Staff
Administration
Eric Crawford
Chief Executive Officer
Eric Crawford, an Omaha native, was named the Executive Director of the Heart Ministry Center in February 2017 after serving for one year as the Assistant Executive Director. Eric earned his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University and spent 11 years as the Director of Admissions at Mount Michael Benedictine School. In the spring of 2015, Eric began working as a Development Officer in Nebraska Wesleyan University’s advancement office.Eric is a member of the St. John’s University Omaha Alumni Chapter and has served on Playsmart Inc.’s Planning Committee and Mount Michael’s Alumni Association and School Board. He is an avid runner who loves spending time with his family and his Bernese Mountain Dog, Pheidippides. Eric is very honored to be part of the Heart Ministry Center and enjoys developing long-lasting relationships.
Mark Dahir
Chief Operations Officer
Mark Dahir began working at the Heart Ministry Center in 2014 after 4 months of volunteering full time. He previously spent numerous hours volunteering at a local homeless shelter over a several year period and worked at Boys Town for two years supervising youth. After attending several universities, including Miami-Ohio where he was an amateur boxer, Mark became a banker. Mark was eventually promoted to the position of Vice President at Omaha State Bank where he worked for over a decade specializing in relationship banking, primarily related to commercial and real estate lending. In 2008, while still working full time at the bank, Mark completed his undergraduate college degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha by enrolling in night classes. Mark also completed two courses in Creighton’s M.B.A. program; Leadership Management and Management of Non-Profits.
Damany Rahn
Associate Executive Director
Damany Rahn has been at the Heart Ministry Center since June 2015, helping families through the case management process—goals setting, job counseling, and strategizing ways to become more self-sufficient. Since graduating from the historic Langston University in 2000, “Dom” has worked with youth & families in many different capacities, starting his career working with youth at Boys Town, as a Family Teacher, teaching youth social skills and managing a home. Dom also worked with families and individuals at Omaha Home for Boys, Douglas County Youth Center, Head Start, Food Bank for the Heartland, and Nebraska Children’s Home Society. Dom earned his Master’s Degree in Family Life at Concordia University and hopes to one day earn his Ph.D. He loves spending time with his family, watching any competitive sport, and laughing.
Porto Urgent Care Clinic
Martha Todd
Nurse Practitioner
Martha has provided medical care at the Heart Ministry Center since 2010. Martha is a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is specially trained to diagnose and manage common chronic and acute health care conditions. She enjoys seeing patients of all ages.
Martha graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s in Nursing and worked as a registered nurse for 20 years before pursuing an advanced degree as a nurse practitioner. She graduated from Creighton University in 2007 with her master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner and completed her PhD in 2014.
Lisa Johnson
Nurse Practitioner
Lisa joined the medical staff at the Heart Ministry Center in May 2015. Lisa is a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Forensic Nurse Examiner. She has spent her nursing career in the metro area caring for individuals, families and communities. She enjoys seeing patients of all ages and considers caring for her patients one of her greatest joys.
Lisa graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1985 and from Creighton University with her Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner in 1998 and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in 2012.
Pantry Operations
Cathy Weaver
Office Manager
Cathy began working at the Heart Ministry Center in October 2015 after graduating from the Pathway Program and volunteering for several months. She has her EMT-B, NA license and is currently working on a degree in Health Information Technology. Cathy enjoys sitting on the lake fishing, swimming and spending time with her family. In her short time here, she has already become a huge asset to the Heart Ministry Center team.
Angeles Llanas
Health/Case Navigator
Angeles began working at the Heart Ministry Center in January 2017. She graduated from the Pathways Program in August 2015 and attended Omaha Public Schools. Angeles is currently pursuing her associates degree in paralegal studies at Metro Community College. She is a devoted mother and enjoys spending time with her family and working with and serving her community. One of her many talents is that she is bilingual so she focuses on working with the Center’s growing Latino population.
Michaella Weilbacher
Intake Specialist
Michaella is a 2017 Fresh Start Program graduate. Upon completion of Fresh Start she was hired as an intake specialist at the Heart Ministry Center. She is a 2008 Bellevue Public Schools graduate and a Nebraska native. In addition to her intake specialist responsibilities she also assists with the distribution of client personal items. She enjoys spending time with her husband and children as well as going to gym, reading, and drawing. She plans to continue to pursue her college degree with a focus in legal studies.
Carlin Green
Intake Specialist
Carlin began working at the Heart Ministry Center in August 2017, after graduating from the Fresh Start Program. She attended college in Flint, Michigan and continued her studies at Metropolitan Community College in Elkhorn, NE where she earned her Associates Degree in railroad operations. She also studied at Charles Stewart Mott Community College and completed several classes with a focus on proper investigative procedures and customer service. She spent time working with troubled teens at Boystown as well as the elderly in Flint Michigan. Carlin loves tending to her flowers in the spring and summer as well as spending quality time with her mother.
Hailey Ghumm
Receptionist/Intake
Hailey grew up in a small town in SE Kansas. Her dream was to play basketball for the WNBA. She attended all of the basketball camps KU had to offer throughout all her childhood. She played for several differnt traveling basketball teams in SE Kansas. She has a brother that is 2 years older than her, which made it very competitive in the household, when it came to shooting hoops. Her family moved to Spring Hill, Kansas when she was a teenager. She has three beautiful daughters, Jovee 5, Emree 2 and Adlee 1 years old. They are the highlight of her world. They love to play outside with chalk and bubbles. Going to the park is a must for them as often as they can. She loves working for the Heart Ministry Center, it has not only changed her life, but it has allowed her to make a difference in the lives of people in the community.
Social Work and Case Management
Conor Berigan
Fresh Start Coordinator
Conor Berigan has worked at the Heart Ministry Center since the winter of 2015. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and Philosophy, Conor served one year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Tucson, Arizona as an organic produce farmer. Conor next worked as a farmer at Drumm Farm in Kansas City where he also was involved in a youth mentoring program. Wanting to work more closely with families and youth in particular, Conor then became a case manager and family consultant at Boys Town and later on at the Stephen Center. At the Heart Ministry Center, Conor assists with operations, provides case management services to families struggling to meet their basic needs, and helps with the mentoring program for school-aged children. In his free time, Conor enjoys carpentry and playing the guitar.
Jocelyn Paulson
School Liaison and Case Manager
Jocelyn began working at the Heart Ministry Center in September 2016 as a case manager and Pathway facilitator. Jocelyn assists clients with short and long term goals to help them on their way forward. Jocelyn has a great deal of experience working with various organizations helping and assisting families in the Omaha area. She graduated from Bellevue University in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Human and Social Service Administration. Jocelyn enjoys spending time with her family, reading books and watching tv and movies.
Brenda Clark
Fresh Start Facilitator
Originally from Omaha, Brenda went to the University of Michigan-Flint and received a Bachelor’s degree in American History. She eventually returned to Omaha and pursued a Master’s degree in History and minored in Black Studies. Brenda has been an instructor with Metro Community College since 2008 teaching “Introduction to Black studies” and “Black Women’s History.” Brenda loves spending time with her three children and also loves reading.