Duane was a senior partner at Smith Schafer Davis LLC, where he practiced law from 1977 to 2020. Though retired from the active practice of law, Duane remains a familiar face around the firm and throughout Beatrice, where you'll often find him stopping in to visit with colleagues or catching up with friends around town.



Community involvement has always been particularly important to Duane, with public education as a central focus of his service. He has served on the Board of Directors of Educational Service Unit No. 5 for over 40 years, serving as president for many years and currently serving as secretary. ESU No. 5 provides services to K-12 school districts in Gage, Jefferson, and Thayer Counties.

Duane has served on the boards of many community organizations, including the Southeast Nebraska YMCA Foundation, Beatrice Public Library Foundation, Beatrice Educational Foundation, and Beatrice Noon Kiwanis Club. He is a member of Centenary United Methodist Church and has served on its Board of Trustees, Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee, and the Television Ministry Committee.

On a statewide basis, Duane was a board member and president of the Nebraska Public Radio Foundation. He also served for ten years on the board of directors of the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) in Kearney, Nebraska, including two years as board president. MONA is the repository of art created by Nebraska artists, art having subject matter involving Nebraska, and art having a nexus with the state.

Duane served in the US Army for two years during the Vietnam War, and his military experience has been the foundation for his ongoing support of veterans.

In retirement, Duane remains actively involved in managing the family farms. His connection to farming began growing up in a farming family near Bertrand, Nebraska. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University, with a major in physics and supporting fields in math and chemistry, and went on to study law at the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree.

Duane is married to Debbie Ross Smith, and the couple has two children, David and Ashley. David is married to Amber Abascal and lives in San Antonio, Texas. Ashley is married to Neal Belt, and they live in Gretna, Nebraska, with their children, Easton and Harper.