About Jana

Biography

Jana (Luebbe) Hughes grew up on a family farm near Goehner, Nebraska, where she learned the values of hard work, personal responsibility and self-reliance. A 1989 graduate of Seward High School, Jana attended Texas A&M University and earned a degree in industrial engineering. After graduation, she worked as a consulting engineer for Kurt Salmon Associates in Atlanta before returning home to Nebraska. In 1996, she married her husband, John Hughes.

Jana was elected to the Seward School Board in 2018, where she focused on policies supporting students, teachers and the long-term success of local schools. During the pandemic, she became certified as a substitute teacher and continues to serve in Seward Public Schools. In 2022, Jana was elected to the Nebraska Legislature, representing District 24. In the Legislature, she has worked to strengthen Nebraska’s communities, support families and schools, encourage economic growth and protect the values and quality of life that make Nebraska a great place to live.

Jana has remained deeply involved in her community through organizations including the Seward Jr. Women’s Club, the Legacy Fund of Seward County, the Seward Changing the Game Wellness Center initiative, Holy Savior Lutheran Church, Seward County 4-H and the Seward Community Foundation.

Jana and John live in Seward and have three children and a son-in-law. Their daughter Lena and her husband, Tate Anderson, live in Kansas City. Their daughter Anna lives in Chicago, and their son Hank attends the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The family business, Hughes Brothers Manufacturing, has produced quality American-made hardware and other products since 1921.