Personnel

Lincoln Federal Savings Bank Promotes Dave Arkfeld Lincoln Federal Savings Bank recently promoted Dave Arkfeld from mortgage loan officer to the position of assistant vice president/mortgage loan officer. In this role, Dave will be responsible for developing relationships with customers and affiliates to grow Lincoln Federal’s mortgage portfolio, overseeing the loan process from application to closing, keeping customers informed, educating customers and placing them in the right loan product, and providing excellent interpersonal skills and customer service. Dave’s natural charisma and passion for serving others make him a great fit for this position. Lincoln Federal Savings Bank has been providing quality banking to the Nebraska area for over 100 years. Their mission is to serve the community by offering a wide variety of loan options and deposit products. Whether you’re saving for, buying, or building your dream home Lincoln Federal is here. Offering construction and consumer financing, mortgage lending, and a wide variety of personal checking and savings options to fit your lifestyle and achieve your financial goals. Lincoln Federal Savings Bank’s Omaha branch is located at 673 N 132nd St. Additional branches are located in Lincoln, Fremont, Blair, Holdrege, Hastings, North Platte, McCook, and Benkelman. Learn more online at www.lincolnfed.com or call (402) 493-5599.

John Schneider with Big Birge Plumbing Celebrates Five Years with Company John Schneider with Big Birge Plumbing recently celebrated five years of service and hard work with the company. John is one of the lead Journeyman in Big Birge’s commercial plumbing department. An Omaha native, John is described by those who know him as a nice guy with a heart of gold who has stellar leadership skills and motivation to get the job done. John is a proactive worker who is always driven and dedicated on the job site. He sees exactly what needs to be done and follows through. When he’s not in the field helping to lead plumbing jobs, he loves to relax at the lake with his fiancé, Molly, and family full of nieces and nephews. John is also awesome behind the boat on the wake board and has been proven to be the fastest sprinter on the Big Birge Plumbing team!

The skilled professionals at Big Birge Plumbing have a passion for what they do. Whether you need help with a kitchen or bathroom remodel, water heater repair, gas or water piping, or the really fun stuff like drain cleaning and clogged toilets, Big Birge Plumbing will be there with a wrench and a smile. To learn more, please visit www.bigbirgeplumbing.com or call (402) 575-0102.

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Kyle Johnson of Oasis Senior Advisors Celebrates Four Years with Franchise Kyle Johnson with Oasis Senior Advisors recently celebrated four years with the Oasis Senior Advisors franchise. Kyle joined Oasis Senior Advisors with a goal to help seniors in the community simplify the process of finding senior housing. The services he is able to offer through the franchise have helped countless seniors in the past four years find the best living situations for their circumstances and with less hassle. Kyle chose to open an Oasis Senior Advisors franchise because Oasis offers a compassionate, personalized approach to helping seniors navigate the challenging process of selecting the perfect home for themselves. The services are completely free and customized to individuals’ unique goals and specific needs, something Kyle feels is important because it makes the services available to everyone, no matter their circumstances. Oasis Senior Advisors’ senior housing services include assisted living, independent living, memory care, retirement communities, residential care homes, and respite services. They also offer a number of resources for seniors and their families so that they can feel fully prepared and confident in their senior housing selection. Learn more at AnswersForMom.com, or contact Kyle Johnson at (402) 669-9490 / Omaha@YourOasisAdvisor.com and congratulate him on four years of excellence and hard work!

Business Ethics Alliance Welcomes Development Associate Eve McLain Beverly Kracher, Ph.D., CEO and Executive Director of the Business Ethics Alliance (the Alliance), is pleased to announce the hire of Eve McLain as director of education. Eve is accountable for the development and delivery of content for the Alliance along with some administrative responsibilities of human resources and metrics. Eve is an experienced global executive who specializes in business, ethics and leadership development. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a wealth of knowledge on what makes leaders effective and how to engage staff to perform at their peak. She’s an expert consultant with hundreds of hours in gap analysis and resulting solutions creation. Eve holds a master’s degree in Business - Managerial Communications and multiple certifications in training, coaching, and psychometrics. She is from a military family but now considers Omaha her home, having spent over 25 years here. She is married to Brian McLain, Esq. and has three sons: Sean, Nathan, and Christopher. In her free time, she loves to read, cook, do puzzles, practice yoga, and relax with her family.

The Greater Omaha Alliance for Business Ethics at Creighton University—the Business Ethics Alliance—is the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to city-level business ethics education. Learn more online at www.businessethicsalliance.org.

CEDARS Welcomes New Board Members CEDARS is pleased to welcome eight individuals to its board of directors to help drive change for children, youth, and families in this community. The new board members are as follows:

Dr. Lance Perez, dean of UNL’s College of Engineering; Judy Halstead, former health director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department; Judy Gaiashkibos, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs; Spencer Bergen, InHouse Legal Counsel at Union Bank & Trust; Tony Ojeda, certified retirement counselor; and Marilyn Hernandez, first grade teacher with Lincoln Public Schools. Returning board members include Chris Wagner, vice president of business loans and financing at Union Bank & Trust; and Jan Zoucha, founder of JZ Insurance and Retirement Advisors.

Together, they will bring their wide range of backgrounds and experiences to the mission of helping children and youth achieve safety, stability, and enduring family relationships. CEDARS has been helping kids in crisis and building strong families in Nebraska for over 70 years. Since the beginning, the child-serving organization has been community supported and community led. To learn how CEDARS supports families in the community visit cedarskids.org or call (402) 434-5437.

#PrintProudDigitalSmart KPE Brings on Brianna Haun as Business Development Director KPE Architecture – Engineering – Forensics recently added Brianna Haun to the team to fulfill the role of business development director. In this new role, Brianna has been building relationships on behalf of KPE as well as facilitating connections between other companies and industries. She serves as a resourceful point of contact for the company’s clients and potential clients. Brianna’s strong communication skills and sense of urgency can be traced back to her first job as a teenager serving as a waitress for a family-owned restaurant. She worked at several other restaurants throughout college. When Brianna found herself in a leadership role within her direct sales business, she learned more about business and people than she could have ever imagined. She even started her own personal and professional development consulting business on the side as a result of her network marketing opportunity. After a brief career in car sales, the opportunity to join the KPE team presented itself. While auto sales taught Brianna to dive into something completely unknown and learn quickly, her current position at KPE has proved to be a perfect fit, blending her passion for connecting people and creatively finding ways to grow a company. Omaha-based KPE Architecture – Engineering – Forensics is a fullservice, multi-disciplined architectural and engineering firm that has been serving a diverse clientele for 20 years. The professionals at KPE are experts in designing, managing, and implementing building modernization. They also specialize in forensic investigation, which sets KPE apart from other firms. By investigating construction defects and the design errors of others, KPE is able to maximize the quality of their designs. To learn more, visit kpe-inc.com or contact Brianna at (402) 291-1444 / bhaun@kpe-inc.com.

UNICO Group Announces New Shareholders UNICO Group’s Board of Directors are pleased to announce its newest shareholders: Paul Hughes, Chris Senkbile, Jeff Carr, Sean Kreuger, Karla Wilson, Katie Meyer, and Dan Mickells. By investing in the agency’s ownership, shareholders play a key role in UNICO’s leadership, strategic ventures, and serving the community. Paul Hughes, vice president and commercial risk advisor, has been a member of the commercial team since 2011, first becoming a shareholder in 2018. Paul works primarily in the Omaha market and specializes in the hospitality industry, construction, and property development. Paul serves as a board member of Parkinson’s Nebraska and is active within the CUES organization. Chris Senkbile, vice president and commercial risk advisor, joined UNICO in 2014 after working in commercial banking and business advising. Chris’s technical analysis and strong relational connections benefit clients across multiple industries and locations. Jeff Carr, vice president and commercial risk advisor, has been with UNICO since 2015, bringing with him sales and aviation experience. Jeff specializes in coverages for trucking, aviation, and equipment. Sean Krueger, vice president and commercial risk advisor, has been in the insurance industry since graduating college and began with UNICO in 2015. With his prior experience in claims adjusting, underwriting, and operations, Sean serves commercial clients locally in Nebraska and also has many communications clients in the south central region of the country. Karla Wilson, vice president and commercial benefits advisor, joined UNICO in 2015 after spending over eight years in advertising sales. Karla specializes in helping individuals navigate the private health insurance and Medicare insurance market. She strives to help clients navigate the confusion of health insurance and to help save them money to put back into things they are passionate about. Karla served a threeyear term as a board member of the East Lincoln Business Association serving as secretary and president. Katie Meyer, vice president and benefits advisor, joined UNICO in 2016, bringing with her seven years of sales, HR, and benefits experience. She primarily works in the Omaha market helping employers with creative solutions to their employee benefits offerings. Dan Mickells, vice president and commercial risk advisor, joined UNICO in 2016 with over 25 years of insurance experience. He has been a leader in the commercial and communications divisions, helping clients manage all areas of risk with a focus on cyber, professional, and management liability exposures. Dan serves as a TeamMates mentor and Nebraska Human Resources Institute (NHRI) board member. UNICO Group is a full-service insurance agency with services ranging from commercial insurance, workers’ compensation, and employee benefits, to personal insurance and financial planning. UNICO is dedicated to getting you the best insurance products and services available to protect you, your family, and your business. For more information, call (402) 434-7200 or visit unicogroup.com.

MARCH 2020 Strictly Business 25 It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know and Who Knows You! At Strictly Business, we strive to recognize local businessmen and women for their significant awards, promotions, achievements, and/or efforts in partnership with other organizations and the Omaha community. If you know of someone who meets these criteria and wish to include their news in our publication, please call (402) 466-3330 or submit your news via www.strictlybusinessomaha.com.

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