Bridget Claborn, a native Nebraskan whose wide skill set has
In the new position, Bridget will coordinate Civic Nebraska’s civic engagement programs in Lancaster County. Those programs include Capitol Experience Days, the Rural Civic Action Program, and the Nebraska Civic Health Summit. She also will have key responsibilities in implementing civil discourse and media literacy programs, among other new civic health programs.
“I look forward to working with students and Nebraskans across the state to research, cultivate, and improve social connectedness, volunteerism, giving, and overall participation in our communities and democracy,” Bridget said. “And I am honored to be able to do so alongside such a great team at Civic Nebraska.”
Civic health is defined as the way that communities are organized to define and address public problems. Communities with strong indicators of civic health have higher employment rates, stronger schools, better physical health, and more responsive governments. Strong civic health requires engaged and informed citizens who act in their communities in meaningful ways.
Before coming to Civic Nebraska, Bridget worked with human service organizations in both Tennessee and the District of Columbia, providing housing, legal, and other support services to survivors of domestic violence and their families.
She earned her undergraduate degree in community leadership and development from Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of the Ingram Scholarship Program. The program supports students who want to combine their professional careers with a lifelong commitment to finding solutions to critical problems facing modern society. As a member of the program, Bridget engaged in extensive service learning initiatives, thinking critically about volunteerism, activism, philanthropy, and other forms of civic engagement.
Following the familiar narrative of many Nebraskans, Bridget recently moved home to reaffirm her passion for public service where it all began.
“I am so excited to be back in Nebraska and could not imagine a more perfect opportunity to reinvest in the place that first instilled my own civic values,” she said.
Bridget lives in Omaha’s Gifford Park neighborhood and is a proud graduate of Central High School. In her spare time, Bridget enjoys reading, knitting, antiquing, and sharing meals with her family and friends. Bridget is a longtime member of the League of Women Voters Greater Omaha, and she will join their board of directors this April.
You can reach Bridget at 402.904.5191 or bridget.claborn@civicnebraska.org. Welcome to the team, Bridget!
