MEET OUR STAFF
Click on each staff member to view their bio.
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Founder & Clinical DirectorDr. Patricia Newman
Founder & Clinical DirectorDr. Patricia Newman is a Clinical Child Psychologist and the Founder of RESPECT. She also holds graduate degrees in Educational Psychology and Special Education. Dr. Newman is in private practice with Family Enrichment, Inc. and works as a Medical Consultant for the Nebraska Department of Disability Determinations. She is the recipient of several professional and community awards including the Y/WCA Tribute to Women Award for her work in the areas of Human Service and Community Advocacy; the Nebraska School Psychologists Association “Psychologist of the Year” award; the Cultural Adult Program Award from the United Way of the Midlands; the Leadership Award for Prevention of Domestic Violence Programming from the Y/WCA; and the Community Service Award from the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Dr. Newman was awarded the 2022 School Mental Health Champion Award at the Nebraska School Mental Health Conference. She is the playwright of two of RESPECT’s plays.
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Executive DirectorPaige Brenneman
Executive DirectorPaige Brenneman earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2016 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she studied in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. During her time in college, she completed a service learning project with the Women’s Center for Advancement, serving as a group leader for the Girls Leadership Academy. Paige brings over eight years of experience with the organization, demonstrating extensive leadership in organizational development and management. She has a proven record in grant and donor development, human resource management and building community engagement. She is committed to continuing her professional growth within the organization and strengthening partnerships and expanding our reach to further our impact on the children and families in our community.
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Program & Development ManagerCara Neufeld
Program & Development ManagerCara joined RESPECT in 2017, initially contributing her expertise to data entry and analysis. Over the years, her commitment to RESPECT as well as her communication and organizational skills, led her to take on more significant responsibilities. Now, as the Program and Development Manager, she is excited to take her place as an integral part of our team. Cara thrives on building connections, offering support, and providing encouragement to both her colleagues and the community we serve.
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Co-Artistic DirectorMichele Phillips
Co-Artistic DirectorMichele was born in New Jersey, raised in Omaha and is a graduate of UNO with a Bachelor of Arts/Dramatic Arts degree. She has acted and/or directed in nearly every theatrical venue in the metro. Michele teaches TV Screenwriting at UNO and is a teaching artist for the Nebraska Arts Council. In addition to workshops for WHY ARTS with special needs students, Michele teaches at two area middle schools in the OPS After-School Program for Brigit St Brigit Theatre Company. She is the resident playwright for RESPECT.
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Education & Training DirectorKathleen McGee
Education & Training DirectorFor more than 35 years, Kathleen Sorensen McGee has worked with, and on behalf of children and teens – as a classroom teacher, a trainer, an author and a public speaker. She has written more than 20 books and articles including Unmasking Sexual Con Games: Helping Teens Avoid Emotional Grooming and Dating Violence, Who’s Raising Your Child: Battling the Marketers for Your Child’s Heart and Soul and There are NO Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter, all published by the Boys Town Press. Kathie has presented workshops nationwide on bullying, teen dating violence, the influence of media, as well as sexual harassment and abuse. She earned both her BA and MA from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
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Actor EducatorSabrina Brown-Garretson
Actor EducatorHello all, I’m Sabrina and so excited to be a part of RESPECT and the amazing community work they do! I found a sense of purpose early on in acting as an elementary school student in Minneapolis, Minnesota, since then, I have kept theatre a central passion in my life. The power of the performing arts and its ability to engage, encourage, and enable people to step outside of their comfort zones, or perhaps into a version of themselves that feels complete, is a joy I love to be a part of in any capacity. Coming full circle, and getting the chance to inspire the next generation, while leading meaning conversations is a task I’m honored to be trusted with. -
Actor EducatorSara Renee Rossell
Actor EducatorGrowing up outside of Omaha, Sara Renee has been performing for her whole life. Singing, acting, and lifelong love of playing music means that she is no stranger to the stage or the stress of it. With a background in musical performance, Sara Renee graduated with a degree in Flute Performance, when in 2013, a health crisis forced her path to pivot to wellness. She learned how stress impacts our mental/physical health & our relationships, how we respond to the world around us, and how we can manage the stress in our everyday lives. With RESPECT, she applies the practice of performing alongside her knowledge of wellness to help educate young people about how we can build healthy relationships with each other and ourselves. In addition to her work with RESPECT, Sara Renee is a somatic teacher. She currently runs a stress management coaching firm for a wide range of performers, teachers, athletes, and other high stress professionals, where she educates on the effects of long term stress on the mind & body with methods on how to close the stress cycle.
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Actor EducatorTrevor Kern
Actor EducatorTrevor is excited to join RESPECT and support their mission of using theater to engage people in conversations. He is a graduate of Omaha North High Magnet School and has a Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Nebraska – Omaha. Trevor developed a love of acting early on and remains an active member of the theater community appearing with companies like Omaha Theatre Company at the Rose, Beatrice Community Players, Elkhorn Community Theatre, Bennington Community Theatre, and Bellevue Little Theatre.