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OMAHA: WE DON’T COAST

When children are your everything, Anything can be. At Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, science and heart lead us to even greater pediatric breakthroughs. We provide the very best in pediatric specialty care, advance pediatric research, educate tomorrow’s experts and advocate for children, families and entire communities – to improve the future of medicine, and the life of every child.

Education

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Care

2019

To ﬁnd a physician for your child, call 1.800.833.3100 or visit ChildrensOmaha.org.

WE DON’T COAST.

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Trusted with connections that keep business moving forward.

We Innovate. We Disrupt. We Win. Orion, a leading ﬁnancial technology company, is proud to call Omaha home! With roots in the Omaha community dating back to 1989, we’re growing and thriving on the Silicon Prairie.

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SERVING NEBRASKA From leading the worldwide fight against Ebola to serving Nebraskans across the state to attracting the world’s top faculty and students, UNMC is ever on the forefront of breakthroughs for life. About half of Nebraska’s physicians, dental professionals, pharmacists, bachelor’s-degreed nurses and allied health professionals graduated from UNMC.

More than 250 Nebraskans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year. UNMC’s superteam of clinicians and scientists is working to develop the next generation of treatments for this devastating disease.

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Along with our primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, UNMC has an annual $4.8 billion impact on the state’s economy. Each year we generate $165.1 million in tax revenue.

Through its iEXCELSM initiative, UNMC is enhancing connectivity and interdisciplinary education across the state through the strategic installation of iWalls in Omaha, Scottsbluff, Kearney, Lincoln and Norfolk.

Learn more at unmc.edu/servingnebraska

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THE COMMUNITY IS OUR CLIENT At Noddle Companies, each of our projects are community driven. It’s our goal to deliver meaningful developments to the cities in which we work. The Omaha - Council Bluﬀs Metro is an exceptional place and we are proud to play a role in the future.

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A FAMILY

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OMAHA RIVERFRONT

We welcome.

We live large.

t’s more than you imagined and exactly what you want. Welcome to Greater Omaha. Curious minds, open arms and a desire to help everybody become somebody make this a standout place to fit in.

ONELAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY

We Welcome • 7

Immersed in building momentum T

he challenge in producing our award-winning annual publication “We Don’t Coast” isn’t finding extraordinary people, places and deeds to profile – it’s narrowing the list. As you flip through these pages, we hope you’ll get a better sense of who we are and how we operate, and by immersing in our stories, you’ll come to see how living here can elevate your life, career and business, as well. A thriving metro of more than 960,000, today’s Greater Omaha celebrates the arts and quality education; embraces business, tiny to titan; and reveres family and activity, hospitality and humility. Not just a great place to live – a great place to be alive. A community where you can stand up and stand out, energized by a well-educated workforce; a low cost of living; competitive wages; and a diverse business community where it’s your choice: grow your career at a startup or Fortune 500, or start the next one. Young professionals have a voice and path here. We embrace diversity of thought, perspective and experience as essential to corporate

and community success. Work-life balance? We’re making a name for ourselves on that front, too. (Omaha recently ranked No. 8 on Kisi’s 2019 list of top cities for work-life balance, buoyed, in part, by our 93.7% happiness score and 20.2-minute, one-way commute, on average.) The 2019 edition of “We Don’t Coast” is a reflection of how we do work-life balance, showcasing businesses, institutions, neighbors and diversions that draw people and attention to our community, our quality of life and the unlimited opportunities for those living here. This is who we are – a community born along the Missouri River, proud of our history, and one of America’s great next-generation regions. We are always moving forward — with the current and against it — and in times of challenge and triumph. No coasting allowed. If you’re thinking about expanding your business, relocating your family or moving on your own, we look forward to welcoming you and helping you achieve your best. We are Greater Omaha, and everyone who comes here to work hard and succeed makes us even greater.

Lance Fritz

David G. Brown

Chairman, Greater Omaha Chamber Board of Directors Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Union Pacific

President & CEO, Greater Omaha Chamber

ERIC FRANCIS

8 • We Welcome

We’re here to power your entrepreneurial spirit.

Whether your company is more Silicon Prairie or actual prairie, there’s no better place to grow a business than Omaha. And there’s no better bank to help you make it happen.

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We entertain 16 “Omaha: We Don’t Coast,” 2019 edition, is a Greater Omaha Chamber publication created and produced by the Omaha World-Herald to showcase the 30+ communities that make Omaha – Greater Omaha.

President and CEO, David G. Brown 808 Conagra Drive, Suite 400, Omaha, NE 68102 402-346-5000 info@OmahaChamber.org OmahaChamber.org SelectGreaterOmaha.com WeDontCoast.com

D E E N VA N M E E R

We toast 42

GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER PROJECT TEAM Project Director: Jill Bruckner Project Coordinator: Jessica Perreault Creative Director: Kim Sellmeyer Project Contributor: Anne Branigan OMAHA WORLD-HERALD PROJECT TEAM Art Director and Editor: Chris Christen Designers: Quentin Lueninghoener, Ben Vankat Lead Writers: Jason Fox, Dan McCann Copy Editors: Shelley Larsen, Rich Mills, Kurt A. Keeler Imaging Specialist: Kiley Cruse Advertising Sales Manager: Lauren Miller

We play 56

BEN ROTHE

We inspire 88

We live 78

VISIT OMAHA

KELLI BELLOW

We care 106

ON THE COVER Paige Ulozas on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge photographed by Jesse Attanasio/ONElapse Photography

We launch 122 B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

M A L O N E A N D C O M P A N Y.

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This publication includes content previously published in the Omaha World-Herald. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of all information published here. The Greater Omaha Chamber and the Omaha World-Herald assume no responsibility for misinformation. No part of this publication may be reproduced without joint permission of the Greater Omaha Chamber and The World-Herald. Printed by Aradius Group

10 • We Welcome

BRAD J. WILLIAMS

WE FOCUS. At Koley Jessen, the key to our success is focusing on our clients. This means gaining a deep understanding of their industry. It means gathering the knowledge to become an extension of their business. And most importantly, it means finding and maximizing opportunities for their growth.

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First in Omaha. As the ďŹ rst nationally chartered bank in Nebraska, First National Bank of Omaha has contributed to the growth of the Cornhusker State for more than 160 years. We are proud to have been named one of Forbes Best Banks in America.

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An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

we build a sustainable future

When we say we build a sustainable future, we’re not just talking about how our coatings help metal products last 100 years. Or how our irrigation technologies are feeding a growing world population. We’re also talking about careers. From its Nebraska roots, Valmont has grown into one of Omaha’s premier global companies. With numerous facilities around the world, opportunities to build a sustainable career are boundless. Learn more at www.valmont.com/careers.

The power is MUTUAL Join forces with a company that can AMPLIFY YOUR STRENGTHS AND EMPOWER YOUR CAREER.

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We entertain.

DISNEYâ€™S LION KING

We bring the fun.

ur entertainment district is six counties wide. A vibrant mix of artful entertainment and entertaining arts keeps every corner of our region pulsing with creative energy.

D E E N VA N M E E R

We Entertain â€˘ 17

ith all due respect to streamin’, chillin’, slackin’ and relaxin’, life is better when it has an ample dose of honest-togoodness living. The kind that encourages you to unwind by getting a little wound up, a little excited and fully immersed in living, breathing, breath-stealing fun. The kind of fun often found on screen, on stage and on command throughout our region. From community festivals to cult classics to cultured offerings, there is never an excuse for having nothing to do. It’s easy to give your regards to Broadway because Broadway comes to us. Official touring productions of favorites such as “Wicked,” “Come From Away,” and, yes, “Hamilton,” pack the Orpheum Theater. National, regional and local acts grace stages at The Rose Theater, Bellevue Little Theatre and Omaha Community Playhouse (where Marlon Brando and Henry Fonda, among others, made their stage debuts). And if iambic pentameter is your favorite thing, relax and enjoy a bit of Shakespeare on the Green. If you prefer your stage shows a little more beatdriven (engagements of “Stomp” notwithstanding), there is no shortage of concerts or club dates to check out. On the arena18 • We Entertain

Rock, roll, watch, wander and wonder

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rocking end: performers big enough to go by one name – Beyoncé, Cher, Wyclef, Bono. Scads of more intimate venues showcase up-and-comers and eclectic troubadours. While cities twice our size may have one big outdoor venue, we do them thrice better with Stir Cove, SumTur Amphitheater and Westfair Amphitheater. But if one night isn’t enough, lose yourself in the multi-day music goodness of festivals like Maha and Playing With Fire. And if “free” is the sweetest music to your ears, you’ll find plenty each summer with Jazz on the Green, Bridge Beats and Vibes at Village Pointe, among others. Skipping from stage(s) to screen you’ll discover a thriving love of film throughout Omaha. The recently rejuvenated Dundee Theater, and its Film Streams sister, the Ruth Sokolof E VA N Z I M M E R M A N / M U R P H Y M A D E

Theater, play independent fare in settings more inviting and engaging than any couch. Not that you were considering returning to your sofa, of course. You still have to walk The Bob – the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge spanning the mighty Missouri River (and say hello to newcomer Omar, the troll). And put pedal to the pico de gallo on the Taco Ride before touring the public art installations in Council Bluffs. Did we mention the many holiday celebrations, local festivals and county fairs? Maybe a break on the recliner isn’t such a bad idea after all. But only for a bit, because around here, a night or afternoon or threeday weekend is always the right time for good music, a good show and a great time. We Entertain • 19

CHRISTIAN ROBERTSON PHOTOGRAPHY

PIEPER ROEDER

Ragtime riches 20 • We Entertain

t 10, Pieper Roeder is a veteran of the theater. She’s been performing on Omaha stages since age 6. She hit it big in 2019 with a featured role as Little Girl in the critically acclaimed “Ragtime” at the Omaha Community Playhouse. A reviewer for Broadway World called Pieper a “pint-sized pro” with “adorable” stage presence as the daughter of a central character in the musical. “I probably learned that I am a better actress when I’m working with others, and not just working by myself,” Pieper says. Rehearsing her lines at home in front of family, she says, was more nerve-racking than

being on the OCP stage. Pieper’s mom, Lauren Roeder, says the “Ragtime” storyline of three divergent groups of people who intersect in New York in the early 1900s had a powerful impact on her family, both on and off stage. Audiences everywhere can relate. “It has opened the door for so many conversations that are hard … but important.” Broadway World’s headline got it right: “‘Ragtime’ Packs a Punch.” “Talent is talent, no matter where you are,” says Artistic Director Kimberly Faith Hickman. “I’m dazzled daily by the talent here.”

ENGAGE

INSPIRE Nia Holloway as Nala, Buyi Zama as Raﬁki and The Lionesses in THE LION KING North American Tour © Disney. Photo by Deen van Meer.

CONNECT Our venues, the Orpheum Theater and the Holland Center, are Nebraska’s destinations for extraordinary experiences that engage, inspire and connect. We bring the best of: Broadway • Jazz • Dance • Popular Entertainment • Family Events • And more!

OMAHAPERFORMINGARTS.ORG | 402.345.0202 | 1200 DOUGLAS STREET | OMAHA, NE

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CO M PA N I E S + S TAGE S

No second takes

OMAHA FRINGE

here’s just something exhilarating about live entertainment – and our stages feature a year-round calendar that’s the highest caliber. Take your seat, silence your cell phone and let our talented performers treat you to an experience that you just can’t get from Netflix or Hulu. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

American Midwest Ballet Bellevue Little Theatre Bluebarn Theatre Brigit St. Brigit Theatre Chanticleer Theater Circle Theatre Elkhorn Community Theatre Florentine Players Jewish Community Center John Beasley Theater & Workshop Lofte Community Theatre Mills Masquers Community Theater Omaha Community Playhouse Omaha Conservatory of Music Omaha Fringe Omaha Performing Arts Omaha Symphony Opera Omaha The Rose Theater Shelterbelt Theatre SNAP Productions UNO Theatre Ralston Community Theatre Papillion-La Vista Community Theatre Performing Arts Repertory Theatre

C R E I G H T O N U N I V E R S I T Y T H E AT E R CHRIS MACHIAN

KENT SIEVERS

OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS

22 • We Entertain

An evening at The Rose inspires your imagination. Something magical happens as you go on an adventure through magical fairy tale lands, run wild through the house with Thing 1 and Thing 2, bring history to life through the words in a diary or discover that the hills really are alive with the sound of music. As you laugh, sigh, sing and dance together, you bond with your child in a unique way and make memories that last a lifetime. Set the stage for an experience your whole family will enjoy -- at The Rose!

2019-20 SEASON

• Go, Dog. Go! • The Cat in the Hat • A Bucket of Blessings • Ella Enchanted • Elf the Musical • Howie D: Back in the Day • The Little Engine That Could • The Diary of Anne Frank • Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience • Corduroy • The Sound of Music

TICKETS: (402) 345-4849 or www.rosetheater.org

OMAHA SYMPHONY

AMERICAN MIDWEST BALLET JIM WILLIAMS

JIM WILLIAMS

T H E R O S E T H E AT E R

H A M I LT U N E S

OUTLIER IMAGE & FILM

24 â€¢ We Entertain

DAN NORMAN

OPERA OUTDOORS

MIDTOWNCROSSING.COM 0000065872-01 KENT SIEVERS

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B L U E BA R N T H E AT R E

T H E B L U E B A R N T H E AT R E

Boundarybreaking art 26 • We Entertain

he Bluebarn Theatre distinguishes itself as the only professional adult community theater in Omaha. Susan Clement-Toberer, artistic director since 2002, says the theater was born of friends from different backgrounds, united “not by blood but by passion and by training.” The mission, she says, is to provoke thought, emotion, action and change. To kick off its 31st season, the Bluebarn will present “Red Summer,” a world-premiere play about Omaha’s 1919 race riots. Written by Omaha

playwright and novelist Beaufield Berry, the script is the theater’s first commissioned work in some time. “The first draft left me breathless,” the artistic director says, adding that Berry’s work is a perfect fit for the theme of the 2019-2020 season, “Memory.” The time the riots occurred has come to be known as “Red Summer” in Omaha. “We don’t do shows to change minds,” Clement-Toberer says. “We try to choose stories that will spark a thought or an emotion.”

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We Entertain â€¢ 27

PRICELESS COLLECTIONS

From aerospace to artifacts, we preserve and present E

very child should be able to gaze at a Monet or a Pollock. Here, history and culture are accessible – free or affordable. We always leave our collection of world-class museums a little richer than when we arrived. • Boys Town Hall of History • Cass County Historical Society Museum • The Durham Museum • El Museo Latino • General Crook House Museum • Great Plains Black History Museum • Henry & Dorothy Riekes Museum • Historic General Dodge House • Joslyn Art Museum • Love’s Jazz & Art Center • Mormon Trail Center • Omaha Children’s Museum • RailsWest Railroad Museum • Sarpy County Museum • Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum

THE DURHAM MUSEUM

• Union Pacific Railroad Museum KENT SIEVERS

28 • We Entertain

J O S LY N A R T M U S E U M

S T R AT E G I C A I R C O M M A N D & A E R O S PA C E M U S E U M

B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

We Entertain â€¢ 29

GALLERIES

Masterworks made accessible T

he brain conjures it. Eyes, hands and soul work in tandem to create it. Here’s to the art, the artist and the collage of galleries throughout our region that curate, showcase and celebrate that incredible gift of creativity.

B E M I S C E N T E R F O R C O N T E M P O R A RY A RT S

• Anderson O’Brien Fine Art • Artists’ Cooperative Gallery • The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts • Cathedral Cultural Center • Gallery 1516 • Garden of the Zodiac • Hillmer Art Gallery, College of St. Mary • Hot Shops Art Center • Jewish Community Center Art Gallery • KANEKO • The Kent Bellows Studio Gallery

COLIN CONCES

• Lied Art Gallery, Creighton University • Old Market Artists Gallery • Passageway Gallery • The Union for Contemporary Art • University of Nebraska Gallery G A L L E RY 1 5 1 6

KANEKO GALLERY 1516

30 • We Entertain

KANEKO

RED SUMMER by Beauﬁeld Berry September 26th – October 20th, 2019

World Premiere Production

A VERY DIE HARD CHRISTMAS by Jeff Schell and the Habit November 29th - December 22nd, 2019

WAKEY, WAKEY by Will Eno January 30th – February 23rd, 2020

MARJORIE PRIME by Jordan Harrison March 19th – April 12th, 2020

A CHORUS LINE

Pulitzer Prize Finalist

Winner of 9 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize

Music by Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics by Edward Kleban, Book by James Kirkwood Jr. & Nicholas Dante May 14th – June 14th, 2020 0000066218-01

Our work is beyond words. MOMENTUM

OCTOBER 11 & 13

THE NUTCRACKER

NOVEMBER 24 DECEMBER 7 & 8

SWING, SWING, SWING! APRIL 4 & 11

amballet.org/ performances

PO Box B 6413 • OOmaha, h NE 68106 (402) 541-6946 We Entertain • 31

THE UNION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

Expanding minds through art 32 • We Entertain

THE UNION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

icole J. Caruth, consulting program director for The Union for Contemporary Art, can attest to the importance of inspiring youth through hands-on experiences with, and exposure to, art. “I never went to a museum until I was in my 20s, and it was a life-changing experience,” she says. “I left my job as an accountant and went to school for art history. I’ve been working in museums and galleries ever since.” Caruth joined The Union two years ago. Her role, she says, involves two personal passions: art and

social justice. Through programming, she is helping to broaden worldviews and bring relevant and diverse perspectives to the forefront through art and conversation. Co-op memberships give local artists access to five studios and equipment at no charge. Participation in workshops and special events is available at a nominal fee. Thursday nights, The Union invites the public in to make pottery and practice other creative techniques under the supervision of seasoned professionals. The Abundance Garden is a way to immerse youngsters

in growing their own produce. Including a large dome greenhouse, the free-pick garden has about 1,000 square feet of raised beds. Taking it one step further, The Union also has a full kitchen and culinary classes for youth. “Accessibility is central to all of these things,” says Patrick Mainelli, communications manager. “With the community garden, kids can see that it’s easy to grow a tomato… pick it and incorporate it into a meal. They have access to grow things that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Sweat

6915 Cass Street | (402) 553-0800 OMAHAPLAYHOUSE.COM

Once

Aug. 16 – Sept. 15, 2019

Feb. 28 – March 22, 2020

Annie

Bright Star

Sept. 13 – Oct. 13, 2019

April 17 – May 10, 2020

The Rocky Horror Show

For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday

Oct. 4 – Nov. 10, 2019

May 1 – 31, 2020

A Christmas Carol

The Color Purple

Nov. 15 – Dec. 23, 2019

May 29 – June 28, 2020

Yesterday And Today Nov. 22 – Dec. 31, 2019

A Raisin in the Sun

Jan. 17 – Feb. 9, 2020

Native Gardens

Feb. 14 – March 15, 2020

2019-20 SEASON Highlights

Rhapsody in Blue & Rachmaninoff

Holiday Brass with Canadian Brass Bugs Bunny at the Symphony

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back In Concert Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration Debussy’s La Mer & Brahms Violin Concerto Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ In Concert Sinatra & Beyond with Tony DeSare FEB. 1 & 2, 2020 HOLLAND CENTER

Celtic Journey: Magic of the Emerald Isle The Soul of Motown with Matt Catingub All Beethoven with the Junction Trio

ALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Programs, dates, artists, times, and pricing subject to change.

OMAHASYMPHONY.ORG | 402.345.0606

0000066104-01

We Entertain • 33

S E E I T. H E A R I T. F E E L I T.

Your all-access backstage pass W

ith all due respect to our Midwestern humility, we’ll just go ahead and say it… We rock. Ours is a thriving live music scene – big and small venues attracting acts (and attention) from across the street, across the nation and across the world.

W U TA N G C L A N KEVIN COFFEY

34 • We Entertain KEVIN COFFEY

PINK

VENUES, LARGE + SMALL

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

• The Arts Center, Iowa Western Community College • Baxter Arena • CHI Health Center Omaha • Davies Amphitheater • Forte Music Hall • Hoff Family Arts and Culture Center • Holland Performing Arts Center (home to the Omaha Symphony) • The Jewell • Joslyn Art Museum Witherspoon Concert Hall • Kountze Memorial Theater • Lookout Lounge • Mid-America Center • Omaha Conservatory of Music • Orpheum Theater • Ralston Arena • Reverb Lounge KEVIN COFFEY

• Slowdown • Sokol Auditorium & Sokol

STIR COVE

Underground

T H E FA I N T

• Stinson Park • Stir Cove • SumTur Amphitheater • Turner Park at Midtown Crossing • The Waiting Room Lounge • Westfair Amphitheater

KEVIN COFFEY

We Entertain • 35

maha native Jocelyn was born in 1997, three years after Hootie & the Blowfish released their mainstream debut album, “Cracked Rear View.” In July, she opened for the iconic pop-rockers in Pennsylvania and then joined them in Indiana and Wisconsin in August – her biggest crowds to date. “When I’m performing, it’s like a meditation,” she says. “I have a blast.” Whether she’s touring, performing or recharging at home in Omaha, Jocelyn operates at the intersection of ambition, creativity and drive. “The day I found (singer/songwriter) Ed Sheeran on YouTube, I knew I was going to do that somehow or some way,” she says. Jocelyn was 14 at the time and a student at Millard South High School. Some friends gave her an old guitar – one they were planning to destroy – and before long, she had taught herself all of Sheeran’s first album. “After that, I started writing songs,” she says. “I wrote my first song, ‘Burn It Down,’ two weeks after I got my guitar.” At 15, a street corner performance in the Old Market led to a pivotal invite to play an open mic night at the Side Door Lounge (now the Down Under Lounge). “That’s where I met my community. The first time I stepped up on that stage, everyone was cheering me on. It was endless support from there and still, I go there and I am at home.” Local musician Aly Peeler introduced Jocelyn to her now-manager and mentor Jeff McClain of Midlands Music Group. “The first question I asked was, ‘How are your grades at school?’” McClain says. “I said, ‘If you want to be in this business, you better start showing it by getting your grades up.’ Guess what, she got her grades up.” Jocelyn continued writing and performing, and when a video for her original song, “Just Like Everybody Else,” went viral, her career really started to soar. With her powerful voice and pop-acoustic sound, she found herself performing on TV for Steve Harvey’s “Showcase” at the Apollo 36 • We Entertain

J O C E LY N

Spreading love and positivity

Theater and for Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker on an episode of “Celebrity Undercover Boss.” In 2018, Jocelyn signed with iconic music label BMG. She released an EP, “Good to Me,” earlier this year and a single, “Speak Up,” before that. She says a full-length album is next, along with more performing and more “spreading love and positivity” – and not just through her music. Jocelyn wants to use her experiences to impact others in Omaha. “We’ve actually started that process,” McClain says. He and Jocelyn are working with Millard Public Schools to develop a music-focused mentoring

J O NAT H A N W E I N E R

program that reinforces concepts such as work ethic and discipline. “From a very young age, I had a mentor,” Jocelyn says. “I want these kids to know how important it is to have a role model, someone to look out for you.” Backed by her own mentors – Peeler, McClain and others – Jocelyn says she is planning for a long career in music. The key, she believes, is consistency: “Just keep doing it. Don’t stop. Keep going.” And no matter where she goes from here, she says she always wants to maintain her connection to Omaha. “It’s my home.”

Nebraska’s

Premier Destination Hotel

Perfectly situated in North Downtown and attached by skybridge to CHI Health Event Center, Hilton Omaha is Nebraska’s premier convention hotel offering comfort, elegance and locally inspired experiences. Guests are impressed with the expansive and welcoming lobby that is centered by the bar, which is the hotel’s hub for gathering. With nearly 100 works of art displayed throughout, the hotel boasts the largest non-gallery art display from artists who call the region home. Our mission is to be the most hospitable place in Nebraska; delivering exceptional and heartfelt experiences to every guest, our team members, and the community all of the time.

1001 Cass stREEt, OmaHa, NE 68102 | 402.998.3400 | Omaha.Hilton.com

COUNCIL BLUFFS FIRST NIGHT

JOE SHEARER

F E S T I VA L S + E V E N TS

We’re only as boring as you are L

M E M O R I A L PA R K C O N C E R T

ife is too short to be a homebody. We keep our calendar stacked. Get the full picture at wedontcoast.com/events.

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES 38 • We Entertain

B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

SNOW SCULPTURE CONTEST

ELSIE STORMBERG

KENT SIEVERS

H E A R T L A N D P R I D E PA R A D E

J O H N C . F R E M O N T D AY S KENT SIEVERS Z LONG

We Entertain â€¢ 39

O M A H A’ S F I L M S C E N E

Our academy of motion pictures

O M A H A F I L M F E S T I VA L

ur collective love for film is evident both behind the scenes – and front and center. From bigscreen blockbusters to intimate indy showcases, we’re there — laughing, crying, screaming, clapping — together. That’s why they call it the magic of cinema.

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS Rachel Jacobson has built a thriving nonprofit around her love of film as an art form. Film Streams oversees two local cinemas: the Ruth Sokolof Theater, a two-screen venue that opened in 2007 in north downtown Omaha within the Saddle Creek Records complex, and the historic Dundee Theater, Omaha’s longest-surviving neighborhood cinema. “It’s a different experience coming to one of our venues versus a traditional multiplex,” says Jacobson, executive director. “The films we play make you think or say something provocative about the world or show you a completely different lifestyle and way of existing.” In 2008, the nonprofit started a fundraising series called Feature with help from one of Film Streams’ biggest fans, director Alexander Payne. The evening’s format includes Payne, who’s from Omaha, interviewing a Hollywood notable. In August, actor Paul Giamatti joined Payne for Feature VIII at the Holland Performing Arts Center. The two reunited for the 15th anniversary of “Sideways,” their Academy Award-winning comedy about wine. 40 • We Entertain

KENT SIEVERS

INDY WAY YOU LIKE IT Omaha Film Festival’s 2020 run in March will mark 15 years of elevating our community, independent filmmaking and aspiring artists. Over the course of the week, more than 100 films, from some 1,000 annual entries, will be shown. There’s a Writer’s Theatre for screenwriters, too. “If you like movies, there’s going to be something that you’ll enjoy. ... If you think you don’t like documentaries, come and see at least one of ours. I think it will change your mind pretty quickly,” says Marc Longbrake, festival co-founder. Beyond the screenings, there are panel discussionss, lectures and workshops that explore the artistry of film. “It’s all about educating, entertaining and inspiring – and it’s a super-rewarding part of what we do,” Longbrake says.

MovieMaker Magazine likes the formula so much, it named the Omaha Film Festival to its 2019 “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” Over at Night Fox Entertainment, Timothy L. Christian is working to expand the film industry in Nebraska. His Omahabased finance and production company released CIA-thriller “Against the Clock” in January 2019. Its second feature, the horror story “Wilding,” premiered at South by Southwest in 2018. Post-apocalyptic “Z for Zachariah” debuted at Sundance three years earlier. Night Fox’s latest – a mysteryhorror film called “Stoker Hills” – stars Omaha’s John Beasley and horror movie legend Tony Todd (“Candyman”). Coming soon: “Headlock,” another CIA thriller, among others.

Together, we can do more. We believe in joining forces with the innovators and big thinkers that call this place home. With the doers and the do-gooders. With successful national companies and those that are just getting started. We partner with the visionaries: the forward-thinking people who are proud to be a part of the momentum that keeps us building and growing right hereâ€“ today and well into the future. American National Bank. Do more here.

www.american.bank

We toast. H I M A L AYA N J AVA

We make merry.

pleasure for every palate and a treasure for every tongue. From food truck treats to trips inside the velvet rope, prepare yourself for big moments of bitesized bliss.

ERIC FRANCIS

We Toast â€˘ 43

FA U X M A H A

ROCKBROOK VILLAGE

THE GREY PLUME A R I E L PA N O W I C Z

CHRIS MACHIAN

Feed your soul

THE GREY PLUME

OSAKA SUSHI STEAKHOUSE

f course we have steak. But beyond the of-course-you-must-eat-there steakhouses lies a foodie paradise filled with every type of cuisine, created by internationally renowned chefs and local legends alike (sometimes, they’re one in the same). Toss in our blossoming craft beverage scene – coffee, cocktails and beer – and you have no shortage of epicurean escapades awaiting exploration. And the best part is you can sample them three times a day. Four, if you time it right.

INDIAN BOWL

CHRIS MACHIAN

KENT SIEVERS

44 • We Toast

KENT SIEVERS

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Nonstop food rave The same old night out? That’s just not our taste. Without reservation, our dynamic restaurant scene covers the gastronomic gamut. But don’t just taste your way through our neighborhoods. Be adventurous and savor all that our region has to offer, from lakeside dining at The Woodcliff Restaurant near Fremont, to prime rib at the Pink Poodle in Crescent, to the Testicle Festival at Ashland’s Round the Bend Steakhouse, to wood-fired pizza at Bella Terre Vineyard near Glenwood.

OKLAHOMA JOE’S BBQ

E A R LY B I R D R E B E C C A S. G R AT Z

M’S PUB

R E B E C C A S. G R AT Z

FORNO R E B E C C A S. G R AT Z

B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

LIV LOUNGE KENT SIEVERS

46 • We Toast

R E B E C C A S. G R AT Z

TIMBER WOOD FIRE BISTRO

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B R E W E R I E S O N TA P

Grab your buds for some suds C

raft breweries are on an impressive upswing in Nebraska. In 2018, there were 50, and Omaha is home to many. We probably should raise a glass to Fred Krug, who opened the state’s first brewery in Omaha in 1859. Here’s to the next 160 years of local beer — and great spots for enjoying it.

Benson Brewery Boasting signature craft beers with its own twist on comfort food, Benson Brewery specializes in pub-style service and friendly atmosphere. During “Hoppy Hour” Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m., try one of several small-batch microbrews. Maybe house staple Blonde Bunny, or “per-hops,” a seasonal cider. Ask for Nebraska Strong Red Ale, and feel good about helping Nebraska flood victims in the process.

Brickway Brewery & Distillery Ranked No. 1 on TripAdvisor, Brickway Brewery & Distillery is known for its beer and whiskey. Featuring a dedicated tasting room, Brickway at 11th and Jackson Streets has Nebraska’s largest and tallest copper pot stills, most designed by owner Zac Triemert. Focused on producing fine single-malt whiskey, each batch is double-pot distilled, then matured for a minimum of two years to achieve a light, smooth taste with hints of caramel and vanilla. 48 • We Toast

KENT SIEVERS

B R I C K WAY B R E W E R Y & D I S T I L L E R Y

Craft Sliders + Beer

Upstream Brewing Company

Sliders, salads and sides are filling the burger gap in the Old Market. Craft Sliders + Beer will deliver when the craving hits (Cubano slider, please). There’s more than just beef on the slider list. A vegan jackfruit slider has all the flavor and texture of pulled pork, and comes topped with vinegary slaw, plenty of barbecue sauce and a lot of spice. True to its name, there’s a big selection of craft beers, many local. The list rotates regularly, which is great news for those who love trying new brews.

An Old Market fixture since 1996, Upstream Brewing Company is a regular on the annual Omaha Brew Tour. The sprawling pub’s specialty: A lengthy list of house-made beers and food that pairs with it, including appetizers, sandwiches and entrées. The Upstream’s Flagship IPA, a coopercolored ale, is bound to make hop heads’ taste buds happy.

Scriptown Brewing Company

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE

Cut Spike Distillery Cut Spike Distillery in La Vista comes in handy. Its taproom is housed in the same building as Lucky Bucket Brewing Company’s taproom, so if you want beers, spirits or cocktails — or all (no judging) — you’re covered. Cut Spike produces whiskey, rum, vodka, brandy and other spirits, which you can sample neat or in two dozen cocktails and mixed drinks. And did we mention Lucky Bucket beer cocktails? Between sips, entertain yourself with a game of cornhole.

CHRIS MACHIAN

Scriptown Brewing Company offers its own twist on craft brews in the heart of the Blackstone District. Fans of crisp flavors no doubt will hop to the Yotus IPA, a complex blend of imported and locally grown hops. Prefer your beer on the darker side? Scriptown has partnered with Archetype Coffee to blend its Toddy coffee with various rotating beers for an “Ups and Downs” blend. What could be better?

CRESCENT MOON B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

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11-Worth Café

CLASSIC DINERS

Home-style comfort food

P E T R O W ’ S R E S TA U R A N T

Whether you’re in the mood for a simple eggs and toast or a more ambitious breakfast burrito or Philly omelet (sirloin steak sautéed with diced green peppers, onion and mushrooms and Swiss cheese), you’ll find it at 11-Worth Café. The diner ranks among the Top 20 Best Breakfast Restaurants in the country on LocalEats.com.

e never have to search for a five-star fine-dining experience. Take your pick: The Grey Plume, Dario’s Brasserie, J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood, M’s Pub, Le Bouillon, Le Voltaire. But sometimes, to pinch a quote from “Seinfeld” (Season 4, Episode 7), “Nothing’s finer than being in your diner.” When you’re craving straight-up, home-style comfort food, you’re not going to leave hungry (or disappointed) at any of our classic breakfast and lunch spots. Here’s a morsel, to whet your appetite.

Lisa’s Radial Café Reading the menu is a treat unto itself with specialties including Killer Cakes (two large buttermilk pancakes with optional add-ons), the signature Radial Raft (two eggs, two biscuits on a bed of hash browns floating in a sea of gravy) or the Titanic (a raft topped with chicken fried steak because … why not?).

Farine + Four Bread is serious business at this midtown bakery, which also serves excellent breakfast sandwiches and pastries. Owner Ellie Pegler trained at the French Culinary Institute and worked at high-end restaurants, including New York’s Michelin-starred Marea and Vaucluse, where she was head baker, before bringing her talent for bread back home.

CHRIS CHRISTEN

LOUIE M’S

Award-winning, handpattied, half-pound burgers are only the beginning. What started 40 years ago as a doughnut-and-juice stop has grown into a full-service, Omaha institution serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. Fun Fact: Louie M’s served as a backdrop in the 1995 movie “Gone in the Night.”

Harold’s Koffee House Inside this Florence neighborhood cafe, time isn’t counted in years, it’s counted in generations. Family-run for more than 60 years, Harold’s prides itself on friendly service and cooked-to-order classics. Breakfast is served all day, which is great news for lovers of the golden waffle served with bacon or sausage and one egg. B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

50 • We Toast

Louie M’s Burger Lust Café

Petrow’s Restaurant

Shirley’s Diner

SHIRLEY’S DINER

A family-owned Omaha tradition since 1950, steadfast in its focus on “Good Food Always.” Petrow’s has racked up quite a few “bests” over the years: Nebraska’s Best Waffle (Spoon University), Nebraska’s Best Milkshake (PureWow) and Nebraska’s Best Breakfast (Food Network).

Family-owned with a rock ’n’ roll theme, Shirley’s rocks everything from its Fried Chicken Royal on a scratch biscuit and malted waffles to its hand-cut pork tenderloin and beef tips & noodles (Friday’s special). Winner of The Omaha World-Herald’s diner Food Prowl in 2016.

Stella’s Bar & Grill SARAH HOFFMAN

Saddle Creek Breakfast Club This midtown spot, which blends the classic diner with a trendy menu of breakfast staples, seats just 40 and is popular enough that there’s almost always a line. But if you’re not in a hurry, you’ll find locally brewed Amateur Coffee; a stunningly good banana pancake; rustic toast topped with lox and briny caper and olive; and delicious biscuits with homemade jam. You don’t have to be vegan to love the Metcalfe Melt: wagyu patty, charried onion aioli and gruyere on sourdough.

SCBC

R YA N S O D E R L I N

Bellevue’s little burger shack has become a local legend: Burgers are served on napkins, and lines to get in can get long. Stella’s is also known for its gigantic Stellanator burger. Challengers get 45 minutes to devour six burger patties, six fried eggs, six pieces of cheese, a dozen slices of bacon, lettuce, tomato, fried onions, pickles, jalapeños, peanut butter, bun and order of fries. Stella’s plant-based Impossible Burger is featured in a new video series by Impossible Foods. In it, owner Stephanie Francois talks about how customers intially hesitated to try the burger but have come around in a big way.

Vidlak’s Brookside Café “Food so good – you’ll think we stole your mom.” Vidlak’s has been serving reasonably priced, home-cooked dishes since 1996. The breakfast menu is packed with hearty favorites, including The Cattleman's egg-andpotato casserole (the perfect way for a steak lover to greet the day) and The Gut Buster (two eggs, two sausage patties and two of Vidlak’s signature German potato pancakes).

Chow down where the Food Network’s Guy Fieri chowed down on“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives:” Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering, California Tacos & More, and Joe Tess’ Place.

L I S A’ S R A D I A L C A F E SARAH HOFFMAN

We Toast • 51

Berry & Rye

A classic Omaha craft cocktail bar with drinks that are wildly imaginative and made with care.

The Boiler Room

Known for its everchanging drink list, carefully executed cocktails and attentive staff.

Herbe Sainte

Experience some Big Easy in the Big O with a Vieux Carre or a Corpse Reviver #2 at this New Orleans-inspired food-and-drink spot.

Kaitei

An undeniably cool basement bar in the Benson neighborhood featuring quality sake and tasty, innovative cocktails.

HERBE SAINTE

CHRIS MACHIAN

CO C K TA I L S , A N YO N E ?

Straight up, shaken or stirred

e don’t just go out for drinks. We go out for experiences. When cocktails are in order, you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect place – neat or straight up – to clink, drink and connect. RED LION LOUNGE MEADOWLARK MANAGEMENT

52 • We Toast

Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen

Focused almost exclusively on local craft beers (100-plus options) with bartenders who are also adept at conjuring top-notch mixed drinks.

Mercury

A spot for premier classic cocktails, transcendent original cocktails and one of the most creative wine lists in the city.

Nite Owl

Serving a menu of adventurous-sounding cocktails, including the Atomic Speedo and Time Lord, created by Nite Owl bartenders. Round out the Nite Owl experience in the heart of the Blackstone District with an order of Tot-Chos (tater-tot nachos).

The Tavern

Enjoy fine cocktails from a Scottish-inspired drink list while a DJ spins dance music.

Tiny House

A funky-hip joint in a small house on South 13th Street, a quickly redeveloping area just south of downtown.

The Wicked Rabbit

A true Prohibition-era craft cocktail bar tucked away – like a speakeasy of old – inside Omaha’s Hotel Deco building.

B E R RY & RY E M AT T D I X O N

We Toast • 53

JAZZ JOINTS

Our playlist can’t be beat I

f you wanted to make the big leagues in the heyday of jazz and blues, you played Omaha. Dreamland Ballroom and the Carnation Ballroom on North 24th Street hosted a steady stream of jazz and blues greats — Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, B.B. King, Ray Charles, James Brown and more — from the 1920s through the 1960s. While those ballrooms have long grown dark, we’re still crazy for a jazzy beat. Here’s a sampling of venues attracting acts (and attention) from across the street, across the nation and across the world for a soulful evening out.

Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen The tastes, sights and sounds of New Orleans with Creole cuisine and live music almost every night of the week.

The Jewell

JAZZ ON THE GREEN CASEY WOOD

MR. TOAD’S

“Classy. Sleek. Intimate.” This vibrant,new club in The Capitol District offers a unique experience with local and national artists, alongside New Orleans-inspired cuisine with a local spin.

Love’s Jazz & Art Center This north Omaha gem’s mission is to “preserve, promote and present AfricanAmerican art and jazz.” What better place to take in a show? ERIC FRANCIS

54 • We Toast

Mr. Toad’s Pub

Red Lion Lounge

G R A C E K E L LY, 1 2 0 0 C L U B

The Omaha Lounge

Easily the coolest cocktail bar in the Blackstone District, the Red Lion Lounge pays homage to one of Omaha’s earliest notable jazz clubs. Enjoy sounds and libations in a sophisticated, classy setting.

With musical acts lined up every night of the week, you’re sure to hear all styles of jazz in this intimate downtown space. Happy hour daily; no cover.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse

It’s Omaha’s longest-running jazz gig, with Luigi Inc. taking the stage every Sunday night. An Old Market favorite since the 1970s. Bonus: there’s never a cover.

This handsome spot offers the perfect place to relax and listen to jazzy tunes while enjoying craft cocktails and Nebraska steaks. All-day happy hour specials on Thursdays and Sundays.

Pageturners Lounge Gather ’round the cozy sunken bar for live jazz every Tuesday night. Regulars recommend the $2 Tecate beer. It mixes well with the lounge’s vintage and Bohemian style.

1200 Club Jazz music is best experienced live, and it’s no surprise that the 1200 Club at the Holland Performing Arts Center makes the list. Featuring superior talent from around the world, you’re in for an unforgettable experience.

THE JEWELL

Jazz on the Green This isn’t a brick-andmortar establishment, but it definitely deserves a mention. Hundreds of locals flock to Turner Park at Midtown Crossing to get their groove on during this Thursday night concert series. Grab your blanket, picnic basket and a bottle of wine – summer nights are made for this! MICHELLE BAZIS

JOHN HUET

We Toast • 55

We play.

M T. C R E S C E N T S K I A R E A

We’re champs at play.

e may not always win, but we certainly never lose. From cheering on Olympians to out-waiting the walleye, we’re a field of dreams for anyone who loves their recreation active and their activities relaxing.

KENT SIEVERS

We Play • 57

A serious obsession with fun

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

et’s address the 800-pound gorilla in the room: There is no organized badminton league in Omaha, Council Bluffs or the surrounding area. But relax, there is a club. A very, very enthusiastic club. Which is just one indication of how much people here love sports. Playing them. Watching them. Discussing them. Weeping over them. Celebrating them. And welcoming them, in any and every form. We proudly accept the title of America’s Amateur Sports Capital. And why not? The NCAA Men’s College World Series will be played here for the 71st consecutive year in 2020. Championships in volleyball, figure skating and wrestling have also been won here. The country’s swiftest swimmers return for the Olympic Swim Trials in 2020 – the fourth time our city has hosted this coveted event. Next year will also see the return of the first two rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Naturally, we’ve embraced the Olympic curling trials and the North American leg of the World Curling Cup, and turned out to watch the nation’s top pole vaulters in an inaugural street meet in the Capitol District. And this fall, and again in 2020, a regional tournament sanctioned by US Quidditch is bound to leave us spellbound. You know the game from J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series. Only these players ride broomsticks made of PVC pipe – sans magical powers. While the Huskers and Hawkeyes enjoy avid followings (that’s an understatement), there’s 58 • We Play

R YA N S O D E R L I N

plenty of school spirit right here at home. The Bluejays (Creighton University), Mavericks (University of Nebraska at Omaha), Bruins (Bellevue University), Warriors (Midland University) and Reivers (Iowa Western Community College) all field participants in multiple sports. Many with national success. Like Creighton’s 21 appearances in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and UNO’s 2019 conference championship in basketball. Professional sports are well-

represented, too. The champion Omaha Storm Chasers feed baseball’s next superstars to the Kansas City Royals. The Omaha Lancers have been putting the biscuit in the basket for more than three decades, while the Omaha Beef arena football team is 20 years strong. The 30-plus communities that make up Greater Omaha boast miles of paved trails for walking, jogging and biking, plus a dozen trails for mountain biking. Adult rec leagues from bocce to kickball to softball can keep you busy

COLOR RUN CHRIS MACHIAN

every night of the week. And for those who prefer a dose of frustration in their playtime, some truly fantastic golf courses. The Color Run, Glow ’N’ Go 5K, and Corporate Cup 10K all support great causes. And if you consider the Omaha Marathon to be a mere warmup, there’s the Omaha Triathlon. For the less intense among us, there’s goat yoga in Honey Creek, Iowa. Also, zip lining

at Mt. Crescent Ski Area, Mahoney State Park and Fontenelle Forest; hiking at Neale Woods and Hitchcock Nature Centers; boating and jet-skiing at Carter Lake, Lake Manawa and Fremont Lakes; kayaking on the Platte River; and floating on the Elkhorn River. Oh, and we also have one of the world’s top-ranked zoological parks in Omaha’s evergrowing Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. We Play • 59

S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E

Unplug, play and make memories Omaha Children’s Museum is perpetual staycation for families who enjoy learning and being together Throughout its 43-year history, Omaha Children’s Museum has encouraged children and adults to explore the world together through play. But between work, school, activities and mobile technology, families are busier than ever. The museum is a place to slow down and reconnect. “Omaha Children’s Museum lets families create memories during the quality time they spend together in the museum,” says Executive Director Lindy Hoyer. “These moments all add up to create a valuable reward in shaping future adults.” In a 2018 survey of 2,000 parents by California’s Visit Anaheim, 65 percent described their lives as “hectic,” and said that vacations were their only meaningful time together. The Omaha Children’s Museum is a weekend family destination right at home. Debbie and Steve Krambeck have a family membership and enjoy taking daughters Anna, 7, and Ellie, 2, to the museum on weekends to unplug, play and grow closer as a family. “It’s great to go to a place with toys and activities that are new to kids,” Debbie Krambeck says. “We can be there and play together, because the

60 • We Play

stuff they have is interesting to adults as well. And, part of why we are members is because we get discounts to special events, which we have fun attending.” Seventy percent of museum visitors say they use the Omaha Children’s Museum as a family activity, Hoyer says, which is the biggest reason they go. Hands-on learning and commitment to fun is the second reason; third is the museum’s ever-changing calendar of programs, special events and exhibits. Hoyer says: “We hold ourselves to a high standard of excellence when it comes to producing and presenting our many programs. We ask our visitors often for their feedback. And we listen.” Families can leave technology at home once they set foot inside the museum. There are very few opportunities to be in front of a screen. That’s on purpose, Hoyer says, because avoiding the distraction of technology is built into the museum’s programming. It aims to be a solution to the problems some experts say screen time can cause, such as behavioral and mental health issues, Hoyer says. “Omaha Children’s Museum is the wholesome antidote to these moments, and allows a family to engage in fun and learning together, without the crutch

OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

that screens can provide,” she says. “Childhood is a time for children to be at play and learning, surrounded and supported by parents and other caring adults.” Omaha Children’s Museum is hosting a special exhibit this fall and winter – Diggin’ Dinos – from Oct. 12 through April 11. “America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far” runs Jan. 18 through April 19. Seasonal exhibits that are open each year include Cobweb Castle and Santa’s Magic. In addition, there’s a monthly series of late nights of play at the museum called Friday Family Date Nights. Themes are inspired by pop culture like “Star Wars” and Candyland Night, as well as perennial kid favorites like dinosaurs. The date night series is held at least once a month during the winter. Popular annual events include the Fairytale Ball in the summer and Tinker Fest in the fall. For more information, visit ocm.org.

Family memories The mission of Omaha Children’s Museum is to engage

The mission of Omaha Children’s Museum is to engage the the imagination and create excitement about learning. imagination and create excitement about learning. We are Omaha’s We are Omaha’s primary participatory museum primary participatory museum designed to engage the entire family designed to engage the entire family by providing by providing hands-on exhibits, workshops, and special events that hands-on exhibits, workshops, and special events that put children in touch with their ever-changing world. put children in touch with their ever-changing world.

H E N RY D O O R LY Z O O & A Q U A R I U M H E N RY D O O R LY Z O O & AQ UA R I U M

YOURS TO DISCOVER

The power of play H

ave an experience you’ve never had before, or visit an old favorite and discover it all over again. String together lots of vibrant moments and create some truly epic memories. That’s the power of play – and we put a premium on it here. The hardest part is narrowing down the options.

62 • We Play

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium If you haven’t been to Omaha’s zoo — ever or lately — prepare to be impressed. Constantly evolving, the zoo recently opened the second phase of its 8-acre, $22 million Asian Highlands exhibit and before that, Glacier Bay Landing, a guest-service area with a playground, concessions and shaded seating. Coming in 2020: Deluxe digs for the sea lions. USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards for 2019 named our marquee attraction the second “Best Zoo” in the country and its Lied Jungle the “Best Zoo Exhibit.” Wildlife Safari Park was awarded “Best Wildlife Park” in America for the second year in a row.

Fun-Plex Another veteran attraction is marking 40 years of fun this year. Launched as a go-kart track in the late 1970s, Fun-Plex has been expanding ever since. Just last year, the combo amusement and waterpark added Rockin’ Rapids, one of the largest and longest slides of its kind in the country.

Play a round — around the region Ashland Ashland Country Club Iron Horse Golf Club Quarry Oaks Golf Club

T H E C L U B AT I N D I A N C R E E K

Bellevue Tregaron Golf Course Willow Lakes Golf Course Carter Lake Shoreline Golf Course Council Bluffs Fox Run Golf Club Dodge Riverside Golf Club Eagle Woodland Hills Golf Course Elkhorn The Club at Indian Creek Elkhorn Ridge Golf Course Fremont Fremont Golf Club Valley View Golf Club Omaha Champions Run Golf Eagle Run Golf Course Steve Hogan Golf Course Miracle Hill Golf & Tennis Center Pacific Springs Golf Club Shadow Ridge Country Club Tiburon Golf Club Papillion Eagle Hills Golf Course Tara Hills Golf Course Plattsmouth Bay Hills at Buccaneer Bay Lake Ridge Golf Course B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

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S T O N E R I D G E S P L A S H PA R K

B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

Hydropower 64 • We Play

We were born along the Missouri River. Water has played an important part in our story – and recreational pursuits – ever since. Driftwood Paddleboard Adventures offers weekend and weekday paddleboard excursions on Zorinsky Lake and Standing Bear

Lake as well as SUP Yoga classes. Enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Missouri River on the River City Star. The 1940s-era paddlewheelstyle riverboat docks at the ultracasual Dam Bar ’n’ Grill, a seasonal gathering spot for cheap eats, live music and a rad city view.

If scuba diving is on your bucket list, let’s get going! DiVentures offers the entire range of scuba classes – from open water certification to professional-level courses. And, for the kids? Splash pads and parks throughout the metro area offer a chance to cool off for free.

Take a tour Nebraska Tour Company has an invitation for visitors and residents alike – come discover Omaha past and present. The company’s tour experiences include VIP Omaha Food & Drink tours (Sushi & Sake, Tequila & Taco, Gastropub & Brewery, to name a few) plus historical city and district tours. The Durham Museum’s River City History Tours aboard Ollie the Trolley explore millionaires and mansions, parks and boulevards, jazz history and breweries of old. Another option to explore? Omaha Patio Ride. Tour Omaha’s downtown by pedal power on a party bike that can hold up to 16 passengers.

... or hit a trail The Western Iowa Wine Trail features: • Breezy Hills Vineyard, Minden • Prairie Crossing Vineyard & Winery, Treynor • Sugar Clay Winery & Vineyard, Thurman • Vine Street Cellars, Glenwood • Bodega Victoriana, Winery & Wedding Barn, Glenwood Spend a few hours driving from vineyard to vineyard, sipping and savoring. All wineries along the trail offer tastings of award-winning wines from locally grown fruits. Bella Terre Reception Hall & Vineyard in Glenwood hosts “Under the Tuscan Sundays,” June through October. Soaring Wings Vineyard & Brewing in Springfield and Slattery Vintage Estates in Nehawka serve local wines and live music against a lush rural backdrop too. MIKE WHYE

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S U G A R C L AY W I N E R Y & V I N E YA R D

Making the outdoors — even greater

L O U I S V I L L E V E N T U R E PA R K N E B R A S K A L A N D M A G A Z I N E / N E B R A S K A G A M E & PA R K S C O M M I S S I O N

K I M B E R L E Y C R E E K R E T R E AT

In our neck of the woods, outdoor recreation has always been “in.” Fontenelle Forest is a 1,400-acre gem with a year-round calendar of events and 16 miles of trails. TreeRush Adventure Park will satisfy thrill seekers (ages 7 and older) with seven aerial trails complete with bridges, zip lines and wood, cable and rope swings. The younger set isn’t left out; KidRush Adventure Park has two aerial trails scaled for ages 4 to 6. Active during the winter as well, Fontenelle Forest offers dozens of cold-weather activities, including guided snowshoe treks, Yoga in the Forest and night hikes. Mt. Crescent Ski Area is a local favorite for downhill skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and zip lining. It also has a reputation for hosting the unique (and messy) Mini Me Family Mud Run and the Mudzilla Run. Louisville State Recreation Area attracts visitors worldwide. It’s no wonder. What overnight camper or day visitor wouldn’t enjoy a shady picnic spot, well-stocked fishing holes, easy hiking trails and a gigantic floating playground? You read that right. The park’s novel inflatable Venture Park feature includes three agility courses with trampoline, monkey bars and more for ages 6 and older. Talk about a whale of fun! At Kimberly Creek Retreat at Exit 426 on the I-80 corridor, glamping takes the form of cabin, pod or geodome with all the comforts of home — plumbing and electricity included. “Guests aren’t suffering here,” owner Chris Petersen says. Guests have use of propane grills, fire pits, nature trails and a picnic grotto with solar-powered string lights for atmosphere. “We’re for outdoor enthusiasts and those who want a base camp for exploring the area,” Petersen says. Stars and moonlight, no charge.

KURT A. KEELER

We Play • 67

MAUREEN HOSKINSON

S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E

Fun soars to new heights I t’s a bold idea: build an adventurous attraction 15 minutes from downtown Omaha. No high-tech special effects. No cheap prizes or flashing lights. Nope. Just fullon fun, climbing and zipping through the treetops at Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue.

TREERUSH ADVENTURES/FONTENELLE FOREST

68 • We Play

In Summer 2019, TreeRush Adventures at Fontenelle Forest began offering heightened, adrenaline-boosting nature exploration on swinging bridges, netted passageways and zip lines made of wood, rope and cable. Trails are rated by the degree of challenge they provide. Some are suitable for beginners. Others suspend 55 feet above the forest floor and would challenge Tarzan. Guests ages 4 to adult wear full-body harnesses and specialized climbing gear as they explore the woodland from a squirrel’seye view. “With the opening of TreeRush, we are able to promote active involvement in outdoor recreation and exercise for all ages,” says Fontenelle Forest Executive Director Merica Whitehall.“By immersing people in the natural world, outdoor recreation builds support for conservation and helps develop the next generation of stewards.” For guests who prefer to enjoy the forest while walking a meandering pathway, Fontenelle Forest provides 2,000-acres of oak savannas, bluffs and wetlands to explore. Since the forest is so close to downtown Omaha, people often stop in during lunch for a 20-minute stroll. Some even play hooky from work to spend an afternoon discovering what natural Nebraska is all about. The Riverview Boardwalk was recently named the Best Trail in Nebraska by Prevention Magazine. The mile-long loop is stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, making it perfect for everyone in the family to enjoy scenic views of the Missouri River. “This is just one more way that anyone can love being out in nature in their own way,” Whitehall says. “You can already see hundreds of species of flora and fauna, visit bald eagles and owls in our refuge, and hike all kinds of quiet terrains. Now, if you’re up for a challenge, you can enjoy the forest from a TreeRush platform. Escape the city and come explore!

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S TAT E PA R K S & R E C R E AT I O N A R E A S

Chart your course and then have at it

o coasting also means relaxing with gusto. And here, outdoor recreation is always in season.

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park Offering a spectacular array of lodging and activity, our modern Eugene T. Mahoney State Park encompasses hiking trails, a family water park/water slides, fishing for bluegill and channel catfish, the Walter Scott Jr. Observation Tower and the new Go Ape Treetop Adventure, a self-guided journey through the forest canopy that features aerial challenges and ziplines back to solid ground.

P L AT T E R I V E R S TAT E PA R K

FLANAGAN LAKE

Fort Atkinson State Historical Park From Memorial Day to Labor Day, crowds pour into the park for its Living History Weekends, a mix of dedicated re-enactors portraying life at 1820s Fort Atkinson. Bone up on the “Scurvy Apocalypse” and how it shaped the mission of the fort, which is celebrating its bicentennial in 2019. Special commemorative events continue through next year. MICHELLE BAZIS

70 • We Play

Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area An eastern Nebraska hot spot for camping, picnicking, boating, fishing and waterskiing. Twenty sandpit lakes offer access to nearly 300 water acres. But check online for access updates; areas were affected by spring 2019 flooding.

F R E M O N T S TAT E L A K E S

Schramm Park State Recreation Area

Known for campers, hikers and boats of all sizes. All. Summer. Long. Manawa is the Native American word for “peace and comfort,” both of which exist here naturally.

This scenic escape features well-maintained wooded trails, picnic areas, state-of-the-art Schramm Education Center and Nebraska’s oldest fish hatchery. Bird-watchers flock here, especially during the spring migration, and a geologic display rocks for family exploration.

Louisville State Recreation Area

Two Rivers State Recreation Area

A “camper’s park” with prime facilities for RVs, canoe access to the Platte River and five sandpit lakes, one of which (Lake #2) is outfitted with a brand-new floating playground. Spring flooding put a damper on the usage of some park amenities. Check online for updates.

Sleep in one of 10 refurbished Union Pacific caboose “cabins,” fish for trout in Two Rivers’ many sandpit lakes or rent a bike and ride. The caboose cabins are open, but campgrounds still are closed due to spring flooding.

Platte River State Park

A site on the national Lewis and Clark Historical Trail, this park offers cabins and camping, fishing, hiking and horseback riding (seven miles of foot trails and eight miles of equestrian trails). In winter, cross-country skiers head here.

Lake Manawa State Park

N E B R A S K A L A N D M A G A Z I N E / N E B R A S K A G A M E & PA R K S C O M M I S S I O N

Platte River basin and Eugene T. Mahoney State Park. Campers, take your pick: cozy vintage cabins or more glamorous glamping accommodations.

Serenity reigns against the backdrop of a scenic waterfall, picturesque hiking and biking trails, and two observation towers that reward climbers with a spectacular view of the

Waubonsie State Park

N E B R A S K A L A N D M A G A Z I N E / N E B R A S K A G A M E & PA R K S C O M M I S S I O N

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The Running Men Y

ou’ll know them if you see them: 13 men, mostly in their 70s, lapping Omaha’s Zorinsky Lake. They’re “The Running Men,” and some have been pounding the pavement together for more than 40 years. “We run together on Saturday mornings, regardless of the weather,” says Bob Bruckner, a 75-year-old retired IT executive. “One of the guys has been running for 50 years, while another one has been running for only 19.” Logging 500 to 1,000 miles apiece annually, the grassroots alliance of executives first began running together in the late 1970s at the Downtown Omaha YMCA, when recreational jogging was an early fitness phenomenon, and mega-chain health clubs were yet to crest the health craze horizon. Today, they quite possibly are the longest72 • We Play

running group of trailblazers in the region. Tim Glover, 74, is the group’s unofficial organizer. The retired IT executive emails the team with updates and running news, threading the runners together through years of children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Of the current group, Glover says, “Some are retired, and some still work either full or part time. Our common bond is a love for staying active and maintaining our health. We support each other and enjoy each other’s company.” “We have all run marathons, halfmarathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, etc., for charities. Some of the guys are triathletes and have completed several Iron Man races,” Bruckner adds. “Most of us have experienced injuries (pulled muscles, torn ligaments, broken bones), as

BILL SITZMANN

well as more serious problems: heart attacks, cancer, leukemia and asthma. We support each other through the difficult times and celebrate our many victories in life.” According to City of Omaha Parks and Recreation, running groups have good reason to choose Omaha as a recreational-training location. In metro Omaha alone there are more than 120 miles of paved trails, including the popular Keystone Trail, which boasts 25 miles of hard surface. With an average age of 68, and memebers who have run the Omaha, Lincoln, New York, Chicago, Boston and Sydney, Australia, marathons, it might seem these go-getters would have an elite agenda for inclusion. “We have no formal organization or rules,” says Bruckner. “It’s pretty simple. If you show up, you run. If not, we run without you.”

Saddle up for cycling, socializing + scenery Soak up the journey – and the destination – by giving the wildly popular Taco Ride a spin! It’s said to be the world’s longest-running and largest weekly bike ride, a beloved Thursday night tradition along the Wabash Trace Nature Trail. The route – 10 miles one way – follows an abandoned rail bed from Council Bluffs through the scenic Loess Hills to Minneola, Iowa. The pack rolls to a stop at Tobey Jack’s Mineola Steak House for tacos and beer. After dinner, it’s your call – either bike back, or rack your ride and carpool with friends.

ERIC FRANCIS

The first two miles are relatively flat, followed by a gradual four-mile climb to the ghost town of Dumfries. Well on your way, you’ll come to a picnic/rest area affectionately nicknamed “Margaritaville.” From there, it’s a slight downhill ride into Mineola. (Coasting, in this case, is allowed.) The weekly treks begin in spring and run through October (weather permitting). Most riders start at Iowa West Foundation Trailhead Park, just south of Lewis Central Schools, where parking is available. Saddle up – and enjoy the ride! We Play • 73

CREIGHTON VOLLEYBALL

UNO HOCKEY B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

S P E C TAT O R S P O R T S

Bring on the noise!

CWS CHRIS MACHIAN

e rally season after season with a high-octane sports scene that excites and amazes, supplying crowdroaring thrills one hoop, home run and knockout at a time.

R YA N S O D E R L I N

STORM CHASERS

T E R E N C E C R AW F O R D MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK

74 â€¢ We Play

B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

We Don’t Coast Constantly navigating the changing tides of the workplace, Jackson Lewis P.C.’s 900 + attorneys across the U.S. and Puerto Rico provide national resources to address every aspect of the employer-employee relationship in Omaha and beyond. Chad Richter Office Managing Principal Jackson Lewis P.C. 10050 Regency Circle • Suite 400 Omaha, NE 68114 • 402.391.1991 jacksonlewis.com

2019

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June 21-28, 2020

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We Play • 75

D W AY N E H O S E Y

Coaching baseball’s next MVPs D

wayne Hosey is a heavy-hitter in our community; a former Major League Baseball player who is developing and inspiring a new generation of MVPs – not with a strict target on winning but on playing with heart, honor and self-confidence. “My philosophy is to get these kids to believe in who they are, to believe that their gifts are enough and that they can accomplish anything,” he says. Dwayne runs Hosey Baseball Training Center, a venture he launched in Omaha in 2015. He connected with our city during a smash 1994 season with the Omaha Royals: 27 home runs, 80 RBIs, 27 stolen bases and 95 runs scored plus American Association MVP status. “I loved the people when I was in Omaha. I had great numbers and a great fan base,” he says. “We have major league baseball down the street in Kansas City; we have Triple-A baseball. And, we love the school system.” A native of Pasadena, California, Dwayne initially dreamed of playing professional football. In junior college, he tried out for the baseball team on a whim. He says he “barely” made the roster – but made a big impression after that. “I could hit; I was very competitive,” he says. “I realized baseball was a great sport. I was learning it and understood it. 76 • We Play

BILL SITZMANN

Baseball became my love.” Scouts took notice and Dwayne was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1987. From there, he spent most of his career playing minor league ball in the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox organizations. After that incredible 1994 season – his best in the minor leagues – he made his major league debut with the Red Sox, playing 52 games in 1995

and ’96. Dwayne’s career later took him to Japan and Canada (where his wife, Bronwyn, is from) and back to the U.S. He retired after the 2002 season with the Bridgeport (Connecticut) Bluefish. “Baseball has always been a ministry for me, a platform to meet people and to . . . teach and train them,” Dwayne says. After moving to Omaha with his family in 2003 (he and Bronwyn have three children), Dwayne served as

a hitting instructor and coach, proficiencies that morphed into Hosey’s Training Center. The focus there is on complete player development and authentic coaching. “The energy has to be right here. My energy has to be right. The kids feel your heart. They know if you’re real or if you’re fake,” he says. “When I’m talking to them, they know that love is real and I’m here for them and I want them to get better.”

Hey Omaha!

You don't coast, and neither do we.

Celebrating 30 years in Omaha

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We Play • 77

We live. B L U E WA T E R , VA L L E Y

Welcome home.

ven when we go small, we go big. From the most contemporary urban condos to spreads stretched wide for stallions to roam, any definition you have for a home can be found around the corner or just down the road.

CHRIS CHRISTEN

We Live â€˘ 79

ome like the hum of the city center. Others opt for land – lots of land – under starry Nebraska skies. And in between, options as diverse as the people who populate our area. From the surging urban core, to historic ’hoods, to classic Midwestern suburbs, to farms and ranches of both the working and gentleman variety, there is no shortage of just-right residences in the land of The Good Life. The ability to journey from concrete to corn in the space of a half- hour has to begin, well, at the concrete. Omaha’s downtown and midtown areas have seen an explosion of residential development over the past decade. Condos, lofts, walk-ups and town houses are all located in an urban landscape that invites exploration – it’s not just walkable, you’ll actually enjoy walking around. From the Old Market to north downtown to the Capital District and the dozens of developments surrounding them, there is no better time to let your inner urbanite out. Folks who want to stretch a bit more without straying too far from downtown have a wide variety of options on both sides of the Missouri River. To the east in Council Bluffs, the historic 100 Block boasts an ongoing revitalization effort that includes apartments, town homes and restored commercial space. Expanding west from downtown Omaha, the city’s landmark

80 • We Live

CASS COUNTY RACHEL EBEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Living the dream neighborhoods continue to thrive and reinvent themselves. Enclaves like Dundee (the city’s first suburb), Field Club and the Gold Coast blend classic charm with modern convenience, while Benson and the recently re-imagined Blackstone District have a sweet vibe all their own. Whether you’re pondering the jump from apartment life to starter home or from starter mansion to true luxury living, Omaha’s suburbs offer just what you’ve been looking for. While development styles abound, you’re almost guaranteed to find interconnected neighborhoods made for evening strolls, a local school nearby, and easy access to area thoroughfares. Plus, our suburbs are officially

great: both La Vista and Papillion in Sarpy County have appeared on “best places to live” lists numerous times. If the idea of a half-acre plot sounds a bit confining, worry not. There are ample tracts of land in every county we call home. All featuring the big skies and breath-stealing sunsets that draw photographers and artists year after year after year. From the Loess Hills of Pottawattamie County to the agriculture-dotted hills of Washington and Dodge, you’ll find plenty of space for you, your family, your extended family and your horses if that’s how you ride. And close proximity to Omaha and Council Bluffs means a trip into the city isn’t much of a trek.

From Downtown to Midtown, tragedy to triumph, NFM has been an Omaha original since 1937. We didn’t become the largest home furnishings store in North America by standing still. We built that legacy by rising to every challenge and staying true to Mrs. B’s founding belief to sell cheap and tell the truth.

We inspire. We innovate. We captivate. We excel. But most of all, we don’t coast. And when it comes to your home and your community, neither do you.

700 South 72nd Street, Omaha NE | 402-397-6100 | 800-336-9136 | nfm.com

NEIGHBORHOODS

Hot ’hoods Southwest Omaha When it comes to hot housing markets, a southwest Omaha ZIP code is feeling the sizzle. Realtor.com, in its Market Hotness Index released in August 2019, catapulted 68144 to the No. 2 spot nationally after analyzing some 32,000 ZIP codes and how quickly houses were viewed and sold. The 68144 area — northeast of Zorinsky Lake — was second only to a ZIP code in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a notch above one in Boise, Idaho. Omaha’s 68144 is 12 miles west of downtown, in the thick of new development, including the Sterling Ridge mixed-use campus near 132nd and Pacific Streets and the 500-acre Heartwood Preserve development that’s gearing up for a mix of highly anticipated uses, including senior living, apartments, houses and retail shops. While the area is a magnet for empty nesters, millennials actually are the biggest buying segment. The attraction? Room to grow, affordability, new schools and a plethora of things to do. LAKE ZORINSKY 82 • We Live R YA N S O D E R L I N

Blackstone District

BLACKSTONE

Just a few years ago, Blackstone was a sleepy part of midtown Omaha with apartment buildings and a business or two nestled into its mortar. Today, the area is completely transformed as a hub for food, family and fun. Offering restaurants galore, the neighborhood is just down the street from Turner Park at Midtown Crossing for a day of shopping, dining and play. Developers are reincarnating the century-old Blackstone Hotel at 36th and Farnam Streets as 204-room hotel with a top-floor ballroom, rooftop cocktail lounge, coffee shop, restaurant and conference center. A swimming pool and fitness club will be open to guests and Blackstone District residents. The hotelâ€™s iconic status goes beyond architecture. The Reuben sandwich of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and salad dressing is said to have been invented at the hotel. Butter brickle ice cream also had its beginnings here. KENT SIEVERS

Aksarben Aksarben Village is a selfcontained community with nearly everything you could want in one convenient, fresh and exciting area. Featuring events such as the Maha Music Festival, UNO hockey at Baxter Arena, and a lively food and beverage district, the area is perfect for young families, empty nesters and college students. In the early 2000s, new apartments, condos, restaurants and commercial structures were built to fill in the open campus. Now, it is the ideal neighborhood to have dinner, see a movie or visit the weekly farmers market.

AKSARBEN VILLAGE

KENT SIEVERS

We Live â€˘ 83

Papillion

W E R N E R PA R K

Papillion is quickly becoming the ideal suburb for growing families. Residents enjoy plentiful coffee shops, 70-acre Halleck Park for the outdoor enthusiast and other small businesses within a short distance from home. Young professionals are beginning to flock here because of its safe neighborhoods, burgeoning town center, quick commute time. affordable housing and recreation, including Werner Park, home of Minor League Baseball’s Omaha Storm Chasers. R YA N S O D E R L I N

BEERCADE

Benson Foodies, artists and musicians thrive amid Benson’s eclectic mix of nightlife, coffee shops, bars and breweries, eateries, art studios, tattoo parlors and vintage shops. Stop by for BFF (formerly Benson First Friday) and experience the amalgamation of culture and color. Got a gamer in the family? Benson’s Beercade is the perfect place to spend an afternoon, enjoying local drafts and playing PacMan. 84 • We Live

CHRIS MACHIAN

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We Live • 85

OLD MARKET

R YA N S O D E R L I N

Old Market

Dundee

There is truly nothing like walking the bricked streets of Omaha’s Old Market. Living right in the thick of the action, residents are minutes from our arena and convention center, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha and The Durham Museum. This historic district offers an abundance of one-of-kind shops, restaurants, art galleries, entertainment venues, bars and more.

One of Omaha’s oldest neighborhoods is also one of its most popular with historic houses, mature trees, large parks and destination-worthy food, spirits and retail. Residents have quick and easy access to Marks bistro (try the signature mac ’n’ cheese), “Shark Tank”-worthy eCreamery, homey Blue Line Coffee, vintage-loving Scout Dry Goods & Trade and, for cinema lovers, Film Streams’ Dundee Theater.

86 • We Live

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We Live • 87

We inspire.

W E S T R I D G E E L E M E N TA RY

We inspire the future.

ream of what could be. Dare to make it be. If learning is to be a lifelong pursuit, it helps to have a head start. With awardwinning schools, nationally ranked universities and innovative community resources that spark the imagination, our students are already well on their way.

B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

We Inspire â€˘ 89

here are no famous idioms, aphorisms or inspirational quotations about achieving something great by taking it easy or embracing the status quo. Because while good may sometimes come to those who wait, great things are built by those who have the knowledge and the know-how to get things done. And that process begins (and never really ends) with education. Luckily – although very little luck was actually involved – our region is home to some of the country’s best public and private primary and secondary and non-traditional educational institutions. An interconnected network that pours possibility into every student and builds on every step, preparing today’s young people to be tomorrow’s leaders in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) fields or whatever area they are called to pursue. It all begins, well, at the beginning. More than 300 public and private primary schools (K-12) serve our six counties. With a diverse mix of styles and concentrations – from arts, language and STEAM magnets to International Baccalaureate schools – there’s a learning environment for students of all needs and abilities. These disparate districts must be doing something right: U.S. News & World Report ranked Nebraska first in the country, along with Iowa and Kentucky, with a graduation rate of 94% for 2017, the most recent year available. Those stellar brains need not travel far to find world-class colleges and universities (although many similar brains from around the globe do travel here). Whether they opt for a community college; a smaller, private liberal arts or religious school; or a larger public university, each will engage in rigorous study and worldview-expanding experiences.

You can’t coast up W H E E L E R E L E M E N TA RY

CHRIS MACHIAN

90 • We Inspire

Celebrating the Class of

! 9 1 20

Students earned more than $58 million awarded in scholarship dollars! Colleges our graduates will be attending include:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

American University Arizona State University Brigham Young University Carnegie Mellon University Cornell University Columbia University Creighton University The Culinary Institute of America Emory University Florida State University Full Sail University Harvard University Indiana University Kansas State University Lehigh University Loyola University

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Marquette University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Metropolitan Community College Nebraska Wesleyan University Northwest Missouri State University Princeton University Purdue University The University of Colorado The University of Florida The University of Hawaii The University of Iowa The University of Kansas The University of Michigan The University of Nebraska Kearney The University of Nebraska Lincoln The University of Nebraska Omaha The University of Notre Dame The University of Oregon The University of Virginia

Millard Public Schools • 5606 S. 147th St. • 402.715.8200 www.mpsomaha.org Twitter: @MillardPS Instagram: MPSCommunicates Facebook: @MillardPublicSchools

Millard salutes our students joining the Armed Forces! Millard graduates will enter:

• • • • • •

The Army The Army National Guard The Air Force The Air National Guard The United States Navy The Marine Corps

Paid for by our fantastic community sponsors of the Millard Activities Express Newspaper.

E-dapting for the 21st Century

P U B L I C + P R I VAT E S C H O O L S

Passionate learners OPS MOBILE WIFI BUS

K AY L A WO L F

nnovative educational experiences throughout greater Omaha are enlightening and engaging young minds like never before. Our mindset: Dream big and go for it — no coasting allowed. Here’s a sampling of the excitement — and national attention — our educators and community partners are generating within the walls of our schools and beyond them. 92 • We Inspire

Old school: Face-to-face instruction that encourages interpersonal communication and other soft skills. New school: Google Classrooms, blended courses and e-learning on snow days. Omaha’s nationally recognized Millard Public Schools are engaged in a 21st-century balancing act – a melding of new-school and old-school concepts to cultivate the next generation of workers. “Businesses tell us the skills that MILLARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS students need most are problem solving, reasoning and collaboration,” says Dr. Heather Phipps, associate superintendent for the school district. Every student has access to technology, including laptops for middle and high school students, KIM SELLMEYER iPads for thirdthrough fifth-graders and classroom iPads for kindergarten through second grade. The online experience includes Google Classrooms in which students can retrieve information from and submit information to their teachers online, as well as a growing number of “flipped” classrooms in which the bulk of instruction happens at home via a teacher’s online video and actual class time is devoted to application, with the teacher right there for questions and re-teaching. Last winter, Millard rolled out snow day e-learning. Secondary school teachers posted lectures and assignments for students to complete at home during a snow day. In 2020, the district will debut blended (face-to-face and online) courses in U.S. government and college-level algebra and writing for seniors at Millard North, South and West. “When our students leave us, we want them to be college and career ready,” Phipps says. “A lot of their training is going to come online – it does for all of us. The more opportunities we can give them to learn the way they’re going to learn in the real world, the better.”

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We Inspire â€¢ 93

Selfie-power At Karen Western Elementary School, good lighting and filters don’t make a good selfie, but confidence does. For the 2019-2020 academic year, sixthgrade teacher Sara Conahan has implemented the theme of “Believe in Your Selfie” to help boost students’ self-confidence. “I was trying to find something fresh that would be relatable to this upper grade,” Conahan says. “They all have phones. They all know what a selfie is, so we are trying to tie their social world with their school world.” As students complete projects they are proud of, Conahan is having them take selfies with their work for a special bulletin board in the classroom. “My goal is to fill that (board) with positive self-images of the kids,” Conahan says. “It’s really important we pump them up, but my goal is for them to pump themselves up.”

A game-changer The Rose Theater has stood out for decades for its artistic vision in mounting high-quality stage productions geared toward young audiences. Now it’s expanding its work to create one of the nation’s largest artistic instructional spaces for young people. The project will transform the former Gordmans building at 120th Street and West Center Road, a 27,000-square-foot space. The renovated facility builds on the Rose’s educational offerings with classrooms, studios, a full-size rehearsal studio and a 200seat performance space. Matthew Gutschick, the Rose artistic director, calls the project “a game-changer in theater education.” We call it a great example of the vitality and ambition in Omaha’s arts community. 94 • We Inspire

AV E N U E S C H O L A R S

CHRIS MACHIAN

Summer of discovery Audrey Mugisha admits that he had barely looked under the hood of a car before starting his summer internship with Woodhouse Ford. The Benson High School senior was among 28 students in a program piloted by the Avenue Scholars Foundation and the Millard Public Schools. The goal is to expose more high school students to career opportunities and in the process help Nebraska attract, retain and develop talent in fields where need is particularly high. Avenue Scholars has long been involved in setting up internships for the 800-plus Omaha-area youths — including Mugisha — it mentors annually, most of whom come from backgrounds of generational poverty.

But those internships have typically been assigned only after the students are out of high school and into some type of post-secondary school or training program. When businesses said they could benefit from exposing young people to internships and career options earlier, Avenue Scholars and the Millard schools teamed up to start the Youth, Business & Community Internship Program. “It’s a win-win” says Cindy Ciadek, program coordinator for Avenue Scholars. “The students get this amazing exposure to these businesses they didn’t even know existed. And the businesses are all thrilled to have our interns there and to share what they do.”

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2020

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Infusion of inclusion The Archdiocese of Omaha rolled out inclusion special education services at St. Robert Bellarmine and St. Pius X/St. Leo Catholic Schools with the start of the 2019-2020 academic year. The services are being offered through a partnership with Madonna School & CommunityBased Services. The initiative is a significant new venture for the archdiocese and Madonna, one that officials say is likely to spread to other schools. Research is clear about the benefits of inclusion, Madonna President Jon Burt says, citing the intellectual and social development of both the special education child and his neurotypical peers.

Make, hack, build Technology library. Hightech workshop. Innovation playground. Do Space is all of that and more, and every bit of it is free for the community. The nonprofit, which turns five years old in 2020, offers unfettered access to robust hardware and advanced software, all powered by an ultrafast gigabit of bandwidth, a 3-D lab with advanced modeling and printing capabilities, and more than 50 hours of classes every month. Have tech skills to share? Make, hack, build as a volunteer. 96 • We Inspire

U N D E R W O O D H I L L S E A R LY L E A R N I N G C E N T E R B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

Stretching, growing together When it came time to find a preschool program for her 3-year-old twins, Kendra Ely wanted the right fit. Like other families, she and her husband were looking for small class sizes and caring teachers who would help their kids grow and get ready for kindergarten. But they had an extra consideration, too. One of their twins, LJ, has Down syndrome. His sister, Harper, does not. They decided on the Underwood Hills Early Childhood Learning Center, where inclusive classrooms

combine students with disabilities and those without. Underwood Hills, part of the Westside Community Schools district, uses a peer model program that pairs kids with different abilities so they can learn from one another. “It really fosters and nurtures a sense of belonging for all students,” says teacher Kate Staples. Bellevue, Elkhorn and Omaha, among other districts, have similar preschool programs.

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We Inspire â€¢ 97

H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

Dream big and go for it

ituated between high school and a fulfilling career, tomorrow’s workforce is excelling on a higher education landscape that includes nationally ranked colleges and universities and two internationally recognized medical schools – the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University Medical Center. • Bellevue University

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY

C O L L E G E O F S A I N T M A RY

• Clarkson College • College of Saint Mary • The Creative Center-College of Art and Design • Creighton University • Creighton University Medical Center • Iowa Western Community College

BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY

• Metropolitan Community College • Midland University

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BELLEVUE UNVERSITY

• Nebraska Christian College • Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health • University of Nebraska at Omaha • University of Nebraska Medical Center

METRO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

98 • We Inspire

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Metropolitan Community College has always been responsive to industry and community needs. Two industries—automotive and manufacturing—need more skilled workers to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow. MCC plans to answer this need with new facilities and expanded programming at its South Omaha Campus.

Center for advanced Manufacturing

Automotive TRaining Center

Veterans

The College’s efforts start with a renovation to the existing Industrial Training Center, creating the Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The new facilities will include new space for current manufacturing programs and additional ones such as robotic automation.

Automotive Technology and Auto Collision Technology are among the College’s robust trade programs, providing skilled technicians to Omaha-area businesses for decades. The Automotive Training Center will bring both programs under one roof.

Recognizing the opportunity to match strong students with high-demand career fields, MCC will incorporate renovated space within the Center for Advanced Manufacturing to serve as a center for active military and veteran students.

To learn more about the South Omaha Campus expansion project, visit mccneb.edu/advancingthepromise.

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H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

Propelled to excel U

nique educational experiences aren’t confined to traditional classrooms. Community organizations and partnerships are enlightening, enriching — and uplifting students in novel ways.

Taking flight At Metro Community College, students are learning how to do sheet metal work the cool way — by building an airplane. By the end of the class, students will have assembled a real airplane that someone could buy. And fly. The students, two or more at a time, spend four hours a day, five days a week for five weeks working on the plane, then are replaced by another set of students. Each gets 100 hours of training in basic skills, says Sam Dickson, workforce training manager at Metro. The program is part of the Nebraska Community College Gap Assistance Program, a state-backed effort to provide short-term training for people seeking a job or career. They can discover whether sheet metal, fiber optics, automotive, culinary or flooring work or some other trade appeals to them. “It gives them an idea if that’s what they really want to do,” says Doug Klug, training coordinator of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 3, a union that works with Metro on the program. 100 • We Inspire

Cyber hawks As computers have wedged their way into every aspect of society, scoundrels seeking to exploit computerization for criminal purposes have weaseled their way in, too. Now a huge field has opened for people who can detect and play defense against breachers, hackers and attackers aiming to create chaos or make a buck by stealing organization and personal information. Bellevue University has invested $1.3 million into a cybersecurity laboratory in which students learn how to keep criminals from breaching supposedly secure networks. The centerpiece of the Intelligence Systems Lab is a 25-foot-wide, almost 5-foot-tall data wall that can show slides, students in remote locations,

videos, websites, data analysis results and many other things. A smaller data wall is located in a meeting nook in the back of the lab. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security honor strong academic cybersecurity programs with the designation of “center of excellence.” In Nebraska, Bellevue University received the designation in 2012; the University of Nebraska at Omaha received it in 2017, and Metropolitan Community College earned it in 2018. The need for cybersecurity experts is great, and the compensation is attractive, with cybercriminal investigators earning an average of $85,000 a year and cybersecurity architects, who design system concepts, averaging $129,000. Not bad, right?

Business is soaring Business is big at Creighton University, and a $20 million investment in the university’s business building will make it bigger. The expansion is in response to the influx of students interested in business — the most popular bachelor’s degree program at campuses nationwide. Enrollment in undergraduate business programs at Creighton has grown from 648 students in 2010 to 1,129 last fall, or 74 percent. Creighton will carve out more room for the Heider College of Business through its renovation of the Harper Center,

among other changes. Scott Heider, the catalyst behind the Heider Foundation’s lead gift for the project, has said those who have planned this development want to excite students and faculty members. It’s not about increasing enrollment, as much as it’s about offering a dynamic business program. “There are so many employment opportunities in the area of business” that it’s hard to pass up, says Anthony Hendrickson, dean of the business college. Completion is expected in 2020.

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We Inspire • 101

Sporting new majors

MIDLAND UNIVERSITY

Biomechanics powerhouse University of Nebraska at Omaha biomechanics boss Nick Stergiou returned to campus after commencement ceremonies last spring and watched the three-story addition to his Biomechanics Research Building taking shape. From virtually no biomechanics program 20 years ago to a booming enterprise that occupies two buildings in fall 2019, 102 • We Inspire

From a bevy of sports programs to hot new technology to promises of international travel, colleges are finding innovative ways to appeal to students. Midland University in Fremont offers scholarships in more than 30 sporting activities, including shotgun, dance, hockey, powerlifting and esports (also known as video games). President Jody Horner says the college must be “relentlessly relevant” to today’s students. “Standing still is not an option.” Horner arrived in 2013, and Midland began offering competitive powerlifting a year later. Under her predecessor, now U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, scholarship-awarding activities such as men’s and women’s wrestling, shotgun sports, men’s and women’s bowling and competitive dance were

Stergiou and his staff have carried biomechanics beyond expectations. The department and its facilities stand at the intersection of ambition and financial backing. “There’s no place in the world like their biomechanics facility,” Randolph Nudo, a professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, has said of the UNO complex. The program offers a bachelor’s degree, and UNO also has a doctorate in exercise science with a focus in biomechanics. In 2014, Stergiou’s team won a $10.1

added. In a contract with the Fremont Family YMCA, every full-time Midland student is automatically a Y member. Midland teams also practice there. In November 2019, Midland will embark on a partnership with the Nebraska Attack girls basketball program. Many Attack players will be automatically guaranteed a Midland scholarship each year as long as they commit to play freshman year. Midland also has a partnership with Methodist Fremont Health to share a high-fidelity simulation lab and equipment for nursing studies. And it has a program with the Omaha Public Schools in which Midland provides a flexible program so that paraprofessionals can become teachers. For Horner, it’s all part of managing expectations and hitting home runs in a competitive market.

million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Center for Research in Human Movement Variability. It’s the largest research grant UNO has ever received, and the infusion of funding brought a $6 million, 23,000-square-foot building. The $11.6 million addition, with money from Omaha donors Ruth and Bill Scott, provides 30,000 square feet of space over three levels. Ruth Scott has said that she and her husband listened to Stergiou and “decided to gamble on his enthusiasm.” The goal is to “make a difference in the lives of Nebraskans and others.”

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HERBIE THOMPSON

Connecting, inspiring, building community T

o his students, Herb “Herbie” Thompson is a professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha specializing in communications while finishing his Ph.D. in leadership. To the Omaha community, he is pastor, mentor, public speaker and monthly volunteer of CreativeMornings/Omaha. Born in England, where his mother grew up, and raised in Nebraska, where his military father was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Thompson grappled with his personal identity. “I grew up biracial and had a very interesting experience in the ’90s as a black-and-white person,” he says. Today, he helps individuals worldwide discover their purpose and potential at various stages of life. Speaking engagements have taken him to Spain, Greece, Zambia and Austria. Sometimes, he says, just asking the right question is all it takes to help someone. Thompson and his Small Group Communication class at UNO collaborate with the Greater Omaha Chamber in hosting CreativeMornings/Omaha. The monthly series of enlightenment and inspiration, Thompson says, attracts “a wonderful blend of diverse people,” including poets, copywriters, graphic designers and others in the creative community. Each session features a conversation with a special guest. “I really value connecting with people intentionally,” he says. “It’s great to have conversations with people casually in everyday life, but I like (CreativeMornings) because it allows me to have an excuse to go deeper with people.” 104 • We Inspire

C R E AT I V E M O R N I N G S

ERIC FRANCIS

CreativeMornings/Omaha attracts ”a wonderful blend of diverse people.” Herb “Herbie” Thompson, UNO professor of communications

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We care.

C H I L D R E N â€™ S H O S P I TA L & M E D I C A L C E N T E R

Compassion is our common bond.

hether we live two houses down or two counties away, how we treat one another is what makes this a community in the truest sense of the word.

M A L O N E A N D C O M PA N Y

We Care â€˘ 107

e Don’t Coast. We. As in everyone. Because we know that life has a way of turning even the most rugged person a bit ragged from time-to-time. Our collective desire to lend a hand can be measured in many ways. But one of the most impressive metrics is that more than 1,000 nonprofit, assistance- and advocacy-oriented organizations operate in our area. Some are local chapters of national organizations like the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Girls Inc. and United Way. One is a local point of pride for being internationally known for more than a century: Boys Town. But literally hundreds are small concerns founded and run by our friends and neighbors – people who feel compelled to give back and invite us along for the journey. One major way this happens is through Omaha Gives! — an annual day of giving created by the Omaha Community Foundation. The 24-hour online giving spree, held in May, encourages people to donate to their favorite local charities. This year, Omaha Gives! generated $6.8 million for 963 nonprofits. Since its inception in 2013, more than $50 million has been raised. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha. While Ronald McDonald Houses can be found the world over, each one is actually a stand-alone local charity. To mark a quarter-century of serving sick kids and their families, RMHC Omaha underwent an extreme makeover, doubling its capacity to 40 families and adding services like an on-site treatment center, salon and multiple family rooms. The RMHC mission is “making the extraordinary ordinary” by helping families facing daunting medical crises make every day as complication-free as possible. With its expansion and services, RMHC Omaha hopes to serve as a model for other Houses – while offering hundreds of families more than 14,000 nights of lodging every year.

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We’re at our best when we’re doing good

SOJERN GLOCON 2018

U N I T E D WAY O F T H E M I D L A N D S

COMPASSION AND EXCELLENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S HEALTH At Methodist, we’re honored to be part of a team that’s been making generations of families stronger for more than 125 years. With the latest technology and a variety of services throughout our community, we give you and your family access to comprehensive care when and where you need it. Whether it’s a minor medical need or a life-changing event, we know how important your health is, and we are dedicated to delivering the compassion you deserve. That’s what The meaning of care is all about, and it’s what you can expect from those of us who wear the Methodist badge. bestcare.org

S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E

It started with a chicken suit. More than memorable, it was career-defining.

CQuence Health Group:

t started with a chicken suit. Bruce Stec, vice president of human resources at CQuence Health Group, was checking in with a new team member. Near the end of their conversation, he asked what made her say “Yes” to joining CQuence. “Normally, people talk about things like our benefits, vacation policy or the opportunity to do rewarding work within health care,” Stec says. “But she looked at me and said, ‘Honestly, I think it was the chicken suit.’ “She must have seen the look on my face, because she laughed and then quickly explained. During her tour of our headquarters, she noticed photos we have all along the walls. She could see Halloween events where our team members (including one in a chicken suit) gave out candy to kids, charity events where we dressed up as superheroes, even our CEO in a workout session with the American Heart Association mascot. “She said she knew this would be a great fit because here were photos of her future co-workers bonding, giving back to the community and just plain having fun. But she could see they were also engaged with the work at their

110 • We Care

desks as she passed. “We’re committed to our employees. It’s reflected in their work and positive attitudes. And if someone can notice that before they even start their job, then I think we’re doing something pretty special here.” CQuence didn’t become one of the premier health care organizations in the Midwest overnight. Through a culture that emphasizes employee experience and a commitment to customer service, CQ and its partner companies have achieved remarkable success. And

they’ve done so while offering paid parental leave, time off for volunteering, wellness incentives, an on-site gym and other enhanced benefits. The company’s history began with Cassling, founded 35 years ago by Bob Cassling. Cassling connects health care organizations with Siemens diagnostic imaging equipment and service plans, helping to improve outcomes and advance patient care. CQuence Health Group was later formed to provide a framework of shared services that could be drawn upon by Cassling and its

Real people, real impact

C Q U E N C E H E A LT H G R O U P

partner companies. Those partners include Ensocare, a software-as-service provider experiencing unprecedented growth. Initially formed to facilitate patient discharge from the hospital, Ensocare has expanded to enable coordination across the patient’s entire care journey and is adding software engineers and other experts. With Ensocare and Cassling helping to differentiate CQuence in a crowded field, Mike Cassling, CEO of both CQuence and Cassling, anticipates continued growth and an even better experience.

“What really separates us is our commitment to our customers,” says Cassling. “My father started this company because he understood he could take care of customers better than anyone else. He knew that if you treated employees right, if you gave them the tools they need to do their best work, they’re going to do everything they can to help our customers. That strategy continues to shape how we approach our interactions with each other and the hospitals we work with every day.” “We recently celebrated our 35th

anniversary, and we’re on track to have our highest revenue ever. It’s all thanks to a team that continues to work hard and bring fresh ideas to the table.” The candid photos on the walls of CQuence Health Group tell only part of the story. Behind the smiling images are real people empowered to directly impact the companies’ successes. Mike Cassling notes that there “is plenty of wall space left” and many more memories to be made for CQuence and its family of companies. Learn more. Visit cquencehealth.com

We Care • 111

FLOOD RESPONSE

Standing strong S

ometimes, a crisis affects all of us in ways ranging from small to devastating. In early 2019, such a crisis hit our area — along with much of the Midwest — when rapid snowmelt combined with intense rain pushed the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers out of their banks. Thousands of our neighbors were affected. Many were forced to evacuate at a moment’s notice while others found their subdivisions had suddenly become islands, cut off from their communities. Those you expect to respond did – local, state and federal agencies; the American Red Cross and Salvation Army – and their swift action deserves our gratitude. But the help didn’t stop there. Far from it. Dozens of congregations, community groups, nonprofits, families and individuals mobilized to make a difference. They set up shelters and organized drives for clothing, cleaning supplies and food. Private pilots and airboat operators ferried supplies and people in and out of waterlocked communities and neighborhoods. Local restaurants delivered food by boat. Volunteer cleaning teams showed up on doorsteps to remove mud, muck and mold. What needed to be done got done. Day after day, week after week. Month after month. Because in times of crisis – from the intensely personal to the extremely pervasive – we do the opposite of coast. We crush it. Garry Clark, executive director for the Greater Fremont Development Council, calls the disaster response and recovery “emblematic” of living in the Heartland. “Nebraska has some of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet,” he says. “Wherever you go, you’ll find people passionate about the greater good of their city.”

KENT SIEVERS

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S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E / C H I L D R E N ’ S H O S P I TA L & M E D I C A L C E N T E R

Growing to serve more children & families Our mission in pediatric care: To improve the life of every child

t Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, this is our mission — and it’s the heart of everything we do. As the region’s pediatric health care leader, we’re dedicated to exceptional clinical care, research, education and advocacy. Whether we’re providing care for critically ill children or championing child-centered legislation, we strive to improve the lives of children, families and entire communities. This commitment to mission is the very reason Children’s is in a season of exciting growth and transformation. As national demand for high-quality pediatric services rises, Children’s is expanding — in terms of size, scope and services — to continue to meet the needs of children and families. “Children are 20 percent of our population — and 100 percent of our future,” says Dr. Christopher Maloney, senior vice president and chief medical officer. “We’re evolving and investing today to improve the lives of children and families for generations to come.” Perhaps the most visible sign of this growth is the state-of-theart clinical facility that’s rising on Children’s main campus at

114 • We Care

84th and Dodge Streets. Opening in 2021, the Hubbard Center for Children will house newborn and pediatric intensive care units, cardiac and cancer units, surgical space and much more. The Hubbard Center will enhance and expand care for all children — whether healthy, fragile, medically complex, critically injured or seriously ill. While new and innovative, in many ways the Hubbard Center for Children is a natural extension of Children’s history, a continuation of a decades-long commitment: doing the right thing for children. It’s a timeless principle that has anchored the organization since its founding in 1948. “We’re building on the beginnings of Children’s, when we started providing services for all children — whether they could pay or not — during the polio epidemic. Children needed a home, a place that really focused on their care,” says Dr. Maloney. “Today, we remain that place, and to serve our community and meet the increasing need for highly specialized pediatric care, we have to do more.” In addition to elevating Children’s ability to deliver

clinical care, the Hubbard Center for Children makes room for the organization to flourish as a pediatric academic medical center and draw top talent as the organization looks to hire more pediatric specialists, sub-specialists, nurses and support staff. The vision? The region’s children will have access to the most advanced care delivered by the most talented health care professionals — without leaving the area even for the most complex care. As Children’s physical footprint grows, so does its national reputation. U.S. News & World Report ranked Children’s in five pediatric specialties among its 2019-20 Best Children’s Hospitals: Cardiology and Heart Surgery, Pulmonology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Orthopedics and Diabetes & Endocrinology. This is the highest number of specialties Children’s has ranked since participating in the nationwide survey. We don’t coast. We care. We innovate. We grow… to improve the life of every child. Learn more by visiting ChildrensOmaha.org.

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SHARING IS CARING

Engaged in Omaha 116 • We Care

etting engaged in our community; doing our part to serve, elevate and enhance the lives of others. It’s just one way we make a mark – instead of simply making do. Maybe that looks like mentoring a child at the Hope Center for Kids, serving as an ambassador with Omaha Performing Arts or volunteering at a water stop during the Omaha Marathon. Opportunities to engage abound and now, with the January launch of SHARE Omaha (SHAREomaha.org), it’s easier than ever to connect our desire to help with a need in

our community. “A small arts organization has an outstanding new board member. A museum has a new crew of construction volunteers to assist with installing new exhibits. A food pantry recruits more volunteers through SHARE Omaha in two months than its national volunteer recruitment sources have in five years,” says Executive Director Marjorie Maas. Inclusive Communities and Omaha’s groundbreaking Tri-Faith Initiative are Continued on page 118

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KEEP OMAHA BEAUTIFUL

B R E N DA N S U L L I VA N

among the almost 350 nonprofits posting more than 500 volunteer opportunities on SHAREomaha.org. “We have an incredible volunteer network,” says Maggie Wood, executive director of Inclusive Communities. Formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews, today’s Inclusive Communities has been confronting prejudice, bigotry and discrimination since a 1938 effort to boycott Jewish-owned businesses in Nebraska. Alliances have formed and solidified over the years, including a partnership with the Tri-Faith Initiative – a push to foster empathy and understanding by intentionally co-locating Jewish, Christian and 118 • We Care

KEEP OMAHA BEAUTIFUL

Muslim congregations on one campus. (The Tri-Faith Center, the campus’s fourth and final building, is expected to open in 2020.) Avenues of engagement include gathering, serving, learning and advocating. “We want to create meaningful connections. We think that is a key to a better world,” says Uroosa Jawed, spokesman for the Tri-Faith Initiative. Maas says nonprofits – the Tri-Faith Initiative, Inclusive Communities and so many more – are the backbone of the Omaha metro, and people here are hardwired to help. “Whether you give an hour of general service or offer your professional skills, your investment is a statement about what matters and how you desire your community to be,” she says.

T R I - FA I T H I N I T I AT I V E

Here in the metro, we don’t coast we care. Omaha Parks Foundation

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129 Years of Growth This year, we celebrate our 129th year and the 50th anniversary of the WoodmenLife Tower in downtown Omaha. In that time, we’ve grown to a nearly $11 billion dollar1 life insurance company with almost 700,000 members across the country. We’re proud to be a member of the hometown we love, and we look forward to helping Omaha continue to thrive.

1. As of Dec. 31. 2018; liabilities of $9.52 billion. Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, Omaha, NE. D15420000065595-01 6/19

We Care • 119

SECRET KINDNESS AGENTS

Simple ‘missions’ spread warmth

ene Leahy Mall in downtown Omaha was scattered with donated hats, scarves, sweaters and jackets, all for the taking. It was a way to help the less fortunate blunt the December cold – and evidence that the Secret Kindness Agents had struck again. “We had seen a lot of people there who seemed to be without coats and needing assistance. When we went back a week later to harvest the leftovers, there was hardly anything,” says Dr. Ferial Pearson, a teacher education instructor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She launched the Secret Kindness Agent concept years ago while teaching at Ralston High School. Hard hit by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting of 2012, Pearson asked her class of juniors: Could a simple act of kindness change someone’s life?

Z LONG

Her students became Secret Kindness Agents, anonymously committing acts of kindness in their school and eventually, the community. Pearson’s book on the project, “Secret Kindness Agents: How Small Acts of Kindness Really Can Change the World,” is in more than 450 schools

LY D I A S A N D

Overachieving, overcoming

ydia Sand keeps a full schedule as organizer, advocate, traveler, runner — and champion of charity sand volleyball tournaments. “I don’t want to just sit and squander opportunities. I have a daily reminder that life is short

KURT A.KEELER

120 • We Care

internationally. It has been featured on Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation website, The Hallmark Channel and SPLC’s Teaching Tolerance Magazine, plus it has been a TEDxOmaha talk. Secret Kindness Agents will be back this winter, spreading warmth and kindness in a spot to be decided.

– and life can change,” she says. The Omahan has cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disease that wreaks havoc on the lungs and digestive system. Upon her diagnosis in 2001, Lydia and her parents resolved to “Get smart and stay positive.” The slogan became part of their new normal and quickly expanded to their involvement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The family, who was

living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the time, formed Team Lydia for Great Strides, the CF Foundation’s signature walk and largest national fundraiser. More than 200 people walked in support of Team Lydia. “We raised $10,000 and doubled the size of the walk,” Lydia says. “Raising money and sharing our story was one way to make a difference.” Lydia’s charitable impact to date: More than $37,000.

H E A LT H C A R E

Cutting-edge medicine, world-class facilities Fueled by an unrelenting quest for excellence, our health care community has earned a reputation for world-class education, treatment and research in cuttingedge facilities, including two internationally recognized medical schools. At the heart of it all are people, skilled and determined, creating legacies of hope and healing, elevating the well-being of our entire region.

UNMC

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER

C H I H E A LT H

Our pillars in health care: • Boys Town National Research Hospital • CHI Health • Children’s Hospital & Medical Center • Creighton University School of Medicine • OrthoNebraska • Methodist Health System • Nebraska Medicine • Nebraska Methodist College • Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals • Omaha VA Medical Center • QLI • University of Nebraska Medical Center

NEBRASKA METHODIST COLLEGE NEBRASKA METHODIST COLLEGE

We Care • 121

We launch.

We accelerate.

here innovators and instigators make their mark. A place where seasoned risktakers mentor emerging entrepreneurs and imagination meets practical application. We are the Silicon Prairie, and weâ€™re happy to oblige living up to the name.

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Work ethic meets F wild ingenuity rom our earliest days, Greater Omaha has suffered no shortage of people willing to risk their time, money and toil in search of great rewards. Folks like the Dodge brothers, who, in 1855, founded what is now the oldest real estate firm in America, NP Dodge Company. Or the Kountze brothers, who opened what would become First National Bank in 1857, now the country’s largest privately held bank.

Fast forward through the next century and a half and you’ll find examples of that entrepreneurial spirit littering – in a good way – our history. Nationally and internationally

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known companies such Kiewit, HDR, Leo A. Daly, West, Werner Enterprises, Mutual of Omaha, WoodmenLife, TD Ameritrade and Berkshire Hathaway (as Buffett Partnership) all began life – and maintain their headquarters – here in Omaha. In our area’s case, the past has certainly been prologue. Today, a new crop of entrepreneurs is rolling up its collective sleeves and putting passions to the test. Places like

Flywheel, a managed web hosting company that has grown from three founders to more than 200 employees in less than seven years. And more incubators than we can count helping dozens of startups plot paths to success. So, if you’re ready to work smarter as well as harder – if you’re determined to make a positive mark instead of just making do – you’re primed to make a name for yourself in Greater Omaha.

Z LONG

We heat and cool downtown Omaha. With 99.999% reliability, Clearway an With 99.9999% reliability, NRG EnergyEnergy Centerprovides Omaha provides an energy-efďŹ cient, environmentallyďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ sound district energy system ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ that has served downtown Omahaâ€™s public and commercial ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ buildings forďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ nearlyďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ 50ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ years. Our low-cost helps you ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝service ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ save lower capital costs. lowerspace capitaland costs.

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Benefit from our energy today. Michelle Boles | 402.609.4808 | michelle.boles@nrg.com | Michelle Boles | 402.609.4808 | michelle.boles@clearwayenergy.com | clearwayenergygroup.com ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝signs ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝748978 Clearway and the plus are registered service marks ofďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ Clearway @ 2019 Clearway. All rights reserved

JORGE ZUNIGA

Superhero to thousands G

oing to bed hungry, he says, isn’t the worst thing in the world. It’s seeing your two little brothers go to bed hungry. And not being able to help. “Let me tell you, that is a life-changing situation,” says Dr. Jorge Zuniga, an assistant professor of biomechanics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who grew up in Chile with little chance of changing the world. Yet he did. In a superhero way. “When you see other people suffering, all of a sudden you’re not the center of the universe,” Zuniga says. “And when you have that deep into your bones, the only thing you want to do when you reverse your own situation is to give it back.” Zuniga has become a hero to thousands of kids around the world who need prosthetic hands and upper limbs — and to their families, who often can’t afford the standard models. And in the process, he has helped the university become No. 1 in the development and testing of 3D-printed prosthetics. A few years back, when Zuniga was director of Creighton University’s 3D Research and Innovation Lab, he became a pioneer in the printing of 3D mechanical hands when he created the Cyborg Beast, a design that people around the world can download for free. The Beast hand costs just $50 to make. Because of that, families

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R YA N H E N R I K S E N

now can afford new ones over the years to match how fast their kids grow. And the Beast looks super cool. Like something a superhero would wear while saving the world. Kids pick their own colors and create their own look — a pink hand for a kid who loves pink, an Iron Man hand for a kid who loves Iron Man. The possibilities are endless.

In 2014, MSN.com named the Cyborg Beast a top invention of the year. As of October 2018, Zuniga’s Beast design had been downloaded nearly 60,000 times. Zuniga is working on the nextgeneration devices: electronic limbs. He’s the lead investigator for a two-year, $150,000 grant through the University of Nebraska’s Collaboration Initiative.

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11,500 MILE FIBER NETWORK WITH OVER 500 MILES IN OMAHA Great Plains Communications is the largest privately owned communications provider in Nebraska with over a century of experience delivering fast, reliable, innovative solutions to business customers in over 90 communities throughout the state and beyond.

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R E TA I L AWA R E

Thinking big, taking risks 128 • We Launch

eith Fix knows how to build businesses. He has been doing it since college. The way he tells it, Retail Aware – his “umpteenth venture” – was a natural next; a data company that flowed seamlessly from interlocking experiences. “As with all things, some

were successful; others, not so much,” he says. Retail Aware leverages a combination of artificial intelligence and proprietary IoT (Internet of Things) sensors and hardware to help clients optimize merchandising through realworld, near-real-time data. Keith sees a bold future

for the company, which won the $10,000 entrepreneurial prize package at 2018’s Get Started Omaha sponsored by Cox Business and Inc. Magazine. Fix says,“We want to power the tools that are part of the future of retail. We really think that we can make an impact.”

JOB SHARE CONNECT

Integrating work, life A

marketing professional and mother of three, Jessica Charlsen, and talent management expert Jina Picarella, mom to twin daughters, parlayed their shared passion for work and family into a professional partnership and an innovative startup. Job Share Connect makes it easier for employees and businesses to adopt job-sharing as a flexible work option. The platform matches “job-share

partners” – workers interested in sharing the responsibilities of one full-time position – and then connects them with progressive companies looking to recruit top talent. Through the formula, work-life integration meets outside-the-box thinking. Jessica and Jina hope their venture will empower people to pursue the jobs they love and the lives they want, positively impacting families, communities and society as a whole.

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C A R I N A G L O V E R & N E O S H A B R O A D WAY

HERHEADQUARTERS

Building collaborative networks C

arina Glover and Neosha Broadway are harnessing the power of collaboration to elevate women entrepreneurs in fashion, beauty, entertainment, events and public relations. Their app – HerHeadquarters – connects female entrepreneurs (called Allies) who want to share projects, build stronger teams and ultimately grow their businesses through strategic collaborations. Platform members are all vetted and verified as top-notch pros, says Glover, CEO “By offering Omaha’s women tech entrepreneurs the exclusive opportunity to fulfill tech-related needs for HerHeadquarters partnerships,” Glover hopes it will “open up new opportunities for individuals but also for the Omaha community.” A 2019 fellow at Omaha’s Start-up Collaborative, Glover also was among three DO Space 2019 Women Innovators. C4 PHOTOGRAPHY

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We don’t coast. We are research driven. With patience, discipline and 30+ years of experience, we are committed to helping you achieve your long-term investment goals.

See what research-driven investing can do for you.

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Diverse Perspectives. Inclusive Teams. Proud Employees. At Union Paciﬁc, we know embracing diversity and inclusion brings positive impacts to our business and the communities we serve. In the Omaha metro area, our diverse workforce fuels the local economy with a payroll of more than 4,000 employees and charitable giving of almost $5 million.

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We build. HEARTWOOD PRESERVE

The heart of the American dream.

ur cost of living is low, and our work ethic is as Midwestern as it gets. So itâ€™s no coincidence that businesses of every stripe and size find success in the Omaha area. From startups and local favorites to Fortune 500s known the world over, we keep the business climate as accommodating as possible.

NODDLE COS.

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Can’t stop. Won’t stop. L A V I S TA C I T Y C E N T R E

C I T Y O F L A V I S TA

rowth, by its very nature, requires the new. New residents swell a city’s population. New businesses offer expanded job opportunities. New ideas push companies and communities to higher standards, economic and otherwise. Here, growth has been a hallmark of our existence since the beginning. All six counties that make up Greater Omaha are united in a uniquely collaborative way. One that crosses both state lines and party lines as we seek to make our area as business- and people-friendly as possible. Frankly, it’s been great for the past century and a half. We’re located at a nexus of transportation – road, rail and air – which isn’t by accident. The cost of doing business here is 6.1% lower than the national average. Our workforce is highly educated and exceptionally Midwestern (as in hardworking), and we enjoy a cost of living that is almost 8% lower on average than other metro areas nationwide. And nearly 50% lower than certain silicon-based, low-lying

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areas on the West Coast. (Coupled with equally affordable real estate, it’s no wonder so many transplants go from tiny condo to starter mansion without an increase in their mortgage payment.) Our region makes sound business sense for companies in just about any industry. Of course, we naturally have a higher concentration of some than others. Agribusiness, including food and renewable fuel production and processing, is an obvious (and obviously important) sector. But we’re also strong in financial services, life sciences, logistics and military/defense. Give it a few more years and technology will undoubtedly be added to the list. But however our community continues to morph and expand over the coming years, rest assured it will have happened because no one here believes in letting things slide, leaving well enough alone, or letting the chips fall where they may. We’ll have gotten there together. Two states. Six counties. One million people. Zero coasters.

EMPOWERED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD It starts with people. People who recognize that a challenge exists, and those who are ready to overcome it. At Lindsay Corporation, we’re focused on addressing the needs of growing populations by empowering our teams to reﬂect, respond and deliver tools that meet the needs of a constantly evolving world.

lindsay.com

S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E

Celebrating 100 years in food Conagra Brands keeps it fresh and exciting by innovating and collaborating in Omaha

onagra Brands is celebrating its 100-year anniversary – a milestone reached by continually adapting to people’s ever-changing tastes in food and the evolving needs of its retail customers. With a rich heritage in Omaha, the company continues to excel by providing employees with a collaborative, high-energy culture and investing in the creation of innovative and contemporary food. “Our innovation approach is driven by consumers. When we create meaningful products that deliver what they want, we know we’ve done things right,” says Omahabased Mindy Simon, chief information officer. CONAGRA BRANDS INC.

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Founded in Nebraska in 1919 and still guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands and its diverse portfolio of food brands are known worldwide. Its iconic names, including Birds Eye, Slim Jim and Healthy Choice, share shelf and freezer space with emerging brands such as Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke’s and Gardein. “As a company, we’re only as good as our food and right now, we’re making fantastic food,” says Tom Frain, director of restaurant and culinary design at Conagra’s Center for Food Design and Technology in Omaha. “There are so many culinary trends – plantbased diets, hotter-than-hot spice, ancient grains, etc. – and our team has the fun job of figuring out how to bring those trends to consumers in a relatable way.” The journey toward developing those new products begins with data, efficiently mined by Conagra Brands’ Global Business and Information Systems team in Omaha, using automation and other new and evolving technologies. “We look at data around consumer behavior and search for specific product attributes that are driving growth. These can be flavors, form factors, or even items that are trending but may not even be related to food,” Simon says. “From there, our Research & Development (R&D) team works on applying these attributes to new or existing products while our Supply Chain team remains agile to source new ingredients quickly. And our Human Resources team supports innovation by helping make sure we have the best and brightest employees in the industry. Crossfunctional collaboration is critical to our innovation process.” All of those divisions – plus finance, procurement and other functions – make up the 1,300 employees based in Conagra Brands’ downtown Omaha campus, which is the company’s largest workforce. “There are countless examples of contributions our R&D team, and all our

CONAGRA BRANDS INC.

Omaha-based employees, have made to our success over the years,” Simon says. “The Healthy Choice brand, which was originally conceived by former CEO Mike Harper in 1985, is a perfect example of how we’ve kept a brand on-trend and successful.” Conagra Brands introduced its Healthy Choice Power Bowls two years ago. “By applying growth attributes like increased and better-quality protein, provocative flavors and sustainable packaging, we created a new line of Healthy Choice products that were more competitive in the marketplace,” Simon says. Beyond creating and selling innovative new food, Conagra Brands supports the Omaha community through a range of initiatives, including its annual Month of Service volunteer program, United Way

fundraising campaign, and Shine the Light on Hunger holiday fundraising campaign, which supports Food Bank for the Heartland. “Omaha is a place where we live, work, play and serve,” Simon says. “Just this year, The Civic 50 recognized Conagra Brands as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.” As it celebrates 100 years – and eyes the century ahead – growing stale simply isn’t an option. “Conagra Brands, as a company, has gone through some incredible, exciting changes in the last few years. As we modernized our business, it made sense that we modernized our food offerings, too,” Frain says. Career opportunities are plentiful with Conagra Brands in Omaha and beyond. For more information, visit careers.conagrabrands.com.

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O P P D S O L A R A R R AY

JASON KUIPER/OPPDTHEWIRE.COM

OMAHA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT

Powering up

maha experiences an average of 214 sunny days per year – nine more than the national average, according to Sperling’s BestPlaces.com. And the Omaha Public Power District intends to take full advantage of all of them. In spring 2019, construction began on the utility’s first community solar field. By early August, more than 17,500 panels were up on the 35-acre site near Fort Calhoun in Washington County. Once fully installed, the solar array will produce 5 megawatts of solar energy each year — enough to power, on 138 • We Build

average, 750 to 1,000 households. Renewable green energy, with an emphasis on solar and wind, is a priority for OPPD. “We expect to be over 40% renewable by the end of 2019,” says OPPD product specialist Tricia McKnight. “Our goal is to get to 50%.” The community solar project gives OPPD residential customers the opportunity to purchase shares of the solar energy produced. Each share represents 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and when the program was announced, the 8,000-plus shares available sold out quickly.

At last report, more than 70 customers were on a waitlist for solar shares, when they become available. “This is our first project doing solar, so we’re excited about it, and we love that the community is excited about it as well,” McKnight says. OPPD and NextEra Energy Resources have a 20-year power purchase agreement for the energy generated at the facility. “I think we’re going to see a lot more solar and a lot more wind. That’s something that OPPD is focusing on,” McKnight says.

CHRISTENSEN HOP FARM

Aiming high

JOSH CHRISTENSEN

osh Christensen isn’t a beer connoisseur but he knows a business opportunity when he sees it. The Washington County entrepreneur is harvesting his first meaningful hop crop this year on six acres just outside of Fort Calhoun. If you had walked through his sprouting hop field last spring, you might have guessed he was growing asparagus. Except for those rows and rows of slanting poles with guide wires shooting 18 feet into the air. By mid-July, leafy hop vines were climbing toward the sky and producing burrs that mature into cones for harvesting by September. “With hop varieties, you’re after a flavor and an aroma,” Josh says of the cones. “Every variety has its own specific traits.” Why a hop farm? “A few years ago my brother-in-law said something about making beer. It was winter and I thought, ‘I’ve got a little free time.” So Christensen bought a homebrewing kit, watched tutorials and started a few hop plants by the house. When a friend suggested that he add hops to his existing farming operation, Christensen expected it wouldn’t be viable. Then he went to a class, and a few months later, he

KURT A.KEELER

was preparing the growing site — an infrastructure of poles, wires and irrigation lines. His first crop in 2018 was underwhelming, he says. “Even if I could have sold it for top dollar, I only would have made $400.” And the 2019 yield? “It’s looking pretty good.” Compared to major growers, Christensen’s hop enterprise is considered hobby size. But for Nebraska, it’s respectable. The largest grower in the state, according to Christensen,

is in Cass County with about 35 acres. He and that grower share information on growing and harvesting techniques and work together to provide local brewers with highquality Nebraska hops. Hop growers, like craft brewers, help each other, Christensen says. His goal is to establish relationships with a few local brewers, finesse his growing techniques and produce a high-demand cash crop that finds its way into a premium craft brew.

KURT A.KEELER

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BAKERS CANDIES

Supersized fun

hey’re enjoyed all over the world, and they’re made right here: Bakers Chocolates. Following in the footsteps of widely known Nebraska brands Dorothy Lynch, Valentino’s and Runza, Bakers Candies is poised to gain even more fame for its signature meltaways wrapped in colorful metallic foil. The Cass County enterprise, founded three decades ago by Kevin Baker, in August 2019 completed a yearlong expansion of its 25,000-square-foot facility on the edge of Greenwood. The project added 5,000 square feet — all of it dedicated to what the Baker family says is Nebraska’s largest candy store. “Nebraska has never seen anything on this scale,” says the founder’s son and CEO, Todd Baker. The interactive space, which had its grand opening 140 • We Build

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in September, is a sort of “reward” for customers making the pilgrimage to the store each year, Baker says. You can take a virtual tour of the factory, learn how chocolate is made and even sample the merchandise before you buy. “We have color and candy all over the place,” Baker says. “It’s just a giant, superfun candy store.” Last year, 100,000 chocolate fans came through the doors. That was a record, just like every year before it. This year, tourism is likely to explode in this Cass County

community of 500. The expanded store and a new parking area, Baker says, are specially designed to handle busloads at a time. With a third generation of Baker children learning to walk on the factory floors, the future of Bakers Candies looks bright. As the family and factory expand, so does the Bakers Candies legacy. As Todd Baker notes: “We simply want to make chocolate that Nebraskans can be proud of. Chocolatemaking is a part of who we are; it just comes first nature to us.”

“We are Nebraskans through and through. That literally is our identity, it’s who we are.” Todd Baker, CEO, Bakers Candies

GRUNWALD MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS & ENGINEERS Plumbing

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ere, we expand our places and our minds – raising our voices and our structures, forming thoughts into thoroughfares, breathing art into architecture. Home to the nation’s No. 2 “hottest ZIP code” (68144, according to Realtor.com), and headquarters to Berkshire Hathaway (No. 2 on the Fortune 500), abundant resources make Greater Omaha right for catalyzing, growing and expanding. From such icons of industry as Union Pacific, Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc., Mutual of Omaha, TD Ameritrade and more, to the Silicon Prairie’s fastest-growing startups, we have the foundation to invent the future.

A web of expansion Omaha and LinkedIn first connected in 2007, and we’ve been growing together ever since. The tech company’s Omaha workforce has mushroomed from 11 to about 450. That number could jump to 1,000 or more by 2021 when LinkedIn completes its two-building complex in southwest Omaha. Omaha was home to LinkedIn’s first office outside Silicon Valley. Today, it’s the web-based firm’s main hub for customer support, says Kelli Pilgrim, LinkedIn’s senior director and top executive in Omaha. “People are recognizing it’s a great place for hiring great talent,” she says of Omaha. “The work ethic has been very, very good, and our attrition tends to be lower than we would expect in other parts of the country.” Upon completion of the 200,000-square-foot facility, the Omaha office will be LinkedIn’s sixth-largest globally in terms of space, Pilgrim says. 142 • We Build

CHRIS CHRISTEN

FULL FLEDGED BREWING CO.

It’s the real thing Raise a glass! Full Fledged Brewing Co., billed as Council Bluffs’ first craft microbrewery, is serving its style of suds near the city’s bustling Mid-America Center. Owner and brewmaster Marshall Redmond spent the summer brewing craft beers for 20 available house taps. With 15 running in August, he was looking forward to a less-frantic autumn and winter. “By the end of October, I’ll be getting some sleep,” he says, only half-teasing.

Full Fledged has an annual brewing capacity of 1,800 barrels (the equivalent of 3,600 kegs). “We want to max that out and expand in the near future,” the brewmaster says. Redmond and his wife, Dessie, moved to the area to be closer to family and saw that the Pottawattamie County community was “untapped.” Full Fledged’s summer opening was the culmination of a 2½-year dream for Redmond and his 15 business partners. “It’s amazing,” he says, “We all love beer.”

OMAHA. NO BETTER PLACE TO THRIVE Gavilon is proud to call Omaha home. It’s not just in the middle of America’s heartland. It’s at the heart of the commodities markets around the world—from grain to feed and food ingredients to fertilizer. Our business goes around the globe, but it all starts here.

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At Lozier, we don’t just build store ﬁxtures – we build careers. You’ll ﬁnd we have a wide variety of opportunities to explore, from skilled trades to manufacturing, engineering, customer support and more.

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TiNik INC. TIM CRAFT & NIKI FORD

CHRIS CHRISTEN

In it for the long haul “If I were in charge…” Tim Craft and Niki Ford traded “ifs” for action in 2008, when they ventured out on their own and founded TiNik Inc., a custom truck equipment company in Oakland, Iowa. The Pottawattamie County firm supplies and installs truck equipment and accessories, from safety kits to cranes. “A majority of our product gets shipped throughout the country,” says Ford, vice president and lifelong resident of Oakland. That’s where the company has been based and expanding since 2009, after outgrowing its original Council Bluffs location. “We hoped our decision would encourage other Oakland development,” says Ford. In June, TiNik celebrated the grand opening of a larger headquarters and showroom on Main Street.

R E D B E R R Y I N N O VAT I O N S

M E R C K A N I M A L H E A LT H

Mission security

Top jobs in Elkhorn

Terry Reinert served five years in the United States Marine Corps; a span that included tours in Operation Southern Watch (1999-2000) and Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2002). Almost two decades later, he still specializes in defense and protection – as co-founder of Red Berry Innovations, a mission-focused cyber security and artificial intelligence research and development company. Based in Springfield in Sarpy County, Red Berry Innovations serves the federal government

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and companies of all sizes across multiple industries. Reinert says he started in the cyber-world at a young age, teaching himself how to find, exploit and patch vulnerabilities in applications and digital communication protocols. A 2002 recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, his post-marine career included high-profile jobs at Raytheon SI Government Solutions and Nebraska Applied Research Institute. Reinert and Courtney Grayson, Ph.D., co-founded Red Berry Innovations in 2018.

Merck Animal Health, which has offices in more than 50 countries, has targeted its Elkhornarea manufacturing and warehouse facility for a $100 million technology upgrade. The investment reportedly will increase manufacturing volume and add 50 or more full-time jobs (paying at least $99,444 per year, according to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development). “We are excited about the opportunity to bring capital improvements, expansion in

our manufacturing capacity and capabilities, and advanced technology to our Elkhorn facility,” says Darin Tompkins, director of the Elkhorn operation. The investment, he says, will strengthen Merck’s footprint in Nebraska and increase its ability to fulfill customer demand for its products. Merck Animal Health develops vaccines for dogs, cats, poultry, swine and other animals.

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