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Mike FriendREPRepublican American politician
62
Years of Age
7
Years of Experience
NEResidence (state)

Michael Friend (born October 4, 1961) is a politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He represented an Omaha district in the Nebraska Legislature, and later became and the first Director of Nebraska's Office of Violence Prevention.Friend was born in Omaha, and graduated from Millard Senior High School in 1980. He then attended Kearney State College from 1980 to 1982 and Creighton University in journalism, graduated in 1985 but studied law for an extra year. In 2002, Friend was elected to represent the 10th Legislative District in the Nebraska Legislature. He was re-elected in 2006 with over 76% of the vote. He sat on the General Affairs, Revenue, and Legislative Performance Audit Committees, and chaired the Urban Affairs Committee.In 2006, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill sponsored by Friend that restricts picketing and protesting at funerals. The law was designed to prohibit picketing a funeral within 300 feet of a cemetery, mortuary or church between one hour before and two hours following an event. The impetus for the legislation was a group of protesters who made a habit of picketing military funerals, as a form of protest against the United States.In August 2009, Friend resigned from the Legislature after governor Dave Heineman appointed him Director of the Office of Violence Prevention. The office holds the responsibility of overseeing grants to combat community violence. Friend left the Office of Violence Prevention in 2011.

Education5 - 5 of 3
Creighton University
Attended Law School
1987
Creighton University
BA Journalism
1985
Kearney State College
Attended
1980 - 1982
Past Positions1 - 7 of 7
Senator
Nebraska State Legislature
2002 - 2009
Director
Office of Violence Prevention
2009 - Current
Member
Office of Violence Prevention, State of Nebraska
2009
Writer
First National Bank of Omaha
1997 - Current
Account Manager
Sitel Corporation
1997
Writer
Smart Computing Magazine
1997
Technical Writer
First Data Resources
1996
Other Experience1 - 3 of 3
Development
Omaha Summer Arts Festival
2005 - 2006
Member
Knights of Columbus
2000 - Current
Board Member
Saint James Parish Administrative Committee
1998 - Current