As Director of the Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism, Christian Hornbaker oversees the division’s activities including the marketing of Nebraska attractions and events, developing and managing a budget of state and federal revenue sources, monitoring national trends in travel and tourism, assembling and disseminating relevant information to industry representatives, preparing legislation related to tourism, and participating in strategic policy planning. Hornbaker has an extensive background in advertising, communications, Internet research, and electronic commerce for international companies including PayPal and Domino’s Pizza.

As a member of a military family, Hornbaker lived in many states across the country and chose to call Nebraska home. He attended Papillion-LaVista High School and Northwest Missouri State University.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Group Travel Manager
(402) 471-3744
Paula is Group Travel Manager for the Tourism Division promoting Nebraska as a destination to both national and international tour operators. Paula also oversees and coordinates the annual Nebraska Travel Conference, as well as the Division's work at travel and consumer shows. Paula serves as Tourism Development Consultant overseeing Eastern Nebraska tourism.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Development Consultant
(402) 471-3795

Micheal Collins is a tourism development consultant/planner for the Nebraska Tourism Division. He coordinates the TARGET (Tourism Assessment Resources and Growth Evaluation Team) program and the Nebraska Travel Conference awards. He also oversees writing and updating of the Nebraska Tourism Industry Development Plan, Nebraska Group Tour Travel Planner, and Tourism Marketing and Development Resources Guide.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Research Coordinator
(402) 471-3784
Tom Doering is a researcher for the Department of Economic Development generally and for the division in particular. He has worked in the Department since 1974.

Tom gathers and reports data on traveler spending in Nebraska, attraction attendance, lodging sales, and other tourism measures. He also conducts surveys and other research to gauge the effectiveness of division marketing activities.

Heather Hogue is responsible for maintaining information in the Division's database and web site. Heather coordinates information from all lodging properties, event planners, and tourism entities that provide information to the Division in order to provide that information to the traveling public. She also manages the email requests for tourism publications, oversees the NEBTOUR listserv, and supervises the fulfillment operation for the Nebraska Division of Tourism working as the liaison between our call center and fulfillment operations center.

Before joining the Division of Tourism, Heather worked as a customer service representative at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and as a travel agent.

Karen Kollars joined the DED's Travel and Tourism Division as the Agri-Tourism Development Consultant and Western Region Tourism Representative. She works closely with tourism entities in western Nebraska and helps encourage more rural residents to take advantage of the trend towards travelers wanting to take vacations that involve immersing themselves in ranching or farming experiences.

Karen is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management. She formerly worked for the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce as the Executive Director and handled tourism and main street responsibilities. Karen is a native of Nebraska. She has her office in Sidney.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Eco-Tourism Development Consultant

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Ecotourism Development Consultant
(402) 471-7755

Tom Tabor joined the Nebraska Department of Travel & Tourism staff in 2004 as the first Ecotourism Development Consultant for the State of Nebraska. A native Nebraskan, Tom’s previous work experience includes the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission where he worked as a Horticulturist/Forester in the Parks Division for 14 years. After leaving Game and Parks, he went to work for Information Technology, Inc. for one year as a Computer Programmer before moving on to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Sponsored Programs, where he worked as a Grants Coordinator.

Tom is a Certified Forestry Technician from the University of Minnesota, North Central School and Experiment Station in Grand Rapids, MN ('78). He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with a minor in Biology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln ('97) and has completed coursework towards a Masters degree in Community and Regional Planning with and emphasis in Environmental Planning. Tom is also a past board member of the Great Plains Trails Network.

His hobbies are biking, kayaking, hiking, running, and camping. Tom is excited to be in a conservation-oriented career and enjoys promoting and developing eco/nature-based tourism opportunities throughout the state. Tom also promotes a variety of outdoor activities such as wildlife watching, camping, canoeing/kayaking, trails, and hiking and biking experiences for the state of Nebraska.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Regional Tourism Development Consultant

(308) 645-9566
Twyla Witt is the Division’s Byways Consultant and Tourism Development Consultant for the Northwestern and North Central regions of Nebraska. She works closely with the nine state designated scenic byways and their grass-root organizations. Twyla enjoys working directly with the people along the byways and in her region; tourism development consulting, including agri-tourism diversification ideas, marketing, and promotion. She says that promoting Nebraska as a place to visit, work and play is very satisfying, because she truly believes that Nebraska is the best place to visit, work and play. She has worked for the Division for more than 12 years, most recently as the administrator of the Tourism Marketing & Advantage Grants and the Fulfillment Coordinator.
Twyla has more than 29 years of tourism experience including former owner/manager of lodging properties in Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming, as a travel agent and as an account representative for Nebraska Logos selling the logo signage along I-80 in Nebraska.

Twyla is a native Nebraskan raised on a ranch in the Sandhills of North Central Nebraska. She now works from an office in Thedford.