Staff – First Presbyterian Church | First Presbyterian Church

Gary is a theological educator in both seminary and university settings. For fourteen

years, he was president of the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation. He is an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister with decades of experience in congregations, as well as governing-body responsibilities at the local, regional, and national levels. He serves on the boards of civic and professional organizations in Omaha and denominationally.

His background includes training and experience in non-profit fundraising for religious organizations, interim ministry, strategic planning, conflict management, congregational consulting, and clergy coaching. For many years, he has taught at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (Religious Studies), Creighton University (Department of Theology), and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

Gary and his wife, Sharon, are the parents of adult children and five grandchildren. Sharon is an accomplished organist, pianist, and choir director. She taught music most recently at Duchesne Academy in Omaha. For relaxation, Gary enjoys time with his family and friends, college and professional sports, film, reading, travel, music, and writing.

Kris has over 25 years of experience in ministry with children, youth and adults. Kris joined the FPC staff in 2017 and is passionate about creating and learning environment for all ages that promotes a safe place to ask questions and explore our faith together. He shares his life and ministry with his wife Kris Adler-Brammer, a native of Nebraska, and they also enjoy their goofball of a dog named Wrigley.

Kris received his Master’s degree in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Theological Seminary) in Richmond, VA, his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Radford University, in Radford, VA, and is currently working on his Doctor of Educational Ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. Kris is also a Certified Christian Educator in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Brian oversees the entire music program at First Presbyterian and directs the adult choir, bell choir, and various instrumental groups. He directed the creation of the Arts for the Soul — Music & Fine Arts Series at First Presbyterian, and has served as its artistic and executive director since its founding in the fall of 2007.

Brian received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1995. Brian has performed with such groups as the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, Plymouth Brass, Nebraska Trumpet Ensemble, Lincoln Municipal Band, and the Third Chair Chamber Players. He is also a past conductor of the Lincoln Community Concert Band.

Jennifer is a strategic operations leader with over a decade of experience driving large-scale enterprise implementations. She thrives at the intersection of analytical logic and purposeful design. Her background spans SaaS software, complex integrations, and major technical deployments across FinTech, EdTech, and HealthTech ecosystems. With core expertise in product design, the user journey, and scaling business solutions, she focuses on building efficient, resilient systems for growing operations teams.

Outside of her work, Jennifer is driven by creative execution and community connection, actively engaging in graphic design, photography, and cultural initiatives. She believes that impactful leadership seamlessly blends structured strategy and cross-functional collaboration to build sustainable business frameworks and strong, connected teams.

Chris Marks moved to Lincoln with his family in 2006 to join the music faculty at UNL, where he currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs. He has a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Richmond, a master's degree from University of Illinois and a doctoral degree from the Eastman School of Music. Before coming to UNL, he was University Organist and faculty at Syracuse University. His focus as a performer and researcher has been American organ music of the 19th and 20th centuries, with three recordings devoted to the organ music of Seth Bingham. He also enjoys collaborating on harpsichord and piano.