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VOLUME 52, No. 42
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OCTOBER 9, 2026
Construction Boom is Building Omaha’s Future MEGAPROJECTS DEMONSTRATE ECONOMIC POWER BY MIKE WATKINS
HEALTHCARE BY KARA SCHWEISS CARE BEGINS AT THE TOP
WOMEN LEADING THE WAY IN HEALTHCARE
Five local healthcare executives in Omaha guide strategy, shape workplace culture and influence outcomes for tens of thousands of patients — and each took a different path to get there. Methodist Health System President and CEO Josie Abboud’s experience includes years of direct patient
Omaha is in the midst of a construction boom, with billions of dollars in projects reshaping the city’s skyline, infrastructure and major employment centers. Tower cranes punctuate downtown. Streets are being rebuilt for the Omaha Streetcar. The RiverFront has been transformed into one of the city’s signature public spaces. A convention-center expansion is underway, while the $2.19 billion transformation of the University of Nebraska Medical Center is beginning to reshape Omaha’s medical district. Those are just some of the most visible projects. For Omaha’s construction industry, the scale and diversity of the work represent more than a strong pipeline. The projects are putting local and regional construction companies, architects, engineers, subcontractors and skilled tradespeople to work on projects that are reshaping the region, demonstrating the role construction can play in economic development. “Omaha is the envy of many like-sized communities in that we have a tremendous amount of construction work happening on some very big projects,” said Kelsey Johnson, executive vice president of the Mechanical Contractors Association Omaha. “And we have
WOMEN LEADING ON PAGE 14
INSIDE: CELEBRATING CONSTRUCTION
Making Room to Build
MEGA ON PAGE 06
STARTS ON Page 10
Business Journal Established in 1975
VOLUME 52, No. 42 OCTOBER 9, 2026
MCC Unveils Biotech Lab PAGE 28
PAGE 29
$3.1 MILLION FACILITY TRAINS NEBRASKA BIOTECH WORKERS
Publisher / CEO Andrea “Andee” Hoig Executive Editor Daisy Hutzell-Rodman Editorial & Digital Content Coordinator Anna Blumenthal Sales and Business Development Jane Shinn Advertising Assistant Julie Whitehead 402-330-1760 mbj.com
Omaha, Nebraska, Oct. 1, 2026 — Metropolitan Community College celebrated completion of its $3.1 million biotechnology training lab at its Elkhorn Valley Campus. The industry-informed facility supports hands-on training for MCC’s new biotechnology program, which welcomed its first cohort of students in September and prepares them for entry-level technician careers in Nebraska’s growing biotechnology sector. MCC started the project in 2023, working with more than a dozen biotechnology employers to develop the program and training environment. Local foundations, grants and MCC investment fund the lab, and industry partners donated equipment and supplies. A Business Industry Leadership Team with representatives from ADS Biotec, Cargill, Evonik, Lala, Merck, Novonesis, Phibro, Streck and Syngenta partnered with MCC to design the program and lab. The companies represent the breadth of Nebraska’s biotechnology industry, including animal health, human health, agricultural biotechnology, biomanufacturing, dairy products and seed. “The program teaches fundamentals across the industry and provides the training in a setting that reflects what students will see when they enter the workforce,” said Jim Walla, process development engineer at Evonik and chair of the leadership team. More than 25 biotechnology companies are based in the Omaha and Lincoln metropolitan areas. Rob Owen, executive director of Bio Nebraska, a nonprofit trade association supporting the state’s bioscience sector, said workforce development is one of the industry’s top priorities, and the MCC program helps build the talent pool the fast-moving field needs. He said biotechnology offers Nebraska economic development opportunities and gives students pathways to strong careers. “Nebraska already has strength in its industrial biomanufacturing, human health, animal health and agtech companies, but the No. 1 issue these organizations face is access to a skilled workforce, starting at the entry level,” Owen said. “Community colleges are important players in addressing this challenge, and MCC’s new biotechnology program and training lab are exciting investments.” Biological technicians earn a median annual wage of $57,510, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jackie Clifford, MCC biotechnology program director, said designing the lab with industry partners was critical to the program’s success. In the sterile lab, students train hands-on in aseptic technique, documentation, cell culturing, fermentation processes and more. Students start with three core courses: biotechnology fundamentals, introduction to biomanufacturing and quality assurance. They can earn a career certificate in one year or
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CREATIVE: Jalapeño Designs • Mike Cottrell Waking Words, LLC • Rob Killmer PHOTOGRAPHY: Debra S. Kaplan Monica Sempek Photography Roger Humphries Photography SENIOR WRITERS: Dwain Hebda Kara Schweiss WRITERS: Wendy Jordan Michelle Leach Tim Rohwer Brooke Strickland Wendy Townley Tim Trudell PRINTER: White Wolf Web Dedicated to Robert G. “Bob” Hoig (1932-2019) Founder Zane D. Randall (1925-2006) Co-founder LeAnne M. Iwan (1932-1986) First News Editor The Midlands Business Journal (ISSN 0194-4525) is published weekly by MBJ Inc. and is available for $2.00 per individual copy, $99 per year (print + digital) or $60 (digital only). Editorial offices are 8709 F St. #113, Omaha, NE 68127. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Midlands Business Journal, 8709 F St. #113, Omaha, NE 68127. All submissions to the Midlands Business Journal become the property of the Midlands Business Journal and will not be returned. ADVERTISING 402-330-1760 or sales@mbj.com Written permission must be obtained from Midlands Business Journal and MBJ Inc., to post any of our stories or other published materials on a website. Under no circumstances, because of spamming potential and other issues, will permission be granted to transmit our stories by email. -- The Publisher
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Celebrating local and small business news in Nebraska and SW Iowa! Page 3 • October 9, 2026
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENT
PEOPLE WORKING IN THE NEW LAB
continue a second year for a transferable associate degree. MCC also offers a noncredit, competency-based Biotechnology Fundamentals program that leads to a microcredential in 15 weeks. “The goal was to give our students multiple options to enter the workforce and come back for additional training that can lead to opportunities for advancement,” Clifford said. “It was also important to design a program that could take on a portion of the training at MCC so our industry partners can bring employees up to speed faster to advance the industry.”
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EVENT highlight
Brew Haha Hits 20
SIGNATURE FUNDRAISER SUPPORTS AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN | PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Brew Haha, one of Omaha’s longest-running summer traditions, celebrated its 20th anniversary Sept. 11, pairing local craft beverages with a cause close to home. The annual tasting event, held from 5-8:30 p.m. at Heartwood Park, 301 S. 145th St., is the signature fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. More than 3,700 tickets were sold, and every ticket supports the nonprofit’s work to expand access to affordable homeownership and keep local homes in local hands. The event raised over $400,000. More than 80 breweries, wineries, distilleries and local eateries took part. General admission included unlimited beer and food samples from local breweries and restaurants, along with a souvenir tasting glass sponsored by M-One Capital. Attendees also received wooden voting chips to cast ballots for a favorite brewer and food vendor, adding a friendly competitive edge to the evening. VIP tickets, priced at $150, included access to all general admission vendors plus a private tent serving high-end food, beer and wine. Local musicians performed throughout the night. A raffle featured prizes from Omaha Steaks, The Apiary Social Club, Gunderson’s Jewelers, Scheels and The Back Nine, among others. To mark the milestone year, organizers offered limited-edition 20th anniversary merchandise featuring artwork by Omaha artist Sami Wong. The event was limited to those 21 and older. Raffle tickets and merchandise could be purchased with cash, check or Venmo, and credit cards were accepted at the merchandise booth. Organizers say every sip, bite, raffle ticket and purchase helps fund Habitat Omaha’s mission to build strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership, creating stronger neighborhoods across the metro.
SEVERAL PEOPLE CAME WITH GROUPS OF FRIENDS
AN OFFICIAL MERCH SHOP WAS SET UP
THE EVENT WAS FUN FOR ALL
A FRAMING OF A HOME SHOWED PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS
SMALLCAKES OMAHA WAS ONE OF AROUND 40 FOOD VENDORS
HONORARY CHAIRS VIV AND MAYOR JOHN EWING JR.
STUDS COULD BE SIGNED FOR A DONATION
HOOT THE UNION OMAHA MASCOT HELPED WITH STUD SIGNINGS
CLAUDE OUEDRAOGO
THE PHOTO BOOTH WAS A POPULAR FEATURE
ATTENDEES GATHERED TO RAISE A GLASS TO HABITAT
50 MILE MARCH WAS A SPECIAL GUEST ORGANIZATION
MONOLITHIC BREWING WAS ONE OF 40 BREWERIES
Page 4 • October 9, 2026
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LaunchLNK opens tech startup seed grants
Applications are open until Oct. 16 for LaunchLNK’s nondilutive grant program. Run by the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, the initiative will award six local startups $20,000 in direct seed funding. Chosen founders will also receive $23,000 worth of professional business, legal and accounting support.
Omaha 100 launches office hours
Omaha 100 has rolled out a weekly program, Omaha 100 Office Hours, that offers small business founders, community members and aspiring entrepreneurs face-to-face access to commercial lending resources. Held at 2401 Lake St., the clinic provides credit underwriter guidance to help business owners secure expansion capital.
Lincoln Financial closes $6.3B deal
Life insurer Lincoln Financial finalized a $6.3 billion reinsurance transaction with Talcott Financial Group. The deal offloads about 37% of Lincoln’s capital-intensive, legacy guaranteed universal life insurance blocks to Talcott’s external platform. While the capital-mix shift strengthens Lincoln’s corporate balance sheet, the company will continue to actively administer the underlying customer policies.
The Poppleton nears October opening
Nonprofit developer inCOMMON Community Development is preparing for the soft opening of The Poppleton, a major midtown affordable housing complex. Backed by construction financing from the Spark CDI Community Loan Fund, the 1313 Park Ave. project launches its 51-unit first phase Oct. 17. The broader development will scale to 121 units and feature a childcare center with multiple classrooms.
Kearney coworking adds night hours
Kearney-based enterprise developer Nest:Space has launched a late-night coworking program. The Work It Wednesday initiative extends access to high-speed workspace and technical infrastructure at 2224 Central Ave. The program is structured to support regional freelancers, night-owl entrepreneurs and startup remote workers looking to scale local operations outside traditional business hours.
Lapels Cleaners expands in west Omaha
Local entrepreneur Erin Batt announced a new Lapels Cleaners location at 19220 Q St. The garment care business marks the first phase of a multistore rollout. Batt plans to open two more locations across the Omaha metro area.
Mattel picks Bellevue for waterpark
Mattel says its first Mattel Wonder indoor waterpark will be built in Bellevue, with an opening planned for late 2027. The year-round attraction is expected to span about 100,000 square feet, bringing Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, Uno and other brands into one family destination. American Resort Management will oversee operations, adding a large visitor draw to the metro’s tourism pipeline.
Conagra grants aid Omaha-area pantries
Conagra Brands Foundation will distribute $350,000 through its 2026 Nourish Our Community grants to 21 nonprofits in 12 states. Omaha-area beneficiaries include Bellevue Food Pantry through Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership and Omaha ForUs, whose Pride Pantry supports LGBTQ+ residents. The program funds food access, cooking and nutrition education, healthy lifestyles and urban agriculture, using employee nominations to guide local giving.
Union Pacific starts battery trials
Omaha-based Union Pacific has begun field-testing two battery-electric locomotives in Southern California, its first such units in revenue-service trials. The Wabtec FLXdrive engines are slated for switching and local-customer work around Los Angeles; two more are expected in October. The railroad says the test will assess reliability, operating fit and performance under routine yard conditions before broader deployment.
Omaha wage ruling splits ordinance
A Douglas County judge allowed the adult portion of Omaha’s minimum-wage ordinance to take effect while blocking its higher youth-wage provision during the state’s lawsuit. The ruling keeps annual adult increases tied to the cost of living, but 14- and 15-year-olds remain under Nebraska’s $13.50 subminimum wage. The decision clarifies pay rules for employers as the city and state continue litigation.
FNBO closes Blue Ridge deal
FNBO completed its acquisition of Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Co., adding eight branches in Jackson County, Missouri, to its Kansas City footprint. The Omaha-based lender said the deal makes it the metro’s fifth-largest bank by deposits; after planned rebranding, FNBO expects 37 branches there. Customer account conversions are planned for early 2027.
SpringPad opens south Lincoln hub
SpringPad has opened a coworking and warehouse facility at 1301 Garret Lane in south Lincoln. The business offers private offices, meeting rooms and secure warehouse bays, with flexible workspace and storage aimed at small companies needing room to grow. Its mix of professional space and light-fulfillment capacity gives local operators an alternative to a traditional longterm office or industrial lease.
Council Bluffs gains 192 apartments
Indiana-based The Annex Group has opened the 192-unit Union at Bluffs Run in Council Bluffs, a $58 million apartment community aimed at households earning no more than 60% of area median income. The developer says the project addresses a tight rental market and allows residents to build savings or credit while renting. Merchants Bank, Fannie Mae and the Iowa Finance Authority helped finance the development on South 19th Street.
Farm groups resist tax exemption changes
Hy-Vee buys Hanover Falls site
Hy-Vee bought a 9.4-acre parcel for $5 million in the Hanover Falls commercial development, northwest of 156th and State streets. The retailer could use the tract for a future grocery store, but the land purchase alone does not confirm a construction schedule or commitment. The deal adds a commercial transaction to northwest Omaha’s growth corridor.
Nebraska farm groups are weighing Gov. Jim Pillen’s push to broaden the sales-tax base and have warned against ending exemptions for agricultural inputs and products. Pillen says his proposal would bring more services into the tax system, not tax farm equipment or inputs. The debate puts agricultural operating costs and state revenue policy in focus as policymakers consider wider tax changes.
Conagra sales slip as earnings grow
Pillen sets state growth strategy
Conagra Brands reported fiscal 2027 first-quarter net sales down 1.4% to roughly $2.6 billion, while adjusted earnings per share rose 5.1% to 41 cents. The food maker lifted reported EPS 5.9% to 36 cents and reaffirmed its annual outlook, including adjusted EPS guidance of $1.40 to $1.50. The results show profit gains amid slightly lower organic sales and volume pressure.
VA interest delays Center Mall vote
Gov. Jim Pillen signed an executive order creating a statewide economic-growth working group to coordinate business recruitment, site selection and expansion. The group will develop a unified strategy linking state agencies, regional development groups, chambers and business partners across Nebraska. Greater Omaha Chamber President and CEO Heath Mello joined state and chamber leaders at the Sept. 29 announcement, giving metro employers a seat in the coordination effort.
The Omaha City Council postponed a redevelopment-area vote covering Center Mall after the Department of Veterans Affairs expressed interest in the property. The designation would help a private developer pursue tax-increment financing, but the city pushed the decision back to allow the VA time to explore its options. The delay complicates planning around the 42nd and Center streets site, where private redevelopment had been under consideration.
A building permit calls for The Tox to occupy a 1,400-squarefoot space at 16909 Burke St., just south of Village Pointe. The wellness chain offers noninvasive lymphatic body sculpting and has more than 50 locations nationally, Grow Omaha reported Oct. 1. The planned Omaha site adds a new tenant to the retail area, though the newsletter did not specify an opening date.
Nebraska corn forecast falls 16%
Trump Eases Diesel Rules at local rally
Nebraska’s 2026 corn crop is forecast at 1.7 billion bushels, down 16% from last year, while soybean production is projected to rise 1% to 317 million bushels. The Sept. 29 USDA-based estimate cites lower corn acreage and yields despite more soybean acres. The outlook gives grain handlers, lenders and farm suppliers a fresh measure of expected harvest volume and revenue potential. Page 5 • October 9, 2026
The Tox plans Village Pointe site
On Oct. 5, 2026, in Grand Island, Nebraska, President Donald Trump signed an executive order waiving off-road restrictions on red-dyed diesel. Prompted by fuel prices spiking to $6.50 a gallon, the directive temporarily allows any commercial vehicle operator to purchase the tax-exempt fuel. This measure aims to immediately lower high operational overhead for Nebraska’s vital shipping and agricultural industries.
FEATURE
CELEBRATE construction
Building Omaha’s Future
MEGAPROJECTS DEMONSTRATE ECONOMIC POWER OF THE CITY
JARROD KUCERA
KIEWIT BUILDING GROUP INC.
JAKE TIETGEN JE DUNN
CHI EXPANSION PROJECT MEGA FROM PAGE 1
the best of both worlds. We have large construction projects changing our city for the better, but we keep the smaller community vibe where we know and care about one another.” The breadth of the work is as significant as its scale. “I think it’s more than a construction boom,” said Jake Tietgen, Omaha vice president at JE Dunn. “What we’re seeing in the Omaha market is a healthy mix of investment across multiple sectors rather than growth being driven by any one industry. Data centers have certainly had a significant impact across Nebraska and Iowa, but we’re also seeing ongoing activity in healthcare, corporate headquarters, manufacturing, higher education and other institutional markets.
“To me, that’s a positive sign. When growth is spread across several industries, it creates a more stable construction environment and a stronger local economy than a short-term spike tied to a single market.”
Building a bigger Omaha
Visit Omaha estimates more than $9 billion in new development is reshaping the city. That includes the $600 million Mutual of Omaha headquarters tower, a $950 million airport modernization, the $421 million Omaha Streetcar and the $200 million CHI Health Center Omaha expansion. The numbers are impressive, but the real significance is what those projects are intended to accomplish.
Founded in Omaha in 1966 Celebrating 60 Years
dlrgroup.com
Page 6 • October 9, 2026
MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL
KELSEY JOHNSON
MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OMAHA
At a cost of $600 million, the Mutual of Omaha tower, for example, is not simply another office building. At 677 feet tall, 44 stories and 800,000 square feet, it will become Omaha and Nebraska’s tallest building. JE Dunn, the project’s general contractor, recently celebrated the topping out of the structure, recognizing the construction and engineering teams responsible for bringing the massive project to life. That celebration is symbolic of an important point: mega-projects create opportunities to celebrate the people behind the buildings. The tower will dramatically change Omaha’s downtown skyline. It also serves as the visual terminus of the redeveloped Gene Leahy Mall. JE Dunn is also involved in the Applied Underwriters headquarters at Heartwood Preserve in West Omaha. The project is substantial with over 270,000 square feet and approximately 562,000 square feet of underground parking. The building includes a data center, fitness and locker facilities, loading areas and other amenities. What’s particularly notable is the range of construction projects JE Dunn’s Omaha office is handling. The company says its Omaha operation has delivered about $2.5 billion in projects over the past five years, with more than 400 professionals and 280 skilled craft workers. “We’ve been fortunate to be involved in several of the largest and most complex projects happening in Nebraska and Iowa today, including major manufacturing, healthcare, corporate, and mission critical projects,” Tietgen said. “Projects like Mutual of Omaha’s headquarters and Applied Underwriters’ headquarters are great examples of the scale of investment we’re seeing in our market.”
ROADS CLOSED
Construction becomes part of the attraction
The RiverFront offers another example of construction becoming an economicdevelopment tool. Kiewit Building Group Inc. served as construction manager for the 72-acre redevelopment encompassing Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing. The company self-performed demolition, grading, utilities, bridge and roadway work. The project introduced new gathering spaces, playgrounds, an urban beach, event lawns, pedestrian connections and the Kiewit Luminarium. A current and ongoing Kiewit project in the downtown urban core is construction for the Omaha Streetcar project’s mainline from the Omaha Streetcar Authority, scheduled to continue through September 2028. Hawkins Construction handles the preparatory infrastructure and utility work. The community impact is potentially much broader than transportation. The streetcar is intended to create better connections among downtown, the Old Market, Midtown and other major destinations while providing infrastructure that can support CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
AIRPORT EXPANSION Page 7 • October 9, 2026
FEATURE
CELEBRATE construction
Building Omaha’s Future
MEGAPROJECTS DEMONSTRATE ECONOMIC POWER OF THE CITY
FROM PRECEDING PAGE
redevelopment along the corridor. “Buildings get the ribbon-cuttings, but buildings don’t build themselves,” said Jarrod Kucera, senior vice president and Nebraska area manager for Kiewit Building Group Inc. “Behind every structure people admire, there’s a workforce — engineers, tradespeople, project managers, safety teams — who solved problems nobody sees once the building is finished. “If we only celebrate the finished product, we lose sight of the skill, the risk management and honestly the sheer human effort that made it possible.” Construction projects are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The work involves complex urban sites, environmental considerations, infrastructure, public access, sustainability and coordination among numerous stakeholders. Perhaps no Omaha project better illustrates the next generation of construction than Project Health at UNMC. The $2.19 billion initiative is the largest investment in University of Nebraska history and is designed to transform healthcare, education and research. Kiewit Building Group and HDR are part of the project team. Planning and early site work already are visible, including demolition and preparation for a new sevenlevel parking garage that will eventually connect to Project Health.
Community reinvention
Construction is no longer merely something happening to a community. Increasingly, it is part of how communities reinvent themselves. “Celebrating the industry matters for the next generation,” Kucera said. “Kids don’t grow up dreaming about rebar and concrete pours, but they should because construction is one of the last industries where you can build a serious, well-paying career without a four-year degree, and where the impact of your work is visible for decades. If we only tell the story of the buildings, we miss the chance to tell that story too.” Projects of this magnitude require construction companies to think beyond concrete and steel. They require collaboration with physicians, researchers, educators, patients, hospital administrators and technology specialists. THE MUTUAL OF OMAHA TOWER
Mega economic impact
Perhaps the biggest story behind Omaha’s construction boom is the industry itself. Mega-projects provide jobs, but their influence reaches much further. They support architects, engineers, surveyors, equipment operators, electricians, plumbers, ironworkers, concrete crews, technology specialists, suppliers, trucking companies and countless other businesses. And the companies doing the building are doing more than putting up walls, laying concrete and moving dirt. They are demonstrating the economic power of construction, showcasing Nebraska talent and technology, creating spaces that improve quality of life and helping position Omaha for its next generation of growth. Omaha isn’t just experiencing a construction boom. It is using construction to build the kind of city it wants to become. “It’s humbling when you think about where this started, two brothers laying bricks in Omaha in 1884,” Kucera said. “From that to now, being involved in some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects in North America; bridges, power plants, water systems, transportation networks; that arc says something about what’s possible when you build a culture around craft and trust. “For the Omaha community, I think it means something similar. This city didn’t just host a construction company – it grew one from the ground up, literally brick by brick.”
MIDTOWN OMAHA Page 8 • October 9, 2026
FOCUS SECTION
CELEBRATE construction
Build by Investing in Crews
TRAINING, RECOGNITION AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE KEY TO RETENTION BY TIM TRUDELL
ZAK OLSEN
PRESIDENT RONCO CONSTRUCTION
KRIS MONTGOMERY
MCCARTHY BUILDING COMPANIES INC.
Gone are the days of construction crew members being on a project one day and then moving on to greener pastures. Today’s construction crew members are professionals, typically well-trained and -qualified to work several pieces of equipment or systems. Therefore, industry leaders say it’s wise that companies hire and retain the best workers. “You’ve got veterans of the industry who have been doing it for 30-plus years, and you have new entrants to the industry who caught on to construction through a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program in their high school, or a relative who’s in the industry, and they were attracted to the trades for some reason,” said Zak Olsen, president of Ronco Construction.
Seeking reliable, hardworking crews
As an open shop, Ronco seeks talented, hard-working people, he said. “We’re looking for heart and hustle,” Olsen said. “Somebody who’s going to show up, has an appetite to learn, a thirst for advancement and the ability to make an impact. But also humble enough to know that it’s a long road ahead. There’s a big learning curve involved, and every project is unique and different.” McCarthy Building Companies Inc. looks for people who are reliable, hardworking, committed to safety and quality and who communicate honestly and work well as part of a team, said Kris Montgomery, vice president for Nebraska. “We align each person’s skills and experience, whether in concrete, civil work, process piping or equipment operation, with the right opportunity and the career they want to build,” Montgomery said. “For people who are just starting out, we meet them where they are, providing direct mentorship and training to help them learn, grow and succeed.”
Investing in employees
Companies understand they need to invest in their workers, so they’ve created internal training programs that introduce new construction workers to the industry, mapping out a career path and the qualifications and skills they’ll need for advancement. Olsen gave the example of Ronco University, which functions as the company’s internal training program or school to equip team members with practical job skills, safety protocols and trade knowledge. Union trades have robust training programs, with members beginning at apprentice level and working through journeyman level, on to foreman and supervisor, he said. “There’s been a big push over the last decade about how we backfill what’s been kind of an aging-out and retiring workforce, and getting more people involved in the trades at a younger age,” Olsen said. “How do we help them build for the future?” Unions contribute to McCarthy’s success, Montgomery said. “We coordinate with union halls and local trade partners to identify skilled craft professionals and staff projects with the right experience,” he said. “On recent Nebraska self-perform work, our concrete team has built its workforce through union hall coordination, referrals and a deliberate focus on building the right local crew.”
KATIE WILSON
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS NEBRASKA CHAPTER
Retaining talented people
Retaining employees is key to a company’s success, Olsen said, noting that Ronco boasts a 76.12% retention rate compared to the industry average of 25% to 40%. “We’re a people-first organization, and we realize that they’re our No. 1 asset, our No. 1 tool, so we create work-life balance,” Olsen said. Ronco offers one of the industry’s top salary structures, as well as competitive benefits, he said. “I think it really creates that attitude for (employees) to be able to show up and give their all when they’re here, and enjoy what they are doing when they’re away from work,” Olsen said. “Nobody lives to work, but you’ve got to work to live. So let’s create an environment that’s positive, that challenges, that helps them grow both personally and professionally, and then creates balance to have time away from work.” Companies need to extend their support beyond job sites, Montgomery said. McCarthy partners with Lyra Health to provide free, confidential mental health support and therapy sessions for all employees, craft workers and their household members. “We are committed to creating a safe, respectful work environment where people can speak up, look out for one another and go home safely to their families,” he said. “We also take mental health seriously. Through Lyra, craft professionals and their household members can access confidential counseling and coaching, helping make support more accessible when it is needed.” Companies have improved in recognizing the importance of construction crews, said Katie Wilson, executive director of Associated General Contractors Nebraska Chapter. “You can have great leadership, marketing, etc., but without your field crew, none of that matters,” Wilson said. “I think the construction industry is getting better at recognizing that. When employees feel respected, see a future with their company and understand the impact they are making with their work, retention increases.”
Recognition is key
Recognition plays a major role in retention, Olsen said. Ronco’s “Nailed It” program recognizes employees nominated by co-workers for their performance, Olsen said. Recipients are recognized in meetings, as well as in the company’s newsletter. Ronco also recognizes a “Craft Person of the Year,” honoring a person who has either advanced their skill set or helped their team throughout the year, Olsen said. Companies that treat employees well succeed, Wilson said. “In Nebraska, we’re competing for a limited pool of great talent,” she said. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Omaha metropolitan area recorded an unemployment rate of 3.1% as of July 2026. Wilson continued, “The companies that have long-term success are those that are investing in their people, whether it be training, compensation or culture.”
Page 9 • October 9, 2026
FOCUS SECTION
CELEBRATE construction
Making Room to Build
CONSTRUCTION INCLUSION WEEK SPOTLIGHTS PATHS INTO TRADES BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN
MAKENNA BIDROWSKY
MCL CONSTRUCTION
KISHA BAUSBY
JE DUNN CONSTRUCTION MIDWEST REGION
MaKenna Bidrowsky signed on to spend her days at a computer. MCL Construction hired her to work in virtual design and construction, building models and running clash detection. Early on, while working as a laborer on a jobsite, she met the company’s surveyor. She spent the hour he was there helping him, then asked whether she could keep doing it. She said MCL told her, “We can figure something out.” Bidrowsky now works as a field technologist in survey and reality capture at MCL. She flies drones, runs 3D laser scans and photographs about 30 MCL jobsites from start to finish. Her path, and an employer’s willingness to make room for it, captures the spirit of Construction Inclusion Week, Oct. 12-16. The sixth annual event carries the theme “Opening Doors, Building a Workplace for Everyone.”
Seeing it up close
Bidrowsky began doing masonry with her father at about age 13. “I didn’t want to lay block my whole life,” she said. She took classes at Metropolitan Community College through dual enrollment while attending Platteview High School in Springfield, Nebraska, then earned an associate degree in construction and building science from MCC. A career fair there led her to MCL, where jobsite visits sealed her interest. She said they meant “seeing the construction just being built and not just reading about it or looking at it on the screen.” The desk side of the job didn’t suit her, though. “I don’t really enjoy sitting at a computer all the time,” she said. Kisha Bausby, senior belonging and marketplace engagement manager for JE Dunn Construction’s Midwest region, said experiences like Bidrowsky’s make the industry’s best recruiting tool. JE Dunn ranks among the week’s major sponsors. “What works best is direct exposure,” Bausby said. “A jobsite visit, hands-on activity, internship or conversation with someone working in the industry can change how a person views construction.” Many people still picture construction as traditional field roles, she said, but the industry also needs people in engineering, estimating, technology, scheduling and more. Bidrowsky’s work proves the point. She calls it “the cool side of construction” and said scanning and mapping a site delivers measurements the same day, “making everybody’s job easier.” “There’s no single path into construction,” Bausby said. In Omaha, JE Dunn provides Occupational Safety and Health Administration training in-house for the Urban League of Nebraska’s pre-apprenticeship program. The company kicked off its local activities Oct. 7 with a four-stop bus tour of North and South Omaha.
ARMANDO SALGADO
UNITED HISPANIC CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
The tour brings together trade partners, developers and groups including the Omaha Economic Development Corp., the Omaha Inland Port Authority and the Latino Economic Development Council. During the week, JE Dunn teams will hold jobsite toolbox talks on inclusion, belonging and respect.
Access, not just an invitation
The biggest barrier for Hispanic contractors remains access, said Armando Salgado, founder and CEO of the United Hispanic Contractors Association and president and CEO of LingoDocs Marketing. By access, he means information, relationships, capital and opportunities. “Many Hispanic contractors are highly skilled at their trade, but they may not have the same exposure to the business side of construction,” he said. That includes estimating, bidding, contracts, bonding and compliance. Even contractors who speak English conversationally can struggle with bid documents and legal terminology, he added. “Construction is a relationship-driven industry,” Salgado said. Without ties to general contractors, developers, banks and insurers, contractors can miss opportunities and invitations to the table.” Inclusion matters most, he said, when it leads to real opportunities. That means general contractors invite smaller and minority contractors to bid, give them feedback when they don’t win and show them what they need to qualify for larger projects. He wants large general contractors to build those relationships year-round. “Inclusion should not simply be about inviting someone into the room,” he said. “It should be about helping create a pathway for them to participate, compete and ultimately succeed.” Bausby said JE Dunn aims to turn the week’s principles into daily practice. “That commitment isn’t something we do because we feel like we have to,” she said. “It’s part of who we are, and we believe it’s the right thing to do.”
Speaking up
Salgado sees a shift underway. Through the association’s Latinas in Construction program, women pursue everything from project management to owning companies. In the courses he teaches in English and Spanish at MCC, he said, students want more than a job. They want to start companies and “eventually create jobs for other people.” For Bidrowsky, belonging comes down to the people around her. “It just kind of goes off of who’s teaching you, who’s giving you the positive reinforcements,” she said. Bidrowsky offers simple advice to the next person considering construction. “You basically just have to ask,” she said. “Make your voice be heard.”
Page 10 • October 9, 2026
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Breaking Down Barriers
HOW MCCARTHY INVESTS IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF OMAHA CONSTRUCTION LEADERS BY KRIS MONTGOMERY, VICE PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS UNIT LEADER, MCCARTHY BUILDING COMPANIES After closing out his baseball career at Ottawa University in 2023, Quay Davis stood at a crossroads. Determined to build a career beyond baseball, and a future with his fiancée, Olivia, the Dallas native moved to Omaha. Though Davis had no construction experience, the physical nature of the work and the chance to build with his hands appealed to him. Yet breaking into the union trades without industry connections can be daunting. That barrier came down when McCarthy stepped forward with a direct letter of intent to sponsor Davis through Laborers’ Local 1140. In January 2026, he joined the McCarthy labor and wrecking crew on the 16th Street Duo parking garage project under construction in downtown Omaha. It came with a steep learning curve as he acclimated to the rapid pace, cold weather conditions and complex movement of heavy materials. “My first couple of weeks out here were pretty rough,” he recalled, “but my general Since joining McCarthy’s labor and wrecking crew on the 16th Street Duo parking garage project in downtown Omaha, labor apprentice foreman and superintendents took the time to Quay Davis has demonstrated his skill and leadership aptitude. teach, mentor and support me as I continued to develop my skills and take on new opportunities.” Today, as a labor apprentice and lead on the A robust construction industry does more than build structures; it anchors local families wrecking crew, the 24-year-old works slab edges, pours elevator shafts and columns, and and creates lasting economic stability. McCarthy crew members working on the region’s rigs and signals loads so the tower crane can fly materials safely across the site. His jobsites—from the recently completed UNMC CORE research building to the current performance has progressed so rapidly that McCarthy leaders are helping him advance expansion of the Papillion Creek Water Research Recovery Facility—earn competitive toward future leadership opportunities. wages, comprehensive benefits and hands-on skills that can’t be replaced by AI. For Davis, that support has made all the difference. “McCarthy took the time to get me Building a stronger Omaha also involves fostering a more resilient, diverse network of going in the right direction from day one,” he said. “They are always looking out for their subcontractors and suppliers. To strengthen those connections, McCarthy recently hosted people, teaching you the trade and making sure you’re operating safely.” a Contractors Connect luncheon in partnership with MAC Midlands African Chamber, His advice for anyone considering the construction trades is simple: “Come in ready to Sarpy Chamber and Omaha Chamber. During the event, small business owners shared learn,” he said. “Ask as many questions as early as possible. Don’t be scared to speak up.” their capabilities with our leaders and team members. By discussing upcoming project pipelines, prequalification requirements and subcontracting opportunities face-to-face, these conversations laid the groundwork for long-term partnerships.
Opening doors to resilient construction careers
Davis’s experience demonstrates how intentional workforce development can help solve one of the construction sector’s most pressing challenges: the skilled labor shortage. Nebraska is facing that demand firsthand. As the Midlands Business Journal reported in its Aug. 28 issue, the state’s mining and construction employment “reached another alltime high in July, marking three consecutive months of record employment,” according to Nebraska Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber. Construction of buildings led the increase with 192 jobs, followed by heavy and civil engineering with 144 and specialty trade contractors with 99. Supporting that growth means ensuring the doors to construction are open to everyone—and that outreach begins early. Through programs like “STEMstruction,” an annual half-day event hosted by McCarthy, local students explore construction careers through hands-on activities and direct interaction with industry volunteers. It’s designed to spark curiosity early and help young people see the possibilities of building a career in the trades. Once someone chooses this path, McCarthy’s investment continues through mentorship and on-the-job training. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, we meet team members where they are, invest in their potential and help them build a longlasting career in construction.
Join us for Construction Inclusion Week
McCarthy is proud to be a founding member of Construction Inclusion Week, an annual industrywide initiative that promotes unity, belonging and inclusion. This year’s virtual event takes place Oct. 12–16. To access resources and participate, visit www. constructioninclusionweek.com. To explore craft apprenticeship paths and career opportunities with McCarthy in Omaha, visit mccarthy.com/careers. Kris Montgomery is Vice President and Business Unit Leader for McCarthy Building Companies in Omaha, overseeing regional operations, project delivery and community workforce development.
Page 11 • October 9, 2026
FOCUS SECTION
CELEBRATE construction
Costs Risk Momentum
TARIFFS, INFLATION, INTEREST RATES CHALLENGE OMAHA BUILDERS BY TIM TRUDELL
ERNIE GOSS, PH.D.
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY’S HEIDER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
BRENT CLAUSEN
PRESIDENT C2 BUILDING CO.
Omaha has a robust construction industry, with nearly $4 billion invested in projects ranging from the Mutual of Omaha tower to the Avenue One mixed-use development in West Omaha. But construction costs are up 5% to 10%, according to national estimates, and local experts say rising costs could challenge the industry’s momentum. “In terms of construction, Omaha is one of the healthier communities now,” said Ernie Goss, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Economic Inquiry and a professor of economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business. Construction projects underway in the metro area will be completed as planned, he said.
Eventual downturn
But as inflation drives up interest rates and material costs, local construction faces an eventual downturn, Goss said. “It’s all colliding together,” he said. Growth is uneven, Goss said, with industrial construction such as data centers likely to remain fairly strong.
Tariffs’ impact
Tariffs haven’t proven to be good policy, especially for the construction industry, Goss said. The United States imports large amounts of steel, aluminum and lumber from Canada, and the tariff dispute between the two countries is increasing costs, he said. “They no longer think of themselves as friends of ours, so that’s putting upward pressure on costs, no doubt about that,” Goss said. Nebraska hasn’t felt the full impact yet, but it will, he said. Material costs have stabilized since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the construction industry now faces cost volatility from tariffs and labor shortages, along with rising insurance and financing costs, said Brent Clausen, president of C2 Building Company. “Then there’s the procurement schedule side of it that’s driving some uncertainty, too,” Clausen said. “Some of our lead times on materials and equipment have really been all over the board, quite frankly. One project might be a short lead time, and the next project could be half a year for the same thing, which is crazy.”
Pricing volatility
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are among C2’s biggest cost drivers because their components make pricing volatile, Clausen said. Some issues affecting construction projects aren’t physical, he said. “Interest rates and financing costs are really where the rubber hits the road with some of the clients,” Clausen said. “Even though some of the material and construction costs have
GREG KEY
CEO LUEDER CONSTRUCTION
stabilized in some regard, it’s still hard to make some of the deals work from an owner side of things.” Labor costs are climbing as well, he said. “We’re seeing really strong demand for labor, and really that’s probably driving the biggest thing here locally,” Clausen said. “And it’s pretty competitive on finding qualified subcontractors in some of the trades.” Material costs, lending rates, labor expenses and tariffs have combined to make construction projects more challenging, said Greg Key, CEO of Lueder Construction. “Everything is really just creating a lot of uncertainty, and that uncertainty truly, I think, is a cost that we just don’t even know what it is, what the impact is going to be,” Key said. Locally, year-over-year cost increases on a standard commercial project are running about 4% to 6%, Key said in a follow-up email. The largest increases are on projects with heavy mechanical, electrical and steel work. “This impact is not just related to material supply and demand,” he said. “Labor supply and demand is putting significant pressure on costs.”
Giving pause
Construction planning has shifted from a fairly routine process to one that requires more detailed thinking, Key said. “Costs were fairly predictable, and you could rely on historical costs, with a reasonable sort of annual escalation factor, and you could do some pretty dependable budgets,” he said. “But there’s been such a loss of predictability, that now you have to ask, ‘OK, when are they building? When are materials going to be purchased? Where are they going to be coming from? How long are the prices going to be valid?’” Uncertainty over rising costs has started to affect local projects, Key said. “I think it certainly has stopped some, and I think it is certainly causing owners, developers, whoever it might be, to pause for a moment and just say, ‘Can we afford to do this? Should we do it? Is this the right time?’” Key said. “So I do think it’s created some softening in the local market.” Lueder hasn’t had any projects significantly delayed or canceled, Key said, but he hears it’s happening both locally and nationally. To manage the volatility, contractors need to work with customers as early as possible in the planning stages, he said. “That’s always been a best practice in my mind but even more so with the volatility and uncertainty in the market today,” Key said. “Historical trends are no longer reliable. Realtime costing and broad market knowledge are key.” Architects, engineers, subcontractors, suppliers, the construction manager or general contractor and the customer all need to be at the table, working toward the same goals, he said.
Page 12 • October 9, 2026
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Page 13 • October 9, 2026
FEATURE
Care Begins at the Top
HEALTHCARE
WOMEN LEADING THE WAY IN HEALTHCARE WOMEN LEADING FROM PAGE 01
JOSIE ABBOUD
PRESIDENT AND CEO METHODIST HEALTH SYSTEM
CHANDA CHACÓN
PRESIDENT AND CEO CHILDREN’S NEBRASKA
care, particularly in critical care settings. Chanda Chacón, president and CEO of Children’s Nebraska, had the unique perspective of first experiencing pediatric care as an 11-year-old recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash. Stephanie Daubert, Nebraska Medicine’s chief financial officer, has spent her entire career within one health system, progressing from an administrative role to its top financial position. Visiting Nurse Association President and CEO Carole Patrick, Ph.D., has a background that includes psychology, marketing, public relations, development and education. CyncHealth CEO Larra Petersen-Lukenda, Ph.D., draws on a clinical background in psychology and expertise in administrative and program development to lead work that is largely invisible to patients but essential to modern care. They all share one fundamental characteristic: a commitment to the human side of healthcare.
Personal perspective, executive vision
Chacón said seeing healthcare from multiple vantage points and within several health systems has served her well. She began her career as an administrative fellow, moved into an entry-level leadership role and ultimately became a chief operating officer before taking the CEO role at Children’s Nebraska six years ago. Her interest in pediatric healthcare, however, began well before she was making any career choices. “I was first a patient,” Chacón said. “That has really changed my perspective and how I approach leadership, especially leadership in healthcare.” Her operational experience reinforced that patient-focused perspective. As a COO immersed in the day-to-day mechanics of a 24/7 health system, she saw firsthand how technology and facilities are still secondary to the people delivering care. “Great buildings and great technology don’t take care of patients. People do,” she said. Abboud said her nursing background taught her how to make decisions in complex situations with incomplete information.
CHILDREN’S NEBRASKA DIVISION CHIEF OF PEDIATRIC PSYCHIATRY JENNIFER MCWILLIAMS, M.D., M.S., AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & WELLNESS RENEE RAFFERTY, M.S., LIMHP, LPC, POSE FOR A PORTRAIT AT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER IN OMAHA.
“Those experiences also reinforced lessons that continue to guide me as an executive leader: the importance of patient-centered care, the value of teamwork, the ability to recognize subtle changes before they become larger challenges and the need to remain calm and focused when the stakes are high,” she said. Abboud acknowledged she misses working in direct care, but she sees her leadership role as a different way to foster favorable patient outcomes. “Supporting those who provide care every day allows us to positively impact far more patients and communities than I ever could individually,” Abboud said. Patrick arrived at healthcare leadership through a less traditional route. Her career includes roles in development and education. It all works together in leading VNA, she said: psychology expertise enhances an understanding of the connection between physical and emotional health, while communications and development experience helps the organization build relationships with supporters, medical personnel and community partners. “It comes back to being about human beings. I can look at things in collaboration with my own staff who are focused on that physical healthcare … defining the impact, defining ways that we might change how we approach someone or how we serve someone,” she said. “Or maybe understanding those aspects of what they see within their own environment and understanding how the emotional and the physical are consistently working together because it’s a holistic human being.” Daubert began her association with Nebraska Medicine while still in college.
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MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL
Her internal career path provided focused institutional knowledge, she said, but also created a responsibility to not simply default to the way things have always been done. “I was able to grow up, so to speak, in the organization and had opportunities to learn and grow and work in different aspects of finance. I don’t have that benefit of understanding what other organizations do or how they approach problems, and so I’ve been very open. I never assumed that the way we do things or how we’re structured STEPHANIE DAUBERT financially or otherwise is the best way CFO to do something. I’m always very curious NEBRASKA MEDICINE about what other people do and how other people approach problem solving, whether it’s financial or operational. And I try to bring people into the organization that have worked externally, too, just to make sure that I’m staying grounded in best practices outside of the organization where I grew up,” she said. “I like to challenge what we do, think of different ways and new ways to move the organization forward.” Petersen-Lukenda brings an unconventional perspective to healthcare technology. Her background in psychology taught her to think big-picture and look for unintended consequences, so, as she said, “I am a clinician at heart.” That experience informs her approach to health data and the understanding of what providers and patients need from it. “We’re a health data utility, which essentially means we can bring information from many different places across the healthcare ecosystem, all different types of information and different standards from different geographies for different services,” she explained. “We aggregate that into a single record for a patient or an individual, and we ensure the information is in a format that can be used by whatever the person is.”
Margin and mission
Financial performance is not an abstract corporate objective for healthcare executives. It ensures that organizations can hire staff, provide and maintain facilities, improve technology and provide quality services communities depend on. Abboud described these priorities as complementary rather than competing. “Both mission and margin are essential bottom lines in healthcare,” she said. “Neither can be ignored.” Health systems cannot simply eliminate services that are financially demanding but essential to their communities. Some programs may operate on thin margins or at a loss while still serving a critical purpose, Abboud explained. The challenge to healthcare executives, she said, is determining how services align with the CARING KIND GROUP AT NEBRASKA MEDICINE
organization’s mission, what value they provide and whether they can be sustained over time. Daubert agreed that healthcare cannot be approached with arbitrary consideration for the financials. Health organizations must be fiscally strong like any other enterprise. “We’re not for profit, but we’re also not for loss,” she said of Nebraska Medicine. She added that financial robustness allows healthcare organizations to reinvest in facilities, equipment, and medical and support workforce. “We have to make money because we’re a community asset and we’re expected to reinvest in ourselves.” The healthcare sector differs from other industries because financial decisions do not affect only customers or shareholders, Daubert added. “Our ‘shareholders’ are our patients.” An investment that does not generate revenue could improve patient experience or quality of care, she explained. However, cost efficiencies and new revenue can support necessary investments.
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Care Begins at the Top
HEALTHCARE
WOMEN LEADING THE WAY IN HEALTHCARE FROM PRECEDING PAGE
“We have to balance those decisions,” Daubert said. Patrick said she also confronts balance in her role and that community service and financial sustainability are not mutually exclusive. Eighty percent of VNA’s programming provides free healthcare while the remaining 20% generates revenue to help support that mission. Historically, between 75% and 80% of the organization’s budget has been based on fundraising, but LARRA Patrick said the model should evolve. She’s PETERSEN-LUKENDA explored additional revenue streams from CEO programs built around VNA’s healthcare and CYNCHEALTH disability-services expertise; one example is a hybrid certified nurse aide program designed to combine online education with clinical skills training, both generating sustainable revenue and adding to a healthcare workforce that faces persistent shortages. “Mission is always our highest priority, but mission doesn’t happen without margin,” she said.
Beyond hospital and clinic walls
Patrick said VNA’s work is shaped by its ability to meet people where they are. The organization’s employees, from nurses to social workers, see circumstances
THE TEAM AT CYNCHEALTH
that hospital and clinic leaders may never encounter. “We don’t have clinics. We’re in homes,” she said. The frontline team sees client barriers and needs firsthand, so the organization’s culture is built around trust, collaborative decision-making and a willingness to change based on data from the field that leads to improving access, providing new services or equipping employees to serve more effectively. “I have a strong belief that an organization makes the best possible decisions when we have the most information,” Patrick said. That belief also is a factor in how she measures success, Patrick said. Beyond financial measures, she evaluates whether VNA has a healthy culture and whether employees feel they can contribute ideas, raise concerns and influence how the organization operates. “I’m not the most important person here,” she said, describing herself as a catalyst for employees to provide important services that support people and the community. Technology is also changing how health systems think about the workforce. Petersen-Lukenda said that while technology creates an infrastructure for information exchange, the value comes from helping people make better decisions. “Our real foundation is trust,” she said, adding that trust is supported by governance, privacy protections, agreements governing information exchange and a shared commitment among participating organizations. “Technology is just one piece of the equation,” she explained. “Every data point that we have is a human being on the other end. So every path, every result, every diagnosis is a piece of someone’s health journey.”
Human-centered future of healthcare
All five executives mentioned a human-centered philosophy. Chacón said she measures success by employee engagement and the organization’s impact on pediatric health. Her own success is closely tied to the teams around her, she said, and her personal values align with the organization’s. Abboud said she places quality and safety at the center of organizational performance and that employee engagement, culture, financial stewardship and community impact are additional measures. Personally, she said, she does not define success by individual accomplishments. “I look at the overall health of the organization, the leaders and teams we’ve developed, the patients and communities we’ve impacted,” Abboud said. Daubert said her professional satisfaction comes from solving problems in the background and ensuring that the organization has the resources necessary to provide care.
Page 16 • October 9, 2026
MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL
“I do feel like I’m contributing to the healthcare mission that we have through what I do behind the scenes,” Daubert said. She added that she has been pleased to see, over the course of her career, more women moving into executive positions and forging new paths in addition to traditionally female-associated roles in healthcare. Petersen-Lukenda said leaders must navigate a rapidly changing healthcare CAROLE PATRICK, PH.D. environment that presents financial PRESIDENT AND CEO pressures, rural health challenges, VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION public health needs and increasingly active healthcare consumers. No single organization can provide all the solutions, she said, and collaboration is key. “The future depends on that,” she said. Another common responsibility is building organizations capable of serving patients today and tomorrow. Chacón remembers that people are at the heart of the organization. Abboud translates clinical experience into systems that support frontline teams. Daubert said that means financial stewardship sustains the mission. Patrick builds the organization around trust, access and responsiveness. PetersenLukenda creates an information infrastructure patients may never see but that can
be relied upon for their best possible care. An executive office may be far removed from the patient’s bedside, but these healthcare leaders make decisions every day that address the question of how an organization sustains the right team, resources, information and systems in place to best serve those patients. “Healthcare touches patients and families during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, and being entrusted with that responsibility is both humbling and inspiring,” Abboud said. “I also have the privilege of working alongside an exceptional team of talented individuals whose expertise, compassion and dedication motivate me every day. It is truly an honor to help lead an organization committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities and making a difference when it matters most.” “I love working in an organization that’s governed by a mission,” Chacón said. “It makes me feel that at the end of every day, it was absolutely a day that was worth giving my life to; it makes the work feel more impactful.”
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Page 17 • October 9, 2026
FOCUS SECTION
HEALTHCARE
Healthcare Faces a Costly 2026
RISING COSTS AND SHIFTING RULES CHALLENGE NEBRASKA EMPLOYERS BY TODD TRAUB Nebraska’s healthcare business landscape is being squeezed from two directions in 2026: rising costs and shifting federal policy. Employers, insurers and healthcare executives are navigating higher premiums, higher drug and treatment costs, and a regulatory environment that continues to evolve. For businesses managing employer-sponsored health plans, the challenge is not simply how much healthcare costs but how to keep up with rules that can change how coverage is funded, administered and delivered. Medical costs for employer-sponsored health plans are projected to rise 9% in 2027, a 17-year high, according to PwC’s annual medical cost trend report. The firm also raised its 2026 projection to 9% from an JEFF RUSSELL MARTIN SWANSON PETE LANGDON initial estimate of 8.5%. The report cites five main drivers of rising costs, PRESIDENT AND CEO NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF KOLEY JESSEN including: BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD INSURANCE • Pharmacy spending. Demand for GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes OF NEBRASKA drugs continues to strain health plan budgets. GLP-1 prescriptions filled in December 2025 were nearly double the volume from a year earlier. Committing to compliance • Provider consolidation. Mergers among hospitals and physician groups have increased The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, changing Medicaid rules, their bargaining power, allowing them to negotiate higher reimbursement rates from ongoing Affordable Care Act requirements and obligations under the Employee Retirement insurers. Income Security Act, or ERISA, could mean legal trouble for companies that don’t keep up. • AI documentation and coding tools. Providers’ growing use of these tools can lead to An ERISA plan is a private-sector, employer-sponsored benefit plan regulated under the act, more intensive billing codes and higher claims. which was passed in 1974. Well-known examples include health insurance, 401(k) plans and Separately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projects national healthcare disability insurance. expenditures will reach $8.6 trillion by 2033, roughly one-fifth of U.S. gross domestic product. One of the most common compliance issues involves deficiencies in the health plan The Omaha and western Iowa region was not spared the 2026 price hikes. documents required under ERISA, said Pete Langdon, an attorney with Koley Jessen, an “Our average group premium increase was probably in the 12% to 15% range and that was Omaha-based law firm whose practice areas include employment, labor and benefits. true across the board for all of our competitors as well,” said Jeff Russell, president and CEO of “We always counsel clients to ensure they have the necessary plan document paperwork in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. place with respect to their group health plans,” Langdon said. Meanwhile, legislative and regulatory actions are affecting Medicaid funding, Medicare Koley Jessen also sees companies grapple with compliance issues involving the ACA, reimbursement rates, Affordable Care Act market rules and drug pricing. Langdon said. Large employers, generally those with 50 or more full-time or full-time-equivalent employees, are required to offer group health plans that meet minimum standards and to keep up with annual reports and filings. Regulation situations “Many times, we see clients only become aware of these requirements after the Internal The Nebraska Department of Insurance regulates health insurance products and rates, Revenue Service has assessed penalties for noncompliance,” Langdon said. keeping tabs on how federal legislative and regulatory updates reach and affect local carriers Langdon said his firm has found success helping clients put in place alternatives to and consumers. traditional group insurance, such as individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements Medicaid, a major target of recent federal cost-cutting efforts, is overseen by the Nebraska and qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements. Department of Health and Human Services. “Those arrangements don’t provide health insurance themselves, but they provide a vehicle The agencies provide clarity on how federal policymaking decisions affect Nebraskans. by which companies can provide tax-free benefits to allow employees to obtain health “The department’s role is to, when applicable to the state, enforce the law, (and) if there are insurance coverage,” Langdon said. questions, discuss them with our federal counterparts,” said Martin Swanson, deputy director He said companies are also finding cost savings by switching to a self-funded or self-insured and general counsel of the Department of Insurance. group plan instead of a fully insured health insurance product. On May 1, Nebraska became the first state to enforce Medicaid work requirements, eight “With self-funding, claims are paid out of the company’s general assets, instead of from an months ahead of the federal deadline of Jan. 1, 2027. Unless exempt, beneficiaries ages 19 to 64 insurance company,” Langdon said. “So companies don’t have to pay large fees/premiums to in the Medicaid expansion population must report 80 hours a month of work, community service, insurance companies.” education or participation in a work program. Failure to report can lead to loss of coverage. Employers should work closely with accountants, attorneys, insurance carriers and benefits Other changes include new, standardized prior-authorization forms, which took effect Jan. 1. The forms are designed to reduce administrative burdens, expedite care and ensure transparent brokers to manage risks, Langdon said. “Legal and compliance issues typically arise when companies and employers try to cover criteria. The new rules also prohibit using AI alone to deny claims. their work on their own, without a solid finance or HR team, and miss on certain regulatory The regulatory changes stem primarily from Nebraska Legislative Bill 77 and the federal One considerations,” Langdon said. Big Beautiful Bill Act, which were signed into law in 2025. Legislative Bill 967, passed during the 2026 session, added new penalties and notification requirements for pharmacy benefit managers. The bill also created the Nebraska Protection of Taking cover Seniors from Insurance Exploitation Act, which lets insurers temporarily halt transactions they Executives renewing plans and assessing benefits are trying to stay on top of not only what suspect involve financial exploitation of seniors or vulnerable adults. The law took effect July 18. they pay but also what their employees receive. State employees also saw changes. For the plan year that began July 1, the state moved “I’ve had conversations with CEOs here in Nebraska, big and small companies,” said Russell, its self-funded employee health plan from UnitedHealthcare to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of whose company is now the state employee health plan’s vendor. “We’ve just pulled, collectively, Nebraska, with Prime Therapeutics handling pharmacy benefits. Premiums for broad-network every lever around cost the last 20 years.” options rose 15% to 20%, according to the state’s benefits guide. On Dec. 31, 2025, Congress allowed enhanced ACA premium tax credits from the American “All actions from the federal government regarding insurance have an impact on the market Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to expire. The House passed a three-year extension in January, but the so it is difficult to quantify which one has the most,” Swanson said. “All changes must be Senate did not pass it. Without the enhanced credits, households earning more than 400% of accounted for by the (Department of Insurance).” the federal poverty level no longer qualify for help, and many marketplace enrollees are paying Page 18 • October 9, 2026
much more for 2026 coverage. For 2026, full-price premiums for Nebraska marketplace plans rose an average of 29.1% before tax credits, according to rate filings with the Nebraska Department of Insurance. The primary cost drivers, Russell said, include high-cost claims, such as a neonatal intensive care unit stay; the rising price of specialty drugs such as GLP-1s; the increasing frequency and expense of behavioral health treatment; and coding intensity stemming from AI use. Langdon said his firm makes extensive use of AI. While it’s no substitute for reputable service providers, he said, AI can help employers ask the right questions and point them in the right direction. On the diagnosis side, however, AI has the potential to contribute to higher healthcare costs, Russell said. “You go in to the doctor and they’re using an AI scribe,” Russell said. “So instead of keying into a laptop like you might see, the doctor is talking to you and in the background there is an AI agent that’s listening.” AI, Russell said, considers every symptom discussed during a doctor’s visit. A physician might code an illness as basic, but AI might hear enough to code it as intermediate, which can lead to more costly, and perhaps unnecessary, treatment. “I wouldn’t say that’s the driver of increased costs but it’s one of the factors,” Russell said. The high price of GLP-1 drugs could ease as lower-cost generic versions reach the market. Local business owners should lean into effective, lower-cost medicines as they evaluate the pharmacy benefits they offer, Russell said. And while rising costs may be discouraging people from making regular preventive wellness visits, he urged companies to be proactive. Russell said he has been telling business owners and CEOs to give their employees incentives to use preventive programs. Catching cancer at Stage 1, he said, is ultimately less expensive than trying to treat Stage 4.
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Account transactions and activities may take one or more days to post and settle to the account and all must do so during the Monthly Qualification Cycle in order to qualify for the account's rewards. "Monthly Qualification Cycle" means a period beginning one (1) banking day prior to the first day of the current statement cycle through one (1) banking day prior to the last business day of the current statement cycle. See our website at westgate.bank or contact one of our branch service representatives at 402.434.3456 for specific Monthly Qualification Cycle dates.
Depending on what reward checking account you have, you will receive the following rewards when you meet your account's qualifications during a Monthly Qualification Cycle: High Yield Checking: daily balances up to and including $24,999.99 receive an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 5.50%; and on the portion of the daily balance equal to or greater than $25,000.00 earn an interest rate of 0.2497%, resulting in a range from 5.50% to 1.30% APY depending on the account’s daily balance. Cash Back Checking: you will receive 5.00% cash back on up to a total of $200.00 debit card purchases that post and settle to the account during that cycle period. A maximum of $10.00 cash back payments may be earned per Monthly Qualification Cycle. Depending on your reward checking account, when your qualifications are not met: Cash back payments are not made and the entire daily balance in the High Yield Checking account earns 0.05% APY. Interest will be credited to your High Yield Checking account on the last day of the current statement cycle. APYs accurate as of 7/1/2026. Rates, rewards, and bonuses, if any, are variable and may change after account is opened; rates may change without notice to you. No minimum balance is required to earn or receive the account's rewards. Rewards less than a penny cannot be distributed. Fees may reduce earnings.
Additional Information:
westgate.bank | member FDIC
Account approval, conditions, qualifications, limits, timeframes, enrollments, log-ons and other requirements apply. $10.00 minimum deposit is required to open the account. There are no recurring monthly maintenance charges or fees to open or close this account. Advertised information and rewards are based on all account qualifications being met during each cycle period. Contact one of our bank service representatives for additional information, account details, restrictions, reward calculations, processing limitations, cycle dates and enrollment instructions.
Page 19 • October 9, 2026
FOCUS SECTION
FOCUS SECTION
HEALTHCARE
HEALTHCARE
C-Suite Care
HIGH STAKES FOR EXECUTIVE HEALTH BY MICHELLE RENNE LEACH When an executive suffers a significant heart attack, stroke or severe workplace burnout, the result can be a prolonged absence from work, a leadership void, short- or long-term disability, or even worse. But leaders say a proactive approach to executive health can prevent that. Randall Pritza, Ph.D., system senior vice president at CHI Health Physician Enterprise, said a proactive approach can prevent health crises before they start. “By proactively having regular visits with a healthcare provider, risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol or depression can be identified and intervened upon earlier,” he said. “Encouraging lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, stress management, improved sleep habits or, perhaps, a temporary leave of absence can help prevent the health crisis from happening entirely.” Nebraska Medicine Chief Medical Officer Dr. Harris Frankel described a formal executive health program as combining “early detection, continuity and fast coordination of care that can also connect executives to a broader array of specialists and hospital resources when needed.” A reactive approach, said Think Whole Person Healthcare CEO Jason Doll, waits for symptoms to appear. “For many high-risk conditions, however, the first symptom is often a catastrophic event,” he said. “A proactive approach identifies silent, high-risk conditions early, when they’re far more treatable, which dramatically improves long-term outcomes.”
My executive benefits are complex and I don’t fully understand them. I want to make informed decisions and have enough set aside to pay college tuition for my boys.
I WORK HARD FOR WHAT I EARN. HOW CAN I MAKE THE MOST OF MY COMPENSATION?
Consider heart health
SEE HOW AMANDA’S WEALTH STORY UNFOLDS Get a complimentary financial confidence report to learn how we can help you too! fostergrp.com/amanda
The Team at Foster Group is dedicated to providing comprehensive financial life advice, helping clients turn their vision of success into reality. These hypothetical case studies, based upon a combination of client scenarios, are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not represent an actual client or an actual client’s experience, but rather are meant to provide an example of Foster Group’s process and methodology. An individual’s experience may vary based on his or her individual circumstances. There can be no assurance that Foster Group will be able to achieve similar results in comparable situations. Further, not all clients will necessarily receive the same advice or level of service as those outlined, as Foster Group provides customized services based upon the nature of each client’s needs. No portion of this article is to be interpreted as a testimonial or endorsement of Foster Group’s investment advisory services and it is not known whether the hypothetical clients referenced approve of Foster Group or its services. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including those undertaken or recommended by Foster Group), will be profitable or equal any historical performance level. Not all services will be appropriate or necessary for all clients, and the potential value and benefit of Foster Group’s services will vary based upon the client’s individual investment, financial, and tax circumstances. The effectiveness and potential success of a financial, tax, and investment plan depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the manner and timing of implementation, coordination with the client and the client’s other engaged professionals, and market conditions. Past performance does not guarantee future results. PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION at www.fostergrp.com/disclosures. A copy of our written disclosure brochure as set forth on Part 2A of Form ADV is available at www.fostergrp.com.
“Standard check-ups may miss the subtle markers of early-stage heart disease,” Doll said. “Advanced executive screenings can detect cardiovascular risks before symptoms appear, allowing intervention long before a heart attack or stroke becomes likely, altering the patient’s life expectancy and quality of life.” Frankel said the most common issues identified in executives include cardiovascular risk, metabolic problems, cancer risk, prediabetes and diabetes, stress-related problems, and mental health and sleep issues. Pritza added nutritional deficiencies, poor dietary habits, a sedentary lifestyle, musculoskeletal issues and hearing loss to that list. He cited several reasons these health issues go unnoticed in executives, including time constraints, with leaders feeling they have “no time for the doctor” or for self-care, and a high-performing culture that pressures them to always be “on” and never show weakness. He said executives often normalize symptoms, don’t fully understand the long-term effects of their habits and put business metrics ahead of personal well-being. “Executives face unique environmental stressors, including frequent travel, long hours of lethargic work and constant high-pressure decision-making,” Doll said. “These factors often mask undiagnosed health conditions.” In addition, Doll said Think’s screenings have uncovered early indicators of cognitive decline, or reduced mental clarity and memory.
Fueling healthy organizations
“Executives most often neglect routine exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management and preventative care,” Frankel said. “They also tend to underestimate mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness and burnout, all of which are common to those in leadership roles.” Executives commonly put their organizations first and their own health second, Frankel said. Sleep is consistently neglected, often viewed as something to sacrifice for productivity and promotions, Pritza said. “While executives might feel sharper after an all-nighter fueled by caffeine, the reality is their judgment is impaired,” he said. “They make poorer decisions, are less innovative, miss critical details, struggle with problem-solving and have reduced ability to strategize effectively.” That can lead to costly mistakes, missed opportunities and a decline in business performance, he said. He also said a “consistently under-slept executive” is more susceptible to illnesses, from common colds to chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. “This means more sick days, decreased work presence and potentially higher healthcare costs for the individual and the organization,” he said. Pritza said busy executives aren’t saving time but borrowing it from their intellectual capital, emotional resilience, physical health and long-term effectiveness. “The cost isn’t just personal well-being,” he said. “It’s a direct impact on the bottom line, organizational culture and the sustained success of the enterprise.”
Page 20 • October 9, 2026
FOCUS SECTION
The Cost of Healthcare
HEALTHCARE
AS COSTS RISE, NEBRASKA COMPANIES EXPLORE COVERAGE OPTIONS BY TIM TRUDELL
We are in a place where, collectively, and I mean Blue Cross, employers, members, doctors, health systems, have to get control of the cost of healthcare. The affordability conversation is real, and if we don’t work together to do that, we end up in a place where I think we start to have employers making different decisions around health insurance because they just can’t afford it. — JEFF RUSSELL PRESIDENT AND CEO BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD NEBRASKA
Facing rising healthcare costs, companies are examining what’s driving them and how to manage them without cutting employee benefits. When employers compare self-funded and fully insured plans, the decision is becoming less about choosing a funding model and more about how much control they want over healthcare spending, said Nicolette Villwok, director of human resources at E&A Consulting. Self-funded plans tend to offer more visibility into where dollars are going, which can lead to more informed decisions about plan design and cost drivers, she said. Fully insured plans offer simplicity and predictability, which can appeal to organizations that don’t have the time or resources to manage a plan actively. “The trade-off is that it is harder to influence costs or to get the level of insight into how the plan is progressing throughout the plan year,” Villwok said.
GLP-1 concerns
GLP-1 drugs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic have become a popular but costly benefit. While the injections and pills have proven effective for weight loss, many insurers are reluctant to cover them for uses other than diabetes. The cost of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss makes them too expensive for many companies to cover, said Jeff Russell, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. “GLP-1 usage for weight loss and other indications is relatively new, but has many positive results that they believe are going to happen,” said Russell, whose company is now the state employee health plan’s vendor. “I think we’re early in that game. From what I’ll call a therapeutics perspective, I think that there’s a strong case. Obviously, employees have gone to direct or other sources. So I think this is what I’ll call a stay tuned story.” The jury is still out on how GLP-1 drugs affect a person’s overall health, said Beau Reid, Nebraska division leader at Holmes Murphy & Associates. “I think that the medical community would want people to believe that the use of the GLP-1s and the reduction of obesity would then reduce the
comorbidities associated with obesity, but right now, there’s not enough data to suggest that that is happening,” Reid said.
Healthcare savings options
Health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements can be effective tools, but their value depends on how they’re structured and funded, Villwok said. “Employers who contribute a meaningful portion of the deductible tend to stand out more, especially in a competitive hiring environment,” she said. “If the contribution is too minimal, it can feel more like costshifting than a true benefit.” Many companies saw steep premium increases in 2025, some above 10%, Reid said. He expected increases of about 8.5% in 2026.
NICOLETTE VILLWOK E&A CONSULTING
Looking ahead
Premium increases are only part of the problem. Medical costs continue to rise and will likely strain businesses beyond what their budgets allow, Russell said. “We are in a place where, collectively, and I mean Blue Cross, employers, members, doctors, health systems, have to get control of the cost of healthcare,” Russell said. “The affordability conversation is real, and if we don’t work together to do that, we end up in a place where I think we start to have employers making different decisions around health insurance because they just can’t afford it.” Reid said Nebraska’s economy is at risk. “We’ve got carriers dropping off the exchange,” Reid said. “We basically have carriers on the exchange insuring the sickest people who need insurance, and we have to come up with a solution for that, because if that goes away, the domino effect is that it increases the amount of people who are uninsured. “If that collapses, then it increases the amount of people that don’t pay when they go to the hospital, which increases the risk to rural health providers that are already financially in distress. That affects our entire state economically.”
Page 21 • October 9, 2026
BEAU REID
HOLMES MURPHY & ASSOCIATES
NONPROFIT news
Public Market Plans Shared NONPROFIT SPACE TO PROVIDE FRESH AND LOCAL FOOD
Omaha, Nebraska, Oct. 6 — Omaha’s new yearround, indoor, nonprofit public market will have room for dozens of local market vendors, flexible programming areas and rentable event spaces. Organizers of the public market unveiled the plans at an event overlooking the future market site at Eighth and Farnam streets. Site work is already underway, with the market expected to open in summer 2028. The three-story, 50,000-square-foot public market will be a vibrant destination for people to gather while shopping from local small businesses selling a variety of fresh, prepared and specialty foods, as well as locally-made goods. Renderings unveiled at the event show a three-story building with floor-to-ceiling windows nestled into the hill overlooking Heartland of America Park. Outdoor seating and event areas will blend seamlessly into the building’s spacious interior, which features a market floor with room for dozens of vendors, flexible programming areas, rentable event spaces, a teaching kitchen and plenty of seating. Plans for the market were informed by thousands of metro-area people, including existing and future food entrepreneurs, farmers and makers. Heritage Omaha is leading the project, raising the private donations needed to build and support the market, as well as overseeing construction. Project for Public Spaces, a global leader in placemaking, is working with Heritage Omaha on market business planning, community engagement, and design considerations.
Vendors for the market have not yet been selected, but interested vendors are encouraged to sign up to receive updates at www.publicmarketomaha.org. At this event, organizers also introduced the market’s inaugural executive director, Jerrica Marshall, who has more than 10 years experience creating public spaces such as the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market.
Wildfire Tech Investment
ARBOR DAY FUND BACKS RESILIENCE STARTUPS Lincoln, Nebraska, Oct. 5 — The Arbor Day Foundation’s Impact Fund has invested in two organizations working to reshape how communities prevent, detect, and recover from wildfire. The investments in Vibrant Planet and Convective Capital mark a new front in the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to helping forests and communities recover from disaster, extending that work upstream to help reduce the severity of wildfires before they start. “Wildfires in the U.S. and around the world are burning longer, hotter, and more often than in the past. Fire seasons that were once measured in months now stretch into a year-round threat across much of the West,” said Dan Lambe, CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We have spent decades replanting in communities and forestlands in the aftermath of some of the nation’s most devastating wildfires and we’re elevating that recovery work by supporting solutions that could help limit future wildfires.” The Impact Fund is the Arbor Day Foundation’s impact investing initiative, created to support companies and funds developing new approaches to forest health, resilience, and restoration. Vibrant Planet is a public benefit corporation (PBC) helping communities, governments, utilities, and land managers move from reactive wildfire response to proactive landscape resilience. Its data-driven planning platform integrates geospatial data, climate models, and treatment recommendations to identify areas of greatest wildfire risk and prioritize forest management actions across entire landscapes. By enabling stakeholders to evaluate treatment scenarios, coordinate across ownership boundaries, and direct investments toward the highest-impact interventions, Vibrant Planet helps reduce the severity of future wildfires while supporting healthier forests, safer communities, and more strategic post-disaster
restoration efforts. As global temperatures continue to increase, Vibrant Planet provides critical decision-support tools that improve resilience before disasters occur and guide recovery afterward. Convective Capital is a venture fund focused exclusively on wildfire resilience and climate adaptation technologies. Through its portfolio of fire-tech companies, Convective supports solutions spanning wildfire prevention, early detection, vegetation management, grid resilience, emergency response, risk modeling, and community protection. Its portfolio companies help identify ignitions faster, reduce hazardous fuels, improve utility infrastructure safety, and provide tools that enable firefighters and local governments to respond more effectively. Collectively, these technologies help protect forests, watersheds, homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure from increasingly severe wildfire events. “We will always show up to help forests and communities recover after a wildfire to bring a sense of hope and healing to people and the planet,” Lambe said. “But recovery can only do so much if the fires keep getting bigger. As a leader in this space, we feel a responsibility to help shape better outcomes, and that means investing in the data, technology, and expertise of organizations that are building the future solutions this crisis demands.” Through the Impact Fund, the Arbor Day Foundation intends seek out and support organizations that align with our mission and are working to advance forestry and tree-related initiatives within the following sectors: land use management; climate and Earth data; forest carbon technologies; as well as other tree-related technologies. Learn more about the Impact Fund at arborday.org/impactfund.
Page 22 • October 9, 2026
ASK AN attorney
SPONSORED BY
CLINT D. CADWALLADER, ATTORNEY
Q What is a Data Center? Separating Fact From Fiction A
A data center is a purpose-built facility housing the servers and networking equipment that run the technology we all use today — your bank’s transactions, email, hospital records, streaming, and now AI. “The cloud” equals data centers. They range from a single room to campuses spanning hundreds of acres. Q: There is a lot of negative media around data centers recently, but are there benefits? They are among the largest private capital investments a community can land — often hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. It can bring substantial property tax revenue, and a variety of skilled jobs. Nebraska itself had billions of dollars of investment from hyperscalers. Unlike housing or retail, these facilities rarely strain schools or roads, and utilities gain an anchor customer that helps fund grid upgrades, and local governments routinely negotiate other community benefits into the deal. Q: But don’t they use vast amounts of water or electricity? They use a lot, but the fears are often overblown. Modern cooling systems recirculate water, and many newer designs can use very little water for cooling. Google recently stated that one prompt uses around 5 drops of water for cooling. Other daily activities such as growing food, watering lawns, and flushing toilets account for the biggest demands, with data centers accounting for less than .5% of demand.
Q: So why all the recent moratoriums on data centers? A variety of factors. One is that projects have outrun local planning. Another major real driver is the fear of grid-upgrade costs being shifted to ratepayers, plus water-sourcing and noise questions lead communities to feel rushed to answer. Most moratoriums are temporary to study measures, not permanent bans. Though, a pause is not a solution. Capital is mobile. I’ve seen first-hand while negotiating data center deals that it can kill projects. The underlying demand doesn’t vanish — it just gets served elsewhere. Appropriate planning can address legitimate concerns like noise, water sourcing, and setbacks far more effectively than a moratorium or ban, and they keep the community at the negotiating table rather than on the sidelines. Q: What are some unique legal issues? Data center transactions are their own animal. Power and water commitments, redundancy architecture, and service level agreements drive the economics in ways ordinary commercial deals never see. Leases involve heavily negotiated provisions on utility capacity and delivery timing, tax incentives, phased buildouts, and remedies when infrastructure isn’t delivered on schedule. Add transmission easements, environmental permitting, and long-term operational covenants, and you have a specialized practice area where experienced counsel is important.
On power, the demand is real and growing. More of it will be needed in the U.S. if we want to continue to compete with countries like China in the AI space. But data centers typically fund the infrastructure that serves them, and many bring their own generation, including renewable commitments. These are negotiable terms between the data center operator and the utility. CLINT D. CADWALLADER MCGRATH NORTH ATTORNEY, CO-CHAIR, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
Clint D. Cadwallader co-chairs McGrath North’s Business and Corporate Group and leads the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. Clint’s practice focuses on digital infrastructure and intellectual property/technology transactions, and represents landlords, operators, tenants, and customers in leasing, licensing, and colocation deals across North America and Europe. Clint’s recent work covers more than 1,500 megawatts of capacity and more than $25 billion in deal value across 40-plus facilities. Clint has been recognized for his work in The Best Lawyers in America, Great Plains Super Lawyers, and Chambers USA.
McGrath North is an Omaha-based law firm which focuses on client success. The Firm’s talented team of over 70 experts prioritizes working in partnership with the leaders of its clients, which include small and mid-sized businesses to Fortune 500 companies operating in a broad range of industries. DISCLAIMER: Not Legal Advice or Attorney-Client Relationship. The material contained in this article has been prepared by McGrath North for informational purposes. The information is not intended to be and should not be considered legal advice. Transmission of the information is not intended to create and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Page 23 • October 9, 2026
ART news
Voices Rise at Bluebarn BLUEBARN’S SEASON OPENER PLAYS LIKE A SUMMER CONCERT
BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED The Bluebarn’s season opener felt more like a summer outdoor concert, held in Bluebarn Theatre’s Porchyard on a still-warm Oct. 1 night. I loved it. Protest music has, in many ways, been the music I have gravitated toward my entire life. I first heard “Blackbird” as a child, as my mother was a big Beatles fan. I heard other pop classics, such as Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” and Neil Young’s “Ohio” as a child, too. I’m pretty sure I learned the first two verses of “This Land Is Your Land” in a school music class. I certainly did not learn the rest of the verses, although at this stage in my life I have heard them more than once. I learned “Which Side Are You On?” not from Florence Reece, but from Ani DiFranco, on her 2012 album of the same name. “Rise: Songs of Resistance and Resilience” put a lot of these songs into perspective. The great American right to protest peacefully is in full swing with this show, which traveled through the history of America in a somewhat nonlinear fashion. Woody Guthrie’s “This Land” came early in the show, while songs of escaping slavery came later in the first act. In fact, I didn’t so much think I was at a theater performance as at a concert. It was mostly the changing of costumes that reminded us we were in a theater. The players quickly, quietly changed from attire mimicking that of the 19th century, such as long skirts and bib overalls, to all-black clothes for punk-rock tunes, to psychedelic attire as befitted the age of the music. The set was minimal: boxes served as risers for the performers, and silk scarves in a rainbow of colors occasionally waved overhead. When the cast broke for intermission at the end of “Let the Sunshine In,” the anthem from the musical “Hair” that became a hit for the 5th Dimension, several people in the audience continued sitting for a moment before realizing the first act was over. “Aquarius,” often performed in tandem with it, was not part of this performance, so the act ended on the song’s final rousing refrain rather than on the familiar medley many in the crowd may have expected. Some of the evening’s most affecting moments came in a language I don’t speak. The Spanish-language songs sounded joyful, and while I had no idea what they were saying, you could feel the passion behind Gonatan Ramirez’s songs, ones he remembered hearing from his nana. In this setting, they offered a small taste of what it’s like to feel a song completely without understanding its words. Jordan Willis was a standout. He first came onstage to play the violin for the first couple of songs, and my reaction was, “Wow, he’s a great violinist.” He then came on and sang, and I was blown away by his voice. By the time he came onstage to dance toward the end of the performance, he had shown himself to be the complete package. Of particular delight in the second act was a small selection of songs from the Tony-winning musical “Suffs.” It was announced from the stage that Bluebarn received special permission to perform them. “Suffs,” about the women who fought for the vote, aired on PBS’ “Great Performances” this past May. Jill Anderson created “Rise,” directs it, designed its costumes and sings in its vocal ensemble. Jeanne Cahill handled the musical arrangements, and Jesse Wohlman provided music direction.
“Rise” launches Bluebarn’s 38th season, which carries the theme “Imagine.” In an email, producing artistic director and CEO Susan Clement said she filled the season with plays “rooted in the imagination — stories that hold a mirror to who we are and who we still have the capacity to become.” The five-show lineup continues with “Silent Night of the Lambs,” a comedic mashup returning to the stage, and also includes “On the Verge or The Geography of Yearning,” “An Iliad” and “Liberation,” the winner of the 2026 Tony Award for Best Play and the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Opening a season with an original revue rather than a familiar title isn’t a gamble by Bluebarn’s measure. “At Bluebarn, we create work from an artist-driven perspective, which has shown itself to be a tried-and-true recipe for our longtime success as Omaha’s professional contemporary theatre,” Clement said. That model depends on more than ticket buyers. “Support for our art at the Bluebarn comes in many different forms,” Clement said. “Emotional support, financial support and support from our wonderful patrons and foundations help sustain the ability to continually create live theatre that provokes thought, emotion, action and change.” Audiences appear to be answering that call. As of Oct. 1, 627 of the theater’s 700 capped season memberships had sold, and Clement said tickets for “Rise” are “flying out the door.” “Rise: Songs of Resistance and Resilience” runs through Oct. 18 at Bluebarn Theatre, 1106 S. 10th St. Tickets are available at bluebarn.org or by calling 402-345-1576.
Page 24 • October 9, 2026
Celebrating Sarpy
SPONSORED CONTENT
ANNUAL DINNER PUTS COMMUNITY-VOTED NOMINEES IN THE SPOTLIGHT BY KAREN GIBLER, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER OF THE SARPY COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE It’s time to celebrate Sarpy County’s business community. On Wednesday, November 11, the Sarpy Chamber Annual Dinner will bring together businesses, organizations, community leaders and supporters for an evening dedicated to recognizing the people and organizations making an impact across our community. Held at Embassy Suites - La Vista, the Annual
is the voice behind it. Our nominees were selected through community voting, giving those who live, work and do business in the area an opportunity to recognize the organizations and individuals they see making a difference. Guests can look forward to an evening spent connecting with fellow members of the business community before sitting down for dinner and the
Our Annual Dinner is a special opportunity to come together and celebrate the businesses, organizations and leaders whose work makes a difference throughout the community. — KAREN GIBLER Dinner is a chance to gather, connect and celebrate the accomplishments that deserve a spotlight. And there is plenty to celebrate. This year’s nominees reflect the energy and variety of Sarpy County’s business community. They include small businesses building their reputations, larger employers investing in the community, entrepreneurs turning ideas into growing companies, nonprofits serving their neighbors and leaders making an impact through their work. What makes the recognition even more meaningful
awards ceremony. Whether cheering on a colleague, supporting a fellow Chamber member or simply joining in the celebration, the Annual Dinner is an opportunity to recognize what the Sarpy County business community has accomplished together. The evening begins with cocktail hour at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. at Embassy Suites - La Vista, 12520 Westport Parkway. When the awards ceremony begins, the spotlight will turn to this year’s nominees.
KAREN GIBLER, PRESIDENT AND CAO OF THE SARPY COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES Business of the Year—1-24 Employees 7er Construction; Forsman’s Finest Decks; John Henry’s Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical; Monarch Siding & Windows, Inc.; Papillion Animal Hospital; Papillion City Lifestyle; Pint Nine Brewing; Riddle’s Jewelry Business of Year—25+ Employees 360 Community Services; Courtyard by Marriott & Beardmore Event Center; FBG Facility Services; McKean’s Floor to Ceiling; The Weitz Company New or Emerging Business of the Year Artemis Wellness, LLC; Evergreen Veterinary Clinic; Fully Promoted Omaha; Healing Hearts Therapy; Juiced Fuel; Poarch Chiropractic; The Astro Theater; The Back Nine Golf Papillion Minority Owned Business of the Year Debbie Meyer - Berkshire Hathaway Home Services; Insight Marketing Concepts; Las Chilenas Woman Owned Business of the Year Acapriccio Dance Company; Sprinkle Joy
Non-Profit of the Year 50 Mile March Foundation; Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska; Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA); Lift Up Sarpy County; NeighborGood; Outlook Enrichment; Radio Talking Book Service; SAC Foundation; Town & Country Animal Rescue; Valley Hope Addiction Treatment and Recovery; Vita Nova Maternity Community Business Leader of the Year Angela Heim, Town & Country Animal Rescue; Dr. Mike Rukstalis, DVM, Papillion Animal Hospital; Jason Sevener, 7er Construction; Matt Ricchini, State Farm Insurance; Paul Kenny, Lawn Land and Beyond; Sarah Waldman, Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska
Address:
1243 Golden Gate Drive, Suite 1 Papillion, NE 68046 Contact Us:
The nominations are in. The tables are set. Now, there’s only one thing left to do: celebrate.
402-339-3050 operations@sarpychamber.org
Join us November 11 as we raise a glass to this year’s nominees and reveal the 2026 Annual Awards Dinner honorees.
sarpychamber.org
Website: Social Media:
facebook.com/SarpyChamber linkedin.com/in/sarpychamber
Page 25 • October 9, 2026
MIDLANDS leaders
Lunch Money, Well Spent
INSTINCT TO HELP OTHERS SHAPES WASHINGTON’S CAREER STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA BLUMENTHAL Midlands Leaders is a weekly section showcasing individuals who are making an impact in the community through their professional and volunteer endeavors. To nominate someone for this section, email news@mbj.com with the individual’s name, position, company and email. Uniikye Washington’s philanthropy started in elementary school, when he spent his lunch money buying things for other people. That instinct still shapes his life, from his volunteer work to his daily mission of saying hello to someone new. It also guides his work as a strategy analyst at Quality Glass and Mirror. “It’s been ingrained in me to have a relationship with everyone that you’re involved with,” Washington said. “And so as I’ve gotten older, I’ve just ventured to continue that and expand upon it.”
Managing change
Founded in 1985, Omaha-based Quality Glass and Mirror is a full-service custom glass and aluminum fabricator. A private equity-backed investment group led by a Midwest-based independent sponsor acquired the company in March 2024, with Everside Capital Partners and a Bostonbased small business investment company joining the partnership. Washington joined the company in April 2025. He handles operational analysis and helped implement an enterprise resource planning system that brings the company’s core functions onto one platform. He describes much of his role as change management, bridging leadership and employees on the floor. Washington said he wants employees to know they matter, especially amid change. His favorite part of the job is finding small ways to show it: bringing in doughnuts, writing uplifting notes and celebrating birthdays. “What I’m doing at work is what I do for everyone, anyways,” Washington said. “So I enjoy helping people think through problems and solutions to them, and help on any ventures that they have. And it wasn’t something that I really saw before – that I could make it into a career.” A Dallas native, Washington earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Dallas. His dad’s work as an IT consultant and his own love of numbers led
him into data. After a couple of unfulfilling years in data, Washington decided to pivot. He started applying to roles in different fields, but said it was difficult because his only work experience was with data. When his wife spotted a LinkedIn posting for the Quality Glass and Mirror job, he took a leap of faith and moved to Omaha. “I thought it was very necessary for my career,” Washington said. “Being able to get out of data, it wasn’t something that was easy for me to do because I already had so much experience in it. When someone looked at my resume, that’s what they saw.”
A focus on philanthropy
Washington said Omaha’s philanthropic spirit surprised him most. “It surprised me that I can go volunteer at a different nonprofit every day and see some of the same people volunteering every day, or I can go into rooms and someone needs help, and there are 20 of us either reaching into our pockets or asking how we can help,” Washington said. Washington gives back through the Rotary Club of West Omaha. He recently led a Rotary food-packing event for the Open Door Mission, where members packed 1,000 sack lunches and gathered supplies for 800 more. Washington said he also looks for ways to give in everyday interactions. Echoing his lunch-money days, he still likes to spend $20 taking someone to lunch to hear their story. “Little things like that add up over time, and it’s my purpose to give, so I find ways to do it,” Washington said. A few weeks ago, while Washington and his wife were playing tennis, he waved to a man sitting under a gazebo. Minutes later, the man approached and asked for help. He had been displaced from his home and was struggling to find a place to stay. Washington pointed him to resources and bought him a meal and water. The two talked for about an hour. Before they parted, Washington gave the man his phone number and told him to call anytime. That’s the philanthropy that matters most to Washington: not just giving money to a foundation, but connecting person to person. “It’s just so much easier to understand people when it’s face to face,” Washington said. “It’s so much easier to
UNIIKYE WASHINGTON
understand their perspective, get to know them and let them know that they matter.”
Advocating for Omaha
Washington also serves as community partnership lead for the Greater Omaha Chamber Young Professionals committee, working with Omaha’s entertainment industry to host events for young professionals. He sees Omaha as a hidden gem. The city is smaller than Dallas, he said, but offers plenty of entertainment and something he believes sets it apart: a community that genuinely cares about its people. Washington hopes to help the mayor’s office with its Brain Gain Initiative and to amplify the work of Omaha nonprofits. “I just want to be someone that a lot of people here know that they can turn to, whether that’s in the business community, nonprofit, etc.,” Washington said. “I want people to know that they can come talk to me. I can help point them in the right direction. So really, being a connector while also being an active part of developing the city.”
e e d n A & y g with Win Page 26 • October 9, 2026
BUSINESS news
Students Meet CRE Pros EVENT CONNECTS COLLEGE STUDENTS TO CRE INDUSTRY
BY ANNA BLUMENTHAL PHOTO BY REBECCA MCQUILLEN More than 50 college students gathered at Mammel Hall on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus Sept. 26 for the inaugural Summit U Symposium, an educational and networking event designed to introduce aspiring professionals to the commercial real estate industry and connect them with some of the region’s leading practitioners. The event was hosted by the CRE Summit in partnership with the UNO Real Estate Program and brought together students from UNO, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Creighton University Heider College of Business and Creighton University School of Law. Jerry Slusky, founder of CRE Summit, said the idea came from an uptick in student participation at the summit. Slusky said the team started introducing sessions targeted towards early-career professionals, but then decided to break off Summit University into its own endeavor. In 2026, Grow Omaha and the CRE Summit brought students from all three universities together with local commercial real estate leaders for a networking event designed to spark conversation, build relationships and help students better understand the opportunities available in the field. The Summit U Symposium advances that idea. “There is a lot of passion in students today to get into this world of commercial real estate,” Slusky said. “They see it as a living. They see a very challenging profession, and that you can do this for a long period of time. So I really think that made a big difference.” The centerpiece of the symposium was a presentation by Slusky and UNO Professor Rebecca McQuillen, titled “The CRE Development Process,” which provided students with a practical introduction to commercial real estate development and the role leases play in successful projects. Additional presentations were delivered by local commercial real estate professionals, including Jeff Beals of Grow Omaha and Rod Rhoden, a philanthropist and development leader. Slusky built Summit U to connect students with the commercial real estate community, where job opportunities are abundant. He mentioned his granddaughter, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May. Her group of friends consisted of about 20 people, four of whom studied real estate. Slusky said those four students who studied real estate had jobs lined up upon graduation; the other 16 did not. Slusky also said Summit U aims to strengthen Omaha’s commercial real estate industry by building a local talent pipeline. “There are lots of talented students and young people who want in the business or want to learn,” Slusky said. “And I think everybody I’ve talked to in the business for a reasonable amount of time sees the need for adding more and more younger talent to the pipeline.” Slusky said he particularly enjoyed the Q&A session, where students enthusiastically asked questions for 30 minutes. He said there are plans for a second symposium later this year, noting that he is investigating topics such as financing and the lease, which he calls “the heart of CRE.” “I don’t want to lose the momentum,” Slusky said.
Crossword by Myles Mellor Across 1. Peyton Manning’s famous quarterback call 6. Certain investment, for short 9. Library ID 13. Whitened 14. Winter sports gear 15. Chimney pipe 16. Church donation 17. Fasting time 18. Star Wars, for example 19. Put down 22. Military rank below lieutenant, abbr. 23. Atlanta-based channel 24. Grungy 26. Warren Buffett was known as Omaha’s ____ 30. Detail 31. Eel 32. Attacker 36. To ___ (without exception)- 2 words 37. Belarus’s capital 39. “American Gigolo” star 40. Cousin 42. Tasteful watch 43. Enjoys dinner 44. Key of Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7, 2 words 45. WW II prison camp 47. “Mamma __”, by Abba 48. Comedian Margaret 49. Medieval pop singer 54. This-and-that dish 56. James of soul music 57. Big name in book clubs 59. Approved 60. Neckwear accessories 61. Many, prefix 62. Prosperity 63. Cadillac model 64. Curving letters Down 1. Select, with “for”
2. Domestic 3. High, prefix 4. Snarky laughs 5. In a proficient manner 6. Big furniture retailer 7. Carnival game 8. Star-like symbol 9. There are some big __ with this project 10. Guns N’ Roses guitarist 11. What Omahans might call a shopping cart 12. Well-groomed 14. Some cameras, abbr. 20. Honest president’s nickname
Page 27 • October 9, 2026
21. Comedian Carvey 25. Mark of disgrace 26. Puerto Rican pop singer, Don ___ 27. It wasn’t built in a day 28. Asia’s shrinking ___ Sea 29. The Great White North 30. Glazier’s items 33. Cobb of Hollywood, 2 words 34. “Cogito, ___ sum” 35. Backside 37. Mosque towers 38. “Eureka!”- 3 words 41. Slant 42. Popular joke referring to a
magical field that protects Omaha from severe storms, 2 words 44. Spy org. 45. Fountain order 46. Put ___ (sail away)- 2 words 47. New corp. hires, abbr. 48. Sweet Nebraskan treat, puppy ___ 50. Versatile vehicles 51. Sonata, e.g. 52. Some internet addresses 53. Speed or frequency 55. The good cholesterol that clears arteries 58. Towel stitching
IN THE spotlight
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The Orr Law Group, PLLC 9375 Burt Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 LEGAL NOTICE TO: Hamdi Shala, an Individual, and all others claiming an interest in the property, names unknown. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Complaint has been filed against you in the District Court of Sarpy County, Nebraska, in the case entitled Naser Bytyci, as Guardian, and Lumni Bytyci, as Conservator, of Shkurta Bytyci, v. Hamdi Shala, an Individual, and all others claiming an interest in the property, names unknown, and filed at Case No. CI 26-1673. This lawsuit arises out of quiet title interest in certain real property (Parcel ID No. 011586094), legally described as follows: Lot 106, Brookside, a Subdivision in Sarpy County, Nebraska (a/k/a 10523 South 25th Avenue, Bellevue, Nebraska, 68123). Plaintiff, Hamdi Shala, et al., prays that title to the property be quieted and confirmed to the Plaintiff, for all rights, status, and legal relations, for the determination that Plaintiff is the true and correct owner of the property herein, and all other relief that the Court may deem fair and just. In order to defend this lawsuit, you must file and serve an Answer, or such Complaint will be taken as true, and judgment entered accordingly for the relief demanded in the Complaint filed against you. By: Dailp. Pat DANIEL P. BOST, #27297 CONNOR W. ORR, #26454 The Orr Law Group, PLLC 9375 Burt Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 402.408.6488 dan@orrlawgrp.com connor@orrlawgrp.com Attorneys for Plaintiff First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION In the County Court of Sarpy County TO: Adam F. Azab, Fayth F. Spangler, and Dore A. Rutgers. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Taylor Investments LLC has filed a Complaint in the County Court of Sarpy County Nebraska against you as Defendants, Case No. CI 26-5784. The object and prayer of the Complaint is a breach of contract and damages. You will take notice that to defend this lawsuit an appropriate response must be filed by the Clerk of the Court and a copy must be served on or before November 5, 2026, or the allegations contained in said Complaint will be taken as true. Dated this 5TH day of October, 2026. Tiffany E. Thompson, #26114 Attorney at Law 4611 South 96th Street, Suite 256 Omaha, NE 68127 First publication October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF DOMESTICATION OF RETENTION WIZARD LLC Retention Wizard LLC has been domesticated from Nebraska to Washington, effective October 1, 2026. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BUSER LLP PATRICK M. FLOOD, ATTORNEY 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114-3728 NOTICE OF AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF TOGETHER WE RISE, INC. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Articles of Incorporation of Together We Rise, Inc., a Nebraska public benefit corporation (the “Corporation”), have been amended and restated by the Member and Directors as of September 10, 2026, and filed with the Secretary of State on September 23, 2026. The Articles of Incorporation have been amended to generally provide as follows: 1. To specify that the Corporation has no members and is governed by a Board of Directors. 2. To specify that the Articles of Incorporation can only be amended by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Directors. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFIATE OF ORGANIZATION OF NAMWEST LLC YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Certificate of Organization of NamWest LLC (the “LLC”) was amended and restated to supersede in its entirety the previous Articles of Organization filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on May 27, 2009, and any and all amendments, restatements or revisions thereto. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Organization was filed September 2, 2026. The LLC’s registered agent and office is
McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, PC LLO, c/o Jon Blumenthal, 1601 Dodge Street, Suite 3700, Omaha, NE 68102. The LLC’s principal office address is 2121 Douglas Street, Attn: Property Manager, Omaha NE 68102. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BUSER LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114-3728 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF NCCS PROPERTIES, LLC NCCS PROPERTIES, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), filed its STATEMENT OF DISSOLUTION with the Nebraska Secretary of State on October 2, 2026. Persons with claims against the Company must present such claim to: NCCS Properties, LLC, c/o Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Ste. 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Claims against the Company must include the following information: (i) claimant’s name, address and telephone number during business hours; (ii) any facts which may support the claim; and (iii) any amounts allegedly owed by the Company under the claim. Claims not including this information will not be reviewed. Any claims against the Company will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce such claims is commenced within five (5) years after the date this Notice is last published. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF MIDWEST DRILL SEEDING, LLC Pursuant to the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Midwest Drill Seeding, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company (the “company”), shall be dissolved in accordance with the terms of the statement of dissolution dated September 30th, 2026. The terms thereof are as follows: there are no pending contracts of the company to resolve or assign, no known outstanding debt or liabilities of the company, and the company’s assets, if any, will be divested from the company and distributed to its sole member in accordance with the operating agreement and the aforementioned consent signed by the member. James Thibault will wind up and liquidate the company’s business and affairs. There are no assets or liabilities of the company known to exist at this time. A claim against the dissolved company will be barred unless proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within three (3) years of the publication of this notice. Said claims, if any, shall be sent to the company’s attorneys at the above-provided offices within the aforementioned time frame. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY, LLP Daniel J. Waters, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GRAPHIC ARTS, NEBRASKA CHAMBER, INC. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of the dissolution of American Institute of Graphic Arts, Nebraska Chapter, Inc., a Nebraska nonprofit corporation (Corporation), effective September 18, 2026. The terms and conditions of such dissolution are, in general, that when all debts and obligations of the Corporation have been fully paid and satisfied and any remaining assets will be distributed in accordance with the Articles of Dissolution. Elizabeth Hunt, as President, is to manage the company’s affairs and distribute any remaining company assets. Parties with claims against the limited liability company are directed to submit them in writing to the attention of Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP, 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. All claims against the Corporation will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce such claims is commenced within five (5) years after the publication of this Notice. American Institute of Graphic Arts, Nebraska Chapter, Inc., a Nebraska nonprofit corporation By: Elizabeth Hunt, President. 4930-2567-9310, v. 1 First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BUSER LLP EMILY F. MORDHORST, Attorney 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF G&J ASSET GROUP, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of G&J ASSET GROUP, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is G&J ASSET GROUP, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Emily F. Mordhorst, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Daniel J. Waters, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF H&L COLLECTIVE, LLC YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is H&L Collective, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 10320 N. 191 st Ave., Bennington, NE 68007. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on October 1, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. 4935-9846-7541, v. 1 First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF TAX CURATED LUXURY, LL YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that STAX Curated Luxury, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the state of Nebraska, with its initial designated office at 8116 S 192 Ave, Gretna, NE 68028 and its initial registered agent at Lindsay Kurtzuba, 8116 S 192 Ave, Gretna, NE 68028 First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF OPERATE WITH CLARITY LLC YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Operate With Clarity LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial designated office is 4915 N. 140th Street, Omaha, NE 68164. The initial agent for service of process is Mykala Nath, 4915 N. 140th Street, Omaha, NE 68164. The professional service rendered is Accountancy. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026
Page 29 • October 9, 2026
LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Erin K. Artz, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF FLAMINGO FILMS, LLC YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is FLAMINGO FILMS, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 200 S. 21st ST., STE 400A, Lincoln, NE 68510. The name and address of the registered agent is Nebraska Registered Agent LLC 200 S. 21st ST., STE 400A, Lincoln, NE 68510. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on August 20, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. Erin K. Artz, Legal Counsel First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Daniel J. Waters, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF CHULA V, LLC YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is Chula V, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 9630 Koi Rock Dr. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on September 11, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. 4932-0475-8736, v. 1 First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Daniel J. Waters, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF WALNUT HILL PROPERTIES, LLC YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is Walnut Hill Properties, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 5016 N. 155 th Ave., Omaha, NE 68116. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on September 16, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. 4935-1032-6227, v. 1 First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ARKSTONE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Arkstone, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 3512 North 163rd Plaza, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 Walentine O’Toole, LLP, Attorneys 11240 Davenport Street P.O. Box 540125 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF K&S JOHNSON, LLC K&S Johnson, LLC, with its initial designated office at 10641 S. 191st St., Omaha, NE 68136, gives notice that it filed its Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State on September 28, 2026, and that it has been organized as a Nebraska limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial agent for service of process is David P. Wilson, and his initial mailing address is 11240 Davenport St., Omaha, NE 68154. The company’s period of duration is perpetual, and the general nature of its business is to engage in any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. Kyle Johnson, Sole Member. 4913-8672-5333, v. 1 First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Law Offices 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114-3450 Telephone 402-392-1250 Facsimile 402-392-0816 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION BIG O ENERGY CO LLC Big O Energy Co. LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the company is 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 LINDSEY A. SCHULER, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72nd Street, Suite 1200 Omaha, NE 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF AJ VETERINARY SOLUTIONS, LLC The name of the limited liability company is AJ Veterinary Solutions, LLC . The address of the initial designated office is 13588 Co Rd P18, Blair, NE 68008. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, LLC, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. The company is organized to render the professional service of Veterinary Services. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COLUMBUS PROPERTIES II, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Columbus Properties II, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 3449 N 48th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, Nebraska 68504. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100,
LEGAL notices Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF a Limited Liability Company NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that PATCH AND PAINT BROS LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 1922 S 18TH ST OMAHA, NE 68108. The registered agent of PATCH AND PAINT BROS LLC is SYLVIA LOPEZ with address 1922 S 18TH ST OMAHA, NE 68108. First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BUSER LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BLOCK 146 OMAHA, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the organization of BLOCK 146 OMAHA, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is BLOCK 146 OMAHA, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 4433 S. 133rd Street, PO Box 45430, Omaha, Nebraska 68137, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Gerald S. Reimer, 4433 S. 133rd Street, PO Box 45430, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Phillip T. Sanberg, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF MALACHI ROSE COUNSELING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is Malachi Rose Counseling, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 6235 N. 75th Street, Omaha, NE 68134. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on September 29, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 CARLSON & BLAKEMAN, LLP MATTHEW WURSTNER, Attorney 11429 Davenport Street Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CC & CO HOLDINGS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that CC & CO HOLDINGS, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial designated office is 11429 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE 68154. The Company’s initial registered agent in the State of Nebraska is: MATTHEW WURSTNER, whose address is 11429 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE 68154. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which are not prohibited by the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced with filing its Certificate of Organization on September 29, 2026, and shall have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is a Manager Managed Limited Liability Company. MATTHEW WURSTNER, Organizer First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF H&S OMNI MANAGEMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that H&S Omni Management, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 920 S. 107th Avenue, Suite 250, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KOUASSI HELPING HAND, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that KOUASSI HELPING HAND, LLC , a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, designating its registered agent as Thomas E. Horgan, an individual, with its registered office at 13304 West Center Rd, Ste. 109, Omaha, NE 68144. Its designated office address 7740 N 87th Street Omaha, NE 68122. The Company was organized for the purpose of engaging in the transaction of any lawful business and the performance of any lawful activities that a limited liability company may engage in under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company shall have a perpetual existence unless dissolved in accordance with its Certificate of Organization, its Operating Agreement, or the Limited Liability Company Act. Unless otherwise provided in the Company’s Operating Agreement, the affairs of the Company are to be managed by its Managing Member(s). First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SFF ADAMS I, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SFF Adams I, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 920 South 107th Avenue, Suite 250, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VITARUSH, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Vitarush, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 20875 Rawhide Road, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026
NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TWO GIRLS – ONE CLOSET, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Two Girls – One Closet, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 20875 Rawhide Road, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF A & D OLSON FARMS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that A & D Olson Farms, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1618 South 118th Street, Omaha, Nebraska. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Erin K. Artz, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AJA MAPLE GROUP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is AJA Maple Group, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 11531 Portal Rd., Ste. 16, La Vista, NE 68128. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on September 18, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. 4920-0902-0624, v. 1 First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Daniel J. Waters, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF OPLS HOLDING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is OPLS Holding, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 9240 S. 124th St., Papillion, NE 68046. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on September 25, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. 4935-1032-6227, v. 1 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Daniel J. Waters, Attorney 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF SEA BREEZE ESCAPE AT PONCE LANDING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is Sea Breeze Escape at Ponce Landing, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 4406 South 220 th St., Elkhorn, NE 68022. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on September 25, 2026 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. 4929-9913-9283, v. 1 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COUNCILL BEHAVIORAL BUSINESS SERVICES, LLC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that COUNCILL BEHAVIORAL BUSINESS SERVICES, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska as a limited liability company. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1102 Roland Dr., Papillion, Nebraska 68046. The Registered Agent of the Company is Joanne Councill, 1102 Roland Dr., Papillion, Nebraska 68046. The company commenced business on September 10, 2026. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNITY REL ESTATE SOLUTIONS, LLC Community Real Estate Solutions, LLC, with its designated office located at 331 Village Pointe Plaza, Omaha, NE 68118, gives notice that it filed a Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of State on September 30, 2026. The registered agent is Barbara MedberyPrchal and the Registered Office is 3555 Farnam St. Suite 1000, Omaha, NE 68131. The company may engage in any lawful business or commercial activity for which a limited liability company may be organized. Christopher A. Bauer, Organizer First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF TDF, L.L.C. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that TDF, L.L.C., a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), filed a Statement of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State on September 30, 2026, with an effective date of October 1, 2026. If you have a claim against the Company, please provide in writing the following information with respect to your claim: (1) your name or the name of your entity; (2) the nature of your claim; (3) the amount of your claim; and (4) the date in which your claim arose. All claims shall be mailed to 11651 Trumble Loup E, Bellevue, NE 68123. A claim against the Company will be barred unless an action to enforce the claim is commenced within five years from the date of your receipt of this notice. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026
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LAMSON DUGAN & MURRAY LLP Philip T. Sanberg 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF BALU, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is BALU, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 10605 Adams Drive, Omaha, NE 68127. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on September 23, 2026, and shall have perpetual duration. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc. 4919-1993-1597, v. 1 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 1099-R, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 1099-R, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company 5960 Vandervoot Drive, #100, Lincoln, Nebraska 68516. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BUSER LLP BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114-3728 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF 72 FARNAM CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the incorporation of 72 Farnam Condominium Association under the laws of the State of Nebraska, as follows: 1. The name of the Corporation is 72 Farnam Condominium Association. 2. The Corporation is a mutual benefit corporation. 3. The address of the initial registered office is 10250 Regency Circle, Ste. 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name of the initial registered agent at that office is Benjamin J. Pick. 4. The name and street address of the incorporators are as follows: Lindsay Banks 12910 Pierce Street, Ste. 110 Omaha, Nebraska 68144 5. The Corporation shall have members. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GROD DEVELOPMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that GROD Development, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is Goldenrod RA, Inc., 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 CARLSON & BLAKEMAN, LLP MATTHEW WURSTNER, Attorney 11429 Davenport Street Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MFS MANAGEMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that MFS MANAGEMENT, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial designated office is 11429 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE 68154. The Company’s initial registered agent in the State of Nebraska is: MATTHEW WURSTNER, whose address is 11429 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE 68154. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which are not prohibited by the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced with filing its Certificate of Organization on September 29, 2026, and shall have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is a Manager Managed Limited Liability Company. MATTHEW WURSTNER, Organizer First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 Walentine O’Toole, LLP, Attorneys 11240 Davenport Street P.O. Box 540125 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CAPE BUFFALO, LLC Cape Buffalo, LLC, with its initial designated office at 10304 Prairie Rd., Omaha, NE 68134, gives notice that it filed its Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State on September 22, 2026, and that it has been organized as a Nebraska limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial agent for service of process is Jonathan M. Brown, and his initial mailing address is 11240 Davenport St., Omaha, NE 68154. The company’s period of duration is perpetual, and the general nature of its business is to engage in any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. Matthew J. Burbach, Manager Scott Shirk, Manager Jared Clarke, Manager First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF NIKSEN VENDING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Niksen Vending, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the state of Nebraska, with its initial designated office at 4029 N. 152nd Cir, Omaha, NE 68116. The initial agent for service of process of the Company is Robert Johnson, 4029 N 152nd Cir, Omaha, NE 68116. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026
LEGAL notices NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KESTER MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTING , L.L.C. Pursuant to the Neb.Rev.St. §§ 21-193 & 21-117, n NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has formed a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The name of the Limited Liability Company is KESTER MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTING , L.L.C. The address of the Company’s initial registered office in Nebraska is 9375 Burt Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68114 and the name of its registered agent at such address is Connor W. Orr. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial designated office is 2843 Dale Lane, Arlington, NE 68002. This company is organized to engage in and to do any lawful business for any lawful purpose, for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company’s duration is perpetual beginning on the date the Certificate of Organization was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Nebraska. The affairs of the limited liability company are conducted by Manager, Member and such other officers as may be provided for in the Operating Agreement. Tyler Kester, Member and Manager Connor W. Orr, Organizer 9375 Burt Street, Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68114 (402) 408-6488 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LIFE STRATA DISCOVERY LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Life Strata Discovery LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the initial designated office is 6411 S 92nd St, Omaha, NE 68127. The name and address of the initial registered agent for service of process is Dana Eugene Bradfield, 6411 S. 92nd St, Omaha, NE 68127. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney 1010 South 120 th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JINUP DOBUOL, LLC The name of the Company is Jinup Dobuol, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company engaging in NIL monetization. The initial registered agent is Sean Moylan located at 1010 S. 120th Street, Suite #320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The initial designated office of the Company stated in the Certificate of Organization was 1010 S. 120th Street, Suite #320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. This limited liability company commenced business on September 25, 2026. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GROD CYTOWN INVESTMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that GROD CyTown Investment, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is Goldenrod RA, Inc., 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GROD VENTURES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that GROD Ventures, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is Goldenrod RA, Inc., 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 CARLSON & BLAKEMAN, LLP MATTHEW WURSTNER, Attorney 11429 Davenport Street Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HOPE CARE TRANSPORT SERVICES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that HOPE CARE TRANSPORT SERVICES, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial designated office is 4324 N 132nd St #234, Omaha, NE 68164. The Company’s initial registered agent in the State of Nebraska is: MATTHEW WURSTNER, whose address is 11429 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE 68154. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which are not prohibited by the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced with filing its Certificate of Organization on September 25, 2026, and shall have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is a Manager Managed Limited Liability Company. MATTHEW WURSTNER, Organizer First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BUSER LLP BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CHRISSIE SCOTT INVESTMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the organization of CHRISSIE SCOTT INVESTMENTS, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is CHRISSIE SCOTT INVESTMENTS, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 19295 Poppleton Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Christina A. Scott, 19295 Poppleton Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 ERICKSON | SEDERSTROM, P.C. 10330 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDED CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION On September 17, 2026, an Amendment to the Certificate of Organization of DCHA Single Family, LLC was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State to change the name of the organization to NASF Housing, LLC. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TL-SMA ROCHESTER 2660, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that TL-SMA Rochester 2660, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 920 S. 107th Avenue, Suite 250, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026
NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SOWER SC TIMBERLINE-SMA, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Sower SC Timberline-SMA, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 920 S. 107th Avenue, Suite 250, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Dvorak Law Group, LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 GREVENGOED LAW PLLC Tyler J. Grevengoed, Attorney 1901 Howard St., STE 224 Omaha, NE 68102 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SJR RENTALS LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SJR RENTALS LLC, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial designated office is 709 W. Angus Rd, Gretna, Nebraska 68028. The Company’s initial registered agent in the State of Nebraska is: Tyler J. Grevengoed, whose address is 1901 Howard Street, Suite 224, Omaha, Nebraska, 68102. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which are not prohibited by the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced with filing its Certificate of Organization on September 14, 2026, and shall have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is a Member Managed Limited Liability Company. /s/ Tyler J. Grevengoed. Tyler J. Grevengoed, Organizer First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM MARTIN P. PELSTER, Attorney 2120 S. 72nd Street, Suite 1200 Omaha, NE 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TC ACCOMMODATOR 384, LLC AND NOTICE OF AMENDMENT The name of the limited liability company is TC Accommodator 384, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 8701 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68114. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Janet Clark, 8701 West Dodge Road, Suite 150, Omaha, NE 68114. An Amendment was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on September 24, 2026, changing the name of the limited liability company from TC Accommodator 384, LLC to LTP South Dakota (Reverse Exchange), LLC, changing the designated office to 9808 South 148th Street, Omaha, NE 68138, changing the registered agent to Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C., and changing the registered agent address to 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CHRONIC WELLNESS AND AESTHETICS LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Chronic Wellness and Aesthetics LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized pursuant to the Nebraska Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The designated office of the Limited Liability Company is located at 17622 Douglas Circle, Omaha, Nebraska, 68118. The designated office of the Limited Liability Company is located at 17622 Douglas Circle, Omaha, NE 68118. The registered agent for service of process is Kristin Chronic, 17622 Douglas Circle, Omaha, NE, 68118 Kristin Chronic, Member/Owner. Dated: 9/16/2026 First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GC PAC SPRINGS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that GC Pac Springs, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is Goldenrod RA, Inc., 14606 Branch Street, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication October 9, 2026, final October 23, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF AGP EL PASO 801, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that AGP El Paso 801, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company 10730 Pacific Street, Suite 230, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PEEWEES TRANSPORTPRO LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Peewees TransportPro LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 3925 R St., Omaha, NE 68107. The registered agent of Peewees TransportPro LLC is Northwest Registered Agent Service Inc at 200 S 21st ST., STE 400A Lincoln, NE 68510. Statement of Change was filed on 09/16/2026. In that Statement of Change the Registered Agent and Address was changed to Juan D Martin at 3925 R St Omaha, NE 68107. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF OMAHA 11102, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Omaha 11102, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 920 South 107th Avenue, Suite 250, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, Esq., 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF OMNICORP VALLEY 801, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Omnicorp Valley 801, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company 10730 Pacific Street, Suite 230, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026
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NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF OMNICORP GRETNA 801, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Omnicorp Gretna 801, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company 10730 Pacific Street, Suite 230, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OFJG OMAHA CONCRETE SOLUTIONS LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that JG OMAHA CONCRETE SOLUTIONS LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 4223 S 38th St Omaha, NE 68107. The registered agent of JG OMAHA CONCRETE SOLUTIONS LLC is JESUS GOMEZ-ACOSTA at 4223 S 38th St Omaha, NE 68107. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION BENDIXEN COUNSELING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN given that Bendixen Consulting, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the designated office is 3539 N 45th Ave. Omaha, NE 68104. The name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Margret Bendixen, 3539 N 45th Ave. Omaha, NE 68104. The general nature of its business is to engage in any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of Nebraska. First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney 1010 South 120 th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CHIANG RING, LLC The name of the Company is Chiang Ring, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company engaging in NIL monetization. The initial registered agent is Sean Moylan located at 1010 S. 120 th Street, Suite #320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 . The initial designated office of the Company stated in the Certificate of Organization was 1010 S. 120 th Street, Suite #320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. This limited liability company commenced business on September 17, 2026. First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COMMON ETHOS CONSULTING LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Common Ethos Consulting LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The street address of the initial designated office is 2201 South 42nd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68105. The mailing address of the initial designated office is 4601 Catalyst Court, #1159, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The initial agent for service of process is Registered Agents Inc., 200 S. 21st St., STE 400A, Lincoln, Nebraska 68510. First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF EZFX, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that EZFX, LLC is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the initial designated office is 2328 S 23rd St, Omaha, NE 68108. The name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Uriel Aguayo, 2328 S 23rd St, Omaha, NE 68108. The limited liability company is member-managed. First publication October 2, 2026, final October 16, 2026 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VALYOU THE FLIP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that ValYou the Flip LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. Designated office address of the company: 2717 N 97 St, Omaha, NE 68134. Registered agent is Valerie Buresh 2717 N 97 St, Omaha, NE 68134 First publication September 25, 2026, final October 9, 2026 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: HEARTLAND WOOD FLOORS. Name of Applicant: JKH&O Ventures, LLC Address: 1640 S 153RD STREET , OMAHA, NE 68144 Applicant is LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska. Date of first use of name in Nebraska: September 9, 2026. General nature of business: Wood flooring. Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative /s/Jacob Krebs, Manager. First publication October 9, 2026 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: RED OAK TAVERN. Name of Applicant: CAPE BUFFALO, LLC Address: 10304 PRAIRIE RD., OMAHA, NE 68134 Applicant is LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska. Date of first use of name in Nebraska: October 1, 2026. General nature of business: Restaurant. Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative /s/Camille R. Hawk. First publication October 9, 2026
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