Don Bacon: “In honor of Women's History Month, I rise to recognize Deborah Bowers Kippley for her years of dedicated public service…”

“In honor of Women's History Month, I rise to recognize Deborah Bowers Kippley for her years of dedicated public service in the State of Nebraska. As an arts educator, Debbie's leadership, skills, and initiatives have benefited the minds of our youth for decades. Debbie had a strong interest in the arts from an early age. In 1974, she graduated from Omaha Burke High School where she participated in band, orchestra, and art. She continued her education, obtaining a bachelor's degree in art education and elementary education from Hastings College. After college, she toured with a Christian repertory theater company before being hired as an elementary arts teacher for Omaha Public Schools. During her time with OPS, Debbie participated in several Nebraska art-based programs. After 13 years with OPS, she wanted to start the elementary art program at Papillion La Vista Community Schools. After obtaining her master of science from the University of Nebraska Omaha, she earned her doctorate in administration, curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, concentrating on the variation of people's ability to create mental images and the effect this has on learning. As someone who struggled with math, reading, and spelling during her elementary years, Debbie believes her inability to create mental images at that age was the cause of her struggles.…”