Director of Community Engagement

Stuhr Museum Announces Laura Gamboa Urrego as First Director of Community Engagement

Grand Island, NE— July 22, 2025 — Stuhr Museum has hired Laura Gamboa Urrego as its first Director of Community Engagement. “Laura is the perfect fit for this inaugural position,” Executive Director Chris Hochstetler said, noting her deep ties to the region and experience in building inclusive community relationships.

The Director of Community Engagement will work directly with the communities that Stuhr Museum serves to cultivate new markets and relationships, bringing museum programming to a larger audience, as well as lead the museum’s efforts to expand Stuhr Museum’s outreach and collaboration across the region.

Laura Gamboa Urrego brings a strong background in community engagement and organizing. “I am excited to showcase the stories of people who have shaped our community and ensure all voices are being represented,” she said. “I hope to help transform the museum into a space where every community member can see themselves in, not just in the history we exhibit, but also in the future we are building together.”

Most recently, she worked as a Community Organizer with the YWCA through the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table. Her previous work in the Grand Island area includes roles with the Multicultural Coalition and the Migrant Education Program at Grand Island Public Schools. “Laura’s background working in our community both as a volunteer and as an organizer will help to open new pathways for everyone to engage with Stuhr Museum, and that will help the museum to fulfill its mission to a larger extent,” Hochstetler said.

Gamboa Urrego graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Political Science and a minor in Humanitarian Rights. She is the Co-Chair of the Grand Island Welcoming Initiative, Co-Founder of Amplify (formerly Young Professionals of Color Grand Island), and serves on the Board of Directors for the Grand Island Concert Association and EPIC, (formerly Grand Island Children’s Museum). She was recognized by the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce in 2024 for the Top 35 Under 35, recognized by Telemundo as a Hispanic Leader, and is a graduate of Leadership Unlimited Class 37.