Midlands Business Journal • MAY 17, 2019 •
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REGIONAL LANDSCAPES Continued from preceding page. and disproportionally affecting low-income and minority communities. Makovicka Physical Therapy partnered with Bike Masters Cycling to offer a concierge bike fit service. Bike Masters Cycling moved its shop in mid-April from 132nd & Fort streets to 210 Cumberland Drive in Elkhorn. Concierge bike fits will utilize 3D motion capture technology using the Specialized Retul system, which measures every degree of movement and millimeter of distance, providing the cyclist and fitter with the data to support the choices made during the fit. The added benefit of movement specialist Chris Derozier is that Derozier understands body mechanics from training and experience, and he has been an avid cyclist the majority of his life.
Education notes…
Metropolitan Community College Student Quick Pitch Contest winners were announced. Contestants had two minutes to present their entrepreneurial ideas in front of a panel of expert judges. Participants were judged on logic, presentation quality, product or service advantage, target market and credibility. Scholarships were awarded to the first, second and third place winners. College Division — First place: Franck Ketchouang, Coiffure Salon; Second place: Huda Ahmed, A Cuppa Splosh; Third place: Jessica Johnson: The Real Southern Experience. High School Division — First place: Ngun Lian, Omaha Northwest High School, Lian’s Asian Barbershop; Second place: Kiara Johnson, Omaha MEETINGS AND SEMINARS Tuesday, May 21 The Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants is hosting an all-day workshop on “Complications, Reviews, and Preparations: Engagement Performance and Annual Update” at Mahoney State Park in Ashland. This is worth eight hours of CPE Credits and will be lead by Jeff Lienman. Lienman will focus on how to apply SSARS No. 21, clarification and recodification, changes to the issuance of SSARS Nos. 22, 23, and 24, among others. Parking and lunch are provided and the cost is $265 for society members and $315 for non-society members. The Heartland Women’s Network is featuring speaker Teresa Houser, executive director of Magdalene Omaha, at it’s monthly meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Houser, an Omaha native, has over 30 years of nonprofit experience and community service, including over 24 years of experience in addiction recovery programs and over 18 years of experience in working with survivors of prostitution and sex trafficking. In 2014, she founded the Friends of Tamar, an organization dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual violence in all its forms, including rape, domestic violence, and trafficking. It was from this work that efforts to establish Magdalene Omaha began. The American Academy of Professional Coders, Omaha Metro Chapter is hosting its local chapter meeting at 4 p.m. at the CHI Service Center South Building. Speaker Linda Duckworth, CHC, CPC, will be discussing “Transitioning from Coder to Auditor and Beyond.” This talk will include how to prepare for career advancement, how to set yourself apart and what do hiring managers look for. Registration is available online.
Northwest High School, EZ Peel; Third place: Nia Brown, Omaha Northwest High School, Slay Nation. The Nebraska Library Commission announced plans to expand personal finance e-book collections available through public libraries following receipt of a $20,000 grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The additional resources will help ensure that residents have the information they need when making critical money decisions as they repair, rebuild, and clean up following the March 2019 flooding. Metropolitan Community College has announced the new Project Management Academy, a program that will offer a diverse curriculum of project management principles beginning this fall. Students will learn best practices through group exercises, case studies and real-world simulation to prepare them for the Project Management Institute PMP and CAPM exams, globally recognized industry certifications. Students in the academy can complete courses at their own pace, giving working professionals flexibility. Classes will be available day or evening at MCC’s Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology. Classes will also be online. Upon completion, students will achieve the MCC Project Management Academy certificate.
Activities of nonprofits…
United Way Worldwide recognized two of its corporate partners — UPS and Wells Fargo — for their corporate social responsibility work. UPS received UWW’s new Gamechangers Award and Wells Fargo received its new Live United Award. Locally, UPS raised nearly $195,000 to support individuals in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area during its 2018 UWM workplace campaign. During its local 2018 workplace campaign, Wells Fargo raised more than $190,000. The company also awarded UWM an $86,000 grant to support local healthy food and hunger relief programs, a $5,000 sponsorship of UWM’s Book Trust literacy initiative and a $15,000 match for the dollars UWM raises during the 2019 Omaha Gives! charitable fundraising challenge. First National Bank awarded $553,000 in community development grants to 25 organizations across Nebraska and western Iowa. Local grants include: Habitat for Humanity of Omaha; Project Houseworks; Holy Name Housing Corp.; Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance; Gesu Housing, Inc.; Midwest Housing Development Fund, Inc.; Seventy Five North Revitalization Corp.; Omaha Municipal Land Bank; Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs; NeighborWorks Lincoln; Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity; Catholic Charities of Omaha; Nebraska Enterprise Fund; Iowa Western Small Business Development Center; Grameen America; Nebraska Business Development Center; Rural Investment Corp.; and Midlands Latino Community Development Corp. WellCare of Nebraska has donated $25,000 to United Way of the Midlands to support the victims of the record-breaking floods that hit the state in March 2019. This donation will provide flood victims access to shelter, crisis counseling, case management, cleanup and recovery, transitional housing, temporary rental assistance, food pantries and legal services in the areas of Nebraska with the highest flood impact, including Douglas, Dodge, Knox, Madison, Saline and Lancaster counties. The Community Connections Help Line, a toll-
free, nationwide line, is also available to both members and non-members who need help accessing resources and social services. For assistance, call 866-775-2192 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT. For inquiries about your insurance, call 855-599-3811 or visit www.wellcare.com/Nebraska.
Arts & Events…
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts will launch its new Sound Art + Experimental Music Program at the end of May. Embedded within Bemis Center’s international Residency Program, this new opportunity will offer a unique experience for artists working in sound, composition, voice and music of all genres. National and international artists participating will receive financial, technical and administrative support, along with facilities for rehearsing, recording and performing. Raven Chacon will inaugurate Bemis Center’s Sound Art + Experimental Music Program this summer with a three-month residency May 22 through August 16. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Chacon is a composer, performer and installation artist from Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation. Special Olympics Nebraska will host over 1,300 athletes, coaches and unified partners at the 2019 Summer Games, scheduled to take place May 22 through May 26 at various venues in Omaha. Opening ceremonies will be held at the DJ Sokol Arena on the Creighton University campus on May 23 at 7 p.m. The celebration begins with the Parade of Athletes along with the Omaha Police Department Bag Pipes and Drums. Performances will include two past contestants from America’s Got Talent, juggler Ivan Pecel and extreme jump ropers Chicago Boyz. The evening will end with a performance by Lemon Fresh Day. The public is invited to join the celebration, free of charge. Athletes will compete in track and field, roller-skating, aquatics, power lifting, volleyball and gymnastics. The Midlands Community Foundation will host its 38th annual golf tournament at Platteview Golf Club on May 20, with a shotgun start at noon. Proceeds for the tournament will benefit the Papillion-LaVista Community Theatre, Monarch Band Boosters Association, Conestoga Elementary School and the Summer Reading Programs at libraries in
Sarpy County and Cass County. Sponsorship opportunities are available. The $135 participant registration fee includes golf, sack lunch, two chances to win a $250 Scheels gift card in a putting contest, two mulligans, two complimentary beverages, ice cream, and steak dinner. On May 22, Amplify Arts is hosting a .35k Walk/Run/Roll for the Arts. The 2019 FUN(D) RUN is a celebration of Amplify Arts’ Artist Grants program, which awards $35,000 in grants to local artists each year, hence the .35k distance. Participants can decorate their own race bib, grab some refreshments, shop for vintage exercise gear from Roland and Fitz, and get warmed up with a guided stretch. Once the race starts, participants will take three laps around the green space in our parking lot, being careful to avoid artist-designed obstacles. After the race, participants can celebrate with a selfie at the photobooth, make a donation, and savor a custom cocktail from Tiny House Bar. Baird Holm LLP and the Greater Omaha Chamber will host a luncheon for the winning companies of the Best Places to Work in Omaha at the CHI Health Center Omaha on May 23 from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 2019 Best Places to Work in Omaha winners are: Companies with 25-200 employees — Object Partners, Vetter Health Services, Verdant, Flywheel and RTG Medical; Companies with over 200 employees — Buildertrend, Signature Performance, Thrasher, Inc., Olsson, Verizon Media; Sustained Excellence Awards — C&A Industries, Inc. and Prime Time Healthcare LLC. Dragons, unicorns and a rock creature will be unveiled at Omaha Children’s Museum on May 25 at the grand opening of Enchanted Kingdom. The exhibit will focus on building literacy skills and empathy in children through engaging characters and make believe play in a castle and a mini marketplace. Enchanted Kingdom, presented by Mutual of Omaha, will run through Sept. 1. Opening day festivities include a free fun run at 9 a.m. Pre-registration is encouraged, as each child receives a finisher’s medal. The museum conceptualized the entire exhibit, including the animatronic characters that will be in the exhibit and featured in a children’s book being published this summer.