John N. Harms is a Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

 state senator from Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 15,039 at the 2010 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th largest city in Nebraska....

 in the Nebraska Legislature

Nebraska Legislature

The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....

 and a former President of Western Nebraska Community College

Western Nebraska Community College

Western Nebraska Community College is a community college in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Its athletics teams are known as the Cougars.WNCC was previously known as Scottsbluff Junior College, Scotts Bluff County College, and Nebraska Western College....

.

Personal life

Harms graduated from Morrill High School in 1958. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master of science

Master of Science

A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...

 degree in secondary education from Chadron State College

Chadron State College

Chadron State College is a four-year public college in the Nebraska State College System in Chadron, Nebraska. The college is located in the northern part of the Nebraska Panhandle, in the Pine Ridge area....

 and an Ed.D. in higher educational administration from Montana State University

Montana State University - Bozeman

Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...

. He began his professional career as a high school teacher in Gering, Nebraska

Gering, Nebraska

Gering is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Scottsbluff, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,751 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Scotts Bluff County....

 and served in a variety of educational positions culminating with the presidency of Western Nebraska Community College

Western Nebraska Community College

Western Nebraska Community College is a community college in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Its athletics teams are known as the Cougars.WNCC was previously known as Scottsbluff Junior College, Scotts Bluff County College, and Nebraska Western College....

, a position he attained in 1976. He retired from that position in 2006 to run for the legislature.

State legislature

He was elected in 2006 to represent the 48th Nebraska legislative district, which is located entirely in Scotts Bluff County

Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska

-National protected area:* North Platte National Wildlife Refuge* Scotts Bluff National Monument-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,951 people, 14,887 households, and 10,167 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 16,119...

. Major communities in the district include Scottsbluff

Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 15,039 at the 2010 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th largest city in Nebraska....

, Gering

Gering, Nebraska

Gering is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Scottsbluff, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,751 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Scotts Bluff County....

, and Mitchell

Mitchell, Nebraska

Mitchell is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Scottsbluff, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,831 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mitchell is located at ....

. He currently sits on the Appropriations; Developmental Disabilities Special Investigative Committee; Education Commission of the States; Legislative Performance Audit committees.