Chuck Hassebrook

Chuck Hassebrook, executive director of the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska, announced last week that he will seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

The center announced Monday that it has granted Hassebrook, a Democrat, up to 10 months of unpaid leave beginning March 1, and announced that Brian Depew, the assistant executive director, will become acting executive director on that date.