NORFOLK – The speaker of the Nebraska Legislature has been recognized for his work with the state’s two-year colleges.
State Senator Mike Flood, Norfolk, is one of this year’s Friend of Community Colleges Award recipient from the Nebraska Community College Association (NCCA). The honor was presented to Flood Monday during the NCCA’s annual conference being held on the campus of Northeast Community College in Norfolk. Other recipients this year are State Senator Greg Adams of York and EducationQuest.
The Association includes five of the community college systems in Nebraska – Northeast, Southeast, Western, Central and Mid-Plains. The Friend of Community Colleges Award is the highest award the Association bestows on a non-trustee and recognizes individuals and/or organizations for their on-going commitment and support of community college education.
“The Friend of Community Colleges award is given to individuals who have been very supportive of the community colleges all across Nebraska, said Dennis Baack, executive director of the NCCA. “Speaker Flood has dedicated much of his time seeking resolution of the funding issues that the community colleges have had and he was successful in resolving these issues for the next several years. Speaker Flood spent many hours with the community college presidents and governing board members to come to some consensus as to how the state aid for community colleges would be divided among the six community college areas,” said Baack.
“Speaker Flood demonstrated great skill and patience in working through these issues and his efforts have been very much appreciated. That is why he is being named a Friend of Community Colleges,” Baack said.
Flood earned his B.A. from Notre Dame University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was first elected to the Legislature in 2004 to represent the 19th legislative district. He was re-elected in 2008. Flood was elected speaker of the Legislature in 2007. In October 2010, Time Magazine on-line named him as one of their “40 Under 40” rising stars of American politics.
Flood is the owner of Norfolk radio stations KUSO-US 92 and KNEN- 94 Rock. He and his wife, Mandy, have two young sons, Brenden and Blake.