning, Human Resources and Research Methods.
Dr. Smith is a Nebraska native having grown up in the Seward area. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force. He has two grown children and is the doting grandfather of a grandson. He is an avid traveler. He and his wife have visited nearly every state and numerous foreign countries. Having retired from the university, Dr. Smith serves as the part-time pastor of a small Lutheran church outside of Sterling, Neb. As a life-long learner himself, he is currently studying systematic theology through Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Miss.