Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative is more than a concept, it’s a community, and we couldn’t make any of it work without the passionate professionals bringing our vision and mission to life. Our team not only meets our rigorous standards of experience and care but exceeds them every day by putting compassion into action.
Staff Members
years of combined Early Childhood Experience
of staff are bilingual in English and Spanish
Sarah Ann Kotchian serves as Chief Executive Officer leading the organization’s overall strategy, managing growth, and ensuring sustainable operational excellence. Sarah Ann brings to this role deep experience in nonprofit strategy, corporate development, and early childhood care and education.
As a former lobbyist, she has experience with campaigns and various legal entity structures to drive program, practice, and policy improvements for women, children, and families. She has served in multiple appointments on local and state commissions, task forces, and boards of directors.
She has been recognized as a State Children’s Champion by the Nebraska Head Start Association and was named a Public Citizen of the Year by the Nebraska Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She is a graduate of Creighton University and the University of Nebraska College of Law.
The Finance Department plays a crucial role in managing the organization’s financial health. This department ensures the effective stewardship of resources, compliance with regulatory requirements, and accurate financial reporting to support the mission of the organization.
Milton Trabal is a seasoned financial executive with nearly 40 years of leadership experience spanning healthcare, logistics, and corporate finance. A Marine Corps veteran, he combines operational discipline with strategic financial insight to deliver measurable results.
Milton has built and led finance departments, reduced aging receivables by 50%, and secured $1.6M in savings through bond refinancing. He’s also completed graduate-level work through the MBA program at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Milton’s expertise includes budgeting and forecasting, board reporting, and compliance, as well as managing key banking, insurance, and audit relationships. He also has a proven track record of implementing enterprise systems in finance, HR, and healthcare operations.
Recognized for his analytical skills and problem-solving ability, Milton helps organizations strengthen financial performance, optimize operations, and position themselves for sustainable growth.
The Operations Department oversees encompassing key functions in communications and marketing, human resources (HR), funding development, and office management. This department ensures that the internal operations run smoothly, supports staff and stakeholder needs, and manages vital resources to drive the organization’s success.
Lameakia Collier brings more than 20 years of experience in her role as Chief Operating Officer where she ensures sustainable operational excellence, provides internal leadership, and maximizes organizational impact as a strategic advisor and functional expert.
Prior to joining NECC, Lameakia spent 18 years with Lincoln Public Schools, most notably serving as the Lead Services Coordinator in the Department of Early Childhood. She’s previously worked in Human Resources for the State of Nebraska, as a child care assistant director, and most recently, as the Workforce Development Program Administrator for Lincoln Littles, where she led initiatives for designing and delivering workforce programs with a well-being focus to attract, recruit, and retain early childhood professionals.
Lameakia has been the recipient of the Doane University Senior Alumni Award and the Lincoln Public Schools Youth Development Team Service Award. She received her Master of Arts in Leadership degree through Doane University, and was appointed by Governor Pillen to the Early Childhood Education Endowment (Sixpence) Board of Trustees. Lameakia is inspired by the creativity, curiosity, and joy of learning in young children as well as the partnership between families and early childhood educators who together play a meaningful role in shaping the future generation.
The Programs Department designs, implements, and evaluates programs that strengthen business, leadership, and professional development of child care providers and parents. This Department oversees our largest grant as part of our Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, as well as the Child Care Network which serves 1600+ child care providers across Nebraska.
As Chief Program Officer, Jennifer leads the strategy and development of learning and programming activities, evaluates their effectiveness, and builds partnerships with community-based organizations to strengthen early childhood outcomes across Nebraska. Jennifer obtained her master’s in social work from the University of Kansas and spent 16 years with the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Project Eagle, a multi-program project that focuses on the education, health, and well-being of pregnant women and young children. Jennifer brings years of experience working with Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Kansas. Prior to joining NECC, she served as the Executive Director of the Kansas Head Start Association where she led efforts to increase public awareness and understanding of the critical role of Kansas Head Start Programs.
Jennifer is inspired by the families, caregivers, child care providers, and educators who work tirelessly to nurture children in their earliest years of life so that they may have a bright future. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring new places with her family, watching her daughter play tennis, and laughing with friends as often as possible.
Visit our Careers page to learn more about what it’s like to work at NECC and browse our open positions:
