SCC hosts 'Straight Talk' webinar

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Nebraska State Sen. Mark Kolterman was one of the state's elected officials who attended the virtual Fall Forum held by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 22.

The series, titled “Straight Talk With State Leaders,” has been hosted by various community colleges throughout the state.

On Oct. 22, Southeast Community College hosted a panel of speakers. SCC President Dr. Paul Illich spoke, as did Jim Smith, president of Blueprint Nebraska, and a collection of Nebraska state senators and candidates on the ballot in the general election.

Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Sloane served as the event's emcee and introduced speakers throughout the 90-minute event.

State senators and candidates talked about recent growth in their representative districts and goals for the future. Illich talked about the recent innovations to the Southeast Community College – Milford campus and its growing enrollment. He also highlighted implementation of learning centers in Falls City, Hebron, Nebraska City, Plattsmouth, Wahoo and York to further the school's reach to within a 35-mile radius of SCC entities to ensure education and trade meets industry and community needs.

Sloane introduced Kolterman by touting the accomplishments of LB 77 and called the Seward native a “great influence” in the legislature.

Kolterman joined the webinar and thanked the State Chamber, as well as the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership, for their continued cooperation in his time representing District 24 in the Nebraska Unicameral. Kolterman also said that Seward “has been blessed” in recent years by business growth. He specifically mentioned Petsource by Scoular, which invested more than $50 million and created 100 jobs as the first official resident of the Seward Rail Campus, and Hughes Brothers, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year while continuing into its third generation of family operation.

“They all do wonderful things,” Kolterman said. “I look forward to working in the legislature another two years. I've always been promoting chambers of commerce. I have a good voting record with all of you and I can't wait to get back and see who my new colleagues will be.”

Sloane said that despite the “rough and tumble” that the state legislature can get into, he's always seen Kolterman with a smile and complimented his optimism.

“I like to look at the glass three-quarters full instead of half empty,” Kolterman said.