neRID President

Gretchen Whitney

neRID Vice President

Julie Delkamiller

neRID Secretary

Meghann Cassidy


Meghan has been interpreting in Nebraska and Iowa for 25. After years of working in post-secondary education, she is now a full-time freelance interpreter. Meghann is also the practicum supervisor for interpreting students at UNO. She graduated from IWCC ITP in 2000 and earned her MS in interpreting from the University of North Florida in 2024. She enjoys her cats, traveling, and crocheting. Meghann is excited to serve as secretary for neRID.

neRID Metro Regional Representative

Marie Herrman

neRID Northeast Rep

Karen Blank


Hello, my name is Karen Blank and I’ve been interpreting for forty years. In 1963, I was inspired to learn sign language after watching the movie “The Miracle Worker”, about Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind. I graduated from Gallaudet College’s Interpreter Training Program in Washington DC in 1975. Moving from Indiana in 1978, I worked full-time at a deaf church in Omaha for almost nine years. While there, I was able to, with a deaf person, co-direct a sign-singing-pantomime group called “The Son-Shine Signers”, that traveled to share the Gospel as well as deaf awareness. In 1986, I married Darwin, who is a Nebraska farmer, and settled in Madison, Nebraska, where we’ve raised our two children, Eric and Karissa. Earning my QAST in 1993, EIPA in 2000, and RID-CT in 2001, I’ve done private practice interpreting and eleven years of full-time interpreting in a school setting. After earning my Master’s Degree in Deaf Education in 2006, I was a Deaf Educator for several years. I currently substitute in schools as an interpreter or deaf educator and am one of two private practice interpreters in Northeast Nebraska. For many years, I have LOVED using sign language in a variety of settings, especially religious. Another passion of mine is documenting family history by creating books to share with my family.

neRID Deaf Representative

Shawn Shannon


White male with black glasses, wearing a green shirt with a blue background.

I was born Deaf to Deaf parents, and American Sign Language (ASL) is my first language. I have a wonderful wife and two beautiful boys, and as a family, we love to travel. I’m also fascinated by the different sign languages used around the world.
I graduated from Gallaudet University with a Master’s in Sign Language Teaching. Over the past 13 years, I’ve taught ASL to K-12 students, college students, and parents of Deaf children. I’ve also rated educational interpreters and served as a language mentor for both Deaf children and interpreters. Currently, I teach ASL at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
I’ve been a Certified Deaf Interpreter for two years now, although I’ve worked in the field as a Deaf Interpreter for many years.

neRID Southeast Rep - Libbie Miller

neRID Central Western Representative

VACANT

neRID Student Representative

VACANT

neRID Publications

Ronda Rankin