In March 2024, NAPE/AFSCME member Anissa Rasmussen celebrated 20 years in her position as an Economic Development Consultant II at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) — though she has been a State of Nebraska employee since 2001.
Anissa said it doesn’t feel like 20 years have passed since she stepped into her current position, but that might be because she has had such a wide variety of roles.
Anissa is a contract manager on the business innovation team. If new or existing businesses have a prototype they want to develop, they apply for funding. The project must meet certain requirements to secure that funding. Once it does so, Anissa takes over handling the contracts.
“It’s exciting because we get to see all of the innovation and creativity that’s coming out of Nebraska,” she said. “I feel like people aren’t always aware of just how many creative and new ideas people have about everything from agriculture to tech.”
One of the latest innovations supported by DED is the Grain Weevil, a robot that navigates the surface of a grain bin, leveling grain, breaking up crusts, and inspecting the interior of the bin so that a farmer doesn’t have to. This drastically lowers the risk of entrapment and keeps farmers out of dangerous situations.
Anissa is proud to be a part of the process that helps businesses turn their prototypes into fully realized products. She feels that she always has an opportunity to learn and grow in her position and it doesn’t feel stagnant. Anissa also counts herself lucky to have always enjoyed working with her colleagues at DED.
Anissa is a NAPE/AFSCME union leader serving on our Board of Directors. She joined and became active in our union because she knows that it’s important to be aware of your rights on the job so you can look out for yourself and your coworkers.
Outside of work, Anissa enjoys going to concerts and baking. She also recently started mentoring through the TeamMates Mentoring Program in Lincoln.