Ready, Set, Grow: Omaha Executive Institute Class 2019 Set to Accelerate Learning, Leading

Leaders are learners, and this year’s 2019 Omaha Executive Institute (OEI) Class is no exception.

A program for new-to-Omaha senior-level executives, OEI is equal parts selective and inclusive, and offers a comprehensive overview of Greater Omaha – something the program has been doing for more than 30 years.

“Omaha Executive Institute really opened our eyes to the community: What is Omaha about? What’s the history of the community?” says program participant Chuck Nelson, senior vice president of Enterprise Data Management, First National Bank. “It helped bring Omaha to life for us.”

Chuck’s wife Pam Nelson adds, “We met some people, but more importantly, it encouraged us to connect to the community.”

Inspired by OEI’s exploration of volunteer opportunities, the Nelsons got involved, signing on as a Big Couple with the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program, making an impact in the lives of “Littles” Delon and Elijah.

“Building a relationship with a ‘Little’ took my mind off of what I lost and opened my mind to the positive aspects of living in Omaha,” Pam says. “Giving back has been good for our souls.”

Chuck channeled his BBBS involvement into board service five years ago. He’ll take over as chairperson in 2020. He’s also a member of 100 Black Men of Omaha, an organization dedicated to helping under-served youth, primarily African American males, become respectful, responsible and ready to lead.

Like Chuck and Pam, Eric and Melissa Nelson have made a home for themselves and their two kids in Omaha, attracted by the chance to return to Midwestern roots and be closer to family after living in Boston and New York.

“It was really difficult and expensive to live in New York with kids,” Melissa says. “The quality of life here is much better.”

Part of our community for about two years now, the Nelsons are not only building a life here – they’re quickly establishing a Midwestern presence for their joint employer, Silverline, a New York-based consulting company specializing in end-to-end implementation of Salesforce products and third-party apps.

Melissa, a member of the founding team, serves as Chief Value Officer. Eric is Vice President of Delivery Technology. From their office in the Scott Technology Center, the Nelsons run various academies to develop talent for Salesforce, the world’s top customer relationship management (CRM) platform.

“With Salesforce acquiring multiple companies every year, the platform continues to grow and therefore the need for Salesforce expertise is endless. It was getting harder and harder to find talent, so we decided we needed to grow our own,” Melissa says. “Within about three months, Silverline Academy students become billable consultants.”

This year’s OEI cohort adds a wide range of executive-level talent to the region – from program directors to publishers, the class is diverse, skilled and equipped to meet OEI’s goals of broadening knowledge and creating community connections.

Meet the 2019 OEI Cohort: