• Member and President of the Beatrice Community Hospital Foundation Board of Directors
• Former member and Past President of the Beatrice Educational Foundation
• Former member and Past President of the Beatrice Area Arts Council
• Member and President of the Hevelone Foundation
• Member of the Beatrice Noon Kiwanis Club
• Member and Past Senior Warden of Christ Church Episcopal
• Member of the Sesostris Temple of the Shrine
• Member and Past President of the Blue Valley Shrine Club
• Member and Past President of the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
• Former member of the Beatrice Fraternal Order of Eagles
• Past President of the Beatrice Jaycees
• Past Treasurer and Vice President of the Nebraska Jaycees
• Past member of the Beatrice YMCA Board of Directors
• Announcer of Beatrice High School home sporting contests
• Member of Friends of Homestead board of directors
• Member of Community Food Pantry & Emergency Services board of directors

• Member of the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association
• Member of the National Funeral Directors Association

• Past President of the Beatrice Jaycees
• Member and Past Vestry Person of Christ Church Episcopal
• Member and Treasurer of Christ Church Episcopal Evening Guild
• Member of PEO Chapter Z
• Past member of the Women's Division, Image and Leadership Committees of the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce
• Past member of the Beatrice and Nebraska Women of Today
• Past member of the Gage County United Way Board of Directors

After graduating from Beatrice High School in 2010, Samantha attended Northwest Missouri State University where she earned a B.S. in Business Management in 2013. She continued her Mortuary Science education at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa where she obtained an Advanced Standing Diploma in Mortuary Science. After graduation, she worked as an intern and licensed funeral director at Merle Hay Funeral Home in Des Moines.

Samantha continues to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Mortuary Science Program at Des Moines Area Community College, while also previously serving on the Re-Accreditation Advisory Committee for the Mortuary Science Program.

Samantha, and her husband, Nick Thompson are both natives of Beatrice and Wymore and look forward to raising their daughter Adeline Marie, along with their “fur-babies,” Drake and Rudy in the communities that raised them.

Samantha is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, and pre-need counselor at Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel and manages the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home in Wymore. She is the 4th generation of her family to serve the residents of Southeast Nebraska through the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel and the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home.

Samantha's civic involvements include:

• Past Chair of Leadership Beatrice Advisory Committee
• Graduate of Leadership Beatrice Class 11
• Past Board Member of Young Professionals of Gage County (YPG)
• Financial Advisory Council Member of Wymore/Blue Springs Area Fund
• Co-Chair/Creator of McCandless Spooktacular (annual fundraiser and Trunk-Or-Treat event)
• President of Southern Gage Kiwanis
• Secretary/Treasurer of Blue River L.O.S.S. (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Advisory Council
• Member of Wymore Housing Authority Board
• Member of "Catch The Glow" Planning Committee with Beatrice Community Hospital Foundation
• Co-Chair of YMCA Capital Campaign Communication Committee
• Member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
• Beatrice Rotary Member

Dick Hovendick is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, and pre-need salesman. He is married to Jackie (Griffiths) and they have four children, Rich, Steve and Kirk Hovendick and Laurie Olberding. Dick's civic involvements include:

• Member and Past President of the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce
• Member and past vestryman of Christ Church Episcopal
• Member and President of the Christ Church Foundation Board of Directors
• Former member (28 years) of the Beatrice Community Hospital Board of Directors
• Former Member of the Homestead Harmonizers
• Member of Beatrice Rotary Club
• Member of the Beatrice American Legion Club
• Member of the Beatrice Fraternal Order of Eagles
• Member of the Sesostris Temple of the Shrine
• Member and Past President of Blue Valley Shrine Club
• Member and First President of the Gage County Historical Society
• Member of the Southeast Nebraska Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC) Board of Directors
• Delegate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Past president of the Beatrice Jaycees

Dick's professional memberships include:

• Member and Past President of the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association
• Member of the National Funeral Directors Association and past chairman of the Clergy Relations Committee

Jackie's civic involvements included:

• Member and Past President of PEO Chapter Z
• Member and Past Vestry Person of Christ Church Episcopal
• Past President of the Christ Church ECW
• Member and Treasurer of the Christ Church Altar Guild
• Past President of the Beatrice Community Hospital Guild
• Beatrice Community Hospital Gift Shop Volunteer
• Member and Past President of Fortnightly
• Past Member of Children's Guild
• Life Member of the PTA
• Meals on Wheels