"She didn't plant the seeds — what she did was create the earth."
This sentiment from Washington County Community Foundation President Milt Heinrich exemplifies the work completed by Jordan Rishel through her year of employment at the foundation, and her commitment to being involved in her community.
"Our logo is planting the seeds, and it has a leaf coming out of 'Washington County Community Foundation,'" Heinrich said. "You have to have dirt before you have seeds, and the dirt was getting the name of the Washington County Community Foundation out. And that's the biggest thing she did for us this year. We're going to miss that."
Rishel, 45, was laid to rest Thursday at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair. She was killed following a car accident near Arlington on Dec. 28.
Rishel was born in Clinton, N.Y., and moved to Nebraska in 1998 to pursue her figure skating dream, according to her obituary submitted by Campbell-Aman Funeral Home. She and her two children, Hudson and Brooklyn Dilworth, moved to Blair in late 2011.
A true community member
In 2012, Rishel started working as the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, and would later in 2020 announce the business' rebranding as the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
Since Jan. 1, 2023, Rishel worked as the executive director for the Washington County Community Foundation.
"We knew her from before at the chamber, and offered her the opportunity," Heinrich said. "I think she saw that it could... challenge her in a new way. That was a great leap of faith on her part, because for 20-something years, we'd been an all-volunteer organization. This was the first time we were hiring a full-time executive."
The foundation didn't have an office nor a computer, and volunteers completed their work from home before Rishel joined, Heinrich said.
"She came to us with us not providing anything professionally, and so she helped us grow that," he said. "She was very instrumental in us creating our office on Main Street. We had, simultaneously, a very large capital campaign that occurred, so we shifted to a new paradigm with her."
During her time at the chamber and the foundation, Heinrich said Rishel was involved wherever she could be.
"If it wasn't for her action of going out into the community, the community wasn't certainly coming to us," he said.
Rishel's involvement with the Blair Optimist Club was a great feat, said Brenda Orr, a longtime friend of Rishel.
"That, of all the things she did, Optimist was one of her true passions," Orr said.
"Not only was it a good thing that she was part of the Optimist, but it got people into our front door," Heinrich added.
Through the chamber and foundation, Rishel, alongside Heinrich, Bob Coffey, Emily Petersen and Ryan Palmer, formed Washington County Gives, a joint effort that has helped area nonprofits over its seven-year run.
"I was on the chamber board with her for seven years and then the foundation board for the last year, year-and-a-half," Palmer said. "She was a tireless worker. If it needed to be done, she got it done. She never was afraid to do the small things, too. Nothing was beneath her. That's always the sign of a good leader."
Adding to Rishel's list of involvement, she also was a regular at the Blair Rotary Club meetings, and also served a four-year term on the Washington County Board of Supervisors.
"At a high level, when you're on a board, you're one of seven voices — she seemed to be focused on 'we' and not 'me,'" said Steve Dethlefs, Board of Supervisors chairman. "It was part of a bigger decision-making process than a single person. She did her homework on the issues, she understood her role and how things operated within a government entity. It's different from running a business — she brought those skillsets to the table that put her in position for success there."
Brad Earley, who was hired as the new Washington County Chamber director shortly after Rishel's departure, said he could always go to Rishel whenever he needed assistance in his new role.
"I'm one of those where, I have to learn by doing, but any time I needed help, I could just call or text or email her and she was quick with a response," he said. "It's a huge loss. She touched this community in a lot of ways. There's not many (people) in the county who she didn't come in contact with... that she didn't touch in some way."
Family came first
Scott Givens met Rishel in 2019 during a Chamber of Commerce event. Givens was the president of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce at the time.
"We had four amazing years together," he said. "We shared a similar sense of humor. We both work hard, so we both respected that about each other. We both valued family and friends.I said before that she was a perfect combination of tough and kind. Too much of one of the other doesn't work, and she rode that happy medium."
Givens said Rishel adored being a mother above everything.
"I was dragged to a lot of gymnastics meets and hockey tournaments," he said with a laugh. "That was who she was. We both believed in work hard, play hard."
Orr, who met Rishel about 18 years ago, said no time was wasted when it came to Rishel.
"She would take Brooklyn to gymnastics, drop off things at the Goodwill, shop with me for more stuff," Orr said. "She always had something going. We'd see her out walking laps with Hudson at the Westroads when he was a newborn. I helped watch the kids here and there at the rink, my kids were still in hockey and also helped write the hockey schedule, so she'd be there."
Some special memories Givens has with Rishel include traveling.
"We went to both coasts: Florida and California," he said. "We went to Nashville a couple times, we went to Minneapolis, Mexico — she is someone I could travel well with."
Orr said Rishel's move to Blair was the right choice for her and her children.
"She knew they'd be happier in a small community," she said.
Palmer said over the period of knowing Rishel for 10 years, he became good friends with her and saw how important her family was to her.
"I got to see her be a fantastic mom, and as good of a worker as she was, she gave everything to her children, and her children always came first," he said. "A lot of times, she brought her kids along and her kids got to see how good their mom was at things. Her kids were troopers along the way and they allowed Jordan to shine, for certain."
Rishel's impact to the community
Rishel became a prominent figure throughout her decade-plus spent in Washington County, Earley said.
"She set a really high standard," he said. "She was there for everything. She volunteered for everything."
Because of her work in the community, Earley said it was important for him to make sure she was the Gateway to the West Days grand marshal in 2023.
"I felt that after putting it on 10 years, it was kind of my way of giving her the recognition that she deserved," he said. "Unless you're behind the scenes doing it, you have no idea what goes into it. When they started talking about, 'Who can we have as the grand marshal?' I was like, 'It's a no-brainer for me. It's got to be Jordan.' It was a little thank you... but I don't think there would have ever been anything that we could have done to thank her enough."
Dethlefs said even after her one term on the Board of Supervisors was up, Rishel never backed down from being involved.
"She had such a broad experience in the community and coming into contact with people not only in Blair, but the county," he said. "Anywhere she went, she knew somebody. And they knew her. She just brought the right qualities when she engaged people. She was born in New York but she was truly 'Nebraska nice.'"
Over the years, Orr watched Rishel complete many of her goals and integrate herself into the community.
"She grew into a professional and had all these contacts, but was the same person I met all those years ago," Orr said. "She was always up for anything, and so accepting of new ideas. She pursued every opportunity that the chamber allowed, every leadership class, every course, every visit to another town."
Paul Swanson, director of sales for Enterprise Media Group, said he considered Rishel a good friend and partner in any sales endeavors.
"The staff at the Enterprise was deeply saddened to learn about the loss of Jordan," he wrote. "She was definitely a news-maker, influencing the community in many ways. Jordan was one of the first people that I met when I started working at the paper in 2020. I was so impressed with her positive, can-do attitude."
Heinrich said the foundation and community were "unprepared" to lose Rishel.
"I think for many people in the community who have come up to me, it is apparent that many of us have been touched to the bone," he said. "You think about the shortness of life for all of us. But in her short life, she had a full life."
"We've lost a fantastic person, and just a wonderful promoter of Washington County and its people," Palmer said.
Sen. Ben Hansen spoke at Rishel's funeral, and provided memories he had over the years while interacting with Rishel. Hansen shared his speech with the Enterprise following the funeral.
"Brooklyn, Hudson, I lost my father when he was 46 years old, and I was just 17," he said. "The one piece of advice I can give to you is that we mourn for a moment, celebrate her life for a time and cherish the memories for a lifetime, because you will see each other again. With that I have no doubt. She was a great soul that many of us are lucky to have known and our lives are better for it. A life many of us strive to live, and few accomplish."
