(KLZA)-- Dr. Daniel DeFreece of Nebraska City has been selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Peru State College Foundation. His appointment was effective following the board- February meeting.

DeFreece, President of CHI Health St. Mary- Hospital in Nebraska City, will serve a three-year term. The Peru State College Foundation is a private non-profit corporation established in 1955 to provide assistance and support for Peru State College, which was established in 1867 as Nebraska- first public institution of higher education.

“Dan- background, experience, and dedication to community service makes him an excellent addition to our organization,” noted Jeff Greenwald of Lincoln, current Chair of the Foundation Board. “He joins a strong group of directors serving us.”

“I am a firm believer in the power of education,” DeFreece said of his decision to serve on the all-volunteer Foundation board. “Access to high quality, affordable education is important for the future of our state.”

A native of Tecumseh and a graduate of the former Tecumseh High School, DeFreece has been leading St. Mary- Hospital in Nebraska City since 2018. He was a family physician in Nebraska City from 1996 until joining The Physician Network in Lincoln in 2011, commuting from his home in Nebraska City where he lives with his wife Kay.

Though not an alumnus of Peru State, DeFreece is certainly familiar with the College. He has had relatives attend, including brother Steve of Tecumseh, a ‘93 graduate. DeFreece recalls running in high school track meets Peru State once hosted when ironically, Foundation Executive Director, Ted L. Harshbarger, was one of his track coaches.

DeFreece is familiar with small four-year liberal arts colleges, having graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, completed his residency in family practice for the Lincoln (Neb.) Medical Education Foundation, and has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Professional memberships include the American Medical Association, the Nebraska Medical Association, the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Association for

Physician Leaders, among others. Locally he is a member of St. Mary- Catholic Church and serves on the board for the Nebraska City Area Economic Development group.

With more than 24,000 alumni and friends and more than $20 million in net assets, the Peru State Foundation assists the College in achieving its mission of providing quality education, programs, and services. It is a self-supporting and independently governed corporation established solely for the benefit of Peru State College and its students, faculty, staff, and programs.