Mrs. Bland was born in Syracuse, Nebraska, a small town just south of Lincoln. She was a Syracuse Rocket, spending the majority of her time playing volleyball and basketball. The Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca graduate left her hometown to pursue a degree in nursing from Midland University but after only one semester decided she didn’t like blood or needles all that much and changed her major to elementary education.

Mrs. Bland started her teaching career at Cedar Bluffs Public Schools teaching Kindergarten. During her time at Cedar Bluffs, she also served as a Curriculum and Assessment Director and K-12 Guidance Counselor. She also shared her love for volleyball by serving as the assistant volleyball coach at Cedar. While teaching, Mrs. Bland continued her education journey and earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration PK-8 from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. After 5 years at Cedar Bluffs, Mrs. Bland made the 30-minute move north to Oakland-Craig where she not only started her career as an elementary principal but also started a family with her husband Theo. After serving as the elementary principal at Oakland-Craig for 7 years, Mrs. Bland transitioned into the superintendent role and will begin her third year in this role at Oakland-Craig during the 2023-2024 school year.

Mrs. Bland and her husband Theo have lived in Oakland for the past 9 years and now have three children: Brooks (9), Benson (7), and Brigz (3). When Mrs. Bland isn’t busy working or serving the community, she enjoys spending time with her family, boating, hunting, and golfing (although her golf game could use some work). Mrs. Bland thoroughly enjoys raising her kids in the small town of Oakland and is grateful for the support, care for one another, and pride this community has shown in her short time here.