Meet Our 2024 Friend of RiteCare award honoree
Steven F. McWhorter
Steven F. McWhorter has been active in the Omaha community for fifty years. Raised in Nebraska, he received his Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
From 1967 through 1972, he served as Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC) in the U.S. Army. He retired from the Army Reserves in 1998 with the rank of Colonel. For his service, he was presented the Legion of Merit.
Steven served as First Vice President and General Attorney for Omaha National Bank, Vice President for Standard Chemical Manufacturing Co., and retired in 2010 as Chief Executive Officer from Securities America Financial Corporation.
In community service, Steven has eben involved with the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute as a Board member, and served as President in 1984-1985. He has been active with the Board of Directors for the Hattie B. Munroe Foundation, and served on the Board for the Autism Action Partnership. Steven has also served on numerous other Boards in the Omaha non-profit community over the years.
Reflecting on the rich history of the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, Steven said, “It was a group of doctors and well-meaning citizens that took on [improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities] and supported it. Once it moved to the medical center, everyone worked together. It wasn’t about egos. it was about doing everything they could to help people with disabilities.”
Past Recipients of the Friends of RiteCare Award
2023
Joan K. Marcus, our 2023 Friends of RiteCare honoree is a tireless advocate for the rights and dignity of people with disabilities in Nebraska.
Her history as an advocate began in 1966 – the year her nearly 3-year-old daughter, Elaine, was diagnosed with what was then called “severe-profound mental retardation.” An additional diagnosis of autism came later. At the time, some parents placed their children with severe intellectual disabilities in institutions. But Joan and her husband, Milton, quickly decided that Elaine would remain in the community and never be institutionalized.
In the 1960s, community supports were few. Joan and other parents of children with intellectual disabilities realized that to improve the situation, they would need to take action.
They engaged in grassroots efforts to advocate for better community residence options and inclusive educational opportunities. They and their families also advocated for state legislation aimed at funding services and what became the service-coordination system.
Through the decades, Joan became increasingly involved.
By the 1980s, she was president of the Ollie Webb Center board. In the early 1990s, she became president of the Arc of Nebraska – a statewide advocacy group. She chaired that organization’s Governmental Affairs Committee and was an unpaid registered lobbyist for the Arc.
She was vice chair of the Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Planning Council. For 25 years, she chaired the ENCOR Region VI Advisory Committee.
Joan is currently president of the Autism Center of Nebraska., and was recognized as its 2023 John T. Clark Award recipient. The Clark Award – ACN’s highest honor – recognizes individuals who have supported the Nebraska disabilities community in extraordinary ways.
Tony Green has been advocating and supporting Nebraska’s children and families for over 30 years. Tony’s early career began working as a Direct Support Professional while attending college. After graduating in 1990 with his bachelor of science in Human Service Counseling from Wayne State College, he became a Service Coordinator and Supervisor for the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DD) with Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Tony then moved into being a provider as the Executive Director of a non-profit agency that supports people with developmental disabilities. He served in this role for 8 years. Tony returned to the Department of Health and Human Services where he held roles of progressive leadership and responsibility for 11 years within the Division of Children and Family Services (CFS), beginning as a Supervisor, Administrator, Deputy Director and Interim Director.
Tony returned to the Division of Developmental Disabilities on August 29, 2016 as the Deputy Director over Policy & Communications, before accepting the position of Deputy Director for Community Based Services within the division August 21, 2017 overseeing the statewide delivery of community-based services and service coordination for the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waivers.
Governor Pete Ricketts appointed Anthony “Tony” Green as the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities at the DHHS on August 24, 2020. Since becoming Director Tony has lead efforts to streamline all home and community-based services for aging and disabled populations into a single administrative structure. He also has created a statewide eligibility and enrollment unit, as a single resource and point of entry for Nebraskan’s needing community-based long-term services/supports.
2022
2021
For more than 60 years, families have counted on the Ollie Webb Center, Inc. for assistance, advice, advocacy and services when it comes to helping a family member with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Ollie Webb has been there to provide mentors, counseling, and for independent living skills to ensure every individual has a rich and satisfying life.
Ollie Webb Center, Inc. is on the frontline fighting for funding and equal opportunities for people dealing with developmental or intellectual challenges. From legislation that preserves special education funding in schools to changing public perceptions, the staff is dedicated to keeping families informed of issues affecting them.
Ollie Webb’s expertise and passion for helping people with developmental disabilities lead fulfilling lives has led to creative and effective programs that teach new skills, foster independent living and nurtures creativity.
The Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha is truly honored to recognize the Ollie Webb Center for their genuine commitment to enriching the lives of Nebraskans with intellectual and developmental disabilities as our 2020 Friend of Scottish Rite award recipient. Learn more about the Ollie Webb Center at their website: https://www.olliewebbinc.org
2019
Dr. Karoly Mirnics obtained his M.D. from the University of Novi Sad School of Medicine in his hometown in 1986 and his Ph.D. from Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Mirnics established his own laboratory in 2000 at the Department of Psychiatry at University of Pittsburgh, where he rose to the rank of associate professor in 2006. In 2006, his laboratory moved to the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. In 2010, he was named James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry, and he also served as the departmental vice chair for research and associate director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Dr. Mirnics has a broad background in molecular neurobiology of brain diseases, with more than 20 years of experience in various molecular biology techniques. His research group is actively pursuing projects that include transcriptome changes across human brain diseases, animal models of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, effects of maternal immune activation and environment on gene expression, and neuroprotection by activity.
His innovativeness and willingness to explore unconventional research are best illustrated by the following: he was the first person to perform a DNA microarray analysis of brain tissue, pioneered molecular pathway analyses, characterized immune system dysfunction in schizophrenia and autism, pioneered in situ proteomics in neuroscience, developed a new microarray platform, identified neuroprotection of enriched environment in Alzheimer’s Disease models, holds a patent for RGS4 as a schizophrenia susceptibility gene, and developed a novel transgenic mouse technology, using BAC-driven, miRNA-mediated silencing in vivo. He is very collaborative, and he has worked with over 30 groups of investigators over the last 10 years.
2018
Rene Ferdinand spent his 40-year career working with children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Rene served on the boards of many autism and professional organizations including the Autism Spectrum Disorders Network and the Autism State Collaborative. As Executive Director of the Autism Center, Rene worked to develop and expand their early intervention program, Autism Care for Toddlers.
2017
Annie Bird has been a passionate advocate for children with disability for many years. She has served children as a speech-language pathologist, and she has served as a Board member and Past-President of the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute Board of Directors.
2016
Wayne A. Stuberg, Ph.D, PT, PCS, FAPTA - Professor and Associate Director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation (MMI). He is the Director of the University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) program at MMI and currently serves as a member of the Board of Health for the State of Nebraska
2015
Patty Kircher - RiteCare mom and advocate. Patty has been active in numerous community organizations and activities, including WalkRite for RiteCare, the Girl Scouts, and the American Red Cross.
Denise Gehringer - RiteCare mom and advocate for Nebraskans with disabilities. Denise has taken leadership roles with the Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands, the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute Board, the Rose Theater, and the TOPS Soccer program, a soccer league for children of all abilities.
2014
Korey Stading, M.S., CCC-SLP - RiteCare Clinician at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute. Korey has been nationally recognized for her research and work with RiteCare children.
2013
Del Weber, Ph.D. - Retired Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, former Board member for the Scottish Rite, and active supporter of Scottish Rite philanthropies.
2012
Harold "Hal" Daub - Mayor of Omaha, Congressman from Nebraska's 2nd District, longtime volunteer, Friends of Scottish Rite committee member and Honorary Chair, and passionate supporter of Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha philanthropies.
2011
Paul Laikko, M.S., CCC-SLP - RiteCare Clinician at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute.
2010
Marsha Sullivan, M.S., CCC-SLP - Director of the RiteCare Speech and Language Clinic.
2009
Dr. Bruce Buehler - Longtime Director of the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute