Story 14 - NHRI’s Impact throughout Nebraska with the Kellogg Grant
NHRI Alumni, Todd Lavinge, reflects on the many roles he had in NHRI. One of the most rewarding was writing and then receiving the Kellogg grant, working alongside one of his mentors, Dr. Dodge. Dr. Dodge served as NHRI’s Program Director for 25 years. This journey from student to leader demonstrates how education, when combined with the right guidance, can create a ripple effect of positive change in individuals and organizations.
Originally from Gretna, Nebraska, Todd came to UNL and pursued a degree in Communications with an emphasis in interpersonal and organizational communications. Todd was a member of Childs Project and served as project co-chair and later as a staff advisor. Following his 1991 graduation from UNL, Todd had accepted a role with Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, and was days away from leaving when he received a call from Dr. Dodge. A brand new position as Associate Director was being offered to him.
Value of Mentorship and Learning Through Experience
Not long after Todd was hired as an Associate Director, Dr. Dodge assigned Todd to one of many projects: to write a grant and take courses to acquire necessary skills. Dr. Dodge was known as a great leader who challenged and inspired those around him.
“After I was hired, Dodge shared with me, ‘we're gonna apply for a grant from the Kellogg Foundation.’ and I said okay, that's great. Good luck. And he goes, you know, you're gonna write this grant.”
“I've never written a grant before. And he goes, ‘Well, that's okay, you're gonna take a grant writing class, and you're gonna learn to write a grant.’ So I did, I took a grant writing course and I wrote the grant. Part of that grant, we had to create the curriculum - we had to create the course material, well, what better course material than his lectures in these classes. So what that required was that I go to every one of his classes, and I audit those classes. So I took a cassette player and I sat in the back of every one of his classes, and basically took that class again, as a graduate.”
Dr. Dodge also had Todd take another class about writing curriculum. That was part of the Kellogg grant application. The process of auditing classes, recording lectures, and developing a curriculum underscores how hands-on experiences reinforce learning.
This practical immersion enabled Todd to not only understand the material even more deeply, but later apply it to real-world applications in his family’s business.
“It was somewhat intuitive for me to be able to do that for my employees. So we actually have a very large Education Center in our business, in our corporate office. It holds probably 70 people and we're constantly doing a wide variety of teaching. Right now we're doing leadership training for all of our superintendents, and it's almost verbatim from the class.”
NHRI: A Paradigm Shift
Todd credits NHRI for a life-changing transformation in how he views relationships, responsibilities, and leadership. The emphasis on positively impacting others and helping them uncover their strengths illustrates a profound shift in mindset.
“You go through life, and even as an undergrad before you're in NHRI. And then once you leave NHRI, it literally changes your life, and how you see the world, your relationships, your responsibilities to one another, how impactful you can be to people impacting their lives in a positive way. You know, prior to being in NHRI, prior to taking the class, which are somewhat synonymous, of course, you don't see life that way, you don't see that you have an ability and responsibility to positively impact people's lives and to help them discover themselves, their riches, their strengths, talents and abilities. And once you go through that experience, you see the world in a whole new set of lenses.”
“You’re equipped with a set of tools that enable you to truly impact people in a way that is significant. Prior to that experience, unless you had a similar experience, I don't think any of us saw our daily routines that way.”
Education's Long-Term Impact
The support of the Kellogg Foundation was the groundwork for so many educators and students across our state. Dr. Dodge, along with many educators’ impact and teachings in their student’s daily lives, exemplifies the enduring influence of a great teacher. It serves as a testament to the lasting power of education, leadership and mentorship.
“There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about Dodge.”
Todd was the recipient of NHRI’s Talent Plus Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024.
“It would be virtually impossible to specifically identify each individual who contributed to this handbook because a complete list would need to include all of the participants and staff of the Nebraska Human Resources Research Foundation over the past forty-five years along with all of the university students who were enrolled in classes and workshops taught by the author during the past twenty-five years. These individuals, however, deserve the greatest recognition because without their combined talents and efforts this handbook would not have materialized. Their talents and contributions are greatly appreciated and should not go unnoticed.”
