Story by Unicameral Update (Original Story Here)
One of the first things you learn in conversation with Sen. Paul Strommen is that he’s a detail guy. Whether digging into the state budget as a new member of the Appropriations Committee or finding delight in the architectural wonder of his new workplace, the freshman senator doesn’t want to miss a thing.
For example, Strommen said colleagues sometimes ask if he’d like to take the “short cut” to the legislative chamber from his office on the north side of the building, but doing so would mean missing out on the second-floor north hall with its soaring ceilings and colorful mosaics.
“That’s the greatest walk,” he said. “I take the long way every day because it’s so spectacular. I see something new every time.”
That desire for new experiences, combined with a love of the outdoors, brought the native New Yorker to Colorado as a young man just out of high school. Strommen was born in Sleepy Hollow and grew up on Long Island, finding any work that would allow him to be outside, including taking members of the local yacht club to their boats as a summer job.
“I’m sure it sounds fancy,” he said, “but it was a blast — just another way to earn money as a teenager while also being on the water.”
Luckily for the aspiring outdoorsman, an uncle with a business in Colorado hired him in the early 1990s. Strommen fell in love with all that the state had to offer and decided on the University of Colorado-Denver for his studies.
There, he met his wife Kendra, who was attending law school. It was a moment that would start him on a path to the Unicameral. Kendra had grown up in Hershey, Nebraska, and still had family and deep ties in the area.
The couple moved to Nebraska in 2006, settling in Sidney in 2013. The western part of the state had many of the same amenities Strommen had loved in Colorado: golfing, camping, fishing, hunting and hiking – and the added bonus of fewer people.
“I’m sure it sounds strange coming from someone from New York, but sometimes when I’m in Lincoln, I find myself thinking that there are way too many people here,” he laughed.
Not that Strommen ever pictured himself in Lincoln other than to visit. Gaining a seat in the Legislature was not something the freshman senator had on his bucket list. He did, however, always have an interest in how government works.
Strommen, who works in the ethanol industry, was appointed to the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 2022. Around the same time, he decided to run for a seat on the Sidney City Council to see how he might contribute to his community’s success.
When term limits opened a seat in District 47 a few years later, Strommen saw it as an opportunity to have a broader impact in the region that has captured his heart.
While campaigning near Alliance, he had another chance to bring together his love of outdoor activities and his interest in community service. After seeing a newspaper article about Edison Red Nest, who runs a Native American youth lacrosse program, Strommen knew he had to meet him.
Himself a former lacrosse player and coach, he hadn’t found anyone else in Nebraska who played. The two connected and Strommen joined the kids for a scrimmage that turned out to be more than he bargained for.
“I hadn’t sprinted, hadn’t thrown a lacrosse ball in years,” Strommen laughed. “It was so much fun, but I could barely walk for three days after that.”
It’s that enthusiasm and willingness to jump in and not miss out on an experience that Strommen hopes to bring to his work at the Legislature.
“There’s so much information and so much to learn,” he said. “I’m looking forward to digging into debate and doing my best to advocate for residents in my district and across Nebraska.”