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Former Bartley teacher joins PSC foundation
PERU, Neb. – From his days as a high school teacher and coach through his time as a school administrator and beyond, Jack Moles has always been dedicated to educating and advancing young people.
A new member of the Peru State College Foundation – a private nonprofit organization dedicated to generating, managing, and providing private funds for Nebraska’s first college – Moles brings a wealth of knowledge about what young people need to access and achieve a quality, affordable education.
Moles now resides in Lincoln with his wife Shelley. His three-year term on the all-volunteer Peru State College Foundation Board begins Jan. 1.
“My plan was always to be a history teacher,” Moles said. “Becoming a coach was also something I was interested in, but it was always my intention to do something with history.”
A native of Nebraska City, Moles graduated from Peru State in 1980 and embarked on his career. His first stop was Bartley, Neb., in Red Willow County in Western Nebraska, teaching social studies and coaching volleyball, basketball, and track and field.
After 10 years in that capacity, Moles moved into administration, serving Bartley as principal for two years. He relocated to Amherst as superintendent for the 1995-96 school year before heading back to southeast Nebraska as superintendent of Nemaha Valley Public Schools in Cook.
Moles held that position from 1996 through 2007 when Nemaha Valley merged with the newly created Johnson County Central Public Schools in Tecumseh. He was named as its first superintendent and stayed in that role for 11 years.
“I never had a plan to be an administrator,” Moles said. “That goal came later in my career at the urging of a couple of administrators who I worked under.”
In 2018, Moles was selected as executive director for the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, a position he holds today. The group serves 224 schools and an estimated 89,000 students in rural schools across Nebraska, as well as Educational Service Units and the three state colleges in 90 counties and 25 legislative districts across Nebraska.
Moles has always remained engaged with Peru State throughout his career, regularly attending college events and supporting various activities. His years in education give him a strong perspective on the role the Nebraska State Colleges play in educating Nebraskans across the state.
“Dr. George Schottenhamel and Dr. John Hahn were two of the more influential professors I had at Peru as I had so many classes with them,” Moles reflected. “Dr. Tom Fitzgerald was someone I looked up to, although I didn’t have many classes with him. I worked for him in the intramural department and enjoyed him.”
Moles will bring his experience and energy to a volunteer board that supports Peru State through charitable gifts that support student scholarships and campus programs. The Foundation has approximately $23 million in assets.
Moles has both his master’s and his Educational Specialist degrees from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He knows firsthand the role small public colleges play in the state’s educational landscape.
“What I believe I bring to the table is a great connection with educators across the state,” Moles said. “I also have a connection with Dr. Paul Turman and the State College System and with the two other State Colleges as a result of my work in the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association.”
Now he’ll have a chance to help Peru State and its Foundation grow and increase its service to both young people and adults, many of whom take classes online. It’s an opportunity he’s excited to take on.