Author: Ross Louch

The Nebraska CoSN Chapter (CoSNE) held its latest statewide member meeting on February 25, 2026. It was a productive session covering leadership transitions, major legislative updates, and our roadmap for the 2026 conference season.

If you missed the live session, you can catch up on the full discussion via the recording below:

Key Highlights & Action Items

1. Chapter Leadership & Board Elections

We are officially opening nominations for the CoSNE Board.

• Nominate Here: CoSNE Board Nomination Form
• Note: If nominating yourself, please include a bio and photo. If nominating a peer, our team will reach out to them for confirmation. Elections will be held prior to our next meeting.

2. Let’s Meet Up: 2026 Conference Attendance

We want to coordinate and connect with our Nebraska members at upcoming events! If you are attending any of the following, please let us know via the form below:

👉 Complete the Conference Attendance Form

• CoSN 2026 (Chicago, IL): April 13–15.
• NETA Spring Conference (Kearney, NE): April 30–May 1.
• NCSA Admin Days (Kearney, NE): July 24–26.

3. Legislative & Security Updates

Cory provided essential updates regarding the Joint Security Operations Center (JSOC) and key bills currently in the Nebraska Legislature:

• LB1050: Reading Bill
• LB390: Library Bill
• LB1219: Valuation Cap

The Nebraska CoSN Chapter is now accepting nominations for one open board position for the upcoming term.

As we continue growing our statewide network of educational technology leaders, we invite members who are passionate about advancing leadership development and strengthening collaboration across Nebraska to consider serving.

Nomination Details

• Open Positions: 1 Board Seat
• Nomination Deadline: March 9
• Election Date: During the March Statewide Membership Meeting (date to be announced)

Nominations may be submitted using the following form:

👉 Submit a nomination here

Members may nominate themselves or another eligible member.

Election Process

Candidates will run for the open board seat. Following the election, the board will determine officer assignments internally. Officers (President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Ex Officio, etc.) are selected by the board after the board member has been elected.

This process allows us to:

• Elect strong leadership representation to the board
• Align officer roles with individual strengths and experience
• Maintain flexibility as our chapter continues to develop

Why Serve?

Board service is an opportunity to:

• Help shape the direction of the Nebraska CoSN Chapter
• Support leadership development efforts across the state
• Contribute to initiatives such as a potential CETL cohort
• Strengthen Nebraska’s community of technology leaders

We encourage members who are interested in growing our chapter and supporting fellow EdTech leaders to consider submitting a nomination.

For questions about the nomination or election process, please reach out to one of the current board members.

We look forward to your participation and continued engagement as we build a strong statewide presence.

The Nebraska CoSN chapter held its first statewide meeting on Friday, January 16, at 2:00 PM, with 19 members in attendance. The meeting provided an opportunity for introductions and meaningful discussion around the vision and goals of the chapter.

A primary focus identified during the meeting is supporting and strengthening the leadership development of information technology leaders across Nebraska. As part of this effort, the chapter is exploring the creation of a statewide CETL cohort to support certification and provide professional recognition for technology leaders throughout the state.

Members also discussed how the Nebraska CoSN chapter can differentiate itself from other technology-focused organizations in Nebraska. As a chapter, we aim to complement existing groups by focusing on leadership development and filling gaps in professional learning and support that are not currently addressed elsewhere.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Nebraska CoSN chapter, please complete the membership form and submit it to us.

We are also seeking input on establishing a regular meeting schedule for chapter members. Please take a moment to complete the following survey to share which meeting times work best for you:
https://forms.gle/QW9Ucgzx694WzJ8C8

It has been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over. We are thrilled to announce that the Consortium of School Networking, Nebraska Chapter (CoSNE) is ready to host its first-ever statewide meeting!

Whether you have been with us since the beginning or you are just hearing about us now, this is a pivotal moment for educational technology leadership in our state. We are building a community designed to empower, resource, and connect the people who power Nebraska’s digital classrooms.

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Event Details

• When: January 16th at 2:00 PM
• Where: Zoom (Link provided to registrants)

What’s on the Agenda?

This meeting is designed to give you a clear roadmap of where we are and where we are going. We will be covering:

• An Introduction to the Chapter: Meet the faces behind the Nebraska chapter and learn about our mission.
• The Power of CoSN: A deep dive into the national resources, background, and professional support that CoSN brings to local EdTech leaders.
• Future Opportunities: A first look at our upcoming plans and partnerships we have in store for the Nebraska State.

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Join Us—Regardless of Your Membership Status

Because you have shown interest in the past, we want you there. You do not need to be a current member to attend this inaugural session. We want to show you the value of this community firsthand before you commit. However, if you are ready to help us grow this fledgling chapter from the ground up, we’d love to have you officially on board.

To Join CoSNE:

1. Download the Forms: Membership Form.
2. Submit: Email your completed membership form to Amy Poggenklass at amy@ncsa.org.
3. Payment: Please mail checks to the address listed on the membership form.

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Looking Ahead

Thank you for your patience as we have worked to get CoSNE off the ground. We truly believe that by growing our partnerships and supporting one another, we can elevate educational technology leadership for every district in Nebraska.

Your input is vital to our success. We can’t wait to see you on January 16th and hear your vision for the future of Nebraska EdTech.

Questions? Feel free to reach out or simply join us on the 16th to learn more!

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As we wrap up our first official year as a CoSN state chapter, we want to take a moment to say thank you to the incredible school leaders, technology professionals, and partners who helped make this milestone year so successful. Becoming an official chapter has allowed Nebraska’s ed-tech leaders to strengthen connections, share expertise, and build a stronger statewide community dedicated to advancing technology leadership in education.

This first year has been filled with meaningful conversations, collaboration, and momentum. Together, we’ve continued to elevate cybersecurity, digital learning, strategic technology leadership, and student-focused innovation across Nebraska. We are grateful for everyone who participated, engaged, and supported CoSN Nebraska during this foundational year.

As we head into the holidays, we hope you have time to relax, recharge, and celebrate with family and friends. Thank you for your continued commitment to supporting students, empowering educators, and strengthening technology leadership across our state.

And we’re only getting started.

Looking Ahead to 2026

With our first year as an official chapter behind us, we are incredibly excited for what comes next. Big things are coming in 2026—including new initiatives, opportunities for professional growth, expanded collaboration, and more ways for Nebraska leaders to learn, connect, and lead together. Stay tuned!

From all of us at CoSN Nebraska:
Happy Holidays—and here’s to an exciting future ahead!

The Nebraska CoSN Chapter is incredibly proud to announce a landmark achievement: Andy Boell is the first person in Nebraska to earn the Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) certification!

Cybersecurity Leadership

Andy’s deep expertise has been vital to our schools. As a leading figure in Nebraska CyberSecurity, he has dedicated countless hours to advising districts across the state, helping them dramatically improve their security defenses. In today’s digital landscape, his commitment to protecting student data and school systems is invaluable.

The CETL Distinction

The CETL certification, awarded by CoSN, is a high-level credential recognizing strategic technology leadership in K-12 education. By achieving this, Andy has demonstrated proficiency in essential areas like strategic planning, IT management, and ethical leadership.

This certification is a powerful affirmation of Andy’s commitment to excellence and his ability to lead with vision.

Join us in congratulating Andy Boell on this outstanding and historic professional milestone!

Congrats to everyone who is taking advantage of this month’s cybersecurity awareness material.

We’ve added a new resource to “60 Seconds to Better Security: What is Spoofing?”. This video provides a basic explanation of email spoofing—when an attacker forges a sending address so that a message looks like it’s being sent by a legitimate company, institution or person. This is one of several impersonation tactics used by attackers to manipulate an individual into revealing credentials, financial information or personal data.

Technical safeguards can’t always protect us, so it’s important to know our role in keeping safe. Watch this 4-minute video, “Threat Overview: Phishing in Messaging Apps,” to uncover how attackers launch phishing attacks beyond email, using Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, and other messaging tools.

Learn to identify a malicious message delivered across everyday communication and collaboration tools and remember: not all channels have traditional security controls in place. Stay vigilant and don’t take the bait!

The Nebraska Department of Education was recently highlighted in the SETDA State EdTech 2025 Annual Report for its innovative use of the Canvas learning platform. This recognition showcases how Nebraska is providing high-quality continuing education opportunities to the state’s education professionals.

You can read the full report here.

CoSNE is excited to announce the kickoff of our Fall Membership Drive!

As part of this effort, a mailing will be sent out to potential members through NCSA. This is a great opportunity to join our chapter, connect with peers, and take advantage of the resources and networking CoSNE has to offer.

If you’d like to become a member, we’d love to have you! Please complete the short form linked below to get started:

👉 Join CoSNE – Membership Form

We look forward to welcoming new members into our community this fall!