Volume 8 - July, 2012
Release Date:07/16/2012

Good Morning!

The normally lazy, hazy days of summer have been nothing but at the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office. From a news conference with the governor promoting the value of our Nebraska-sponsored 529 college savings plans to word that our NEST Advisor and Direct plans had received perfect ratings from a nationally recognized website, we have been basking in summer sunshine—and the Nebraska heat.

We celebrated 12 winners in our annual “Why I Want to Go to College” essay contest with the boys of summer themselves, the Omaha Storm Chasers minor league baseball team at Werner Park in Papillion. Standing near home plate, the young winners received applause from the fans and reminded us of the true purpose of our college savings program.

Unclaimed Property Director Meaghan Aguirre
Unclaimed Property Director Meaghan Aguirre, is ready for Farmers’ Market shoppers outside our office at 809 P Street in Lincoln’s Haymarket.
Unclaimed Property Specialist Ginny Smith
Ginny Smith, Unclaimed Property specialist, outside our office on a Farmers’ Market Saturday.

Our Unclaimed Property specialists, too, have hit the road, drawing big crowds at the Fourth of July celebration in Seward and the Madison County Fair in Madison. One visitor in Seward found more than $2,100 in her name, her husband’s name, and the name of her deceased mother. “The public was very happy to see us,” said Ginny Smith, an Unclaimed Property specialist. “We were asked to come back again by many.” Specialist John Brady said he handed out many business cards printed with our web address, www.treasurer.org, for visitors to follow up with friends and family.

Sunny days are expected to continue as our Unclaimed Property team prepares to set up at the Nebraska State Fair, Aug. 24-Sept.3; Husker Harvest Days, Sept. 11-13; and Nebraska City’s Applejack Festival, Sept. 15-16. Our outreach team from the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center has conducted seven employer seminars across the state so far this summer and will host seminars in nine more cities by early September.

Finally, our Treasury Management team has been negotiating contracts, enhancing data security for banking services, helping state agencies clear their audit comments, working with rural fire districts to determine their state aid for the year, and wrapping up end-of-the-fiscal-year transactions to ensure a future for our state that is as bright and sunny as a summer day.

Read more about the latest news from the State Treasurer’s Office here:

Unclaimed Property specialists will be at the Madison County Fair to help Nebraskans search and file claims for unclaimed property, State Treasurer Don Stenberg said today. More than $616,000 in unclaimed property is available for Madison County residents and former residents to claim through the State Treasurer’s Office.

Click here to read full article.

State Treasurer Don Stenberg announced today that the State Treasurer’s Office Unclaimed Property specialists will be available at several upcoming events to help Nebraskans search for money they didn’t know they had.

Click here to read full article.

Unclaimed Property specialists will be in Seward on the Fourth of July to help residents and visitors search and file claims for unclaimed property, State Treasurer Don Stenberg said today. Almost $150,000 in unclaimed property is available for Seward County residents and former residents to claim through the State Treasurer’s Office.

Click here to read full article.
More than $10,000 in Scholarships for Nebraska Farm Families
NEST on the Farm Scholarship Contest

First National Bank of Omaha and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg announced today the second annual “NEST on the Farm” scholarship contest for children of Nebraska farmers. Three winners will each receive a $3,500 contribution to a NEST Direct College Savings Plan account to be presented on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island.

Click here to read full article.
Two NEST Plans Receive savingforcollege.com’s Highest Rating
Nebraska Educational Savings Trust Logo

State Treasurer Don Stenberg and First National Bank of Omaha announced today that the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST), Nebraska’s 529 college savings program, has received the highest rating for its NEST Direct College Savings Plan and its NEST Advisor College Savings Plan from the nationally recognized website, savingforcollege.com.

Click here to read full article.
State Treasurer Don Stenberg with essay contest winners at Werner Park

Nine Nebraska seventh and eighth graders were recognized Sunday at Werner Park in Papillion for their winning entries in the Nebraska Educational Savings Plan Trust (NEST) 2012 essay contest, “Why I Want to Go to College.”

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State Treasurer Don Stenberg with essay contest winners at Werner Park. From left are Martie Cordaro, president and general manager of the Omaha Storm Chasers; John Husmann; Taylor Hogan; Madison Swann; Treasurer Stenberg; Molly Lambert; Kathryn Scanlan; Shayla Andersen; Matthew Pekarek; Kara Ruffcorn; Andrew Simpson; and Rachel Biar, director of College Savings Plans.
College Savings Day in Nebraska - David Cota, Governor Dave Heineman and Treasurer Don Stenberg

Today, Gov. Dave Heineman and State Treasurer Don Stenberg recognized “529 College Savings Day,” a day set aside to promote the value of state-sponsored 529 college savings plans and to encourage families to start saving for a child’s or grandchild’s college education.

Click here to read full article.
Governor Dave Heineman with David Cota, left, First National Bank, and Treasurer Don Stenberg, right, displaying the Governor’s Proclamation proclaiming “529 College Savings Day” in Nebraska.

State Treasurer Don Stenberg has selected 12 winners in the 10th annual “Why I Want to Go to College” essay contest for seventh and eighth graders sponsored by the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office and the Omaha Storm Chasers baseball team. The essay contest winners will be recognized May 20 at Werner Park in Papillion before the Storm Chasers’ game with the Tacoma Rainiers.

Click here to read full article.

Seminars for employers making child support payments on behalf of their employees will be offered from May to September by the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center, a division of the State Treasurer’s Office, State Treasurer Don Stenberg announced today. Among the topics to be covered will be the use of electronic payments.

Click here to read full article.
2012 Unclaimed Property Tabloid

Almost $1.1 million in unclaimed property was returned to rightful owners in March and so far in April, after publication of the 2012 Unclaimed Property report in Nebraska newspapers, according to State Treasurer Don Stenberg.

Click here to read full article.

Multiple enforcement and collection mechanisms by two state agencies and local county attorneys have resulted in more than $60.5 million in delinquent child support being paid to custodial parents and their children since 2008, State Treasurer Don Stenberg said today.

Click here to read full article.
  • Jana Langemach
  • Director of Communications
  • 402-471-8884