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A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
New Horizons A couple by any other name March 2026 | Vol. 51 | No. 3
By Leo Adam Biga ebraska public figures Mark Hoeger and Jane Erdenberger have engaged in community affairs for decades yet few know they’re a married couple. Operating in separate spheres – most recently him on the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy County and her on the Omaha Schools Board of Education – they’re rarely in the same place at the same time. Thus, their domestic union, while not a secret, often comes as a surprise. “Wait, you two are married?” is a frequent reaction the couple get, they say, when spotted together. Quality, equitable education is something they care deeply enough about to make “good trouble” in its pursuit. Hoeger, a former improv actor, is a filmmaker and educator (he teaches a University of Nebraska at Omaha film studies class and taught film one summer at Oxford, England). He was a Nebraska Arts Council artist in the schools, led Omaha World-Herald Foundation projects, and headed a nonprofit theater. He worked for Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) on the One City-One School District initiative, championing the Learning Community.
body’s coordinating council. He won and is now vice chair of Subdistrict 3 Achievement Council. Attorney turned teacher Erdenberger taught 16 years at Omaha North High School and two at Omaha Home for Boys. She’s served on OPS committees and authored district-wide curriculum for high school social studies classes. She represented teachers as an Omaha Education Association board member and served on the Nebraska Education Finance Authority. Today she’s president of the school board, Besides a shared passion for strengthening community and education, the couple are both active in Nebraska Democratic Party politics. “That’s been a thing in common,” Hoeger said of their politico identities. She even served as state national committee woman.
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COURTESY PHOTO “I was really taken with the concept and the brilliance of it as public policy,” Hoeger said. “And its mission I thought was really critical,
too. I ended up doing the political organizing for building support for the Learning Community,” eventually running for election to that
FORMATIVE Student politics first brought them together when they were active in student government at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. But for much of their lives they pursued different paths. An Omaha native, Erdenberger grew up in an affluent family. Her father was the --Couple continued on page 9.
Repurposed: Term author uses for those who are aging
Omaha Beef is ready for a championship run
The Omaha Beef made it to its fifth championship in a row in 2025, but came up short. The Beef will have one of the most talented rosters they will ever have in 2026. Learn more about the Omaha Beef as they get ready for the 2026 season on Page 16.
By Ron Petersen Finding purpose as you age involves redefining your life goals, staying socially connected and engaging in meaningful activities that offer a sense of accomplishment. As people come to discover a repurposed life, they discover fewer rules, more choices and a shifting sense of purpose, which is something Louis Pol writes about in his book. “People want to be repurposed — they want to have a purpose as they get older. There are going to be Pol physical challenges that come our way, but we still have a purpose,” Pol said. “Retirement is a pour label — I struggled with the word, so I came up with
repurposed. It’s a common word and it really describes who we are and what we do when we get older.” The Former dean of College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, looked into his past when publishing his book, “Repurposed: Aging Well through Humor, Resilience, Reflection, and Curiosity.” Pol had an amazing relationship with his grandmother when he grew up and had the chance to see her grow old. Pol realized that even as his grandmother aged, she never lost a beat and lived life to the fullest, which is something he wants to do for his own grandkids. “I was the first grandchild, so my grandmother was relatively young,” Pol said. “She was young and energetic, which was a good impact on me.” --Repurposed continued on page 3.