Dr. Joel Marley
Chiropractor & Clinic Director
Dr. Joel Marley was raised in Blencoe, Iowa and received his bachelor degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences and Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. Dr. Joel travels 5,000 miles each year to post-graduate seminars and international speaking engagements to bring his patients the latest research and advance his expertise in Gonstead Chiropractic care. He speaks locally on a regular basis to area businesses, schools, and civic groups.
Dr. Jeremiah Sample
Chiropractor
Dr. Jeremiah Sample is a native of East Dubuque, Illinois. Upon graduation from high school, Dr. Jeremiah began his service to his country as an Infantryman in the U.S. Army. After his training in Fort Benning, Georgia he was stationed in Fort Riley, KS with the 41st Infantry where the next four years contained a multitude of deployments, including being a part of the initial spearhead into Iraq, March 2003. During the Battle for Karbala Gap, Dr. Jeremiah was wounded prior to saving another soldier’s life. For his actions in combat he was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star.
Dr. Shane Smith
Chiropractor
Dr. Shane grew up in the small farm town of Wood River, NE. It was there he developed a strong sense of community and family, along with a passion to serve others. He quickly realized chiropractic was his way to fulfill that passion after seeing a chiropractor often during his high school athletic career.
Melissa Marley
Director of Operations
Melissa is Dr. Joel’s wife and a large contributor to much of the operations of Family First Chiropractic. She is responsible for making sure that there is a great team of people serving you each day. She spends half of her time each week at FFC so you may see her at times popping in and out of the office. You will also see her at the parties in the office and special workshop nights where she may also be one of the speakers!
Melissa was born and raised in East Dubuque, IL. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2004 with a degree in Recreation Therapy and then also graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2005 with a degree as a Chiropractic Office Assistant. Since she and Dr. Joel married in 2009, they were blessed in March of 2013 with their first daughter, Gianna, and in December 2017 with their second daughter, Mae. Melissa enjoys being able to pursue her mission with Family First Chiropractic as well as a second career in doing life/business coaching and team training for chiropractors around the globe.
Joanne King
Administrative Manager & Chiropractic Assistant
Joanne was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in education, and from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2007 with a Master’s degree in education.
After spending a few years working with local school systems, Joanne decided to pursue an opportunity to educate people of all ages about the importance of having a healthy spine and nervous system. Joanne focuses on providing the best experience to everyone who walks into the office; most of her efforts happen “behind the scenes,” making sure that everything at Family First Chiropractic is running smoothly! Outside the office, Joanne enjoys cooking, traveling, watching movies with her husband, Todd, and being a mom to their daughter Adalynn and son Oliver.
Julie Larson
Community Outreach Coordinator & Chiropractic Assistant
Julie grew up in Bellevue, Nebraska, and then attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood. She has worked with children in many capacities, helping them to learn, grow, and be healthy. Julie began her journey with Family First Chiropractic in 2010 and has served in many roles in the office throughout the years. As a Chiropractic Assistant and Community Outreach Director, she loves continuing her work with educating others, both in the office and in the community, this time about keeping your nervous system functioning optimally by maintaining a healthy spine. She loves coming alongside patients and making connections to help people in their health journey. Julie and her husband Ben have two children, Anna and Claire. Among reading, cooking, and playing with the girls, Julie loves to travel, be outdoors, and spend time with friends and family.
Morgan Johnson
Chiropractic Technician
Morgan was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and moved to Omaha when she was 13. After graduating from Millard West High School, she attended UNO where she studied Early Childhood Education. She taught early childhood for 6 years, primarily as an infant and toddler teacher. Driven by a passion for educating and caring for people of all ages, she is excited to continue her professional journey at Family First!
Morgan is the oldest of three siblings. When her family moved to Texas in 2018, she stayed here because Nebraska is home. Beyond her professional endeavors, she enjoys traveling to visit family, catching up on TV shows, baking sweets, crocheting, and crafting with her Cricut.
Morgan is eager to expand her knowledge of chiropractic and learn more about how it can benefit her own health. In addition, she is thrilled to be a part of a compassionate community of individuals dedicated to educating and guiding others along their journey to wellness!
Kendall Michaels
Chiropractic Assistant
Kendall moved to Omaha from Kansas in 2025 with her partner Dylan. She spent most of her career in food service and studied Baking and Pastry Arts in Louisville Kentucky before joining the Family First team.
After experiencing a significant health challenge in college, chiropractic care became an important part of Kendall’s healing journey. That experience sparked a lasting appreciation for chiropractic and continues to inspire her to learn more about how it can improve overall health and wellness. She loves getting to know patients and is passionate about helping people feel welcome from the moment they walk through the door.
Outside of the office, Kendall enjoys baking, traveling, trying new restaurants, and sewing. She is grateful to be part of a compassionate team and looks forward to helping create a positive, encouraging experience for every patient.
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