Leadership and Board of Directors

Born 1963

Michael S. Dunlap, Executive Chairman of the Board, established the company that would become Nelnet with Stephen Butterfield in 1996. Mr. Dunlap previously served as Chairman and CEO of the company (co-CEO with former Vice Chairman Butterfield 2003-2007) from its inception.

Mr. Dunlap attained his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 1986, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 1988. He is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association.

Mr. Dunlap serves in different leadership capacities for many organizations, including Union Bank & Trust, Union College, Vision 2015, and Capital Casualty Company, among others.

In addition to his role as Executive Chairman of the Board, Mr. Dunlap also serves as Executive Committee Chair.

Born 1965

Preeta D. Bansal has served as a member of Nelnet’s Board of Directors since November 2018.

Ms. Bansal has extensive experience in law, banking, financial services, regulation, government, and U.S. diplomacy. Her experience has included serving as general counsel and senior policy advisor for the president of the United States in the federal Office of Management and Budget, which oversees and coordinates all the budgetary, regulatory, and management activities and initiatives of the departments and agencies of the federal government on behalf of the president; as global general counsel for litigation and regulatory affairs for HSBC Holdings in London; as partner and practice chair of the international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York City; as Solicitor General of the State of New York, where she helped lead 600 attorneys in the New York Attorney General’s Office; and as Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a federal government human rights commission focused on promoting U.S. foreign policy interests in religious freedom and human rights around the globe.

Ms. Bansal is a magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard-Radcliffe College, and a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review. She served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. She received the National Organization of Women’s “Woman of Power and Influence Award” in 2006 and was named one of the “50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America” by the National Law Journal in 2008.

Ms. Bansal has been a lecturer, senior advisor, and visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

A native of Lincoln, Neb., she is on the Advisory Board of the Johnny Carson Center for the Emerging Media Arts as well as the Raikes School at University of Nebraska, on the board of the Lincoln Community Foundation and the Community Health Endowment Chair of Civic Nebraska, and on the Advisory Committee of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University. She has lectured on ethics and policy with respect to emerging technologies at MIT and at Singularity University in Silicon Valley. From 2015 to 2016, she served by appointment of the president of the United States as a member and the committee chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, focusing on poverty and inequality in America.

Ms. Bansal serves as Chair of the Compliance Committee, and is a member of the People Development and Compensation Committee and the Audit Committee.

Born 1989

Matthew Dunlap is Chief Business Development Officer for Nelnet and has been a member of Nelnet’s Board of Directors since March 2022.

Mr. Dunlap graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University in 2012 and earned his Juris Doctor, a professional degree in law, from University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2015.

In addition to Mr. Dunlap’s internal audit, capital markets, and legal counsel contributions for the organization and his dedicated work with Nelnet Business Services, he also serves on the Board of Directors of ALLO Communications, BankFirst, First Northeast Bank of Nebraska, and Lighthouse, a Lincoln, Neb.-based nonprofit. Prior to joining Nelnet, Mr. Dunlap spent two years as an associate at GVC Capital, a Colorado-based investment banking firm providing comprehensive investment banking services to underexposed small public and private companies.

Mr. Dunlap is a member of the Risk and Finance committee and the Compliance committee.

Born 1964

Kathleen A. Farrell has served as a member of Nelnet’s Board of Directors since October 2007. Possessing admirable expertise in corporate finance, executive turnover, and executive compensation, Dr. Farrell is a professor of Finance and Dean of the College of Business Administration at University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Dr. Farrell also serves on the Board of Directors of Assurity, Inc., and Bryan Health.

Dr. Farrell received her doctorate in finance from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Kent State University. Dr. Farrell joined the finance faculty at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the fall of 1993. Dr. Farrell’s publications have appeared in several academic journals, and she has received numerous teaching awards. Dr. Farrell draws on her experience from KPMG Peat Marwick as a supervising senior, where she was involved with audit engagements.

Dr. Farrell serves on the Risk and Finance and Executive committees in addition to her leadership role as Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Born 1982

David S. Graff has been a member of Nelnet’s Board of Directors since May 2014. He is Chief Executive Officer of Agile Sports Technologies Inc., otherwise known as Hudl.

Mr. Graff graduated from University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration from Jeffrey S. Raikes School in Computer Science and Management. In his current role, Mr. Graff is CEO of Hudl, a Lincoln, Neb.-based company that provides online video analysis and coaching tools software for professional, college, high school, club, and youth teams and athletes.

An Omaha, Neb. native, Mr. Graff also serves on the Raikes School Advisory Board. In 2010, Mr. Graff and the other Hudl co-founders were featured on Inc. Magazine’s “30 Under 30” list, and in 2016, Mr. Graff was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People.”

Mr. Graff serves as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance, Audit, and Risk and Finance committees.

Born 1953

Thomas E. Henning has served as a member of Nelnet’s Board of Directors since August 2003. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Assurity Group Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Assurity Life Insurance Company.

Mr. Henning is a 1975 graduate of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, as well as Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. He also has completed the Wharton School’s Effective Management Program, as well as a comprehensive program of study by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Mr. Henning holds the CLU and CFA designations and has been named an NACD fellow.

Previously, Mr. Henning served concurrently as President and Chief Operating Officer of National Bank of Commerce of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Executive Vice President of First Commerce Bancshares between 1985 and 1990. Mr. Henning is a member of the Investment Committee for the Lincoln Community Foundation, Chairman of the University of Nebraska Foundation Board of Directors, a member of the Great Western Bank Board of Directors, member of Lincoln Plating Company’s Advisory Board and on the board of Stockmens Financial Corporation.

Mr. Henning serves as Chair of the Audit committee, as well as a member of the Executive and Risk and Finance committees.

Born 1981

Adam Peterson has been a member of Nelnet’s Board of Directors since March 2022. He is currently Co-chairman, CEO, and President of Boston Omaha.

Mr. Peterson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Creighton University.

Boston Omaha is a public holding company with businesses engaged in several sectors including advertising, insurance, telecommunications, and real estate. The company’s principal objective is to grow intrinsic value per share at an attractive rate while seeking to maintain a strong financial position.

Mr. Peterson has served as the manager of The Magnolia Group, and the general partner of Magnolia Capital Fund. Since June 2017, Mr. Peterson has also served as a Director for Nicholas Financial, a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

Mr. Peterson is a member of the People Development and Compensation committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance committee, and the Compliance committee.

Born 1961

Kimberly K. Rath has served as a member of Nelnet’s Board of Directors since October 2007. Ms. Rath is Co-Founder and Co-Chairperson of Talent Plus, Inc.^®, a global human resources consulting firm with offices in Lincoln, Neb., and Singapore.

She is a recognized leader in the field of executive development and coaching and human resources focused on talent-based solutions. Ms. Rath has a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree from University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

In addition to her board work with Nelnet, Ms. Rath currently serves on the Board of Directors for ProviderTrust Inc., on the Inc. 5,000 List as of one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. and the fastest-growing software company in Tennessee. Passionate about giving back to the community, Ms. Rath sits on two not-for-profit boards, Tabitha, Inc., and Artists for Trauma. She is a trustee for University of Nebraska and Lincoln Community Foundations. Ms. Rath has served on The Beryl Institute Resource Advisory Council and the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research Advisory Board in addition to speaking at a wide variety of conferences globally. She is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) as well as Chief Executives Organization (CEO). She has been the recipient of the Business Excellence Award from University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the national Delta Gamma Shield Award. Ms. Rath, who is a best-selling author, and her company, Talent Plus, have been highlighted in nearly a dozen books including Prescription for Excellence, The New Gold Standard, Close Like the Pros and Managing to Make a Difference: How to Engage, Retain, and Develop Talent for Maximum Performance, and a recently released book, Business Success Secrets.

Ms. Rath serves as the chair of the People Development and Compensation committee as well as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance committee.

Born 1970

With an extensive background across public affairs, the private sector, and nonprofits, Jona Van Deun was formerly Vice President of Small Business Coalitions and Engagement for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. She recently served as President of the Nebraska Tech Collaborative (NTC) within the Aksarben Foundation and is currently managing Partner with Prairie Coast Strategies, LLC, advising clients on grassroots, government and public affairs, and large event logistics/production projects around the country.

Beginning her career as a Staff Assistant to former President George H.W. Bush in the Office of Presidential Scheduling, Jona served as Deputy Director for Cabinet Affairs to Governor Arne H. Carlson (Minn.). She then returned to D.C. as a professional staff member on the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, working on social welfare policy. Jona also served as Director of Site Operations for both the 2000 (Philadelphia, Pa.) and the 2004 (New York, N.Y.) Republican National Conventions. Serving on the White House Transition Team, she went on to be the Advance and Scheduling Director for Mrs. Lynne V. Cheney.

Throughout her 30-year career, Jona has provided strategic expertise to various trade associations and Fortune 500 companies, including 3M Company, the Pillsbury Company, DCI Group, and the Property Casualty Insurers Association (PCI). Jona also served as Director of Coalitions for Koch Companies Public Sector. As a graduate and member of the Board of Trustees of the College of St. Benedict (Minn.), one of the few remaining liberal arts women’s colleges in the U.S., Jona focuses her charitable and volunteer activities toward programs that attract and develop women for leadership positions in government and business.

Community Involvement:

• Board Director, Nelnet
• College of St. Benedict (CSB) and St. John’s University (SJU) – Common Boards of Trustees
• Omaha Community Foundation
• UNL Technology, Law, and Governance Center
• Gretna United Methodist Church – Women’s Advisory Council