Flatwater Free Press staff

Natalia Alamdari is an FFP senior reporter and the Seacrest Greater Nebraska reporter. Since 2021, her reporting has taken her across Nebraska, where she has told stories on contentious board meetings in Brownville, quinceañera shops in Columbus and bison in the Sandhills. She’s also travelled to Poland to tell the stories of displaced Ukrainian refugees. Her reporting on Nebraska prisons won a 2023 Great Plains Journalism Award. Previously, Alamdari worked at newspapers in Missouri, Texas and Delaware. Working at the Flatwater Free Press is a return to Nebraska — in college, she spent a summer interning at the Omaha World-Herald. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and native Texan.

In her role, she helps develop the financial and logistical procedures that this growing organization needs. Christine comes to us from Charles Drew Health Center, where she proved her mettle throughout the pandemic, setting up systems for getting people treated and vaccinated amid unprecedented challenges. A UNO graduate in history and literature, Christine lives in Omaha with her husband and son. 

Chris Bowling is an investigative reporter for Flatwater Free Press. Prior to joining Flatwater Free Press Chris was an investigative reporter and editor for The Reader, Omaha’s alternative monthly newspaper where he focused on issues like climate change, housing, health, criminal justice and social issues. A native of Cincinnati, Bowling graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018.

Naomi Delkamiller is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying journalism and public relations with a minor in digital humanities. Previously, she was a News21 investigative journalism fellow where she worked under a team of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism leaders and editors to produce the in-depth multimedia project “America After Roe.” Upon graduation in May of 2025, Delkamiller hopes to continue using emerging media techniques to investigate and document complex topics.

Sara keeps an eye on state government: Its many agencies, the governor’s office, courts and the Legislature. She has unearthed troubling data on how Nebraska helps both its crime victims and its convicted criminals, analyzed the effects of low legislator pay and reported on lawmakers’ conflicts of interest.

Ben Goeser is a reporter for Silicon Prairie News. Growing up in Omaha, he developed a passion for storytelling when overhearing the conversations of family members around the dinner table on holidays. He attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he became a recurring voice and producer on the college’s radio station. Ben graduated with both a BS in history and a BA in English and has taken on roles in local radio and social media management. At SPN, he is excited to promote the stories of business leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs in and around his hometown.

Matthew Hansen is the editor of the Flatwater Free Press. Hansen spent 16 years at Nebraska newspapers, as a reporter at the Lincoln Journal Star and then a reporter and metro columnist at the Omaha World-Herald. The native of Red Cloud and one-time intern at the Red Cloud Chief and the Hastings Tribune now lives in Omaha and is married to Sarah Baker-Hansen, a longtime Nebraska food writer and restaurant critic.

Destiny earned her master’s degree in journalism at the University of Maryland. While at UMD, she covered NASA and Congress for Capital News Service, reporting on everything from cheese served at state dinners to future missions to Mars. She worked on the Howard Center’s award-winning project, “Mega Billons,” an investigation of state lotteries, and was part of an ongoing Associated Press investigation into law enforcement practices. When she isn’t reporting, Destiny loves swing dancing and thrift shopping.

Ryan is a reporter and editor who values accountability journalism and thoughtful storytelling. He previously worked as the state/regional editor at the Omaha World-Herald, where he oversaw reporters covering state government, city hall, the military and K-12 education. He and his wife, Sam, have lived in Lincoln since 2019. In 2022 they welcomed twin boys into the world. He enjoys spending time with family, exploring Lincoln’s great parks and, as a proud native of Cincinnati, converting the chili-on-spaghetti skeptics.

Leah Wambui Keinama boasts a robust professional journey, commencing as a systems engineer and integrator within the software industry. In this capacity, she excelled in the conception, design, construction, and deployment of software systems, adeptly managing projects from inception to completion. Transitioning into the nonprofit realm, Leah directed her expertise towards enhancing food systems, with a particular emphasis on soil health, regenerative agriculture, and bolstering food accessibility while fostering resilient communities. Her repertoire includes comprehensive program design skills coupled with a profound commitment to community engagement. Leah’s fervor for cultivating networks and forging meaningful connections underscores her dedication to advancing organizational goals.

Han McClelland Wagoner has a background in nonprofit administration, veterinary clinics, and a little bit of everything in between. Han grew up in Omaha and has lived and worked in this community for most of their career. They enjoy road trips, writing music, reading nonfiction, and spending time with their dog Roosevelt. Han has an Associates in Liberal Arts from MCC and will graduate with their Bachelors in Cross Sector Collaboration and Nonprofit Management in 2024.

Stefanie Monge is the editor of Silicon Prairie News. She is a seasoned startup strategist, community builder and journalist with a passion for entrepreneurship and experience as a founder herself. Stefanie has spent the last 15 years working with startups around the world. She was the first-ever entrepreneurship reporter at the Omaha World-Herald where she wrote about startups and small business in the late 2000s. Since her time at the Omaha World-Herald, Stefanie has spent 12 years promoting equity and access in STEM fields, has 10 years of experience producing corporate wellness and team-building events, and has served as a startup advisor and board member for six years. Stefanie is an avid traveler, having backpacked around the world for 2 years as a digital nomad. She is the founder and executive producer of international leadership development retreats and conferences, including GETconf (Gender Equity in Tech Conference), Think Start Do Women’s Entrepreneurship Series, and Welcor Retreats.

Shane helped develop the initial business and fundraising plan for the Nebraska Journalism Trust in 2020. He continues to serve as the grants and fundraising consultant with support from Vic Gutman & Associates. A native of Norfolk, Nebraska, he has lived and worked in the Omaha area since 2003. He’s worked at Boys Town, the University of Nebraska Omaha, Goodwill Industries, and Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. Prior to his time in Omaha, he covered the Nebraska Legislature for the Nebraska Press Association and wrote periodically for the Norfolk Daily News. In his spare time, he coaches youth soccer and serves on the Bennington City Council. Shane has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master’s degree in English from the University of Nebraska Omaha. His creative nonfiction has appeared in Nebraska Life magazine, Vox, and at planetary.org.

Yubia Ramirez is an Operations Associate at Nebraska Journalism Trust. Yubia pursued an Advertising/Public Relations degree at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She brings experience in the advertising and marketing field. A Nebraska native, she loves traveling and attending concerts in her free time.

Shelby Rickert is a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying journalism with a minor in political science. Most recently, she was a news intern for the Lincoln Journal Star writing breaking news and feature stories on topics ranging from tree eradication to artificial intelligence to the 2024 presidential election. At the Flatwater, Rickert hopes to tell impactful stories about issues affecting Nebraska residents in parts of the state where local news publications and their resources are shrinking.

Joshua is a Roy W. Howard Fellow supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation. He’s a graduate of the Master’s of Investigative Journalism program at Arizona State University. At ASU, he reported on wasteful state spending on a makeshift border wall, effects around the country of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the impacts of lithium mining in the United States. Following graduation, he worked as a community journalist at the Quad-City Times focused on local government in Illinois. Prior to his career in journalism, Joshua worked as a farmhand and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania.

Barbara Soderlin leads development efforts across the Nebraska Journalism Trust, building relationships with donors, community members, and partners who join with us to strengthen Nebraska journalism. Her background includes eight years reporting on Nebraska business, schools, and communities for the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star, and five years in development with the University of Nebraska Foundation, supporting UNL’s agriculture and natural resources education and research programs. Favorite Nebraska road trip stops with husband Ryan and daughters Cee-Cee and Clara include Chimney Rock, Homestead National Monument, Carhenge, Smith Falls and any place with ice cream or pie.

Jeremy Turley covers the Omaha metro area. He worked at newspapers across the Midwest before moving to Nebraska. Most recently, he shivered through several frigid winters in Bismarck, North Dakota, where he covered state government and the COVID-19 pandemic for Forum News Service. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and a native of suburban Chicago. His hobbies include disc golfing, collecting campaign buttons and using too many em dashes — or so his editors say.

Matt Wynn is the Executive Director of the Nebraska Journalism Trust, which launched and funds the Flatwater Free Press. He has spent 13 years at news organizations across the country, most recently on the investigative team at USA Today. He lives in his hometown of Omaha with his wife, Sarah, and three children.

Yanqi Xu (pronounced yen-chee shu) has won multiple national awards during her time at the Flatwater Free Press, including for her multi-year investigation focused on nitrate in the state’s drinking water. Before joining FFP in 2021, Xu covered courts and law for NC Newsline in North Carolina and was part of a team at the Investigative Reporting Workshop that developed the Public Accountability Project, a newsroom search tool that hosts more than 1 billion public records in one place. She hails from China, where she first developed an interest in telling stories that resonate with people, no matter where they are.