Group Prepares for Community Engagement
OMAHA, Neb., July 16, 2018 – Leadership Omaha, one of the longest-running community leadership programs in the nation, today announced the 49 members selected for “Class 41,” area professionals who will spend the next 10 months focused on such community issues as education, inclusivity and justice. The group will ultimately join a network of more than 1700 Leadership Omaha alumni.
A program of the Greater Omaha Chamber, Leadership Omaha, established in 1978, is designed to develop effective leaders who strengthen and transform the community. Class members are chosen based on their demonstrated community involvement and vision for the future of Omaha.
In addition to an August 16 orientation – and prior to graduating in June – participants will attend a retreat in September, and then monthly, daylong seminars. Class members will also complete small-group projects for the benefit of the Omaha community.
Past Leadership Omaha projects include the Maha Music Festival, a breakthrough music experience launched in 2009, and 24 Hours of Impact, the region’s response to turn “altruism into action” one volunteer hour at a time.
“The start of the next ‘Best Class Ever’ is an exciting time of year. Class members are eager to get to know one another and be part of a program that continues to have an incredible impact on the well-being of our community. Leadership Omaha alumni run businesses, lead nonprofit organizations, hold elected office, sit on boards and initiate big ideas. I look forward to seeing what Class 41 is going to accomplish,” says Liz Kerrigan, the Chamber’s leadership strategist.
Meet Leadership Omaha Class 41:
| Arun | Agarwal | White Lotus Group |
| Luper | Akough | Akough & Associates LLC |
| Matt | Alvarado | Kiewit Building Group Inc. |
| Alex | Bakke | Nebraska Medicine |
| Jeremy | Bouman | Defy Ventures Nebraska |
| Kayleigh | Bradley-Vogt | Greater Omaha Chamber |
| Jim | Brannen | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Bridget | Bumgardner | Boyd Jones |
| Michael | Crabb | Tenaska |
| Laura | Essay | Dvorak Law Group, LLC |
| Donna | Faust Aman | Outlook Nebraska |
| Erin | Froschheiser | LEO A DALY |
| Tammy | Green | Metropolitan Community College |
| Kerry | Heinrich | WoodmenLife |
| Sheena | Kennedy Helgenberger | Live Well Omaha |
| Blake | Hoogeveen | MindSet LLC |
| Sheri | Howard | Physicians Mutual |
| Jeff | Huether | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska |
| Megan | Jarosz | Holland Basham Architects |
| Christina | Kahler | First National Bank |
| Brad | Kirshenbaum | Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands |
| Brian | Koenig | Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. |
| Tower | Kountze | The Midtown Project |
| Lauren | Kruger | Omaha World-Herald |
| Angela | Lennon | Koenig Dunne, PC, LLO |
| Ryan | Loneman | Lindsay Corporation |
| Tim | McAreavey | Omaha Public Power District |
| Christian | Minter | University of Nebraska Medical Center |
| Dominique | Morgan | Black and Pink, Inc. |
| Kelly | Nielsen | CHI Health |
| Autumn | Noble | McGrath North |
| Kara | O’Connor | Morgan Stanley |
| Beth | Pantano | Renaissance Financial |
| Ben | Reynolds | Sheppard’s Business Interiors |
| Eva | Roberts | Buffett Early Childhood Fund |
| Angela | Roeber | Project Harmony |
| Gale | Sayers-Proby | Omaha Housing Authority |
| John | Steier | Great Western Bank |
| Jill | Stigge | Kutak Rock LLP |
| Shane | Sullivan | Hausmann Construction |
| Sherie | Thomas | Omaha Police Department |
| Ashley | Turner | Borsheims Fine Jewelry & Gifts |
| Tim | Waggoner | Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company |
| Richard | Webb | 100 Black Men of Omaha |
| Mary | Wells | Omaha Municipal Land Bank |
| John | Wiechmann | Midwest Housing Equity Group, Inc. |
| Ann | Williams | HDR |
| Debora | Wisneski | University of Nebraska Omaha |
| Joey | Wolfe | The Hope Center for Kids |
About Greater Omaha
Recognized for its “We Don’t Coast” attitude, Greater Omaha is home to more than 30 communities and nearly 1 million people, with a youthful population (more than 40 percent are age 24 or younger), low cost of living and steady economic growth that outpaces the nation. Berkshire Hathaway, Mutual of Omaha, Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc. and Union Pacific – all Fortune 500 companies – call Greater Omaha “home.”
About the Greater Omaha Chamber
Celebrating 125 years, the mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to champion a thriving business community and prosperous region through visionary leadership and collaboration.