Strictly Business Lincoln - March 2023

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available.

MEANS BUSINESS.

You deserve reliable phone service that's supported by your local ALLO team. Not someone who might be miles away and need to travel in from other towns or cities.

We know you mean business, and so do we. That’s why with ALLO, you’ll be able to depend on:

• A dedicated, secure fiber connection that keeps your calls coming through, even during internet outages

• All the features and functionality you need

• Peace of mind because your service is delivered from ALLO's private network.

spring is Around the Corner! Joining organizations & talking Construction

March has come so quickly, I can hardly believe it will be springtime before we know it. Right now, Lincoln businesses are bustling after getting settled into the New Year and completing year-end tasks as 2022 falls further behind us. If you’re anything like me, you’re looking into the rest of the year thinking about what your business’s growth will look like and how you can work on new tactics to make it successful.

One thing I have found extremely important in my networking journey is joining organizations. Not only have I seen my personal network expand, I’ve also watched our clients make important connections that wouldn’t have been possible without being a part of these groups. Organic networking is feasible but if I’m given the chance to make things easier, I’m snagging it! We have a spread in our March and September issues that features several organizations that we are proud to promote because of the impact they have on our clients and other local businesses. Take a peek further in the magazine to see where you might fit in.

I know first-hand that joining organizations can be a powerful way to boost your business’s success. Organizations provide numerous benefits, including access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and educational training programs. All of these things are great ways to dig deeper into your business, creating a path for you to discover what it truly means to expand your reach.

Mentorship is an additional, in my opinion one of the most important, benefits to getting involved with local organizations. If you’re running a business and don’t have any mentorship, you’re most likely putting additional pressure on yourself to take things on alone. The mentors that have come into my life over the years

have not only helped me with business advice, but have provided me with experienced leadership that have helped guide me through tough situations. If you know me personally, you know I love learning from those around me. My staff sees that I’m always coming to them with new ideas I’ve learned from others to make things more efficient. Luckily, they’re always on board to take on new (sometimes wild) ventures.

Speaking of growth, surely you’ve noticed the construction happening in several areas in the community! With spring coming, there’s bound to be more. Despite some minor traffic challenges, I actually love seeing Lincoln expanding because it ultimately means that the local impact will be positive. March is the beginning of our construction series, starting with Commercial Construction. I love highlighting the top-notch work these local businesses do in Lincoln. Choosing local, especially when it comes to the construction industry, directly affects the economic growth in our community in the most profound way. Be sure to keep an eye out for our Landscaping, Building Your Dream Home, Remodeling, and more construction feature stories we’ll have in the coming months.

As the snow starts melting and the season of spring finds its way back into our lives, the excitement for everything the warmer weather has to offer is building. The newness of the year is starting to wear off as now is the time to really start figuring out what the rest of the year will look like for ourselves and for our businesses. Right now, I have a sharp focus on the year ahead because we are all always growing, learning, and improving. As always, I have to shout out a huge thank you to our clients who we love supporting. You are all helping make Lincoln a better place, and I’m incredibly lucky to see it every day.

if you’re running a business and don’t have any mentorship, you’re most likely putting additional pressure on yourself to take things on alone.

a BOUT T h E c OVE r

Superior Street Storage is a brand new storage facility now open in Lincoln. The facility boasts multiple size options, climate controlled RV and boat storage, and toy bays. Located at 4660 N 35th St., Superior Street Storage is accessible from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, with staff available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At Superior Street Storage, their mission is to help you keep your investments safe, secure, and out of the elements. Save yourself the hassle and hefty price tag that come along with wind, hail, and sun damage.

(402)

326-3381

superiorstreetstorage.storageunitsoftware.com

office@superstreetstoragelnk.com

DRIVE-UP

• 5 x 10 – $89 / month

• 10 x 20 – $169 / month

• 10 x 25 – $199 / month

Superior Street Storage also offers drive-up storage units in multiple sizes. Whether you are looking to pack up a three-bedroom home or to store your motorcyles, there are options suited for whatever your needs may be!

The drive-up storage units have ceiling insulation to minimize the extreme heat and cold from the metal roof panels. Superior has also recently added a vapor barrier under the concrete floor to greatly reduce humidity from the ground. The garage doors are seven feet tall, and all units are clean and pest free.

ONLINE RENTAL AND ACCESS

CLIMATE CONTROLLED - DRIVE IN (MONTHLY)

• 12 x 25 x 14 – $279 / month

• 12 x 40 x 14 – $389 / month

This is a drive-in climate controlled storage option for your boat, RV, or collectable autos. The overhead doors are 14-feet tall. They have insulated the ceiling with R-40 and the walls with R-30, and even insulated under the concrete floor with R-10 rigid structural foam to eliminate humidity from dirt below the floor. Superior Street Storage maintains the optimal humidity for preserving your toys and investments. Don't like to back in your trailer? No problem - they have the compact equipment to do this for you. Superior Street Storage uses a specialized electric dolly to carefully move your boats or RV trailer. The units also come with outlets for trickle chargers.

Superior Street Storage has an online software that is easy to use and has all the features for a rich, interactive experience. You have 24/7 access to this software through their website. You can rent, pay, and receive gate access all from the convenience of your phone or computer.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Superior employees are dedicated to your customer experience. They are committed to offering you exceptional value for your hard-earned money. Let's face it, moving can be a real pain. Your time is valuable and Superior will honor that by making your move or storage needs as efficient as possible.

PrODUcTION TEaM:

Director of Operations Cemre Lively – Cemre@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

Art Director Derek Nosbisch – Derek@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

Writer Tessa Yeo – Tessa@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

Creative Intern Abby Gonzales – Abby@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

SaLES TEaM:

president/Sales Paige Zutavern – Paige@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

publisher/Founder/Accounting Shayne Zutavern – SZutavern@Yahoo.com

Tessa Abby

ALLo Acquires Avid Communications

ALLO announced in November of 2022 its agreement to acquire Avid Communications, a Kansas City, MO company offering business cyber security services and Team’s voice services.

Founded in 2005, Avid is one of the Midwest’s providers of network security, managed Wi-Fi, and Cloud migration for businesses. ALLO is extremely excited to start offering these additional services to existing and new customers. They have helped thousands of businesses with network security and expanded to Des Moines, IA, in 2020 to bring their muchneeded cloud-based services to the community.

Avid will become part of ALLO Business Solutions. The Avid acquisition leverages ALLO’s infrastructure, and excellent customer service with their advanced business services. ALLO’s fiber infrastructure and Avid’s advanced business services create a customer experience to further create and enhance ALLO’s gigabit societies.

ALLO specializes in providing world-class communications and entertainment services by creating and operating gigabit communities. ALLO currently serves over 30 communities in Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona, with a total population of more than 1,000,000 supported by more than 1,200 team members. For more information about ALLO, go to allofiber.com, or call (844) 560-2556.

LincolnAirport,BurrellAviation,andGovernor elect pillen Announce $65m development

Governor-elect Jim

Pillen, the Lincoln Airport Authority (LNK), and Burrell Aviation have announced a $65 million aviation-based development at LNK, with a ground-breaking ceremony set for some time during Q1 2023. The project is based on a long-term lease between Burrell Aviation and LNK not to exceed 50 years,

whereby Burrell Aviation will invest and develop the site’s facilities and secure anchor tenants interested in making Lincoln Airport a critical hub for air cargo and other aviation-related activities.

“Landing this opportunity prepares Lincoln for yet another economic takeoff. We’re proud that Burrell Aviation identified our community as the location for the next project and look forward to supporting their exciting development at the Lincoln Airport,” said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. Burrell Aviation’s development strategy is founded upon E-commerce’s unprecedented growth as a means of creating an opportunity for regional airports with available facilities and logistical support to capitalize on the flow of goods with improved efficiencies compared to larger, more congested airports. Elements such as an air traffic control tower, ample runway length, and significant airfield capabilities also ensure that the airport is well-positioned for this type of growth.

The Lincoln Airport, owned and operated by the Lincoln Airport Authority, is a calm, hassle free travel spot for the people of Nebraska. For more information about flights and services, visit lincolnairport.com or call (402) 458-2480.

Arthritis relief specialists now offering platelet rich plasma injections for Knee pain

Arthritis Relief Specialists is excited to share that they offer Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections for knee pain. PRP is widely used in regenerative medicine as it is less invasive and safer than many alternatives when treating injuries and pain. Therapy involves drawing a small amount of blood from the client, then utilizing a centrifuge to create a platelet concentrate to be injected into the knee space. PRP can help reduce arthritis pain and inflammation which may help improve function. It is a great complementary therapy option while patients are in between viscosupplementation injections.

PRP has become a popular choice among professional athletes trying to avoid surgeries such as David Ortiz and Tiger Woods! If you are looking for knee pain relief, call Arthritis Relief Specialists at (402) 817-5499 to schedule a free, no obligation consult today and determine if you are a candidate for this quick and simple knee pain treatment.

At Arthritis Relief Specialists of Lincoln, they help people suffering with osteoarthritis of the knee eliminate their knee pain without surgery. In addition, they incorporate preventative measures into their treatment approach so their patients can avoid future episodes of knee pain. To learn more, go to arthritisreliefspecialists.com.

Kingery Construction Acquires omaha Construct inc.

As of January 1, Kingery Construction has acquired Omaha Construct Inc. and welcomed their team with open arms. The acquisition of Construct Inc. fits into Kingery Construction’s strategy of providing excellent commercial construction services to the communities of Nebraska.

The additional expertise and knowledge that the employees possess will ensure that Kingery Construction remains a top-notch provider of construction services for years to come. Since the acquisition, they have started projects with Ralston High School, Mockingbird Community Center, and D.B. Property with Voss Electric.

“After nearly 100 years in Lincoln we are excited to expand into the Omaha market with Construct Inc.,” says Rod Berens, president and coowner of Kingery Construction Co.

Kingery Construction was established by brothers William and Everett in 1924. The company remained in the Kingery family for four generations until 2013 when Rod Berens and Rick Wintermute, both long-term employees, became the leaders taking the company into the future.

Kingery Construction Co. believes the construction process goes beyond the building and strives to build legacies for every owner through the construction process. They believe this is far more than building a structure; it’s about building relationships with their clients and partners, creating a quality product that is timeless, and speaks to a community of owners and employees that spend a large portion of their day in the building. To learn more, visit www.kccobuilders.com.

promedica hospice receives Accreditation under ChAp standards of excellence

ProMedica Hospice of Lincoln is proud to announce that it has been awarded accreditation under the Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) Standards of Excellence.

“By achieving CHAP Accreditation, ProMedica Hospice has shown a commitment to excellence,” said Nathan DeGodt, CHAP president and CEO. “We are excited to begin our partnership by offering support in its commitment to providing quality care and continuous improvement.”

CHAP Accreditation demonstrates that ProMedica Hospice meets the industry’s highest nationally recognized standards. The rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of services and products, human and financial resources, and long-term viability. Simply stated, adherence to CHAP’s standards leads to better quality care.

ProMedica provides specialized care that focuses on supporting you and your loved ones during an advanced illness. The emphasis is on comfort and quality of life, rather than finding a cure. Hospice care enables you to live each day to the fullest as comfortably and dignified as possible.

ProMedica Hospice services integrate holistic principles with palliative disease management, expert pain and symptom control, family education, and psycho-spiritual support for end-of-life care. They believe in the power of the individual, the importance of relationships, and the value of respect and dignity at every stage of life. For more information, go to www. promedicahospice.org/lincoln.

merritt Concrete Unveils new equipment to expand ready-mix Capabilities

Merritt Concrete has upgraded their ready-mix concrete capabilities with four new volumetric mixing trucks. These trucks come with cutting-edge technology that will increase production capabilities and benefit customers. Perfect for jobs large and small, these trucks can measure and mix up to ten yards of concrete on-site, ensuring the water-cement ratio is always exact, and eliminating the need to wait or waste material. Their volumetric technology provides customers a total concrete solution in one unit. While ensuring there are no hot loads and no waste, they will make you precisely the amount of concrete you need, so you only pay for what you pour.

In addition to their upgraded ready-mix concrete production capabilities, their team members have completed ACI Field Test Technician Training and are now certified to perform field testing on ready-mix concrete. These certifications demonstrate their commitment to providing the best service to customers and becoming an end-to-end concrete solution.

Founded in 1894, Merritt Concrete has been an integral part of the Lincoln construction community for nearly 130 years. Since acquiring Merritt in early 2021, Whitehead Oil Company has wasted no time investing in upgraded equipment and building a talented team of concrete professionals to provide the highest quality service possible to Lincoln and the surrounding area. To get in contact with Merritt call (402) 435-3213 or email thowell@ merrittlincoln.com. For more information, go to merrittlincoln.com.

Larkspur Upholstery studio Celebrates Grand opening of new Location

Larkspur Upholstery Studio is pleased to announce the grand opening of their new location at 1371 S 33rd St., which will enable them to better serve their commercial and residential clients. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Friday, March 3 at 10 a.m. with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. Larkspur invites their clients, friends, families, and community members to come take part in the celebration.

Larkspur is committed to the community, to greener solutions, and to offer choices to commercial and residential clients who wish to repair, reuse, reduce, and recycle. From traditional tastes to the whimsical, from cushion repair to custom furniture, from refinishing to pillows, and soft furnishings, let Larkspur help you make each piece your own. Feel free to come hang out in the gallery and look through the upholstery and interior design fabrics at every price point.

Larkspur Upholstery Studio was created by Bre Reiss and Amy Ainsley in June of 2022 to serve the commercial and residential upholstery/repair/refinishing needs of the Lincoln metropolitan area. They are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon, and other times by appointment. To get in touch, call (402) 432-0240 or email larkspurupholsterystudio@gmail.com. For more information, go to www.larkspurupholsterystudio.com.

sip nebraska to host 10th Anniversary spring festival may 6

Sip Nebraska is elated to announce that the 10th anniversary Spring Festival will be held on May 6 at Mahoney State Park. Discover wineries, breweries, and distilleries from all over Nebraska and enjoy unlimited tastings of wine, craft beer, hard cider, and spirits. Take your favorite drink home by purchasing a glass, bottle, or six-pack.

In addition to drinks, enjoy live music, artisan vendors, and a tasty tour of the food truck alley. Have fun playing lawn games, or explore the beauty of Mahoney State Park in springtime on a trolley tour. Find the complete list of activities, food vendors, musicians, and more on Sip Nebraska’s Facebook (Sip Nebraska) and Instagram (@sipnebraska) while the Blur Events website is under maintenance.

If you’re looking for lodging, Mahoney State Park has various options. To reserve your stay, please get in touch with Maggie at maggie@blurevents.com or call (402) 882-2448. Let’s Sip into 2023 with Sip Nebraska’s 10th Anniversary Spring Festival!

Every year, Sip Nebraska brings together a community of local wine, craft beer, spirits, and their fans to celebrate the Nebraska beverage industry. For more information about Sip Nebraska’s tenth annual festival or to purchase tickets, visit their Facebook page (Sip Nebraska).

oak electric ‘i spy’Campaign returns for third Year in march

Oak Electric is excited to bring back the ‘I Spy’ campaign for its third year. The ‘I Spy’ campaign is a way for Oak Electric to give back to their customers by providing a fun, interactive game of ‘I Spy’ throughout the month of March.

To win a gift card from a local restaurant, be the first person each day to spot one of the Oak Electric vans anywhere around town. If you spot one, snap a picture and tag Oak Electric on Facebook. Make sure you have already liked and followed the Oak Electric page.

There will be one winner per day for the month of March, and only one winner per address. Oak Electric will be posting subtle hints throughout the day to guide all eager spies!

Oak Electric is a premium, full-service, electrical contractor with a tradition of exemplary service. Oak Electric provides both residential and commercial service and repairs. Some services include security cameras, electric car charges, hook up hot tubs and pools, interior and exterior lighting, panel upgrades, remodels, service conversion, and more. For more information, call your friendly electricity expert at (402) 440-5969 or visit www.oakelectriccompany.com.

Legacy retirement Communities opens Living Legacy Award nominations

For the past 13 years, Legacy Retirement Communities has partnered with KFOR to honor deserving individuals with the Jerry Joyce Living Legacy Award. Legacy Retirement Communities invites the public to shine a light on those unsung heroes in our community who are doing amazing things under the radar that benefit so many others.

Legacy Retirement Communities is accepting nominations for this year’s award until March 13. Nominations can be submitted by filling out the nomination form at kfornow.com, or by mail to the KFOR radio station's physical mailing address at 3800 Cornhusker Highway, Lincoln, NE 68504.

At the end of the nomination period, one nominee will be recognized and presented with the Jerry Joyce Living Legacy Award. They will also receive a donation of $2,500 to pay it forward to the cause of their choice.

Legacy Retirement Communities continues to provide Lincoln with award-winning elegance, superior care, and countless reasons to live an enriched life. Independent living and assisted living are offered at three locations: The Legacy at 5600 Pioneers Blvd.; Legacy Terrace at 5700 Fremont St.; and Legacy Estates at 7200 Van Dorn St. Memory Care is offered exclusively at Legacy Arbors at 3777 N 58th St. Learn more at www.LegacyRetirement.com.

Lutz to present merger & Acquisition market Update webinar march 8

Lutz will be presenting a Merger & Acquisition (M&A) Market Update webinar on March 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The free webinar will cover the current state of mergers and acquisitions in the lower-middle market with Lutz experts Dani Sherrets, Aimee Werner, and Mark Otte. They will explore current market conditions, valuation multiples, recent transactions, as well as the COVID-19 impact on businesses and M&A. This is an advanced level seminar for business owners, board members, and executives.

Other upcoming webinars include ‘Solutions to Meet Your Business’s HR Needs’ on April 12, ‘A Letter to My Surviving Spouse’ on May 10, and ‘Data Analytics & Financial KPIS for the Nonprofit Industry’ on June 14. Find Lutz’s full event calendar and past recorded webinars at lutz.us/lutz-events.

Lutz is the business solutions firm for people seeking a partner to help energize and heighten financial and organizational success. Born and raised in Nebraska, their experienced team simplifies complexities and provides accounting, wealth management, recruiting, M&A, and technology services. They embrace your business as their own to spark the right solutions and help you thrive. Learn more at www.lutz.us.

husker rehab Celebrates 24th Anniversary

Husker Rehab is celebrating their 24th anniversary of providing Lincoln with quality care and healing. In 1999, Greg Cromer and Mike Zalman opened the first Lincoln clinic followed by the Beatrice location two years later. Ryan Wade was later added as a partner, and Melissa Cromer and Patty Gerlach round out the founding team. Since then, Husker Rehab has added additional clinics in Lincoln and Nebraska City. The founders of Husker Rehab could not be where they are today without the following providers and team members who are dedicated to excellent care:

• Michelle Spicka, DPT

• Ben Petersen, DPT

• Haley Trimble, PTA

• Tessa Dunse, PTA

• Janna Vavra, DPT

• Tarra Nanninga, DPT

• Kelli Reilly, MSPT

• Katelyn Huenink, PTA

• Devan Schmidt, PTA

• Cas Lofberg, PTA

• Wyatt Scott, PTA

• Sydney Wilson

• Starla Post

• Tracey Hanson

• Janelle Gress

• Jan Branic

Husker Rehab proudly offers therapy services in five clinics in four different Nebraska cities, where they serve physicians and their patients with unique, highly-intensive, highly-customized rehabilitation, wellness, and preventative care therapies that make a difference in people’s lives. They listen to every patient’s needs and desires, analyze the problem, and figure out ways to get people moving again. For more information about Husker Rehab and their services, visit huskerrehab.com.

John henry’s plumbing, heating, and Air now offering smart home devices

John Henry’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air is proud to now offer a wide variety of smart home devices. Connect your home to your phone and control your heating, cooling, water, and everything else from anywhere in the world.

With new technology in the plumbing and HVAC world always being released, John Henry’s is excited to stay on the forefront of innovation.

Smart home devices can be used in a variety of ways. A pipe could burst while you are out of town causing a flooded basement, and these devices will detect the leak and shut off the water to your home. You can also change the temperature, humidity, turn off the water, and more from an app on your phone. Call John Henry’s to learn more about what these products can do for your home!

Established in 1996, John Henry’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air is a full-service plumbing, heating, air conditioning, air quality, duct cleaning, and water treatment business. Their motto is “Our Family Serving Yours” and this goes much deeper than simple HVAC or plumbing services. They have a committee set aside to ensure they are doing all they can for the community around us. For more information or to discuss your home’s plumbing, heating, cooling, and indoor air-quality needs, visit jhlincoln.com, call (402) 435-5555, or email info@jhlincoln.com.

Leadership Lincoln to host Virtual hot topics discussion march 15

Leadership Lincoln will be hosting a virtual Hot Topics Discussion on Wednesday, March 15 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Lincoln Public Schools is the second largest public school district in Nebraska, located in the heart of the plains, renowned for its long-standing legacy of educational excellence and tradition of rigorous academic achievement. The school district is growing and thriving, serving over 42,000 students in more than 60 schools and programs. Districts 2, 4, and 6 will elect a representative for a four-year term. Leadership Lincoln’s Hot Topics series is hosting a candidate forum that allows candidates to discuss their positions. The virtual attendees are advised to join Zoom at 6:58 p.m., the program will start at 7 p.m., Q&A at 8 p.m., and adjourn at 8:30 p.m.

Learn more about the candidates running for these three offices by viewing the event on Leadership Lincoln’s Facebook Live or on Zoom by visiting us02web.zoom.us/j/7103861341.

Leadership Lincoln engages individuals from diverse backgrounds by providing them with the knowledge, experiences, skills, and leadership tools that prepare them to become effective leaders within the community. Learn more at www.leadershiplincoln.org.

Greenleaf Commercial real estate Celebrates fourth Quarter powerbroker Awards

Greenleaf Commercial Real Estate is proud to celebrate their realtors John Linscott, Brett Harris, and Adam Lowney who won the Fourth Quarter Powerbroker deals from CoStar. John Linscott and Adam Lowney won the Fourth Quarter Powerbroker Award representing the landlord on a five-year lease for 11,680-square-feet of retail space located at 360 N 48th St. for an Exotic Pet Store. Brett Harris and John Linscott won the Fourth Quarter Powerbroker Award representing the landlord on a ten-year lease for 5,813-square-foot of office space located at 2390 Ridge Line Rd. for Disability Rights Nebraska. Disability Rights Nebraska is the protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities in Nebraska, including intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities along with mental illnesses.

To reach John, Brett, or Adam you can email them at john@ greenleafcommercial.com, brett@greenleafcommercial.com, and adam@greenleafcommercial.com.

Greenleaf Commercial Real Estate is a full-service commercial real estate company offering professional asset management services and brokerage services including leasing, sales, acquisitions, consulting, and development. Whatever your commercial real estate needs might be, Greenleaf’s team of professionals is here to help you succeed. For more information on Greenleaf Commercial Real Estate, call (402) 467-2525 or check out the website at www.greenleafcommercial.com.

Attic energy efficiency helps Lincoln save on energy Bills

Attic Energy Efficiency (AEE) is extremely motivated to help Lincoln save on energy bills year-round. You can’t beat the facts - 70% of homes in Nebraska are over 20 years old and are under-insulated. This means higher costs, but could even lead to more harmful issues such as respiratory problems, skin problems, and higher risk of cancer.

With several five-star reviews under his belt, AEE’s Owner Rex Schroder is a trusted name for consumers looking to make sure their home is completely functional in the most effective way. Schroder knows a lack of insulation in your attic can be extremely costly since it allows for increased energy waste. Homeowners can avoid expensive repairs over time and benefit in various ways when they choose to install insulation in an attic. Using AEE can result in several improvements:

• Saving up to 60% on your energy bills

• Maintain a uniform temperature through your house

• Cooler walls, ceilings, and floors in summer

• Warmer walls, ceilings, and floors in winter

Attic Energy Efficiency offers Lincoln several services including pre-sale attic inspections, attic ventilation analysis, roof vent upgrades, and more. They are committed to bettering the homes of Nebraska to increase home longevity and save homeowners money on their energy bills. Please call (402) 450-9323 or email schroderrex@yahoo.com to reach Rex Schroder today.

DROP-N-GO CATERING

A1 Automotive opens Veteran Vehicle Giveaway nominations

A1 Automotive is giving away a vehicle to one deserving Veteran in the Lincoln community during the month of March. The company is giving away a 2014 Volvo S60 AWD with 100,000 miles on it. A1 Automotive is grateful for the freedom that all veterans have helped provide and want to show their appreciation through this giveaway.

If you know of a Veteran that is deserving of this giveaway, please email service@a1autolincoln.com to submit your nomination. Please include their name and why they deserve to win. Please call (402) 477-4660 with any questions you may have.

Built on small town values, A1 Automotive was started in 2005 in Lincoln with the sole purpose to help people with their vehicle repair needs. Family owned and operated, A1 strives to provide the highest quality automotive repair to all makes and models. Their motto is “Always Honest Answers” and they live by that every day with their customers. At A1 Automotive, they believe in always providing every customer with honest answers. They offer nothing less than honest, quality, and reliable repairs and services for all customers. A1 Automotive is a fullservice auto repair shop that specializes in all makes and models, even diesel, hybrid, and electric vehicles. For more information, go to www. a1autolincoln.com.

Leadership harbor promotes Beginning of the Year Coaching sessions

As the end of the first quarter of the year nears, Leadership Harbor wants to help you prepare to make the rest of 2023 your best year yet with their coaching services.

Coaching is about many things; principally it is about change, and developing emotional intelligence and conscious awareness. The process is diverse and expansive. It can cover a breadth of issues, such as dealing with the immediate obstacles that are preventing your growth, the development of your confidence, your ability to communicate personally or professionally, and your leadership influence, as well as building the vision and plan of your life’s or business's dreams and goals.

You create the agenda, making every session uniquely designed to serve only your success. Leadership Harbor wants to meet you where you are in your journey. In summary, coaching is about the marriage of your potential with your performance, and allows you to learn rather than be taught.

For you to get the most benefit from coaching, Leadership Harbor recommends a minimum of six sessions. Each session is one-hour long, and you can be coached in a number of ways including face to face or over video chat/Zoom.

When you are ready to take your next step forward on your success journey, begin by booking a 30-minute Discovery Session with a Leadership Harbor Thinking Partner. You can find the sign-up form online at leadershipharbor.com/discovery-session.

At Leadership Harbor, they help people develop the skills to be more relational and influential in their personal, business, and faith lives. To learn more, visit leadershipharbor.com or contact Kris Peterson at kris@ leadershipharbor.com or (402) 580-0947.

Associated Builders and Contractors Announce Awards and Conference march 2 and 3

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Nebraska and South Dakota Chapter has announced their March events. They will take place Thursday, March 2 and Friday, March 3.

The first event is the 27th annual Excellence in Construction Awards on Thursday, March 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Leo Ballroom, located at 2027 Dodge St. in Omaha. This event will commemorate and recognize all of the amazing achievements in the construction industry. To register as an attendee or sponsor, go to abcnesd.org.

The Leadership, Innovation, and Safety Conference will take place on Thursday, March 2 at 7:30 a.m. through Friday, March 3 at 2 p.m. The conference will be held at the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District located at 222 N 10th St Corner of 10th and Capital Streets. This conference will include three remarkable keynote speakers as well as several breakout speakers. Over the course of the two-day conference there will be speakers, breakout sessions, vendor fairs, happy hour, EIC awards presentation, and a safety awards lunch.

The Associated Builders and Contractors Nebraska and South Dakota Chapter supports the commercial construction industry through apprenticeship and safety training, advocacy, and workforce development. For more information about ABC, call the State/Lincoln location at (402) 477-4451 or visit www.abcnesd.org.

tobacco freeLancasterCountyCelebrates‘take down tobacco’ national dayof Action

On March 31, Tobacco Free Lancaster County (TFLC) is celebrating ‘Take Down Tobacco’ National Day of Action, a nationwide movement to stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

For far too long, the tobacco industry has targeted kids and vulnerable groups with tobacco products, leading to addiction, disease, and death in our community. Now, they’re trying to fool Gen-Z into their cycle of addiction with flavored products, potent doses of nicotine, and misinformation that they have changed their ways and are no longer the bad guys. That’s why TFLC and youth in Lincoln and Lancaster County are calling out Big Tobacco and joining the nationwide movement to #TakeDownTobacco.

Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Take Down Tobacco empowers youth to create change in their schools, communities, and states and help achieve the first tobacco-free generation.

TFLC works with youth organizations and schools by providing resources and offering presentations throughout the year and can help your organization #TakeDownTobacco in 2023. For more information, visit www.TobaccoFreeLancasterCounty.org or www. takedowntobacco.org.

Funding provided by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services/Tobacco Free Nebraska Program as a result of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

Center sphere Announces march event schedule

Center Sphere is pleased to announce an upcoming Meet the Network on Wednesday, March 22. The event will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at HOME Real Estate, 5322 O St. This event is great for members to hear all about The Network and the best ways to maximize your membership. New member orientation will follow the event from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. All Center Sphere members and their guests are invited to gather for this event.

In addition, join fellow Center Sphere members and guests on Tuesday, March 29 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. for an event hosted by Julie Boyd and Premier Shine, 2004 SW 5th St., Unit D. Center Sphere is an established network of business professionals whose mission is to share referrals, ideas, and resources through genuine relationships. For more information about Center Sphere or to inquire about attending a complimentary meeting or event visit www. CenterSphere.com or connect with Director of Membership Ashley Hinze at Ashley@CenterSphere.com / (402) 690-4434.

weekend Breakfast now Available at Vic's pizza and stauffer's Café

GroundUP Restaurants is excited to announce that two local restaurants are ready to serve the weekend breakfast crowd in Lincoln.

Vic’s Pizza has expanded their weekday lunch buffet to now include a weekend brunch buffet. You’ll find a rotating selection of breakfast, classic, and unique pizzas as well as comfort breakfast items including French Toast Bites, biscuits, and gravy. For those looking for lighter fare, the buffet includes a fully stocked salad bar. This is a great way to sample a variety of flavors without committing to a full pie! The Brunch Buffet runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Vic’s is open until 9 p.m. every night and offers dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Stauffer’s Café is now open on Sundays! From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., you can find all your menu favorites that Stauffer’s is known for. Breakfast is served all day long with their world famous pies. It’s the perfect place to enjoy outstanding food and good company.

GroundUP Restaurants is a restaurant group in Lincoln, home to five local restaurants including the popular Honest Abe’s Burgers. You can visit Vic’s Pizza and Stauffer’s Café at www.pizzavics. com and www.staufferscafe.com for more information including menus, full hours, and location. To learn more about GroundUP, go to www.grounduprestaurants.com.

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce to host monthly face the Chamber event on march 8

The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that they will be hosting their monthly Face the Chamber event on Wednesday, March 8 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Country Club of Lincoln, located at 3200 S 24th St.

Face the Chamber is a popular luncheon event held seven times annually with speakers addressing a variety of topics including public policy issues and updates on matters affecting business and our quality of life. Featured speakers often include public officials and other prominent members of our community. This month’s speaker will be Governor Jim Pillen. Governor Pillen was sworn in as Nebraska’s 41st Governor on January 5. He enters office with the goal of protecting, training, and keeping kids in Nebraska, cutting taxes, growing agriculture, and defending common sense, conservative values.

Admission for an individual seat is $30 and includes lunch. Table sponsorships cost $1,250, and you can register until the day of the event. Please pre-register to ensure your spot by visiting lcoc.weblinkconnect.com/atlas/events/face-the-chamber-withgovernor-jim-pillen-717/register.

The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce is Lincoln’s leading business organization, providing advocacy and connections to help businesses grow and thrive in Lincoln. They are committed to being a five-star accredited collaborative partner in Lincoln’s success as a place of endless opportunities and work closely with their partner organizations. Learn more at www.lcoc.com.

LhrmA Announces march program to focus on Leadership resources march 14

Lincoln Human Resource Management Association (LHRMA) has announced their March Program will focus on leadership resources, why professional development matters, and the importance of emotional intelligence. The program will take place on Tuesday, March 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Southeast Community College Jack J. Huck Continuing Education Center located at 301 S 68th St. Registration and check-in will be at 11:30 a.m., lunch and networking from 11:30 a.m. to noon, with the program to start at noon.

The key speaker will be Kathy Bourque, leadership development specialist. This program will be hosted both in-person and virtually. Anyone who registers for the virtual option will be sent a link to join prior to the program beginning. It is recommended virtual attendees login at 11:50 a.m. for any pre-program announcements.

Registration is free for current LHRMA members and $25 for non-members. The deadline to register is Monday, March 13. You can register in-person or virtually by visiting lincolnhr.org/march2023-program-registration-in-person-attendance or lincolnhr. org/march-2023-program-virtual-attendance.

The mission of the Lincoln Human Resources Management Association is to provide for the interchange of ideas, experiences, and methods concerning the relationships between management and employees, and to provide professional ethics and acquaintanceship among those involved in professional human resource management. For more, visit LincolnHR.org or contact membership@lincolnhr.org.

AmanaCare Celebrates successful open house

On February 9, AmanaCare hosted an open house to welcome Rhonda Saunders as their Lincoln marketer, and introduce her to the community. The place was buzzing with the energies of over 60 people in attendance. Guests were able to come in and sign up for the chance to win a $50 Carmela’s Bistro gift card, and were greeted with the sweet smiles of the AmanaCare staff.

World and Native flute music provided by Eldonna Rayburn was a hit and set the tone for the evening to network and chat amongst the group. They had tasty beverages flowing, and the chocolate dessert bar was stocked full of incredible treats. AmanaCare made sure everyone had a goody bag of yummy chocolates to take home with them.

AmanaCare would like to thank everyone who took the time to join them at this event. They were thrilled that so many showed up to give Rhonda a warm welcome and show interest in the great work AmanaCare is doing for the Lincoln community.

Amana is Hebrew; it means truth, faithfulness, guardian, devotion, and integrity. AmanaCare is a faith-based company that is family-owned and operated providing faithful, personalized non-medical care that people can trust. If you or a loved one needs assistance to manage tasks of independent living, contact AmanaCare to find out how they can help at (402) 440-5878. For more information, go to amana-care.com.

Cyberbacker to Attend nebraska dental Association Annual session April 21

Cyberbacker Nebraska-Iowa is excited to announce that they will be attending the Nebraska Dental Association Annual Session on April 21.

Running a successful medical practice takes more than just being good at medicine. It requires excellent organizational skills, effective communication, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. With the help of a virtual assistant, medical professionals like dentists can focus on what they do bestproviding quality care to their patients

Virtual assistants can take on a variety of tasks including administrative duties, scheduling appointments, managing emails, bookkeeping, and social media management. By outsourcing these tasks to a virtual assistant, medical professionals can free up valuable time to focus on their patients and grow their business. Cyberbacker goes through 20,000 applicants every week to ensure they find the best talent for their clients. If you are a medical professional looking to streamline your practice and improve your productivity, then hiring a virtual assistant may be the solution you need. With the help of a virtual assistant from Cyberbacker, you can focus on what you do best and let them handle the rest.

Cyberbacker Nebraska-Iowa is part of the global Cyberbacker franchise, the leading provider of world-class administrative support services from anywhere in the world to anyone in the world. They ensure you have the suitable partner of your choosing for your business. You can learn more by visiting their website at www.cyberbacker.com or contact them at nebraska-iowa@cyberbacker.com / (515) 217-6387.

Carmela’s Bistro & wine Bar offers seafood menu for Lenten season

Carmela’s Bistro & Wine Bar is pleased to be one of the top restaurants in Lincoln for their seafood and they hope to be your top spot to eat during Lent this year. Catholic and Christian denominations practice Lent for a 40 day period before the Easter holiday. Those that participate in Lent are urged to not eat any meat except for seafood. Carmela’s is happy to offer delicious items from their menu for these individuals such as crab cakes, lobster bisque, mussels, salmon, seabass, shrimp, and lobster tail.

Bring your partner or loved one to join you on Date Night at Carmela’s. On Monday and Tuesday evenings you both can dine for a total of $50, with a bottle of wine included. The March menu has not yet been determined, but Carmela’s always makes sure to have a seafood and vegetarian option on their menu. Reservations are encouraged!

Carmela’s Bistro & Wine Bar has been in Lincoln’s quaint Pioneers Woods Shopping Center since 2008. It is truly the love child of its owner, Marci Davison. Her vision of a sophisticated-yet-cozy eatery and bar is alive at Carmela’s, and it shines through with a Europeaninspired elegance combined with the charm of an American bistro. Carmela’s is located at 4141 Pioneer Woods Dr., STE 110. To learn more, visit carmelasbistroandwinebar.com or call (402) 489-0005.

superior street storage opens on north 35th in Lincoln

Superior Street Storage is a new storage facility that is now open and ready to serve all of your storage needs. Superior Street Storage has access hours seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with staff available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The facility boasts 10x20 and 10x10 storage bays, as well as hard to find inside-climate-controlled RV and boat storage bays in sizes 12x25 and 12x40. Superior Street Storage also has a limited number of toy bays. These are 25x50 and 25x40, each with your own private 14x14 overhead door with key code, and are all climate-controlled as well. You can fit multiple investments in these bays such as an RV, boat, and automobiles.

Superior Street Storage is owned and operated by Veteran Marty Fortney. Marty has been developing homes and planned communities in Lincoln since 1992. He also served in the Marines and is a Veteran of Foreign War in Kuwait.

Keep your investments safe, secure, and out of the elements at Superior Street Storage. Located at 4660 North 35th St., Superior Street Storage is committed to offering you exceptional value for your hard-earned money. For more information, go to superiorstreetstorage. storageunitsoftware.com, or call (402) 326-3381.

sCore to host Live Virtual events march 15 and 16

SCORE is pleased to announce that they will be hosting live virtual events throughout the month of March, including two taking place on March 15 and 16.

The first event will take place on Wednesday, March 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. The event will honor Women’s History Month by discussing women in leadership. Their panel of female leaders will speak about their journeys as leaders in the business world, and includes SCORE CEO Bridget Weston, SCORE Foundation President Liz Sara, and Board Chairs Patricia Loftus and Tracy Shaw.

The second event will take place on Thursday, March 16 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. This live online webinar will focus on how to improve your business website to turn visitors into sales. You will learn the elements of a successful website, how to turn website visitors into leads and sales, and how to measure and improve your website performance.

Live attendees for either of these events will also receive free business resources and a link to this webinar recording. For a full list of upcoming virtual events, go to www.score.org/get-business-training/ upcoming-events.

SCORE Lincoln is a nonprofit organization and a partner of the SBA. They are dedicated to helping small businesses achieve their business goals. For more information about SCORE, visit www.lincoln.score.org or call (402) 437-2409.

hBAL Announces interior & residential design Contest winners

The Home Builders Association of Lincoln announced their Interior & Residential Design Contest winners at the 51st annual Nebraska Builders Home & Garden Show held at the Lancaster Event Center February 10-12.

The two categories judged were Residential Drafting and Interior Design. Winners of the Residential Drafting Contest:

• First Place, $100 – Collin Cartwright, Lincoln East High School

• Second Place, $75 – Ian Nebesniak, Lincoln East High School

• Third Place, $50 – Colin Standifer, Seward High School

Winners of the Interior Design Contest:

• First Place, $100 – Ava Simpson, Lincoln North Star High School

• Second Place, $75 – Jenna Johnson, Lincoln East High School

• Third Place, $50 – Julia Steffensmeier, Lincoln East High School

Residential Drafting judges were Marlene Stroup, Schwinn Homes, LLC; Greg Smith, Davis Design; Aubrey Wassung, Davis Design; and Dan Loeck, Loeck Designs. Interior Design judges were Delrae Hirschman, Delrae Designs; Kelli Fleek, Action Plumbing & Heating; and Pam Magner, Reynolds Design & Remodeling. Chair of the annual contest is Delrae Hirschman.

The Home Builders Association of Lincoln is a visible, effective, and respected trade association which promotes home building through professional education, member communication, and civic participation, and which represents builders and associated professionals in community, government, and industry forums. For more information, visit www.hbal.org.

Nebraska Knockerball Adds Inflatable Lumberjack Axe throw to inventory

Nebraska Knockerball is always looking for new games to add to their inventory, and the newest one is the inflatable lumberjack axe throw!

“Our inflatable Lumberjack Axe Throw is a great way of keeping the fun going. Our cushioned and velcro axes make it a safe way to enjoy the unit even for the little ones,” said Owner Manuel Walker. “It is a popular unit at any event or rental. Its dimensions are 13’ × 13’ × 11 ft., and can be enjoyed indoors and outside. Until warmer temps are upon us, we are only available at our indoor location. Once the warm weather hits, we can come to you.”

The indoor space is located at 2350 Judson St., Unit 1. Nebraska Knockerball offers fun, interactive games and activities all year long now that you can rent the space and play Knockerball games in the winter. Along with Knockerball and the new lumberjack axe throw, they also offer other inflatable games such as basketball, connect four, footdarts, and human foosball, in addition to activities such as cornhole, giant jenga, yard pong, and more.

To have Nebraska Knockerball at your next event or host a party at the new indoor space, connect with Manuel at (402) 460-8724 / manuel@nebraskaknockerball.com. For pictures from past events that Nebraska Knockerball has done, visit their Facebook page (@NebraskaKnockerball) or learn more online at Nebraskaknockerball.com.

LiBA to host Annual free enterprise Celebration April 13

The Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA) will be hosting it’s Annual Free Enterprise Celebration on Thursday, April 13 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m., the LIBA Awards presentation at 7 p.m., and the live auction at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person, or an entire table for eight with provided wine and signage can be purchased for $750. Please direct any questions to the LIBA office at (402) 466-3419.

Join LIBA and over 500 local business leaders for this exciting event featuring networking opportunities, dinner, awards, and a silent and live auction, all in celebration of Free Enterprise. Proceeds will provide resources for LIBA to support local Lincoln businesses. Your support will help LIBA provide resources to the business community throughout Lincoln.

The Lincoln Independent Business Association is always invested in providing development and educational opportunities to their members with front-row access to leaders and decision makers in the Lincoln business community. Among their many mission-driven efforts, LIBA strives to support political candidates who understand and promote the free enterprise system. Learn more about becoming a member and other upcoming events at liba.org or call the office, now located at 3601 Calvert St., at (402) 466-3419.

edward’s stone takes pride in producing exceptional stone products

For more than two decades, Edward’s Stone has provided natural stone and exceptional customer service to their customers nationwide. They take pride in quarrying, producing, selling, and installing natural stone veneer products. By owning and operating their own quarries, Edward’s Stone maintains an unmatched quality product from start to finish for their clients. Their production team produces over 30,00 sq. ft. of natural stone each week, giving them efficient lead times.

Edward’s Stone offers over 70 color blends in 12 different collections. This alone makes them the best source for stone products in both residential and commercial projects. Whether your ideas are for residential, retail, office space, hospitality, or education spaces, Edward’s Stone can take on anything you have in mind.

Edward’s Stone continues to grow into new markets with their wide geographical range of distributors across the United States and Canada. Stop by one of their locations in Lincoln or Omaha to pick up a copy of their new catalog. For more information about Edward’s Stone, you can also visit their website at edwardsstone.com.

BBB Unveils spark Awards to Celebrate entrepreneurs, new Business owners

Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Serving Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas Plains, and Southwest Iowa is now accepting nominations and online applications through April 28 for the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics and BBB Spark Awards.

BBB Spark Awards honor entrepreneurs, startup founders, and new business owners who cultivate the Three C’s of Trust: Character, Culture, and Community. Individuals are eligible to apply if they were under the age of 45 before January 1, and operate a business located in Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas Plains, or Southwest Iowa. The company run by the leader doesn’t need to be BBB Accredited for the person to apply. Find more information on the BBB FAQ page.

BBB Torch Awards for Ethics focus on demonstrated ethical business practices, rather than a company’s growth, profitability, or popularity.

Businesses and charities in Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, and Southwest Iowa that have operated under the same ownership for three or more years and have earned at least a “B” rating with the BBB are eligible to apply. Organizations do not need to be BBB Accredited to apply, and there are no fees associated with applying.

Independent panels of judges from the business and philanthropic arenas will select the award recipients. The application deadline is April 28.

Those interested in either of these awards can apply online at bbb.org.If you have questions, please contact BBB VP of Communications and PR Josh Planos at jplanos@bbbinc.org.

BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. BBB services to consumers are free. Visit BBB.org for more information.

Lincoln Young professionals Group to host sip + socialize networking event march 9

Lincoln Young Professionals Group (YPG) is pleased to announce that they will be hosting their Sip + Socialize networking event with Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, LLP on Thursday, March 9. The event will take place at the Cline Williams office at 233 S 13th St., STE 1900 from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Cline Williams is a full-service legal firm with locations that span across Nebraska and Colorado. This is a great opportunity for new members to grab a drink, network with other young professionals, and learn a little bit more about Cline Williams in a laid back casual atmosphere. It is free to attend this event for current Lincoln YPG members, and you can register by visiting lcoc.weblinkconnect.com/atlas/events/yp-sip-socialize-738/ register. If you are not a current member, you can join at www. lincolnypg.com/join.

The Lincoln Young Professionals Group is dedicated to connecting young professionals to other young professionals, the business community, as well as the community itself. They hope to empower the youth in Lincoln to create an energetic and dynamic environment of learning, networking, and entrepreneurship. The YP Council has been working hard on creating a schedule of fun, informative, and new events for young professionals in Lincoln. Keep an eye out for details, registration links, and more at lincolnypg.com.

Top Spot Cleaning & Top Quality Products

Top Spot Cleaning & Solutions Too is a professional carpet cleaning and floor care company serving Omaha, Lincoln, and the surrounding areas in Nebraska. Working in both residential and commercial properties, they clean carpets, rugs, tile and grout, furniture, wood floors, stone exteriors, and more.

One of the specialties of Top Spot is sealing wood floors, which is different than sanding and coating. Their wood floor sealer offers permanent protection for the wood. In addition, concrete is always a challenge for businesses and homeowners alike, but Top Spot can repair both interior and exterior concrete corrosion. In many cases, they finish by protecting the concrete with a coating. The coating keeps salt and water from penetrating your outdoor concrete from future deterioration.

Testimonial

“Doug and his Top Spot team are fantastic partners of ours. They helped us diagnose issues, put a plan of action in place and then were prompt at getting our projects done while communicating along the way. Doug made sure our staff knew how to clean and maintain our newly cleaned tile and carpeting as well. The Top Spot team worked around our business demands and did an entire project during late evening and overnight hours which was so helpful and appreciated. Weeks after our latest project was completed Doug stopped by to make sure we were satisfied, that is such wonderful customer service and why we will continue to use Top Spot Cleaning and will refer them to others.” – Mary

Working with Products that Work

After over 30 years in the business you learn a thing or two, and one major thing Top Spot has learned: products matter.

Top Spot Cleaning & Solutions too are distributors of the products they use because they want them available to others who can use them. They sell to other carpet cleaners, home owners who want to use their own machine, and contractors who would rather not sub out a job. The more the merrier.

Procyon is an ecofriendly, pet-safe, child-safe, sodium-based, soap-free product. Soap based products tend to leave residue behind, which attracts new dirt and can make your carpet, rugs, and upholstered furniture look dirty again shortly after cleaning.  You can use it in your home or commercial cleaner. Your machine won’t know the difference, but your carpet will.

Simix is a high pH product that has so many uses. Microbes cannot sit on it so they die. This makes the environment healthy.  From restaurants or hospitals to driveways and roofs, this is a very versatile company with great products.

For more information, call Top Spot Cleaning & Solutions Too at (402) 570-4307 to schedule a test of your facility’s air quality.

topspotcleaning.com

They use Chlorine Dioxide to treat every odor challenge you have. It destroys & eliminates pet stains in carpets or anywhere. It treats blood trauma, mold or any kind of virus. It is sprayed directly on the source. CLO2 also eliminates all airbourne odors from smoke, cooking, mildew or any other source. To do this they treat the surface with a gas form which flows throughout the entire duct system in the home or business. After being treated the air smells garden fresh. It works every time.

AsK the eXpert: Compro

(402) 488-5100 www.comproins.com

by Krista peeks Dittman Agent, Individual and Senior Benefits

what is the donut hole?

One of the main services ComPro offers their clients is to help them navigate the path to starting Medicare as well as keeping their Medicare choices current. This includes doing annual reviews of their clients’ Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15-December 7). During these PDP reviews, one of the most commonly asked questions their agents are asked is, “What is the Donut Hole?”

Is the “Donut h ole”…

.

a A way to confuse Medicare beneficiaries about their prescription costs.

b The time of year when Tier 3, 4, or 5 prescriptions are really expensive.

c A weekly treat at Krispy Kreme.

.

d When Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for paying 25% of their prescription drug costs.

.

The correct answer is “d”. Applying this to a specific prescription is the best way to illustrate how the Donut Hole works. In this case, Xarelto. This is a commonly prescribed blood thinner that is designed to prevent blood clots or to help patients with heart arrhythmia reduce the risk of stroke. It has a retail cost of $560. Xarelto’s high cost makes it a good choice for this illustration because it most certainly will take a beneficiary into the Donut Hole.

h ere are the four phases of covering the cost of Xarelto:

p hase I, Deductible: When first filling the Xarelto prescription in January, the plan’s deductible of $0-$505 will be met.

p hase 2, Initial Coverage: The Medicare beneficiary will pay a set copay amount ($40-$45/refill) until the combined total of what the individual AND the plan have paid totals $4,660 (this includes all prescription costs).

p hase III, the Donut h ole: At this point, the Medicare beneficiary will “hit the donut hole”. This means they will begin paying 25% of the retail cost for Xarelto (and other Tier 3, 4, or 5 prescriptions). During this phase, the cost to fill Xarelto prescription may be as high as $140. This continues until the beneficiary and their plan spend $7,400 on ALL prescriptions.

p hase IV, Catastrophic Coverage: The Medicare beneficiary will pay 5% of the retail cost, or about $28 per refill.

For Medicare beneficiaries with multiple Tier 3, 4 or 5 prescriptions, filling their prescriptions can be very expensive and almost always a source of confusion. For this reason, it’s important that Medicare beneficiaries take time to review their PDP annually with a licensed health insurance agent during the Annual Enrollment Period. Why? Even though the “Donut Hole” in many cases cannot be avoided, beneficiaries can rest assured that they have made the best decision possible. The idea of “hitting the donut hole” can remain a treat and not a tragedy.

ComPro offers health insurance plans for Employee Benefits, Individual & Family and Medicare. They are your trusted and local resource for health insurance! To make an appointment with one of their licensed insurance agents, call (402) 488-5100. For more info on ComPro, visit www.comproins.com.

new heights Tak

either look for work or start my own business. That was one of the best things that happened to me, even though I didn’t know it at the time.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - What’s a day off?

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - I have a masters degree in strategic fundraising and have had the privilege of working at Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, and Madonna Rehabilitation Foundation.

Who inspires you? - Anyone who picks up the pieces of failure and builds something with it.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? - “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now”

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? - Relentless.

If you had a theme song, what would it be? - “Underdog” by The Blanks.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? - The power to not have to sleep.

Which talent would you most like to have? - Woodworking — those guys are freakin’ amazing!

If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? - I would choose to be a youth pastor. I actually went to school to be a pastor before I got my masters degree.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read? - The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone.

What is your favorite movie? - The Greatest Showman.

What is your favorite TV show? - The Office.

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? - Elon Musk

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?team@altitudemotion.com; www.altitudemotion.com; (402) 417-0678.

Personal & Business Leadership Coaching

R owdy

Daniel "Rowdy" Rau FISERV

Meet Dan “Rowdy” Rau, senior sales advisor at Fiserv.

Tell us a little about your business. - Fiserv is the largest Financial Technology (FinTech) company in the world. We are in 100% of homes and process 12,000 transactions a second. We also have over six million merchants and over 10,000 financial institutions.

how did you get started in the business? - I got started back in 2009 after the 2008 recession hit and PayPal was hiring. It was the cool company everybody wanted to work for. I rose through the ranks pretty quickly as I was promoted every eight months there. In my last job, I won an iPad every month for eight months through a sales contest.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? - The biggest challenge I’ve faced professionally is being able to set a standard of expectations and the ability to keep everyone happy and satisfied. Humans are intangible, emotional creatures, so continuing to ask questions and keep constant connection with people in businesses have allowed me to work against that obstacle.

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

- My most important achievement professionally was working together with a business owner that was able to send one of his children to a university because of our partnership. Combined with my technology and network of partnerships, he was able to build vendor relationships that saved him money connected with the savings through my technology. He had no formal education, so by our partnership he broke the cycle of education that has plagued his family through multiple generations.

Tell us a little about your family. - I have been married to my wife, Priscilla, for 16 years and together for 23 years. She is the glue behind Team Rau. I have two children, an 11-year-old daughter named Brieley and an 8-year-old son named Braedan.

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life?

- One of my biggest turning points was when I was baptized in the Christian faith at 27 years old. A close second is the birth of my son. I did not grow up with a father, so it made it much more important to be able to raise him into a man. I say if I’m not the man I want my son to be, then change. This keeps me accountable in all aspects of my life.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - I have six black belts in different martial arts and have been active over the last 30 years.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? - Enhance and enrich the lives of others to build lifelong relationships. Do the hard things first and work to control some of the enduring actions in your life. This allows for future hardships to be easier and manageable. Service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on Earth.

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? - Rowdy.

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? - Rejuvenating Women. They are helping those in need battle against one of the greatest crimes against humanity, human trafficking.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? - Daniel.rau@fiserv.com; (402) 630-3472; cardconnect.com/ partner/dan-rau.

This is your home, we take extraordinary measures to ensure a safe and comfortable experience.

SAFETY AND COMFORT

L e E TTa STaR CITy SIX

LeEtta Robinson K ENL I NN

Meet LeEtta Robinson, manager and pet stylist at Kenl Inn.

Tell us a little about your business. - Kenl Inn is Lincoln’s first multi-service pet facility that offers pet boarding, grooming, daycare, and training. Opening in 1988, the business is set on 44 acres just outside of Lincoln. We are devoted to providing the best possible care for your pet. Our trained staff and stateof-the-art facilities ensure your pet receives the best possible care, whether they are staying for the day or for a week. Kenl Inn offers seven large outdoor play areas, a nature trail through the trees and down to the pond, and two indoor play areas. Our motto is “Where your pet becomes part of our family.”

h ow did you get started in the business? - I moved to Lincoln from Milwaukee in 2018. Having to start all over made me want to apply wherever I could. My significant other’s mom happened to bring her dog to Kenl Inn for grooming and she gave me an application. I have always had love for animals and this opportunity to work with them almost every day gave me so much excitement. Shortly after turning in my application I got a call to come in for an interview. I came in and fell in love with the business. The manager/HR at the time, Ron, was so kind and made me want the job even more. When I found out I did, I was enthusiastic and said I could start right away.

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

- My most important achievement would be becoming the manager here at Kenl Inn. I wanted this opportunity to help improve things in the salon and for my coworkers. I wanted to be a spokesperson for them and to make sure they felt heard and valued. This opportunity has done just that. I know that when there is something that can help benefit the business and work life for our employees, I can come to our owner/boss, Dennis, and he will try with the best of his ability to help.

Here to Serve Our Community

Being a community bank means investing in the communities we serve.

It means personal service and working with people who are our neighbors. It means building strong relationships with our customers in order to surpass their expectations.

It means offering the services of a big bank to meet the needs of our customers.

At West Gate Bank, it means our interest is you. Visit

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points of your life? - One of the biggest turning points in my life is when I moved here. Back home I was struggling with my mental health. I felt lost and had no idea what I would do with my life. When I moved here, my significant other’s mother and grandpa gave me nothing but support. His mom took me to all my interviews, and when I finally got a job his grandpa took me to and from work when my significant other couldn’t. This gave me the opportunity to save money and get my first car; which his grandpa helped me find. It also gave me the opportunity to save up for our first apartment. Honestly I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for them. They’ve always given me nothing but love and support and words can’t describe how grateful I am for them. Another positive from moving away from my family is that it actually gave us the opportunity to have a better relationship. The distance really did make our heart’s love grow stronger.

What is your favorite movie? - My favorite movie is The Phantom of The Opera . I’ve probably seen it over a hundred times.

What is your favorite TV show? - My favorite TV show is The Vampire Diaries and an anime called Fruits Basket .

What is your favorite local restaurant? - My favorite local restaurant is Buzzard Billy’s.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? - leetta@kenl-inn.com; (402)-243-1977.

T ESS a

Tessa Dunse

H USKER R EHAB

Meet Tessa Dunse, the physical therapist assistant at Husker Rehab and Wellness.

Tell us a little about your business. - At Husker Rehab, physical pain and dysfunction are personal. We focus on listening to our patient’s needs and desires, analyzing the problem, ferreting out causes, and figuring out ways to get people moving again. We use a holistic, individual approach so that treatment is based on the patient’s specific needs. We strive to treat the cause of pain, not just the symptoms.

how did you get started in the business? - I originally started with Husker Rehab as a student in the PTA program at SCC. I did a sixweek rotation in our Fairbury location and loved the approach the clinic took to help their patients. When Husker Rehab’s North Lincoln location had a PTA position open up I felt like it would be a great fit for me to grow professionally and personally.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally?One of the biggest challenges I have faced is being younger and not having as much experience as the other providers in my office. Oftentimes, patients are hesitant to work with me due to my age and the fact that I am a PTA. Once they get to work with me, I can demonstrate that I can provide skilled care to help them heal and improve their overall function.

Tell us a little about your family. - I am the oldest of four children. I have a sister and twin brothers. My family lives outside of Malcolm on a small acreage. I have two dogs, a Husky/German shepherd mix and a blue Doberman, that I absolutely adore. I met my fiancé on the first day of our senior year in high school. We have been together for eight years now, recently got engaged, and will be getting married this upcoming fall!

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? - One of the biggest turning points in my life is getting my degree to become a physical therapist assistant. I have wanted to work in physical therapy since I was ten years old and being able to achieve that long term goal was a great accomplishment for me.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - My fiancé and I love the outdoors and we often spend a lot of our free time fishing and kayaking. We also love taking our dogs out on walks and getting to spend time with them. Currently all my free time is spent wedding planning.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - I have had the privilege to have known six out of my eight great-grandparents. They all lived long enough that I was able to have strong relationships with them. When I graduated high school, I had four of my greatgrandparents attend the ceremony.

Who inspires you? - My parents inspire me the most. My mother is a teacher and she has spent the majority of her career helping students become better readers so that they can go on to graduate and attend school. My father is the hardest working man I know. He inspires me to work hard and to always strive to be the best person I can be.

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? - Passionate.

What is your favorite TV show? - Friends, without a doubt.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? - tdunse@huskerrehab.com; huskerrehab.com.

STaR CITy SIX S TE v E Steve

Law CHEEVER CONSTRUCTION

Meet Steve Law, a superintendent at Cheever Construction Company.

Tell us a little about your business. - Cheever Construction is an employee-owned, commercial general contracting company. We collaborate with an owner and design team to bring together the necessary trade professionals to make the design come to life. We build everything from educational facilities, medical facilities, religious facilities, research labs, offices, restaurants, etc.

how did you get started in the business? - As a kid, I always had an interest in the building industry. I thought that architecture was the direction I wanted to pursue, until I took a tour of the UNL architecture program in my senior year of high school. I realized that I wanted to be on the other end of the equation and help bring the design to life. I luckily had a friend that was going into the Construction Management program, and I jumped in with him and have had zero regrets.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? - Being fresh out of college and being tasked with leading men/women that have more experience in the industry than I have years on this planet. What I found was that if you show you’re willing to do the work, and do your best to do so at a high level, they will have no problem following your lead.

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

- Being brought onto the board of directors at Cheever Construction. Tell us a little about your family. - I was fortunate enough to get married this past July to my wife Abby after over four years of dating. We met at UNL where she was studying architecture, and we luckily had a class together in my last semester. She currently is in the process of completing her architecture licensing exams, after which she will be a certified architect. We moved back to Omaha in 2021 and are now in the process of looking to purchase our first home. I was raised by my parents Martie and Steve, and am the oldest brother to my sister, Zoe, and my brother, Sam.

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life?Being a couple years out of college and realizing/establishing a high level of self-confidence, both professionally and in my personal life. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - I love starting the day by enjoying my Folgers coffee while it’s still dark out and enjoying the quiet. After that, any opportunity to enjoy the company of my friends and family, relaxing outdoors, is a great day.

Who inspires you? - Matt Risinger, Jamie and Erik Perkins, and Tom Brady. The first three are builders I follow, and the latter needs no introduction. They all excel at their craft, exhibit excellence, and push everyone around them to improve.

What is your favorite quote? - “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night, and in between does what he wants to do.” – Bob Dylan.

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? - Great.

If you had a theme song, what would it be? - "It’s a Long Way to the Top (If you Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)" by ACDC.

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? - Rodney Dangerfield.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? - (402) 450-8029; slaw@cheeverconstruction.com; cheeverconstruction.com.

Ch RISTIE

Christie Hinrichs TABITHA

Meet Christie Hinrichs, the president and CEO at Tabitha.

Tell us a little about your business. - As the state’s quality awardwinning expert for older adults, nonprofit Tabitha empowers people to love joyfully, age gratefully. Supporting families since 1886 across Nebraska, Tabitha offers a range of services, from results-driven rehabilitation, accessible at-home home health care, innovative living communities, resourceful serious illness support and compassionate hospice services. Also in the Lincoln area, Tabitha Meals on Wheels delivers a hot meal to 500 recipients in Lincoln daily. Most recently, Tabitha has expanded its reach through a collaboration with Immanuel to provide hospice — and home health care to come — to the Omaha metro area. We have also been busy opening Tabitha at Prairie Commons in Grand Island, a new campus featuring independent and assisted living, memory care, and long-term/skilled nursing care options. In August, Tabitha will launch the first-of-its kind in the nation intergenerational community, S2age Living by Tabitha. Older adults, aged 55+ and Bryan College of Health Sciences students will call S2age home at the corner of S. 47th and ‘L’ Streets in Lincoln.

how did you get started in the business? - By accident. I wanted to be a probation officer, but God led me to Tabitha where I started my career as a hospice social worker. I am passionate about serving Seniors and their families and ensuring that they are empowered to live joyfully, age gratefully. Tabitha has given me so many growth opportunities!

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? - COVID was harrowing for those of us who are called to care for people, but our team stepped up to the challenge in heroic ways. I am so proud of them. Yesterday, today, and the days ahead are the most challenging in my career as the severity of the workforce shortage continues to grow. We are people caring for people; we need more people in the workforce to continue to ensure the future of high quality and loving care!

Tell us a little about your family. - My husband Matt is the backbone of our family. Our daughters, Jordan and Jaylee live nearby so we feel blessed about that. Our four-year-old grandson Kashdon is the light of our life. He brings so much joy to this world, especially ours. I am blessed that my parents are still living and healthy and we get to see them often.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - I love being on, in, or by the water. Spending time at the lake or the ocean brings me peace.

Who inspires you? - I am inspired by those that I am blessed to work with every day. They work tirelessly to care for others and ensure those that we are called to serve know love and compassion. I am inspired by those we serve who have so much wisdom to pass on.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? - Do the right thing for the right reason and you will always get the right outcome.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read? - Jesus, CEO by Laurie Beth Jones is one of my all-time favorite books.

What is your favorite local restaurant? - I love Lazlo’s, Fireworks, The Venue, Piedmont Bistro, and Runza.

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? - Maya Angelou. Her influence on life is profound.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?tabitha.org; (402) 486-8520.

Altitude motion media hires natasia Breton as photographer

Altitude Motion Media is excited to announce that they have added a new photographer to the team, Natasia Breton. She has been training extensively throughout the last three months to provide the utmost quality to Altitude’s clients.

Altitude photographers have been professional photographers in Lincoln for over 15 years. Natasia is very excited to be part of the team as she has always been creative and inventive. She brings a passion for photography and background in graphic design to Altitude, along with a desire to deliver the best.

Altitude Motion Media is a full-service media company that consistently provides the highest quality video production, photography, drone services, and 360 property tours. Their services increase your potential to succeed by producing visual assets that stand out while building on your brand and reputation. Contact Ryan Lindbeck at team@altitudemotion.com or (402) 417-0678 with any questions. For more information, go to www.altitudemotion.com.

hBe Announces the promotion of Ashley s. Bell as firm partner

HBE LLP, one of Nebraska’s premier certified public accounting and consulting firms, is pleased to announce that Ashley S. Bell, CPA has been promoted to partner, effective January 1, 2023.

Bell graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a minor in Finance. Upon completing her degree, Bell worked for a national firm as a senior audit associate II and for a local bank as a COO and comptroller. She joined HBE as a senior accountant, most recently holding the title of assurance director. Bell has been instrumental in growing the firm’s practice, including Employee Benefit Plan specialized services.

Bell serves as treasurer for St. Mark’s Preschool KIDZONE and a TeamMates mentor, as well as being an active member at St. Mark’s Methodist Church. In addition to Bell’s partnership promotion, HBE also announces these leadership promotions:

• Grant W. Nuttelmann, promoted to HBE 360 outsourced accounting director

• Niki L. Stehlik, CPA, promoted to assurance director

• Cody D. McCain, CPA, promoted to tax manager

• JC Pickering, promoted to information technology manager

The addition of Bell brings HBE’s total partner count to 17 with a staff of over 100 total employees focused on serving clients in Nebraska and throughout the U.S. HBE is a leading provider of professional accounting and consulting services throughout Nebraska. The firm offers a complete range of financial management services for businesses, not-for-profit and governmental organizations, niche industries, and individuals. These services include specialized advisory, tax, audit, data analytics, business valuations, outsourced accounting and CFO solutions, personal financial planning, and wealth management. For more information, please visit www.hbecpa.com.

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speedway properties welcomes four new members

Speedway Properties would like to extend a warm welcome to their four new members joining the management, development, and leasing teams.

Brent Lucke, marketing coordinator, joined Speedway Properties in May 2022 upon graduating from the UNL College of Business. Previously, Brent was a marketing intern with Speedway Properties’ sister company, Speedway Motors. In addition, Brent also serves as the community manager at the FUSE Coworking space.

Brooklyn McCrystal, residential property manager, joined Speedway Properties in June of 2022 with a decade of experience in customer service, primarily in the restaurant industry. Morgan Drommond, commercial property manager, joined Speedway Properties in December 2022 with a decade of experience in sales and customer service, most recently at Merritt Concrete.

Lauren Smith, vice president, joined Speedway Properties in January 2023. Lauren previously was a vice president at Northmarq Capital, the nation’s largest privately held servicer and provider of commercial real estate debt and equity. Lauren received her BSBA and MBA from Creighton University where she previously earned All-American honors in Volleyball.

Founded in 1961, Speedway Properties is a Smith family-owned real estate investment company based in Lincoln. For more information visit SpeedwayProperties.com.

| Walls | Water Features | Fire Pits | Trees | Shrubs | Annuals Perennials | Ornamental Grasses | Landscape Lighting | Potted Materials

sCC instructor dave schmitter receives distinguished faculty Award

Southeast Community College (SCC) science instructor Dave Schmitter is the recipient of the Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty designation for 2023. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) recognizes around 30 faculty members from around the country to receive the award. Dave will receive the Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award on April 4 in Denver at the AACC Annual Conference.

“When I heard the school was nominating me for this award, I felt truly humbled,” said Schmitter, a math and physics instructor on SCC’s Milford Campus. “I know there are many instructors at SCC that do amazing work and work just as hard as I do, so it is truly an honor."

The AACC recognizes faculty on different criteria, including how they demonstrate passion for students and classroom, how they support students in and out of the classroom, their participation in college committees, and going above and beyond to make sure their students are successful.

Dave grew up in Hyde Park, NY. He started teaching in 2007 as an adjunct at Providence College, and then at Massachusetts Maritime Academy from 2010-2016. He’s been at SCC’s Milford Campus since 2016.

Find more information about Southeast Community College at www.southeast.edu.

sp Group, p.C. Announces tax season interns for 2023

SP Group, P.C. a growing and entrepreneurial-minded accounting firm, is pleased to introduce its tax season interns: Aidan Kelly, Brooke Poppert, Jennifer Sedlacek, Neleigh Slusarski, and Robert Frost. All are currently majoring in accounting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Aidan Kelly, a junior from Chicago, supports the Bears, Bulls, and White Sox, but on Saturdays he cheers on the Huskers. He plans to complete a Master’s in Professional Accountancy.

Brooke Poppert, a junior, initially played college basketball for a year then landed in Lincoln to pursue an accounting degree. Interests include serving The Salt Company Ministry, attending Husker events, and golfing.

Jennifer Sedlacek, a junior with an agricultural background, has experience in small businesses which sparked her interest in accounting and tax law. She currently serves as the treasurer for Phi Mu sorority.

Neleigh Slusarski, a senior honors student and a member of Beta Alpha Psi, will graduate in May and begin preparing for the CPA exams. Interests include being a foodie, a travel buff, and a runner.

Robert Frost, a junior from Dallas, will complete his Bachelor of Science degree in three years with plans to continue his master’s degree and sit for the CPA exams. Free time includes golf, running 5K’s, and collecting various music genres.

SP Group is happy to have these talented interns on their team for tax season this year. To view full bios, visit spgrouppc.com/meet-the-team.

derek oss Joins true north technologies as Associate Copywriter

True North Technologies, a digital marketing firm founded by Renee Sobotka, eagerly welcomed Derek Oss to their team in February. Derek graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May and majored in marketing. He enjoyed getting to meld his interests in business administration and client relationships through his marketing major. During his time at UNL, Derek was involved in StartupsUNL and the Center for Entrepreneurship.

In his professional career, Derek has built a marketing skillset through his experience at Union Bank & Trust and NGC Group Inc. He considers himself a “person for people” and is always looking to build lasting professional relationships with teammates, clients, and peers. Derek is excited to bring his passion for helping customers through SEO, digital channels, and marketing strategy to True North Technologies.

Outside the office, Derek loves to spend time with family and friends, listen to a great album, watch a movie, work on a project around the house, or try a new coffee brewing method.

True North Technologies realizes the value of digital marketing. They provide convenient marketing solutions like custom website and mobile app development, branding, SEO, and digital advertising. Visit www. go-tnt.com or call (402) 420-5101 to learn more about them today.

dr. william Lile to speak at pregnancy Center Lincoln partnership dinner April 13

Pregnancy Center Lincoln is excited to announce that Dr. William Lile will be the featured speaker at their annual Partnership Dinner. The event will take place on Thursday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m., doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are available now at pregnancycenterpartners.org.

Dr. William Lile has always had a passion for education concerning the personhood of the unborn. His expertise in the medical field and his bold faith have informed his entire career. Dr. Lile is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, and is the former OB/GYN department chair at Sacred Heart Hospital. He is licensed to practice medicine in both Florida and Alabama and served as an instructor with both The University of Florida and Florida State Medical School OB/GYN residency programs. He is also a Medical Advisor of the Florida Human Life Protection Amendment and serves as a member of Focus on the Family’s Physicians Research Council. Dr. Lile is a frequent guest of both television and syndicated radio shows.

The Pregnancy Center is a nonprofit, faith-based organization located in the heart of Lincoln. Every month, more than 300 young women in the community visit the Pregnancy Center for answers. The Pregnancy Center offers comprehensive information about every option available to a woman facing an unintended pregnancy. They also provide confidential counsel, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, materials, support, parenting classes, and character-based relationship education in school, all at no cost to their clients or taxpayers. For more information, go to pregnancycenterlincoln.org.

KQ Allen of Kenl inn Becomes iBpsA Crisis Care Committee Chairperson

Kenl Inn is proud to announce that consultant and former Kenl Inn owner KQ Allen has become the new chairperson for the Crisis Care Committee of the International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA).

The Crisis Care Committee of the IBPSA exists to help IBPSA members who find themselves facing a crisis such as a natural disaster. The committee maintains a list of volunteer facilities who can assist their neighbors in case of a needed evacuation or some other type of emergency, and they will try to match you up with another IBPSA facility in your area.

KQ Allen retired from Kenl Inn in 2022. KQ and Ben Allen envisioned a facility that provided a safe, caring, industry progressive place to care for pets. They created Kenl Inn and throughout the years the facility has been upgraded and expanded. The staff has worked hard to keep up with continuing education for both pets and their families, lead multiple activities, as well as maintain the love and care for everyone’s pets. Set on 44 acres just outside of Lincoln, Kenl Inn is devoted to providing the best possible care for your pets. The full-service pet care facility offers overnight boarding, day care, training, and grooming. For more information visit www.kenl-inn.com, or contact (402) 488-8190 / dian@kenl-inn.com.

Benson theatre welcomes moira mangiameli andBeaufieldBerry

The Benson Theatre is excited to welcome two new additions to their team. They welcome Moira Mangiameli as artistic director and education coordinator,and Beaufield Berry as marketing manager. They are feeling extremely fortunate to be working with these two professional, powerhouse individuals.

Moira has been with the theatre since May, but will be stepping into this new role as of 2023. A familiar face to area theatre patrons, Moira has her MFA in Acting from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and has served as artistic director for RESPECT and Theatrix at UNL. She also was director of education for both Nebraska Shakespeare and Ocala Civic. Benson Theatre is super stoked to add the uber-talented Beaufield Berry to the family in her new role as marketing manager. Beaufield has made her name as a nationallyrecognized playwright, novelist, and arts professional. Beaufield’s adventurous work has been performed across the country in various degrees showcasing her dedication to theater, collaboration, and skill.

The Benson Theatre serves the missions of organizations who wish to positively impact the community, along with all who wish to be a part of the educational and creative experiences that happen within the theatre’s walls. They recognize the need for programming for kids, for older adults, and for those with specific needs. Contact them at (402) 991-4333 for rental fees and details about technology features, collaborations, and assembly. For more information, go to bensontheatre.org.

Stacia Doug

Sarah Raul

moira mangiameli

Beaufield Berry

Voices of hope to provideCampusAdvocate Jenne Lozano at nebraska wesleyan

Voices of Hope now has a campus advocate available at the Nebraska Wesleyan campus. Advocate Jenne Lozano provides support both on the prevention and response side of gender-based violence, consent, and bystander intervention training for peer assistance. Students can discuss any concerns they have or work through an assault or other abuse. Services are confidential, and students can talk to an advocate without worrying about being reported for policy infractions.

The Title IX department at Wesleyan is incredibly trauma-informed, but it’s always nice for students to have an independent advocate. Jenne works closely with the Title IX office and the rest of the Gender Based Violence Prevention Team to promote awareness and a culture of consent.

Any time a person goes through trauma, it’s devastating, but when it happens to someone who is away from home for the first time, loneliness and isolation can be compounded.

Jenne will be available in the counseling building on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 11 a.m. while school is in session. Any college or university in Lincoln can reach out to jenne@voicesofhopelincoln.org to inquire about having an advocate on your campus.

Voices of Hope provides services to all genders who are victims to domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, incest, or other forms of abuse. They also assist victims’ families and supporters. All of their services are free and confidential. Learn more at voicesofhopelincoln.org.

david poppertJoins fniC as sales Associate, healthcare team risk manager

FNIC is excited to announce the addition of David Poppert to their team. David joined the FNIC Omaha team in August, focusing on evaluating and recommending insurance coverage, providing education on incidents and claims, and staying informed of industry trends and developments.

David earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and had plans to become an FBI agent or US Marshal. He began working in risk management in 1997 when Clarkson Hospital and University Hospital merged. He was with Nebraska Medicine for the last 25 years as their transferred risk and claims manager.

David joined FNIC in 2022 as a sales associate on the healthcare team, sharing his risk management and claims experience with clients. David finds teaching and consulting on medico-legal issues, the litigation process, and claims to be a rewarding part of his position.

FNIC is a regional market leader for insurance and financial benefits. Their reach extends across Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, and Colorado with 40 locations. Their team of over 300 employees offers risk management and financial solutions for commercial insurance, employee benefits, surety bonds, farm and crop insurance, and personal insurance. For questions about FNIC, contact Chief Sales Officer Amy Argo, at (402) 861-7000 / ContactFNIC@fnicgroup. com. For more information, go to fnicgroup.com.

sarah durst Joins farris as marketing and Business development Coordinator

In January, Sarah Durst joined Farris Engineering as the marketing and business development coordinator. She joined in the capacity of the Colorado Springs office to fulfill the marketing and business development role for the Front Range region. Sarah has been a part of the architecture engineering and construction industry for the past three years, working with prominent firms within the Federal sector.

Apart from work, Sarah is also an avid outdoorswoman. She loves snowboarding, fishing, hiking, camping, and much more in her free time. She is also a volunteer with her local church and serves on the Board of Directors for the SAME Pikes Peak Post as the communications chair and is a strong believer in supporting our military and veterans in her line of work. Her volunteer work with SAME Pikes Peak Post over the past three years pertains to email marketing, signage, and communications of monthly membership meetings, managing sponsorships and signage for the annual golf tournament, as well as the SAME/USACE Rocky Mountain Industry Day. During her volunteer hours with SAME, Sarah was the recipient of the Professional Young Member Award for 2021 and recently was awarded the 2022 Pikes Peak Post President’s Award for her outstanding leadership and accomplishments.

Farris Engineering looks forward to tackling your projects head-on with their talented team of employee-owners as they Bring Your Buildings to Life. To learn more, visit farris-usa.com.

Union Bank & trust promotes Buglewicz and davison

Union Bank Trust (UBT) recently promoted Jace Buglewicz to Assistant Vice President – Union Investment Management Group (UIMG). In his position, Buglewicz will continue managing investment portfolios for his clients, creating and helping them implement goal-based financial planning. He joined UBT in 2017, following a career as an investment consultant for Schwab and Fidelity.

They have also promoted Seth Davison to Vice President – Agriculture Lending Division Head. His new position will involve overseeing and continuing to grow the ag lending division of the bank. He’ll also serve as chair of the Ag Loan Committee and as a member of the Bank Management Committee.

Union Bank & Trust is a privately owned Nebraska bank that offers complete banking, lending, investment, and trust services. The bank has 38 full-service and loan production offices in Nebraska and Kansas. It is the third-largest privately owned bank in Nebraska, with bank assets of $7 billion and trust assets of $43.4 billion as of June 30, 2022. For more information, visit www.ubt.com.

“We believe healing is a collaborative endeavor that requires honest caring without judgment, and we cooperatively assist clients in clarifying their goals for treatment.”

Christian record services Announces Promotionof SydneyLefflertoUnderTreasurer

Christian Record Services, Inc. is pleased to announce the promotion of Sydney Leffler to under treasurer.

After beginning at Christian Record Services in 2013 as an intern, Sydney has continued to add to her duties and responsibilities as she has demonstrated her worth to the organization.

“Sydney has progressed from being an accounting intern to being a vital key financial manager who handles a wide range of daily financial functions. Sydney’s attention to detail, accuracy, and organizational skills have contributed to five consecutive audits with no deficiencies,” says Lonnie Kreiter, vice president for finance.

Sydney works closely with the vice president for finance to prepare and evaluate the financial records for Christian Record Services. She processes payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivables for the organization. In addition, she assists in preparing the annual audit, assists in preparing the annual budget, and several other miscellaneous tasks.

“It’s colleagues like Sydney that help Christian Record Services continue to progress. She has a can-do, helpful attitude, and is always eager to learn and contribute in ways known and unknown to some. Sydney is appreciated for her work ethic, organization, follow-through, and integrity, among other qualities. She deserves this recognition and opportunity,” stated Diane Thurber, president.

Christian Record Services continues to move forward with its mission to “empower people who are blind to engage their communities and embrace the Blessed Hope.” For more information, please visit www.christianrecord.org.

Jace Buglewicz

seth davison

west Gate Bank® promotes derek solberg to Commercial Loan Officer

West Gate Bank ® is pleased to announce the promotion of Derek Solberg to commercial loan officer.

Solberg joined West Gate Bank in 2015 as a part-time teller at the South Street location. He was promoted to a credit analyst in 2019 and credit analyst II/ interim loan analysis manager in 2022. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and a minor in Economics.

As a commercial loan officer, Solberg will assist customers with their business financing needs, including real estate lending. He will be available to council customers on different credit options and utilize West Gate Bank resources to help them meet many other business needs. Derek also enjoys participating in various bank-supported community and volunteer activities.

Derek Solberg is located at West Gate Bank Center at 6003 Old Cheney Rd., and can be reached at (402) 853-7209 or dsolberg@westgate.bank.

West Gate Bank ® is a family-owned community bank with 11 locations in Lincoln and Omaha. The newest West Gate Bank branch is now open at 177th and West Maple in Omaha. Visit westgate.bank for more information.

Luxury Landscape welcomes Kyle Bauer as foreman

Luxury Landscape is excited to announce that Kyle Bauer has joined their team! Kyle brings over ten years of landscaping experience with him as he steps into the role of Luxury’s new foreman.

In addition to installing beautiful softscapes and hardscapes, Kyle will oversee all crews and be a part of the design phase. He really enjoys working with his hands and seeing a finished project knowing he helped make a customer’s landscaping dream come to life.

Kyle is motivated to come to work because he takes a lot of pride in what he does and wants to give his children the best life possible. When Kyle isn’t busting out gorgeous landscapes while flashing his infectious smile, he enjoys spending time with his fiancé, Ashley, and going on small adventures.

Luxury Landscape offers an array of services for outdoor spaces, with their most popular being installation, design and consultation, landscape maintenance, and residential snow removal. The company began with Ken and Jackie Svoboda’s passion for creating unique and creative landscapes, using their 40+ years of landscape experience, and offering it to their clients. For more information about Luxury Landscape and the services they provide, visit luxurylandscape-llc.com.

inMOTION Auto Care in Lincoln considers their business a family that is dedicated to serving their customers, as if they are part of the family as well. They are a premier auto repair facility that only employs the most qualified auto mechanics, service advisors, and office staff. While experience, skills, and training go a long way with them, the strength of character, work ethic, and commitment to the overall customer experience matters just as much in their hiring process. Sherri Stock and Jared McPike opened inMOTION Auto Care with courage in their hearts, knowing that Lincoln could use an auto repair facility with integrity. Together they are a formidable team and bring a truly unique auto repair experience to their customers. Their auto care center boasts the best repair warranty in Nebraska. They have top-trained auto mechanics, along with an unprecedented five-year, 50,000-mile parts, and labor warranty on most repairs. Since they only use the highest quality parts and have such skilled auto mechanics, this warranty has rarely been exercised, but isn’t it wonderful to be given such peace of mind? Many of the parts they use already come with a lifetime warranty, so it’s nice to know that they are accompanied by such a long-term warranty on the labor, should the part need replacing.

Environmentally Conscious

One of the many factors that set inMOTION apart from other repair facilities is their firm commitment to being eco-friendly. This is one auto repair facility that cares deeply about protecting our environment and their entire staff, from their auto mechanics to their office staff; everyone contributes to keeping that promise. They take responsibility for being eco-friendly and caring for the earth very seriously. They recycle everything they can; all paper, cardboard, oil, metal, plastic, air conditioning refrigerant, tires, batteries, and anything else that can be recycled.

In a concerted effort to be eco-friendly in all ways possible, inMOTION even has a garden out back. With more than 1,000-square-feet of garden space, they often have enough to share with you, and they love that! The next time you’re in their shop, go around back to see for yourself. The auto mechanics, their families, and customers enjoy the fruits of inMOTION gardening efforts as much as the environment does!

Testimonials

“They are fantastic and so personable. They always get me in super fast and they are always very knowledgeable. Jared is the best to work with but I know the rest of the staff is great too! They clean your car and leave you a few sweet treats in your car! Fantastic popcorn too!” - H. L.

“[inMOTION’s] people were wonderful to us. We had a major problem and they went out of their way to fix it. They care and always take great care of us.” - E. H.

Junior League of Lincoln to host march madness fundraiser march 18

Junior League of Lincoln

(JLL) will be hosting a March Madness fundraiser on March 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Alchemy, 140 N 8th St in Lincoln. This fundraiser will benefit JLL’s mission and community projects. Along with watching basketball, food will be provided with opportunities to bid in a silent auction and purchase raffle tickets. Who knows - you may even run into a few local celebrities and athletes! Tickets can be purchased and additional information can be found at www.jll.org.

JLL fosters the well-being of women and children in the Lincoln community through education, direct service, and advocacy. They develop and implement tools and strategies for external communication, and aim to raise the profile of JLL in the community as a community-builder and premier volunteer organization. The Junior League of Lincoln is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Their purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. JLL is committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities. The Junior League of Lincoln uses their resources to provide for the growing and ever-changing needs of the community. To contact JLL, email juniorleagueoflincoln@gmail. com or call (402) 464-2050. Find out more at jll.org.

rejuvenating women thrilled About Chili Cook-off fundraiser success

Defiance Harley-Davidson hosted a chili cook-off on February 18 to raise funds for Rejuvenating Women, helping victims of labor and sex trafficking. Defiance Harley-Davidson raised an incredible amount of $5,000 for Rejuvenating Women.

“Most nonprofits like ours are needing extra funding because people give at the end of the year and this is in the beginning of the year, in the first quarter, it’s fabulous,” said Julie Shrader, CEO and founder of Rejuvenating Women. “The donations coming in will be applied to the adult women’s house and to the kid’s house we are planning on purchasing. It’ll be the only one of its kind in the state of Nebraska.”

Rejuvenating Women is so thankful to Defiance Harley-Davidson, the chili sponsors, and all of the community that came out to support the event. They could not have done it without your support!

Rejuvenating Women is a nonprofit organization providing hope and restoration to victims and survivors of human trafficking by empowering survivors to lead healthy, independent lives. They are committed to developing long-lasting relationships with the women who have experienced significant trauma. They raise awareness of human trafficking in Omaha and surrounding communities. Their team of dedicated staff and volunteers invest in the lives of each individual living in the residential home as well as those participating in other programs and services that they offer. For more information, go to www.rejuvenatingwomen.org, or contact info@rejuvenatingwomen.org.

matt talbot Kitchen & outreach to Continue expansion

As Matt Talbot undergoes a facility expansion, their hunger relief and outreach services continue to fill a critical community need. In 2022, Matt Talbot provided nearly 180,000 meals through onsite prepared meals, emergency food pantries, and distribution of donated high-quality food. There were 80,367 onsite meals provided, which is a 35% increase from the previous year. Additionally, nearly 45,000 outreach and homeless prevention services were also provided last year, an increase from the previous year.

Bold Hope Expands, the facility expansion project that began last year, will strengthen hunger relief and outreach services. This capital campaign includes a north addition to the existing facility and a three-stall garage for storing the agency van and household items for clients. The expansion allows more space to meet with guests, conduct training classes for volunteer teams, and storage of household items for clients moving to an apartment. Construction started in July 2022 and is projected to be finished by summer 2023. This expansion will allow Matt Talbot to continue meeting the needs of the guests they serve.

For the past 30 years and counting, Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach has been helping individuals and families facing poverty and homelessness find possibilities when things seem impossible. To learn more about this facility expansion project, please contact Director of Development Lori Wellman at lori.wellman@mtko.org or (402) 817-0621. You can also learn more at mtko.org.

AhA names Ginny Curley to nebraska 2023 woman of impact Class

American Heart Association (AHA) has named Ginny Curley to the Nebraska 2023 Woman of Impact class. Each year, one prominent local woman helps advance heart health and raise lifesaving funds to fight the number one health threat for women with the AHA, devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, as members of its Nebraska 2023 class.

For the inaugural Nebraska class, Curley was nominated by her peers to become an AHA Woman of Impact because of her passion and drive to make a difference in the community and raise awareness of women’s cardiovascular health. “Cardiovascular disease remains our number one killer so it’s vital for all women to take charge of their heart health and encourage others to do the same,” said Curley. “While we’ve made some great strides over the years, we still have a long way to go.”

Woman of Impact is an extension of the American Heart Association’s long-standing Go Red for Women movement, a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.

On April 6, the woman whose team has the highest number of impact points awarded through a combination of fundraising and mission impact activities will be named the 2023 Woman of Impact Award Winner.

The American Heart Association is recognized as a worldwide leader in cardiovascular science. For more information, visit www.heart.org.

Brain injury Alliance of nebraska promotes Brain injury Awareness month

March is a significant time for the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska (BIA-NE) as it is National Brain Injury Awareness Month. Here in Nebraska, an average of 14,000 people are hospitalized due to a traumatic brain injury each year. Some go on to recover and live mostly normal lives while others deal with lingering symptoms and effects. This month, the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska hopes to build awareness through an exciting learning opportunity in which people can learn about resources and relevant topics in the field of brain injury.

On March 23 and 24, the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska is hosting its annual Brain Injury Conference at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with peers, professional and otherwise, while learning about and exploring topics such as recreational therapy options, suicide prevention, resiliency, concussion treatment, and more.

Interested individuals can learn more about the conference and register to attend at biane.org/2023-conference/info.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska was founded in 2009 to create better futures for all Nebraskans through brain injury prevention, education, advocacy, and support. Serving the brain injury population means securing and developing community-based services, providing support groups and access to pertinent information and medical resources, and service referrals. For more information on the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska, contact Peggy Reisher, MSW, executive director, at peggy@biane.org or (402) 890-0606.

Community Action offers 12-week feAst wellness program

Community Action’s 12-Week FEAST Wellness Program provides a supportive, informative, and fun space for participants to learn the ins and outs of nutrition. FEAST – which stands for Food, Education, Access, and Support, Together – promotes health and wellness through the power of healthy foods and human connection. It is a Hunger Relief and Healthy Food Access program, one of four impact areas at Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties. With a 12-week group format, FEAST breaks down the different aspects of nutrition education and provides support while also teaching a new recipe each week.

“Food is very personal,” said Sheila Stratton, Community Action nutrition and wellness coach. “People have such unique experiences dictated by culture, family, economic status, exposure, tastes, a challenging modern food environment, and on and on. FEAST recognizes all of this and meets people where they are.”

Those who join a FEAST group will have the opportunity to learn new skills, gain confidence in the kitchen, and discover tasty, budget-friendly recipes for the whole family. Group members also receive weekly grocery store vouchers. The next FEAST group begins Wednesday, March 8. To learn more about Community Action’s FEAST Wellness Program, visit Community Action’s website at www.communityactionatwork.org.

Community Action’s mission is to empower people living in poverty to reach economic stability. To learn more, visit communityactionatwork.org.

Lincoln Community foundation welcomes new Board members

The Lincoln Community Foundation welcomes four new members to its board of directors: Mike Boyle, Kawasaki; Juan Carlos Huertas, First Plymouth Church; Ben Kiser, Nelnet; and Makenzie Rath, Talent Plus. Steve Schaffer, Lutz, joins the board as the incoming president of NextGen Lincoln. Officers for 2023 include Marilyn Moore, board chair, retired Bryan College of Health Sciences; Mark Hesser, vice-chair, Pinnacle Bank; Ryan Beckman, treasurer, Olsson; Linda Major, secretary, retired University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Kim M. Robak, past chair, Mueller Robak LLC.

The Lincoln Community Foundation, established in 1955, strives to continually enrich the Lincoln community by promoting and achieving perpetual philanthropic support. They support nonprofit organizations that improve the city’s quality of life, and foster community collaboration to address challenges and opportunities. The Foundation serves as a faithful steward for many types of philanthropic gifts and helps donors create lasting legacies of giving. The Foundation has distributed more than $214 million in grants to nonprofit organizations that have improved the lives of thousands of residents. To learn more, visit their website at www.lcf.org.

humanities nebraska Announces prime time program expansion to 23 Locations

Humanities Nebraska (HN) has announced that Prime Time Family Reading and Prime Time Preschool will be held at 23 locations, including five new sites in Fremont, Grand Island, Lincoln, and Omaha. Each series is a free, six-week program with storytelling and discussion based on award-winning children’s books at public libraries, elementary schools, and community centers across the state.

Prime Time Family Reading is for families with children ages six to ten who struggle with reading and includes special activities for siblings ages three to five. Prime Time Preschool is for families who want their children ages three to five to develop reading readiness skills. Sixteen of the 23 series will be bilingual in English and Spanish, one will have Karen translation, and one will have Kurmanji translation. Two will be offered online.

These Humanities Nebraska family literacy programs help strengthen participants’ interest and skills in reading and talking about books. A ten-year analysis published by Prime Time creators found that children who attend Prime Time Family Reading show a 95-100% improvement on achievement tests through elementary school and 81% improvement on high school exit exams.

Humanities Nebraska has offered Prime Time since 2002, reaching more than 17,600 Nebraskans in 411 Prime Time series that have been held throughout the state. Teachers who are interested in recommending families for Prime Time should contact one of the sites listed above and ask to speak with the Prime Time coordinator.

For more information on Humanities Nebraska and Prime Time, go to humanitiesnebraska.org.

heartland Cancer foundation to host free oncology symposium April 19

Heartland Cancer Foundation (HCF) invites all healthcare professionals to attend their free Oncology Symposium on April 19 at Southeast Community College’s Jack Huck Continuing Education Center. The event will feature keynote speakers Dr. Matthew Lunning and Madison Kaltenberger. Registration and dinner will be from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and free CEU presentations will follow. This event is ideal for physicians, nurses, social workers, and advanced care practitioners.

More than 11,000 Nebraskans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. The Heartland Cancer Foundation believes no cancer patient should fall behind on treatment because they struggle to afford their everyday expenses. HCF aspires to provide compassion and hope and remove barriers to care by covering home, auto, and utility costs for local cancer patients in need of additional support during their treatment journey. This practical aid makes a big difference for people who are struggling with both a cancer diagnosis and financial hardship.

Heartland Cancer Foundation’s mission is to provide practical and immediate financial assistance to eligible cancer patients in the community so they can focus on what matters most: healing. Thank you to the Heartland Cancer Foundation’s wonderful circle of donors and supporters that come together to care for those in our community. For more information and to register for the Oncology Symposium, please visit www.heartlandcancerfoundation.org.

CompanyCam presents habitat for humanity of Lincoln’s Community Builders Breakfast

Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln has announced CompanyCam as the presenting sponsor of the Community Builders Breakfast for the second year in a row. The Community Builders Breakfast is Habitat’s largest fundraising event of the year and highlights the work of area builders, construction companies, and real estate members in the area of affordable housing.

The Community Builders Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, March 22 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the DelRay 817. The event will include inspiring stories from Habitat homeowners, motivational speakers, and awards to community partners and volunteers. Attendees will include members of the building and construction industries, real estate professionals, and financial service and lending organizations.

“We’re so grateful to have the support of a growing company like CompanyCam,” said Josh Hanshaw, CEO. “Even though they are a global company, they always take care of families right here at home.” Other organizations that are supporting the breakfast at the Supporting Sponsor level include Beckman Foundations, Mead Lumber, Nelnet, Lincoln Journal Star, and Security First Bank. Table sponsorships and individual tickets can be found at LincolnHabitat.org.

Established in 1988, Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln has built or repaired more than 197 local homes. Through community partnerships, Habitat builds strength, stability, and self-reliance alongside families in need of decent and affordable housing. To contact Habitat, call (402) 310-7884, or email Deanna Walz at dwalz@lincolnhabitat. org. For more information, go to lincolnhabitat.org.

epilepsy foundation to host epilepsy night with the Lincoln stars march 18

Epilepsy Foundation Nebraska is excited to host the Epilepsy Night with the Lincoln Stars on March 18. The puck drops at 6:05 p.m. at The Ice Box in Lincoln. There will also be a jersey auction after the game, so make sure to stick around.

The Epilepsy Foundation will be hosting their second Epilepsy Night with the Lincoln Stars hockey team as an evening to celebrate the community, raise awareness for this challenging diagnosis, and shine a light on the need for Seizure First Aid for the one in ten people who will have a seizure in their lifetime. This local event is a wonderful, family-friendly, safe event to advocate publicly for those in the community, including friends and family, who struggle daily with seizures. To inquire about this event, reach out to Samantha Tena-Morales at stenamorales@efa.org.

The Epilepsy Foundation is a national voluntary health agency dedicated solely to the welfare of the nearly 3.4 million people living with epilepsy in the U.S. and their families. The Foundation works to ensure that people with seizures are able to participate in all life experiences and to promote research for a cure. To contact Epilepsy Foundation Nebraska, email Nebraska@efa.org. For more information, go to epilepsy.com.

YmCA of Lincoln opens registration for spring Youth programs

With spring just around the corner, the YMCA of Lincoln is gearing up for its next session of youth programs. Running from March 20 to April 30 at all four Lincoln YMCA branches, children and teens can experience programs including Swim Lessons, Swim Club, Dance, Gymnastics, Jr. Chefs, Teen Fitness Training, and more.

Registration for Lincoln YMCA members opens on March 7, with community member registration opening on March 9.

“Whether it’s gaining the confidence that comes from learning to swim or building the positive relationships that lead to good sportsmanship and teamwork, participating in youth programs at the Y is about building the whole child, from the inside out,” shared Kelsey Fincham, executive director of the Copple Family YMCA. “Not only are there physical benefits that come from these programs, but they all foster healthy habits, social interaction, and self-esteem.”

In addition to discounted pricing on youth programs and youth sports, YMCA members enjoy access to four state-of-the art wellness centers, indoor and outdoor pools, free group exercise classes, financial assistance options, no contracts, and more.

The YMCA of Lincoln has served the community for over 150 years, promoting positive values through programs that build spirit, mind, and body for all. For more information on the Lincoln YMCA along with a list of youth programs, visit YMCALincoln.org.

houses of hope of nebraska to host 60th Anniversary Celebration march 29

Houses of Hope will be celebrating their 60th anniversary on Wednesday, March 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Robber’s Cave. The event will feature national recovery speaker Tony Hoffman. Tony will share his story about his own mental health, addiction, and recovery. Light appetizers will be served. Tours of Robber’s Cave will take place between 6 and 7 p.m. in three groups of 20 people for the first 60 sponsored or individual tickets sold for the event.

To purchase tickets, go to housesofhope.networkforgood.com/ events/52462-houses-of-hope-of-nebraska-inc-60th-anniversary-event.

Houses of Hope of Nebraska, Inc. was founded in 1962. Since then, they have evolved into three programs, the transitional residential halfway house program, the Touchstone short-term residential substance use treatment facility for adults, and the Targeted Adult Service Coordination (TASC) program. Touchstone is a collaboration between Houses of Hope and CenterPointe. The Targeted Adult Service Coordination (TASC) program is a collaboration between Houses of Hope, Lutheran Family Services, Blue Valley Behavioral Health, The Bridge Behavioral Health, and Region V Services. TASC provides blended intensive community services, crisis response teams, emergency community support for adult men and women, and system of care services for youth. To get in touch, contact Brenda Mueller at (402) 435-3165 ext. 110 or bmueller@ housesofhope.com. For more information, go to housesofhope.com.

Goodwill to host 11th Annual neighborhood Challenge

Goodwill Industries Serving Southeast Nebraska, Inc. invites local neighborhood associations to participate in their 11th annual Neighborhood Challenge. This event encourages neighbors to donate leftover items from garage sales while competing for a chance to improve their community.

Participating neighborhoods will receive a free, centralized donation pickup after neighborhood-wide garage sales. After each pickup, Goodwill will weigh the donations. At the end of the summer, the three Lincoln neighborhoods that collect the greatest weight of donations exceeding 2,000 pounds will win a cash prize to improve their neighborhood.

People who donate to the Neighborhood Challenge will support Goodwill’s mission of changing lives through the power of work. The revenue from Goodwill’s thrift stores in Lincoln helps fund local programs that assist job seekers as they overcome traditional barriers to employment. Goodwill also recycles many of the items it cannot sell. To sign up for Goodwill’s Neighborhood Challenge, email donate@ lincolngoodwill.org or call (402) 742-8456 at least two weeks in advance with a preferred date, time, and centralized pickup location.

For 91 years, Goodwill Industries Serving Southeast Nebraska, Inc. has been strengthening the Lincoln community by providing services for individuals who face barriers to employment and by offering residents a year-round outlet for donating clothing, electronics, and household items. In 2022 alone, Goodwill diverted over 2.2 million pounds of materials from Lincoln landfills through community donations. To learn more about Goodwill, follow them on Facebook (@LincolnGoodwill) or visit www.lincolngoodwill.org.

nebraska statewide Arboretum opens Vendor registration for April plant sale

The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum currently has opportunities available for vendors to sell their gardening and garden-related merchandise at the 2023 Spring Affair Plant Sale, which will take place April 27-29 at the Lancaster Event Center.

Spring Affair is the Midwest’s largest plant sale, attracting more than 4,000 visitors over a three day period. Both 10x10 and 10x20 vendor booth space is available. Registration forms and contracts are due by March 24. Visit plantnebraska.org/springaffair for more information.

Vendors will have a chance to pre-shop the plant sale during the volunteer sale on Thursday, April 27 and have three opportunities to sell; the Preview Sale on Thursday, April 27 from 5 to 9 p.m.; the Spring Affair plant sale from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28; and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 29. Please see the pricing guide on the registration form for details, additional items, and vendor requirements.

The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum plants Nebraska for healthy people, vibrant communities, and a resilient environment. The organization offers resources to help Midwest gardeners improve their home and community landscapes, encouraging plants and landscapes that are beautiful and beneficial for us as well as the larger environment. To learn more, visit plantnebraska.org or contact the Arboretum staff at (402) 472-2971 / arboretum@unl.edu.

At ease UsA to host Vets4Vets support Group monday nights

At Ease USA (AEU) began hosting the Vets4Vets program in 2022. The program uses a peer support model to provide PTSD relief. Every Monday from 6 to 7 p.m., Veterans gather at the At Ease USA café, 10605 Burt Circle in Omaha to socialize and talk about their experiences.

Vets4Vets promotes service members themselves as leaders in their journey toward PTSD relief, transforming the role At Ease clients play in the development and implementation of AEU programs.

Service members are uniquely equipped to help one another manage trauma. AEU provides the location, the transportation, and the facilitation, but encourages clients to help actively guide the direction of each Vets4Vets peer support meeting.

Studies show that, independent of therapy, peer support groups and peer support specialists can have positive mental health benefits, including an increased sense of autonomy and decreased depressive symptoms. The open-door, informal atmosphere of these meetings also makes them an effective gateway toward other, formal treatment approaches. At Ease finds that conversations with peers often lead participants to realize that therapy has helped others, and that it might help them too.

At Ease USA is committed to providing access to confidential trauma treatment to active military, veterans, and their loved ones suffering from PTSD. AEU offers behavioral health services through an in-house clinical manager and a network of trained PTSD professionals. For more information, contact Beth Kramer at beth@ateaseusa.org or (531) 247-4040, or go to www.ateaseusa.org.

the Bridge Behavioral health seeks donations to replace 15-passenger Vans

The Bridge Behavioral Health is replacing their two 15-passenger vans that are now 18 and 24 years old. The vehicles are used to transport clients to meetings, appointments, group activities, and various recovery support events.

Their goal is to raise $150,000 to purchase two 12-passenger vans and a sedan. The Bridge’s residential treatment program serves up to 24 individuals, therefore, they often utilize two vans to transport clients to group activities. Because it gets better gas mileage, a sedan is preferable to transport one to three clients at a time for individual appointments or meetings.

The Bridge has raised $35,000 of its $150,000 goal. If your organization would like to learn more about this campaign, please contact Taylor Brethouwer at tbrethouwer@thebrigenebraska.org.

The Bridge Behavioral Health helps over 1,200 individuals each year. The Bridge accepts walk-ins 24/7 and serves people regardless of their ability to pay. Over 85% of the individuals have no insurance or receive Medicaid. For many of these clients, The Bridge also provides basic necessities such as clothing, toiletries, and access to basic healthcare. Since 1984, they have served people struggling with substance use and mental health disorders. Their programs include substance use and mental health respite, residential treatment, and outpatient services. Learn more at thebridgenebraska.org.

sCip to host spring Conference to support students with disruptive Behaviors march 22

School Community Intervention & Prevention (SCIP), a program of Lincoln Medical Education Partnership, will host its Spring Conference, “Lying, Crying & Fighting, Oh My! Supporting Students with Disruptive Behaviors,” on March 22 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lincoln Firefighter’s Reception Hall, 241 Victory Lane.

The conference will feature Brian Mendler, a teacher and international keynote speaker who has authored and co-authored several books focused on providing educators easy to use strategies for preventing and responding to difficult, disruptive, defiant, and unmotivated behaviors in the classroom.

In addition to Mr. Mendler, Carrie Gottschalk, MS, LIMHP, who has spent nearly 30 years working with children, adolescents, and their families, will discuss trauma-informed strategies to address difficult student behaviors. The day will wrap up with Michelle Hughett, MS, LIMHP, NCC, who will address educational implications and strategies to support students with conduct disorders.

Pre-registration is required and can be found under the Trainings and Events tab of the SCIP website, scipnebraska.com. Cost of attendance is $55 for SCIP affiliated schools and organizations and $65 for non-SCIP affiliated schools and organizations.

School Community Intervention & Prevention is supported in part by a grant under the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Nebraska Division of Behavioral Health, and monies passed through by Regions 4, 5, and 6 to prevention providers. For more information, go to www.scipnebraska.com or contact Duncan Tucker at (402) 327-6843.

friendship home seeks Volunteers for April ‘stuff the Bus’ event

Friendship Home invites the Lincoln community to support the 24th annual Stuff the Bus event benefiting domestic violence survivors and their children on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16. The event is being held in partnership with StarTran and Alpha Media Radio Stations. Stuff the Bus is a communitywide effort to stuff four StarTran buses full of new items needed for the families served at Friendship Home. The items received will stock their shelves for the coming year.

Volunteers will be handing out needs lists with a variety of items and price ranges at all Lincoln area Walmart and Sam’s Clubs locations as well as stuffing busses from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday. Volunteer opportunities are perfect for families, friends, co-workers, high school/college students, and other community organizations. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kelsey Pauling at kelseyp@friendshiphome.org, or Whitney Wegner at whitneyw@friendshiphome.org.

Friendship Home provides crisis services, emergency shelter, and transitional housing to survivors of domestic violence and their children. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call Friendship Home’s 24/7 crisis line at (402) 437-9302. To learn more, visit www.friendshiphome.org.

tickets and tables Available for Jdrf one night Gala April 22

JDRF is looking forward to their JDRF One Night: Better Together set for April 22 at the CHI Health Center Omaha. The event will help raise funds for critical life-changing type 1 diabetes (T1D) research to cure, treat, and prevent T1D.

The gala begins at 6 p.m., featuring cocktails, silent and live auctions, signature Fund A Cure program, and live entertainment by Don Felder, former lead guitarist of the Eagles and cowriter of “Hotel California” and “Victim of Love”! JDRF is thankful for this year’s event co-chairs and Fund A Cure program families, Pam and Dan Beninato and Jill and Lou Rotella III.

Tickets and table sponsorships can be purchased on the JDRF website at jdrf.org/nebraskaiowa. Attendees can also directly contribute to T1D research by donating to Fund A Cure. For more information, contact JDRF Associate Executive Director Chris Dunn at (402) 397-2873 / cdunn@jdrf.org.

JDRF gratefully acknowledges this year’s event sponsors, Premier Dental and Rotella’s Italian Bakery.

JDRF has a mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications. They do this by funding innovative research, advocating for government action, and providing a support structure for our community. For more information, please visit jdrf.org/nebraskaiowa or follow JDRF on Twitter (@JDRFNEIA).

servenebraska Celebrates AmeriCorps week march 12-18

This March 12-18, ServeNebraska invites all Nebraskans to join the movement to celebrate the accomplishments of AmeriCorps members and programs in communities across the state and country. AmeriCorps members are Americans who commit to serving their country by serving their community and the nation takes a week each year to recognize their efforts and thank them for their service.

In 2021, over 3,100 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers served at over 300 service locations across Nebraska. These members helped to boost communities by fighting food insecurity, protecting Nebraska’s natural beauty, providing mentor support to children in need, assisted in building affordable housing, and more. Visit serve.nebraska.gov to learn about how AmeriCorps members are impacting communities near you. Follow ServeNebraska on social media to stay up-to-date on their projects and to share your thanks for AmeriCorps members!

ServeNebraska is the Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission working toward growing the state’s culture of community service and volunteering. The Commission facilitates AmeriCorps programming across the state, linking local nonprofits, governmental agencies, and other organizations with Nebraskans motivated to make a difference in their communities. For more information, go to serve.nebraska.gov.

Angels Among Us releases new App to further help Lincoln families

Angels Among Us is extremely proud to launch their new app, releasing this month. The app will be used by current and prospective families to apply for Angels Among Us services or be kept up-to-date with payments being made on their behalf.

As families apply for the Angels Among Us financial assistance program, they will have readily available access to know what bill payments have been made to date as well as what is expected to be paid out on their behalf. This will streamline the communication and allow the families to continue focusing on the more important things, spending time with their child as they battle cancer.

The app will be a great tool for any families that are in need of additional resources outside of Angels Among Us, keeping them informed of the emotional support programming, and assurance their bills are being paid on their behalf. The nonprofit understands the insurmountable challenges that come with caring for a child with cancer, so they will grab at any available chance they can to make things easier for these cherished families. The app is available on the Apple App Store as well as the Google Play Store, searchable under “Angels Among Us”. Angels Among Us provides financial and emotional support to families that have a child battling cancer that lives in or is being treated in the state of Nebraska. They are able to support and pay these bills for the length of time that the child goes through cancer treatment (anywhere from 6-36 months). For more information, reach out to Amy Kent at (402) 934-0999 / amy@myangelsamongus.org or visit www.myangelsamongus.org.

Bright Lights summer Camps registration and scholarship Applications now open

Registration is now open for Bright Lights summer 2023 camps. Bright Lights boasts over 90 half-day and full-day camps to choose from for K-8th grade students. Camps take place at Roper Elementary as well as at other community sites over five weeks: June 5-9; June 12-16; June 19-23; June 26-30; and July 10-14. Register at brightlights.org. Scholarships are available and can be applied for during registration. Through the generous donations of committed community organizations and individuals, Bright Lights is able to offer need-based scholarships to students to help families cover the program fees associated with Bright Lights camps. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funds are available. Each student is eligible for one scholarship that may be applied to either a half-day or a full-day camp. The scholarship application deadline for summer 2023 is May 1.

Have an older student? Want to gain some resume-worthy experience and fun volunteer hours? Be a Bright Lights Camp Assistant! These valuable volunteers (ages 8th grade and up) provide support to teachers in each of Bright Lights’ camps, enriching the experience for our campers. Applications are accepted starting March 10. Learn more at brightlights.org/camp-assistants.

Bright Lights provides energized, engaging, and fun summer learning opportunities. Their week-long half-day and full-day camps allow students to learn and create, master new skills, and build new relationships. Find out more about these opportunities at BrightLights.org.

Human Resource Certificate of Professional Development

Get one step closer to achieving your career goals while also preparing you to take the aPHR exam.

Thursdays, March 23-May 11, 1-4 p.m.

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Saturdays, March 25-May 13, 9 a.m.-Noon

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people’s City mission to host sock Giveaway march 13

Every year, the Realtors Association of Lincoln coordinates a sock drive to benefit the People’s City Mission (PCM) and provide those in need in the community with warm socks. Last year, they surpassed their goal and collected 24,154 pairs of socks! This year’s sock total is still being counted, but hopes are high that the community has gone above and beyond again to hit a new record. After the sock drive is over this year, People’s City Mission will begin giving away the collected socks on March 13. All shelter guests and community members in need are invited to receive some new socks just in time for spring.

People’s City Mission was started in 1907 by local churches, offering food and shelter for transient and impoverished men, women, and children. In 1987, PCM moved to their current location and now houses 350 men, women, and children nightly in their emergency shelters and the Curtis Center transitional housing program. PCM gives 91.7% of every dollar to the need, which is one of the highest of any charity in the city. As Lincoln’s homeless shelter, People’s City Mission’s work is more than 97% funded by community donations. For more information or to donate, visit Only251.org or call (402) 475-1303.

s2age Living by tabitha to host Upside of downsizing event on march 8

Tabitha is pleased to announce that they will be hosting their S 2 age Living Upside of Downsizing Event on Wednesday, March 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. The event will take place at Venue Restaurant and Lounge’s Lancaster Room located at 4111 Pioneer Woods Dr., STE 104. Tabitha is just months away from opening S2age Living, where Bryan College of Health Sciences students and older adults will call home. This first-of-its-kind in-the-nation intergenerational community is under construction at the corner of South 47th and L streets at the heart of Lincoln.

Moving from a home full of memories to a new state-of-the-art community is bound to be an adjustment. Attendees will receive tips on preparing for a move and de-cluttering from Jeanine Bryant, owner and senior move manager at Changing Spaces. Light bites and beverages will also be provided. Those interested in attending, whether preparing for the move or taking the first step to learn more about S2age, can RSVP by calling (402) 484-9981 by March 1.

As the state’s quality award-winning expert for older adults, nonprofit Tabitha empowers people to live joyfully, age gratefully. Supporting families since 1886 across Nebraska, Tabitha offers a range of services, from results-driven rehabilitation, accessible athome home health care, innovative living communities, resourceful serious illness support, and compassionate hospice services. To learn more visit, Tabitha.org.

Lincoln teammates Celebrates Community health endowment support for mentoring

Lincoln TeamMates presented the Community Health Endowment (CHE) with the Carmen and Tony Messineo Community Involvement Award on February 13, in honor of the many ways the CHE has lent support to mentoring in the community. Their vision to make Lincoln the healthiest community in the nation has made projects like the Mourning Hope and Schroder Park Wellness Center, The Healthy Food Access Kitchen, Health 360 Integrated Care, and more possible.

For the past three years, CHE supported the Lincoln Youth Mentoring Coalition, of which TeamMates is a lead member. The coalition’s “State of Mentoring Report” in 2021 helped Lincoln better see the unmet need for youth mentors. CHE’s Place Matters mapping project helps Lincoln TeamMates better identify and serve communities most in need. A new three-year partnership with CHE will make sure they continue to make the biggest difference possible for the greatest number of young people in Lincoln. TeamMates Mentoring impacts our community by inspiring students to reach their full potential through mentoring. Matches meet once a week in school during the academic year. Please consider your own ability to mentor or that of someone you know. Applications are easy to complete at Lincolnteammates.org.

Lincoln TeamMates makes a meaningful impact in the local community and beyond by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring. For more information, please visit lincolnteammates.org or call (402) 436-1990.

CBmC Lincoln to host t-factor summit: A Livestream experience on may 10

CBMC Lincoln will be hosting an inperson, livestreaming experience at their Lincoln office for the t-factor Summit on Wednesday, May 10 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This virtual instructional initiative is designed for CEOs, leaders, and influencers who have an interest in transforming their organization to a purpose-driven and faithfriendly workplace.

Frank Harrison, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Consolidated, will be sharing the company’s story of transformation and how Coca-Cola Consolidated became a company that honors God, serves others, pursues excellence, and is driven to grow profitably.

The Summit agenda is both informative and inspirational and features a line-up of experienced speakers. Topics include steps to transform your workplace, the legalities of faith-based programs, corporate chaplaincy, and charitable giving. A testimony of personal transformation will be shared by Mark Whitacre, executive director of t-factor. Participants will have an opportunity to interact with speakers virtually. Resources to help transform your organization to a faith-friendly and servant-oriented workplace will be provided.

There is no cost to attend but space is limited. Information about the t-factor event can be found at Lincoln.cbmc.com/events. Contact Larry at Lmiddendorf@cbmc.com for further information and registration.

CBMC Lincoln is part of a global ministry that encourages men toward spiritual development, personal integrity, principled leadership, and a desire to impact others. For further information about CBMC Lincoln, connect with them on Facebook (@cbmclincolnne), visit Lincoln.cbmc. com, or call (402) 204-1997.

Catholic social services to host 36th Annual Celebration of hope on march 11

Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska (CSS) is excited to invite you for an evening of fellowship and hope at their 36th annual Celebration of Hope event on Saturday, March 11. The celebration will be held at the Embassy Suites located at 1040 P St. Social hour will begin at 4:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m.

This is an opportunity to gather for a wonderful meal and enjoy a program highlighting the work of CSS over the past year. The Heart of Christ award will be presented to Shirley Lang for her inspiring pro-life efforts over the years.

Proceeds from Celebration of Hope 2023 will benefit the work of CSS across southern Nebraska. Programs include counseling services, emergency cash assistance, food assistance, immigration legal assistance, refugee resettlement, and the St. Gianna Program for women and children escaping domestic violence.

The deadline to RSVP for the Celebration of Hope 2023 is Monday, March 6. To reserve your spot or to donate to the Celebration of Hope 2023, visit csshope.org/celebration2023.

Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska is the charitable arm of the Diocese of Lincoln, serving all people regardless of faith in the southern third of Nebraska. Their mission is to perform the Works of Mercy in response to the call of God. The goal of serving people is to serve them with dignity, to love people as best they can, and to meet their needs to the fullest. Connect, donate, or volunteer at csshope.org.

Child saving institute Announces diventures as 2023 Cabaret presenting sponsor

Child Saving Institute (CSI) is proud to announce the presenting sponsor for Cabaret 2023 is Diventures in Omaha. Cabaret will take place on Friday, April 14 at the Embassy Suites Omaha La Vista Hotel & Conference Center. You are invited to join CSI for an evening of cocktails, food stations, and entertainment featuring comedian Bret Ernst. All money raised will support CSI and its life-changing services provided to more than 2,500 Omaha-area children and families each year.

Guest Comedian Bret Ernst can currently be seen playing Louie LaRusso in the hit series Cobra Kai, and is regarded as one of the best stand-ups in the business by his peers. He first gained national notoriety as one of the stars of the movie Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show, and his Comedy Central Presents was voted #5 on the network’s StandUp Showdown the same year it aired. The 25-year standup veteran dives into the trials and tribulations of marriage. Bret is relatable to his audiences and brings humor to everyday life events.

The event will be emceed by Julie Cornell. Julie is an award-winning journalist with KETV Newswatch 7. During her 30 years at KETV, Julie has helped shine a light on issues that might go unnoticed. Her work over the years has focused on investigations, children’s issues, addiction, women’s issues, and the environment.

To learn more about Child Saving Institute and to purchase tickets to Cabaret 2023, visit childsaving.org/cabaret.

i’ve Got a name to hold Annual walk for freedom on April 22

I’ve Got a Name, a nonprofit organization that fights sex trafficking in Lincoln and throughout Nebraska, will hold its annual Walk for Freedom on Saturday, April 22 before the Nebraska spring football game.

Local research indicates at least 900 girls are sold in Nebraska each month, 200 girls in the Lincoln area alone. The Walk For Freedom is designed to create statewide awareness that sex trafficking happens where we live. Participants will meet outside of the Nebraska Student Union at 11 a.m. for announcements, and then disperse to walk around Lincoln wherever Husker fans gather. To create greater impact, participants will be asked to walk around Lincoln on their own or with a group of friends, family, or coworkers rather than walk with the organization as one large group. Participants will also receive information cards to pass out if they feel comfortable doing so. Registration is $15 and includes a Walk for Freedom T-Shirt. To register or learn more about the walk, visit ivegotaname.org/walk2023.

I’ve Got a Name has a mission to protect and restore the lives of those who are vulnerable or victims of sex trafficking and it begins with awareness. The organization hopes the walk will inspire other Nebraskan’s to take action against this injustice. To get behind their mission to protect, rescue, and restore, visit ivegotaname.org or email Paul Yates at paul@ivegotaname.org.

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American red Cross to host heroes in the heartland Virtual event

On March 7 at noon, American Red Cross will be hosting their Heroes in the Heartland virtual event. Now in its 22nd year, Heroes in the Heartland honors individuals who have saved another person’s life during the past year or who have positively impacted the quality of life in the community.

To virtually attend this event, visit www.redcross.org/local/ nebraska/about-us/news-and-events/events.

Heroes in the Heartland is the signature event for the Red Cross. It is an opportunity to recognize fellow community members who display courage, compassion, and unselfish character. Honorees are nominated by peers and the general public and are selected by a committee of community members. They include individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping others or answered a call to action and helped someone in need.

The mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Your generosity helps support the mission of the American Red Cross in Nebraska which includes the replacement of blood community emergency vehicles that drive their mission each day. For more information and to learn how you can help, visit redcross.org or call 1-(800) RED-CROSS.

Branched oak observatory first General public event of 2023 - hunting orion star party

Branched Oak Observatory is preparing for the first event that will be open to the general public this year, the Hunting Orion Star Party. This event will take place on Saturday, March 11 from 8 to 11 p.m. You can join them at the observatory, 14300 NW 98th St. in Raymond. Branched Oak Observatory is located near, but not inside, the Branched Oak Lake and Recreation Area.

Branched Oak’s favorite Winter Constellation, Orion the Hunter will be high in the southwest. As you know, the Great Orion Nebula is one of the absolute showpieces of the night sky, and you simply can’t let Orion leave for the season without viewing this amazing deep space object. Other wonders you will have a chance to see will be the beautiful Seven Sisters Star Cluster, The Beehive Cluster, The Andromeda Galaxy, and many more.

This event, like all of Branched Oak’s General Public events, is FREE of charge and open to anyone interested in the night sky. Although not necessary, you are welcome (and encouraged) to bring binoculars or a telescope. There is no registration and no parking permit is required.

Established in 2015, the Branched Oak Observatory is an astronomy park located just southeast of the Branched Oak Recreation Area, 20 miles outside of Lincoln. They offer a wide variety of experiences, including classroom activities, solar viewing, nighttime viewing, space communications with satellites and the ISS, and newly installed Earth Moon Earth. For more information, you can visit www.branchedoakobservatory.com.

nebraska safetyCouncilAnnounces45th AnnualConferenceforApril20-21

The Nebraska Safety Council (NESC) is pleased to announce they will be hosting their two-day 45th Annual Conference from Thursday, April 20 to Friday, April 21. Day one will take place at Robber’s Cave located at 925 Robbers Cave Rd. from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be three breakout sessions, an awards luncheon, and tours at Robber’s Cave, followed by a networking reception and evening entertainment. Day two will be held at the Nebraska Safety Council from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will consist of feature workshops with an open exhibit hall over the lunch hour. The workshops will feature various safety talks and health training sessions.

Opportunities to be a guest speaker or sponsor at this event are still available. Contact sgentry@nesafetycouncil.org or visit nesafetycouncil. org for more information.

Additionally, the NESC will also record a live podcast that will focus on how to establish a safety plan. The podcast will be recorded live on Thursday, April 6 at 12744 Westport Pkwy, STE 1A, in La Vista, starting at noon. Members of NESC are invited to join a networking event following the live podcast. The podcast will be available on Apple and Spotify.

The Mission of the Nebraska Safety Council is to provide education and leadership to empower Nebraskans to live safe and healthy. They offer comprehensive programs, training courses, events, and services that are designed to improve employee care. To learn more visit nesafetycouncil. org, call (402) 483-2511, or email nesc@nesafetycouncil.org.

the Arc of Lincoln to host developmental disabilities Awareness month Activities

In 1987, March was designated as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The Arc of Lincoln is committed to this effort to increase public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities (DD). The Arc of Lincoln invites the community to provide encouragement and opportunities needed for people with people with DD to achieve their full potential by supporting March as Developmental Disability Awareness Month.

The Arc of Lincoln’s activities will include a DD Recognition Yard Sign Fundraiser and Display during the first week of March. To purchase an Arc of Lincoln yard sign for $20, call (402) 421-8866.

On March 8, join The Arc of Lincoln and advocate for DD at the Senatorial Day and Dinner at The Cornhusker Marriott Hotel. Finally on March 23, families and friends are invited to support the cause while dining at Don & Millie’s at 8150 O St. and 5200 S. 56th St. from 3 to 8 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will go towards The Arc of Lincoln and DD fundraising.

The Arc of Lincoln serves people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as their families. The Arc of Lincoln empowers people with disabilities and their families to promote and protect their rights and interests, while enhancing their lives. To learn more or to inquire about The Arc of Lincoln, visit www.arclincoln.org or contact Executive Director Jennifer Stuhmer at director@arclincoln.org / (402) 421-8866.

nebraskaCommunity foundation offers taxwiseCharitableGiving strategies

Not all assets are created equal. Some are best left to children, others to charity. Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) is helping generous Nebraskans help their families and their hometowns with tax-wise charitable giving strategies that allow them to leave a legacy.

Tax season is upon us and it’s a great time to take inventory of your assets, how they might be used to benefit family, and the charitable causes you care about in the future.

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In November 2021, Nebraska Community Foundation launched the Five to Thrive movement, a charitable giving initiative that invites generous Nebraskans to consider leaving just five percent of their assets to a favorite Nebraska hometown or to Nebraska Community Foundation to benefit all Nebraska communities. If all Nebraskans did this, it would equate to $5 billion in the next decade and $47.5 billion over the next half-century that could be used to further community and economic development and pursue the dreams of the future we can’t even imagine in 2023.

Reach out to your professional advisor to learn how you can give, and consult Nebraska Community Foundation’s free tax-wise charitable gift planning resources at nebcommfound.giftlegacy.com for guidance.

Nebraska Community Foundation works with professional advisors and their clients every day to help put their assets to work with tax-efficient charitable strategies that make positive impact on the Nebraska communities they care about most. NCF unleashes abundant local assets, inspires charitable giving and connects ambitious people to build stronger communities and a Greater Nebraska. Learn more at nebcommfound.org.

Lincoln Children’s museum’s hosts super saturdayAround read Across America day

Read Across America Day is coming up and Lincoln Children's Museum is using their March 4 Super Saturday to celebrate! Join them at the museum from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a day packed full of exciting activities. The day’s activities are free for members and included with the regular cost of admission.

Those attending the event will enjoy activities in Tinker Theatre and enjoy classic story times with Dr. Suess favorites. You can find added fun on every level of the museum with additional games like Cat's Hat Toss, magnet fishing, and more!

Super Saturdays are held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday at the Lincoln Children's Museum. The days are jam-packed with specially-themed crafts, STEM-inspired activities, and special guests. Check out lincolnchildrensmuseum.org/super-Saturdays to see the upcoming schedule!

The Lincoln Children’s Museum invites children to create, discover, and learn through the power of play. The museum’s hands-on exhibits, day and summer camps, and learning programs provide countless opportunities for children to gain knowledge in arts, sciences, and humanities. Every visit, membership, donation, or in-museum purchase helps to support their mission. To learn more, visit www.lincolnchildrensmuseum.org.

Child evangelism fellowshipof nebraska hosts march Leaders Luncheon

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) of Nebraska will be hosting their Leaders Luncheon with Chaplain Arin Hess on Tuesday, March 7. The event will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CEF Office (Vital Services Building) at 6400 Cornhusker Hwy. The schedule will start with doors opening for a meet and greet and networking where refreshments will be provided. At noon the featured speaker Chaplain Arin Hess will begin speaking. Arin, “retired” from ministry of over 40 years in Norfolk, moved to Lincoln, only to be approached by the board of what has become Capitol Studies, a ministry to “Serve Civil Servants with Scripture.” Arin is the missionary to senators at the Capitol Building. He offers weekly Bible studies for the senators and for the senators staff. He and his wife, Anne Marie, have been blessed with four wonderful children, and a growing number of grandchildren. You certainly won’t want to miss this luncheon and hear Chaplain Arin share how his faith in Christ inspires him in navigating leadership both personally and professionally, in the past as well as now.

There will be time for a Q&A and final networking after discussing the impact of CEF to wrap up the luncheon. RSVPs are required, please visit www.cefnebraska.org on their Home Page to find the link.

The Nebraska Chapter of Child Evangelism Fellowship is part of the world’s largest and oldest children’s youth ministry. Established in 1937, the global ministry has reached over 250 million children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are unique in that they focus specifically on elementary children ages 5–12. CEF of Nebraska’s Good News Clubs (GNC) is an after school club during the school year that primarily meets in local public schools.

mosaic to host partners in possibilities fundraiserApril13

Mosaic in Southeast Nebraska is proud to announce that it will be hosting its first ever “Partners in Possibilities” fundraising luncheon on Thursday, April 13 from noon to 1p.m. at Hillcrest Country Club. You are invited to join Mosaic for this one-hour event and discover how you can help Mosaic in Southeast Nebraska further it’s mission of relentlessly pursuing opportunities that empower people. A plated lunch will be served. For more information and/or to RSVP, please email amber.nore@mosaicinfo.org or call (402) 617-5932.

The “Discover the Possibilities” virtual events are still available for those that cannot make the in-person luncheon. These events are held on the third Tuesday of each month from 10 to 10:30 a.m. where the public can learn about Mosaic’s mission to “relentlessly pursue opportunities that empower people.”

Mosaic in Southeast Nebraska is part of Mosaic, a whole-person healthcare organization reaching across 13 states in 750 communities and providing supports to more than 5,200 people. Services empower people with disabilities, mental and behavioral health needs and autism, as well as aging adults to live their best life. Mosaic is an affiliated social ministry organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a member of Lutheran Services in America and a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more, visit mosaicinfo.org.

APR 2023

ISSUE

Calling all

“The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. Women who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will.” – Amy Tenney

Strictly Business is direct mailed to over 10,000 businesses in Lincoln every month! With a 2–4 month shelf life and a pass-along readership, it’s estimated that 1 copy of the magazine reaches at least 5 people. Editorial features are published on our website, as well. We are proud to have a strong online presence.

FEATURE INCLUDES: Photo of owner(s), business logo & 150-word write-up/quote

If you know of a local, woman-owned business, tell Strictly Business about them! In the April 2023 issue of Strictly Business, we will run our biannual “Women-Owned Businesses” feature to highlight the businesses in Lincoln that are proudly owned and run by women. To participate, contact: (402) 466-3330 | Editor@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

Last month recap

This month, we had a blast at both our Friends4Lunch and Friends4Drinks events. Rock-N-Joe Coffee has some amazing selections for lunch, and no one can beat a midday mocha in the winter time for our Friends4Lunch event. It seemed the fan-favorite was the Turkey, Bacon, and Hummus sandwich on warm, toasted bread. We have to mention the large selection of treats and pastries they have, you'll find yourself craving one of the High Society Cheesecake cookie sandwiches for days! We love spending time in the relaxing environment that's perfect for socializing to studying, and everything in between. For Friends4Drinks, we visited Carmela's Bistro, and what an amazing evening we had! It was an easy choice to order the classic Bread Service that comes with bacon jam, honey, olive oil, and cracked pepper, served with a warm baguette; it simply doesn't get better! We relied on the server's expertise when it came to ordering wine, with their extensive list you can't go wrong with any choice, and we were thrilled with the drinks we had. In addition, we always love Carmela's Smoking Gun Revival cocktail, because who doesn't enjoy a drink with a show? The smoke infused drink is too enticing to pass up! Add Carmela's Bistro to your list for date nights, you won't be disappointed.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Strictly Business ! That's right, Friends4Drinks will be held at McKinney's Irish Pub on March 10, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. We are so excited to be spending time with the crew at McKinney's for this networking event. The atmosphere around the restaurant is so much fun this time of year, we would love for you to join us to share a drink and get connected with the Lincoln business scene.

We're lucky to have daVinci's hosting our Friends4Lunch on March 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. We'll be at the 27th and Superior St location, found at 4118 2650 Superior St. daVinci's has been around for 44 years, and now has five Lincoln locations to serve our community. We're already craving the spaghetti and meatballs, hoagies, and cheese steaks! Please join us to mingle and network while enjoying an amazing meal.

These events are open to anyone in the business community who is interested in connecting with others and supporting local eateries. There is no cost to attend, you only pay for what you order. No RSVP necessary, but appreciated. Feel free to contact the Strictly Business office at (402) 466-3330 or email cemre@strictlybusinessomaha.com with questions. We can't wait to see you!

r SV p is encouraged for these events. p lease let the Strictly Business team know if you plan to attend by calling (402) 466-3330, emailing cemre@strictlybusinessomaha.com, or marking yourself as “Going” on the Facebook event pages.

The Lincoln Airport has new getaway flights.

CATCH THE SLOPES IN

CONNECT THROUGH

Education for Every Stage of Life

There is no time like the present when it comes to gaining knowledge and chasing your lifelong dreams. Whether you’re a high schooler preparing for your next steps, a college student looking for the perfect institution for them, or an adult that feels they missed their opportunity for education, Southeast Community College (SCC) has the tools you need to succeed.

SCC has more than 60 programs of study to choose from, and class sizes allow for more personal attention and a comfortable learning environment. If you’re unsure where to start, the advisors at SCC are there for you from the moment you are admitted until your graduation day and beyond. Advising services are there to support you in and out of the classroom, and your advisors will work with you to create an educational plan that fits with your academic, career, and personal goals.

SCC is committed to its mission of transforming students and the diverse communities it serves through accessible, dynamic and responsive pathways to career and technical, academic transfer, and continuing education programs, as well as lifelong learning opportunities.

Dual-credit

Southeast Community College is proud to offer dual-credit opportunities to high school juniors and seniors to get a jump start on their post-secondary degree and explore career opportunities while still in high school. Through either the DC Advantage or the Southeast Nebraska Career Academy Partnership, students can earn both high school and college credit. By completing dual-credit courses through either program, students will begin to acquire college credit hours to apply toward a program of study at SCC or a four-year institution by transferring dualcredit hours earned after graduating high school.

Dual-credit courses are offered in 16-week increments and delivered in a variety of formats: Online, Distance Learning, or face-to-face with a certified dual-credit Southeast Community College instructor. Some courses require a prerequisite or appropriate placement score on the ACT, COMPASS, or Next Generation Accuplacer.

Classes begin in August and January of every year. To register for dual-credit, you must go through the dual-credit office by contacting your high school counselor.

Adult Education

Adult Education provides instruction to students who are 16 years or older and have either officially withdrawn from a Nebraska school or have completed home-schooling. SCC’s GED® preparation provides adults who are not currently enrolled in secondary schools an opportunity to prepare for the GED® Tests and earn a Nebraska high school diploma. Students who take the GED® exam are tested in Reasoning through Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematical Reasoning. Tests are administrated by an approved testing site. The GED® Prep classes are offered in Lincoln and seven locations in surrounding southeast Nebraska.

Online Learning

SCC understands taking in-person classes isn’t convenient for everyone. The Online Learning division makes it possible for you to take classes online to fit into your busy schedule. Your online experience will have you interacting with your classmates and instructors in a state-of-the-art virtual classroom.

Online courses use the same curriculum and meet the same standards as in-person classes at SCC’s three campuses. They offer more than 300 online courses per term according to the SCC academic calendar. Flexibility is key as some programs can be completed entirely online or with a hybrid blend of face-to-face and online courses.

downtown LinCoLn AssoCiAtion

by Todd Ogden, president

sideshow spirits is downtown Lincoln's first Craft distillery...ever

Under the Kinkaider umbrella, P Street is offering a whole new experience for the downtown crowd, from distillery tours to taste-testing clubs.

When Kinkaider Brewing took over the large brewery space at 1630 P Street, Cody Schmick saw it as an opportunity to do something totally different to make the location a destination. And he ran with it.

Doing the unexpected is what’s kept Kinkaider growing as one of the top-rated breweries in Nebraska, and provided the momentum to open a Haymarket Kinkaider taproom, an 80s-themed pizza restaurant (that has since closed) and turned into a nightclub on P street, and Lincoln’s first-ever distillery, in the span of just a few years.

Sideshow Spirits opened its doors in April 2020 under the Kinkaider umbrella and was quickly followed by Sideshow Spirits and Cider, a dimly lit lounge in the back dedicated to craft cocktails and the business’s new line of in-house distillates.

Schmick, who handles Kinkaider’s marketing and taprooms as well as owning and operating Sideshow Spirits, went into the distillery project with the hope to create something very different from Kinkaider.

“For me personally, I love developing and growing a brand,” he said. “We wanted to focus on keeping Sideshow as high-end and premium as possible, so it was important to me to start out on the right foot with the design.”

That means custom, plush green chairs and wallpaper, vintage photography on the walls, mood lighting, and even a high-end sound system with speakers meant to permeate the entire lounge.

The distillery itself even adds to the experience, with a large window connecting the lounge to the backroom. You’ll find the curtained, window motif engraved on Sideshow Spirit’s custom glass bottles, as well.

Kinkaider opened in 2014 and since then Schmick had been talking about the possibility of a distillery. After riding the wave of craft beer popularity, he’s excited at the prospect of craft distilling exploding in the next ten years.

Among their house-made spirits are a white whiskey, Nebraska corn vodka, a jalapeno-flavored vodka, and a hard cider.

Real spirit enthusiasts can also join The Sideshow Society, a limited club where members can attend private tastings and enjoy special perks and gifts throughout the year.

“We really have put a lot of time and effort into building a feeling around Sideshow,” Schmick said. “You get a certain feel when you come in here. Especially when the bartenders are behind the bar shaking the drinks and you see the beautiful copper stills in the background, and you can enjoy a fantastic cocktail.”

Foundedin1967,theDowntownLincolnAssociationprovidesservicesandchampionsinitiativesfor maintainingandenhancingourvibrantdowntown.Ourvisionistocreateanenergeticdowntown environmentwherewelive,learn,work,invest,andplay.DLAhasevolvedintoamulti-faceted organizationsupportingawiderangeofprogramsandactivitiesincludingmaintenance,economic developmentandadvocacy.Foracompletelistingofdowntownbusinesses,eventsandresidences visitdowntownlincoln.org.‘Like’usonFacebookatfacebook.com/downtownlincoln.

65 Years of Trusted Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning

When plumbing, heating, or cooling problems strike, it’s always useful to have a great local plumber and HVAC contractor that you can trust in your pocket. You can count on Biggerstaff Plumbing & Heating Inc. when the unexpected happens. You can expect the same high quality service and standards that Biggerstaff has been providing since 1957. They realize that integrity is what makes a business successful and they always strive to maintain these standards.

Owned by brothers Doug, Dennis, and Don Biggerstaff, the company’s success relies on their reputation of reliability, professionalism, and providing top-quality care in a timely manner. Their experienced technicians have proven to be efficient, helpful, and friendly when assisting customers, and the sales team offers knowledge and advice on the industry’s top brands. If your current system needs a change, they can provide you with a free estimate.

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Daniela M.

Plumbing

Having consistent plumbing services done at home helps homeowners keep their house in good shape and emergencies from happening. Biggerstaff provides a full range of plumbing repairs and installation services. Their plumbing services include drain cleaning, sewer repair, shower and tubs, leak detection, water heaters, sump pumps, water softeners, and more. In addition, Biggerstaff can help guide you through water services such as water filtration, water softeners, and water heaters.

Heating and Cooling

Biggerstaff will evaluate your situation to determine the best air conditioning and heating options for your household. If your AC is not able to cool an entire room, then it is not performing at an optimal level. This is especially the case if you have taken steps to create a more energy efficient home. With the right unit, you will not only have a comfortable home, but also a cost-effective solution to conserving energy and decreasing your monthly utility bill. Their HVAC technicians are NATE certified, so you can be sure they know their craft!

Reme Halo LED

Do you have concerns about the bacteria, mold, and viruses lingering in the air you breathe at home or work? The Biggerstaff team has been installing Reme Halo, a whole-home in duct air purifier for several years now. They have installed a couple in their own office and employee’s homes. Installing a Reme Halo is a fairly easy process and can be installed the same day (stock permitting). The Reme Halo produces hydrogen peroxide through the duct system where sick building problems start. Notice an improvement in air quality the same day you get The Reme Halo installed!

by Jason Ball president

VitalityLincoln–A strategic plan for the future of Lincoln

The future is bright for Lincoln. Last summer, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, two top consulting firms, a 42-member steering committee and 3,500 community members started the 6-month process of outlining a vision for Lincoln’s economic future and how to achieve it. I was honored to present the plan to Chamber membership at our Annual Meeting in February and am looking forward to working with our community partners to build pathways that collaboratively execute on the impactful initiatives outlined in this plan. Led by nationally recognized consultants from Broad Ripple Strategies and DMOProz, the Vitality Lincoln steering committee identified six areas of focus that guide the plan, including:

• A detailed focus on diverse talent and ability to better attract, retain and grow companies by providing a sustainable base of trained talent. As a top challenge for our local business community, Vitality Lincoln outlines new opportunities to connect people with Lincoln’s workforce and educational programs by establishing a coordinated career pathway system. A crucial part of this area also includes a heightened support of the expansion of local early childhood education and care capacity, a growing challenge among members of our workforce.

• The development of distinctive destination assets and facilities to attract visitors and events to Lincoln, including plans for a downtown convention center, a reimagined Lincoln-based music festival and the creation of dynamic, connected mixed-use activity hubs across the community. Learn more about the Downtown Lincoln Convention Center Feasibility Study commissioned by a coalition of organizations led by Visit Lincoln – a division of the Lincoln Chamber, Downtown Lincoln Association and Lincoln Rotary Club 14 at lincoln.org/downtown-lincoln-convention-center-feasibility.

• The rollout of new targeted economic development initiatives that capitalize on Lincoln’s unique assets. By implementing an integrated, multifaceted business recruitment program and creating a marketing strategy for the Interstate 80 corridor connecting Lincoln to Omaha, Lincoln will be a more competitive option when recruiting new projects to Lincoln.

• A commitment to providing the land and infrastructure necessary to accelerate the vibrant and balanced growth of our community. This includes creating an accelerated infrastructure investment task force, optimizing policies to address affordable housing challenges and ongoing discussions about the construction of the East Beltway, which will help accelerate growth.

• Position Lincoln as a nationally recognized hub for starting and scaling job-and-wealth-creating business by elevating our dynamic entrepreneurial systems and support. By enhancing the local awareness of Lincoln’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and improving connectivity, Lincoln will experience an increase of diverse talent in our pipeline.

• We have to tell our story to the world. A heightened emphasis on developing compelling image and awareness campaigns will creatively tell the story of Lincoln’s competitive advantages and opportunities. Read the full plan at lcoc.com/economic-strategy. Thank you to the business leaders and community members who continue to play a crucial role in the ongoing economic vitality of our community as we take this important step forward.

The Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to improve the lives of Lincoln residents by providing increased economic opportunity and can only be accomplished together. For more information, contact Derek Feyerherm atdfeyerherm@lincoln.org.

A Guiding Light to Success

At Leadership Harbor, they help people develop the skills to be more relational and influential in their personal, business, and faith lives. Their mission is to empower people to realize their potential with confidence and influence. Leadership Harbor offers individual, group, and business coaching, mastermind groups (in-depth book study with hands-on application), and workshops.

The team of coaches at Leadership Harbor brings a variety of experiences to help you unlock your true potential – including understanding your personality “wiring,” values, and experiences. They help you train in a safe environment – the harbor – on your way to becoming all you are meant to be. These coaches do this by acting as your thinking partner and fostering communication within your team and/or family.

CoaC hing

Coaching is about many things; principally it is about change, and developing emotional intelligence and conscious awareness. In business, coaching is a leadership behavior that lies at the opposite end of the spectrum to command and control (manage), and in effect addresses the whole person, not just ‘the role’ and business issues and tasks.

The process is diverse and expansive. It can cover a breadth of issues, such as dealing with the immediate obstacles that are preventing your growth, the development of your confidence, your ability to communicate personally or professionally, and your leadership influence, as well as building the vision and plan of your life’s dream and goals.

Team Building

Help your team gain a clear plan of action for maximizing collaboration to increase performance and results!

Are you creating an environment for your team to win? The most effective way to improve your company’s results is to develop your team’s ability to work cohesively. Helping individual members of your team understand how to contribute their unique talents toward the overall goal of teamwork and collaboration will bring out the best in them, increase their productivity, and boost their morale.

The Leadership Harbor Foundation was created to help Leadership Harbor add value to, serve, and recognize in five distinct areas:

CALM; Suicide & Bullying Awareness and Prevention – both are topics of importance to the team at Leadership Harbor. The Foundation allows them an avenue to provide these trainings and workshops at no direct cost to the hosting organization.

Veterans – grants and donations to the Foundation allow Leadership Harbor to provide programs and coaching to Veterans at reduced or no-cost. Coach Patrick has a passion for serving this important population as they seek to transition from service to civilian life and all that is encompassed by this.

Youth Leadership – contributions through the Foundation allow Leadership Harbor to invest in the youngest of leaders. From scholarships so youth can participate in leadership development to providing the Maxwell Leadership Global Youth Initiative (GYI) events every April and October.

Education – through the Educator of the Month program, iLead and Values based Leadership curriculum, they will focus on helping students, educators, and administrators in transforming communities.

Scholarship – contributions through the Foundation allow investment in those who want to develop their potential, and need a little financial boost to get them started.

by Bud Synhorst, president

stopping the property tax windfall

Recently, along with fellow Lancaster County citizens, you probably received a notice in the mail noting the preliminary property valuations for 2023. In several instances property owners across Lancaster County watched their valuations increase by double digit percentage points and tens of thousands of dollars. In meetings and discussions following the receipt of these notices, we continued talking about the importance of starting conversations with our elected officials representing organizations who collect property taxes.

When property valuations increase at this level, this means you will be paying more in taxes. However, when we hear from our elected officials during these times, we hear, that they haven’t raised the tax levy. This is a sticky scenario because when your valuation goes up and the levy remains the same, you are paying more in taxes.

Here is a rough breakdown of your property taxes in Lincoln. Lincoln Public Schools through their levy for general funds and bonds receives about 61% of the property taxes you pay. The City of Lincoln receives about 16% of property taxes paid. Lancaster County receives around 13% of property taxes collected. The final combined 10% of property taxes are paid to Lancaster County Ag Society, Educational Service Unit 18, Lincoln Airport Authority, Natural Resources District, Railroad Safety District, Southeast Community College, and the Public Building Commission. Basically, LPS, the City of Lincoln, and Lancaster County receive 90% of the property taxes paid, with the others getting the final 10%.

The conversations with elected officials needs to begin immediately to manage their budgets to find a way to lower their property tax levy rate and budget modestly and be good stewards of the money paid in property taxes. The reason these conversations are important now is because, let’s say you currently pay $4,000 in property taxes and your valuation goes up 25 percent, you will be paying an additional $1,000 in property taxes next year, if the levy rates don’t change. We must start these conversations now with elected officials to make sure they are managing their budgets within in their needs and not taking the money just because valuations went up. The easy thing to do is keep the levy the same and take the windfall. However, the right thing is never easy! I would point out for the past several years, the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District has not increased their budget and has lowered their property tax levy multiple times, only taking the money they need and not the windfall of money from higher property valuations.

There is an important conversation to have during these discussions. This is about property tax asking. This is the amount the political subdivision asks to be remitted to them from the collection of property taxes. Generally during budget season, LIBA meets with various political subdivision about their budgets, asking them to lower their levy and be modest with their property tax asking. However, these conversations have not had the outcomes we would hope from our elected officials. The only success recently in these discussions was when LPS actually lowered the bond levy to only take the money needed for the bond payment. This was a small win, yet a win for the taxpayer.

What can you do now to make a difference? Contact your elected officials and ask them to budget responsibly and not take the windfall from the high increases of property valuations. They need to hear from their constituents. For instance, last fall during budget season, LIBA was the only testifier on the County and School budgets. We all need to reach out to our elected officials and ask them to hold firm against the easy route of just taking the windfall of money due to higher valuations.

LIBAstudiesandpromotesthesetypesofissuesthatareimportanttobusinesses and our community. If you have an interest in joining, please call LIBA at (402)466-3419.LIBAmembershipisnotrestrictedtojustbusinesses.We alsohave“individual”membershipsforthosewhowanttohelpinfluenceour localgovernmentdecisions.

Given that your home and business are your biggest investments, it’s positively crucial that you protect those investments by performing deep spring cleaning tasks that prevent dirt and grime buildup, protect your flooring and other surfaces from damage or dulling, and ensure that you avoid mold and reduce other allergens that could harm your family or employees. Spring cleaning applies to more than just your home, as well. Preparing your car, family, pets, and yourself for the upcoming season can end up making this sunshiney time into a daunting list of tasks.

The good news is that you don’t have to do it all yourself. Lincoln is home to some of the best cleaning-related companies around, and these professionals will get it right the first time. They’ll help your homes or businesses look—and function—like new. We talked to professionals in the Lincoln area who can ensure that your ready to take on spring in the best way possible!

Meeting Your Goals

John henry’s Plumbing, heating, and air has been trusted in the Lincoln community for over 26 years to provide any and all plumbing and HVAC services. Spring cleaning tasks can start to pile on and feel impossible to finish, but the experts at John Henry’s have some advice.

“Start with a small list of goals for your spring cleaning. Focus on one room or one area of your home that you enjoy the most. Write down the list of cleaning goals you have for that space,” said Brian Gaines, HVAC service manager. “Give the tasks 15-30 minutes of your time each week and those efforts will add up in a few short weeks.”

The most important thing John Henry’s believes in is their purpose, which is providing exceptional professionals

delivering unbelievable customer experiences. The customer has been top-priority since the beginning, and that’s why John Henry’s offers a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee with a warranty on all the work they do.

“Our solutions range from critical safety solutions to comfortability for business. Our goal is to educate our customers on the HVAC and plumbing systems in their homes and businesses. We cover everything from maintenance, to repairs, to replacements, and brand new installations. Our wide range of services provides flexibility to match any goal for your home or business.”

John Henry’s understands the importance of good air quality and efficient temperatures to maintain healthy and comfortable living environments. Their services include AC unit cleaning, ductwork cleaning and sanitizing, evaporator coil cleaning and sanitizing, and air filter replacement. They also provide advanced air quality tests to ensure your home is free from any impurities or allergens. The experienced technicians at John Henry’s are trained to use the latest technology and use only the best quality products to ensure your air conditioning system is running in peak condition. They can also provide maintenance plans to keep your AC running smoothly throughout the year.

When it comes to plumbing, spring is the time when people start using outdoor faucets for gardening, washing cars, and other outdoor activities. If you don't have an outdoor faucet, you can install one, and if you already have one, you can inspect it for leaks or damages. The spring season also brings heavy rainfalls, and if you have a basement, you need to make sure that it is protected from water damage. A sump pump can be a great addition to your plumbing system to prevent flooding.

“Another great thing to do in the spring is clean out your drains to prevent clogs and blockages. You can use a drain cleaner to flush out any debris and prevent costly plumbing repairs,” Brian

Brian Gaines

John henry's plumbing, heating, and Air

JetSplash was born in February 2003 at the intersection of Highway 2 and Pioneers.

We had a small staff, modern equipment and one big dream: help Lincoln shine.

Today, 20 years later, we’re still living that dream—now with 7 locations across the city, each delivering a unique car wash experience that’s sure to leave you and your car shining.

Thanks for the 20 years of support, Lincoln.

JetSplash 2 | 84th & Holdrege

OG JetSplash | Hwy 2 & Pioneers

JetSplash 4 | 56th & Pine Lake

JetSplash 3 | 27th & Superior

JetSplash 5 | 84th & Hwy 2

JetSplash 7| 40th & South

JetSplash 6 | 16th & Pine Lake

advised. “Spring is also a great time to check your toilets for leaks and damages. You can replace any worn-out parts to avoid water wastage and high utility bills.”

Getting a Deep clean

After the winter weather uses its powers of muck and mire on your home or business, springtime is the perfect time to schedule a deep cleaning, inside and out. ServiceMaster Professional Building Maintenance (PBM) offers expert deep cleaning of entire offices, as well as standalone services like carpet cleaning and hard-floor refinishing.

“Spring is a great time to clean carpets, detail dust, clean walls, and the like—the things that tend to build up over the year if they aren’t kept up through the winter,” said ServiceMaster Owner Jon Paolini .

“While contaminants can enter your home or business through the air, they can also be carried in on shoes, animals, and even simple human contact. ServiceMaster has an intensive janitorial service available for local businesses, so you can improve the health and safety of your office and your employees.”

Since the pandemic, many businesses have added sanitizing to their spring cleaning tasks, in addition to tile and grout cleaning. Getting those tile floors machine-cleaned regularly makes the process less time-intensive and creates a better cleaning outcome, including a return of the overall beauty of the tile and grout. ServiceMaster can make it shine like you’ve never seen before and they use products that won’t compromise the air quality in your home or business, protecting all who enter.

Jon offers a final piece of advice for all spring cleaners out there: “Some advice I’d give those go-getter spring cleaners out there would be to not forget about the high contact areas you use every day—for example, cell phones, door knobs, keyboards, etc. Even though you use them more than some of the dustier areas of your space, that doesn’t mean that they’re clean.”

all in the Details

Nobody likes cleaning their car when it is snowing and freezing outside. By the time winter is over, you may find that the cleaning job is just too much for you to handle on your own. Take your car to the professionals at Morrow collision center and check one more thing off your cleaning list!

Morrow Collision is a full-service auto body repair and refinish center with the ability to handle all makes and models of vehicles. For two decades, they’ve focused on quality work and honest customer service.

In addition to repairing your car, Details by Morrow Collision Center offers you a chance to make your car look brand new.

“At Details by Morrow Collision Center we offer a variety of detailing packages along with buffing/ceramic coating needs. We are also capable of doing campers/ trailers and boats,” said Tanner ready, Detail Manager. “We proudly use the GTECHNIQ brand for their variety of products, which are made specifically for ceramic coating different things like wheels/trim needs.”

We all know the feeling of cleaning out our car when the weather gets nice, just to find it ready to be cleaned again shortly. The only way to combat this is taking the time to make your vehicle really shine.

Deluxe Package

Exterior Hand Wash, Full Interior and Trunk Vaccum, Windows and Door Jambs

Cleaned, Wipe down of all interior vinyl/leather

Premium Package

All of Deluxe + Shampoo

Carpets, Timed Stain Extraction

A La Carte + Add On’s Hand Wash Only, Buff Headlights, Clay Bar, Quick Buff + Wax Quick Polish, Ceramic Coating

Jon paolini servicemaster pBm

tanner ready morrow Collision Center

“Best advice I would give is keeping your vehicle regularly vacuumed and the interior windows clean and free of fingerprints/ smudges. Also washing your vehicle regularly will help,” Tanner advised. “It’s always a good time to have your fleet of vehicles regularly cleaned because it helps make you look like that you care and that customers will see your employees are taken care of and that you care about them.”

Morrow Collision has grown from its original shop on 22nd and Cornhusker Hwy to three locations all around Lincoln with nearly 40 employees, including Beeman Automotive, Inc. The collision center is still locally owned and operated, I-CAR Gold Class certified, and Subaru, GM, and Ford certified.

Watch Where You Step

When it comes to cleaning floors, many people tend to just vacuum and wait far too long to deep clean their carpets. Top Spot cleaning & Solutions Too is a facility maintenance company that started out as a professional floor and carpet-care cleaning service and has long been known for their quality carpet and floor-care products and services.

“My carpet-cleaning 101 is that when you can tell that your carpets are dirty, you’ve waited too long and begun to harm fibers,” said Top Spot Owner Doug Neill. “People who take proper care of carpets won’t ever truly see whether they’re dirty. We clean some monthly, and it’s shocking how soiled they are even though it doesn’t look like it. If you’ve installed new carpet in the last year, you HAVE to get it professionally cleaned, usually within 12-18 months to keep your warranty. Even if carpets don’t LOOK dirty, you can lose your warranty.

If you can’t prove to the manufacture that you had a professional steam cleaning within the warranty period, then if you have a problem, they’re not going to honor it. Floors and tile and grout in your home or business are much the same. They might look clean, but if you compare them to sections of the tile that don’t get as much use, you’ll quickly see that they are not.”

Top Spot Cleaning & Solutions Too’s goal is to help give businesses total confidence that they are providing their staff and customers a professionally clean environment. Call them today to get your spring cleaning started!

Wash away Winter

Your vehicles might not be at the top of your spring cleaning list, but you should probably add them to it, as deep cleaning is essential to extending the life of both the interior and exterior of them, as well as their resale values. It’s never more important to care for your car than at the close of winter, after road salts, including treatments with liquid calcium chloride and sand, plus the moisture from Nebraska storms, can cause your car to rust, which can spread across your entire vehicle over time. We recommend putting locally-owned JetSplash in charge of getting your vehicles shiny and protected after the winter months.

You don’t want to leave salt or brine on your car too long, because it will damage the clear coat that is protecting your car, and eventually the paint, causing rust. JetSplash preps and hand-dries every vehicle, so they’ll get the salt and snow off of your car first, then hand dry at the end to prevent freezing. They also have JetGloss, a ceramic coating, which will help restore your clear coat and protect your vehicle. When you stop into JetSplash, you’ll quickly learn why they’re Lincoln’s premier wash for a spotless car.

JetSplash offers five different levels of washes ranging from $9 to $25, and they take no more than a few minutes so that you can quickly get back on the road. All washes come with a free mat cleaner, vacuums, and air, so you can keep your ride looking great on the inside, too. If you go the membership route, you can choose a plan to pay a monthly rate or annually to get your car washed as many times as you would like at any of the seven convenient Lincoln locations.

ready for anything

We never truly know what we may find needs a refresh in our lives as the new season is welcomed in. Spring can unleash weather that ends up causing an emergency situation that needs cleanup right away, and Biggerstaff Plumbing, heating & air is ready to help.

Biggerstaff Plumbing, Heating & Air is a family-owned and operated company that’s proud to have the third generation of the Biggerstaff family serving customers in the Lincoln community and surrounding areas since 1957.

The success of Biggerstaff relies on the reputation they’ve earned for reliability, professionalism, and providing top quality care in a timely manner. Their experienced technicians have proven to be efficient, helpful, and friendly when assisting customers. You’ll enjoy working with their sales team as they offer knowledge and advice on the industry’s top brands.

As most have experienced at one time or another, when plumbing, heating, or cooling problems strike, having a great local plumber and HVAC contractor that you can trust to contact is critical.

You never know when a toilet might back up or your A/C may break down, and these types of situations need immediate attention! When the unexpected or unwanted happens, you can count on Biggerstaff Plumbing, Heating & Air to be there for you. With reliable 24/7 emergency services available, there’s always a specialist who is just a phone call away.

Your business, home, and vehicles are likely your biggest investments, so it’s crucial that you take care of them to protect them. We recommend contacting these professionals to help you get the job done right the first time!

Healthy behaviors and wellness opportunities in the workplace continue to be implemented in offices around the country, though it can be difficult to maintain this standard in the new day and age where more and more people are working from home. Employers may be wondering how they can continue to encourage wellness when their team members are not in the office. On the flipside, employees who work at home may be interested in ways they can continue to maintain healthy behaviors away from their office that may have provided them with encouraging amenities, such as a gym, or find themselves becoming sedentary after spending so much time in their house.

An increasing percentage of employers across the country are adopting workplace wellness programs because research shows that, when done correctly, they effectively improve the health of employees, which, in turn, increases employee productivity. Workplace wellness programs also have been shown to reduce the number of reported workplace accidents resulting from overweight, tired, out-of-shape, stressed, and sleep-deprived workers. A recent Harvard University research study by economics professors found that every dollar employees invest in workplace wellness programs returns an estimated $3.27 in medical costs and a decrease of $2.73 in absentee-day costs.

It’s hard to choose where to start when it comes to wellness. We spoke to businesses and experts in our community to learn more about how we can all continue to improve wellness in the workplace, no matter where our workplace is at.

Providing the Best

access Family Medicine is full scope family practice. They treat and assist with managing all diseases of all ages. It is their top priority to meet their patients where they are on their health journey and get them to where they wish to be. As a Direct Primary Care clinic, Access Family Medicine offers their services to patients

in many formats, including traditional office visits, email, text messaging, telemedicine, and after-hours emergency care.

When it comes to workplace wellness, Access Family Medicine wants to guarantee that they can provide your employees with the best benefits possible.

“We have many businesses that have purchased a membership to our clinic for their employees as a health benefit. It allows their employees to seek medical attention when they need it without the hassle of leaving work, which is a win-win for both the employees and employer,” said Dr. Todd Johnson , primary care physician and owner. “I would encourage business owners to look at our model. Many companies can hardly afford health insurance for their employees. Our model gives their employees health care for a very affordable price.If you own a small business and are looking to offer your employees a real health benefit, contact our office for more information.”

There are multiple areas of our lives that we neglect due to time, inconvenience, or effort, and sleep is often one of them.

“Sleep is highly neglected, yet so critical to anyone’s well-being. Most people aren’t aware of what proper sleep is,” Todd explained. “Medical professionals today are recommending eight to ten hours per night, for all individuals.”

The Access Family Medicine office is designed for all work environments and all jobs. Their ultimate goal is to keep all people healthy and living their best life, at work and at home.

dr. todd Johnson

Access family medicine

Get Your Body Moving

Feeling good outside of the workplace can almost guarantee that you’ll feel good when you’re at work. If the office has got you itching to move your body, club Pilates is the place to go. The bright studio welcomes members into a supportive atmosphere where they can choose a class type fit perfectly for them, from high intensity and strength training to mobility and recovery.

An international brand, Club Pilates is a low-impact, effective fitness routine loved by people of all backgrounds all over the world. These full-body workouts strengthen muscles, improve posture, and correct muscle imbalances, helping members feel their best and live life to its fullest, all while offering a low impact workout that can accommodate everybody. Club Pilates offers Reformer-based Pilates as it incorporates other modalities like Chair, SpringBoard, and Jumpboard for low-impact, core strengthening workouts.

It may be hard to find time to work out or get exercise in after a long day at work, especially with a family or kids at home. Since having a healthy body and mind can contribute to the quality of work you put into your profession, companies have a wellness program that allows a discount to employees for making wellness a priority. Check with your HR director to see if your company provides something like this.

“These days, it is hard to have a good work/ life balance. Many people are taking care of children as well as aging parents while working outside the home,” Club Pilates Owner christine Krueger said. “In order to provide for all of those other people, you have to take care of yourself first. Carving out an hour a day for your health and wellness is something you should not skip. Invest in you!"

Working from home can also be stressful because you don't ever turn work off. Taking time out for your health is extremely important whether working from the office or working from home. If you find yourself checking your work email while sitting on the couch in the evening, signing up for a Pilates class where you are forced to focus only on the movement of your body can help you destress and release the tension of the work day.

Club Pilates not only has nearly 800 studios open in North America, but is also one of the largest providers of a comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training Program in the world; the 500-hour program is designed to thoroughly and safely teach group Reformer Pilates classes along with TRX and Triggerpoint. Club Pilates is opening in Lincoln at 8222 Holdrege St. in the spring of this year. They are excited to help the Lincoln community reach their goals and enjoy this beneficial exercise.

Focus on relief

At arthritis relief Specialists of Lincoln, they help people suffering with osteoarthritis of the knee eliminate their knee pain without surgery. In addition, they incorporate preventative measures into their treatment approach so their patients can avoid future episodes of knee pain.

Arthritis Relief Specialists provides specialized medical services exclusively for people looking for ways to quickly and easily end their chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and the most common joint condition worldwide. In the U.S. alone, OA accounts for more than 25% of all visits to primary care providers and half of all anti-inflammatory during prescriptions.

Joint replacement surgery, once considered a last resort, is expected to reach 3.4 million cases by the year 2030, an increase of 673% since 2006. Replacing your natural joint with an artificial joint can lead to complications such as blood clots, infection, pain in other joints, and long recovery times due to limited range of motion. In light of these complications, there is some good news. Relief from your knee pain and lost function can be achieved using a promising nonsurgical technique. The Advanced Arthritis Relief Protocol is an FDA approved medical breakthrough for pain associated with osteoarthritis. The procedure actually prevents cartilage breakdown, promotes tissue growth, and restores function to the affected joint. Studies published in several prestigious medical journals cite decreases in joint pain, cartilage destruction, and bone damage along with improvements in function.

If you’ve tried everything to get rid of your knee pain and have been told your only other option is joint replacement surgery, here’s news: Arthritis Relief Specialists of Lincoln has developed a knee arthritis treatment program specifically designed for people looking for a way to stay active, eliminate their pain and stiffness, and avoid joint replacement surgery. The program involves a combination of restorative and interventional non-surgical medical procedures that have literally changed the lives of hundreds of osteoarthritis knee pain sufferers… even those told they need joint replacement surgery.

To help you get a clear picture of what your life could be without chronic and severe arthritis pain, they invite you to schedule a free consultation. In less than an hour, you’ll receive an assessment of your problem and provided with the best recommendations you’ll need to recover quickly and begin enjoying the life you know you deserve.

Get Glowing

It may seem superficial to care about your physical appearance at the workplace, but many professions require a polished look. Even if you don’t have a dress code at work, the possibility of meeting new people or getting your photograph taken is always something to keep in mind. If you want to put your best foot, or face, forward, look no further than Lincoln’s newest skincare experts, Skin Experts

Christine Krueger Club pilates

Skin Experts combines technology from Europe and Asia with carefully curated ingredients that work synergistically to help skin look fuller, fresher, and younger. The skin care includes natural ingredients such as rose extract, hyaluronic acid, probiotics, microalgae, bakuchiol, and hemp seed oil. These may seem complicated but their lasting effects are quite simple. The ingredients create an uplifting natural aroma full of antioxidants and skin-refreshing properties, draws and maintain moisture from the environment directly to the skin, creates conditions for the skin to look younger, healthier, and more even. They also combat the effects of the environment and digital devices to reduce signs of aging. They are filled with a gentle retinol alternative that gives antioxidant protection for a healthy glow, safe for sensitive skin, and are rich in antioxidants and fatty acids which may help protect the surface of the skin to hydrate and soothe skin. The products are always free of harmful sulfates, phthalates, toxins, artificial colors, GMOS, and artificial fragrance.

“The best way to show up to work is with glowing skin! Our revolutionary facials will have you looking your best at every networking event or big meeting. All of our facials are customizable for individuals based on their skin concerns and needs,” explained regina read, spa director. “If you’re looking for a last minute way to look refreshed at the office, our Express Facial is the perfect refresher to keep your skin glowing.”

Skin Experts is always diversifying their products and services, and offer new seasonal services for ultimate renewal and relaxation that complements anyone’s skincare routine. For the ultimate glowing skin, try the luxury Glö Serum, described as “The Holy Grail of Facial Serums” by Bella Magazine. This light, repairing, luxury facial oil synergistically blends Full Spectrum CBD, balancing probiotics, hydrating omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants in its technologically advanced patent-pending formula of over 15 botanicals to provide you with a radiance that continues to amaze.

“At Skin Experts, we feel everyone deserves a luxurious experience to treat themselves, which is why we offer luxury skincare and facials at an affordable price! If you purchase a gift card for $200, get a gift card for $50. As well, our affordable luxury skincare line, QÚL Beauty, is a revolutionary skincare collection with various options to keep your skin glowing between appointments,” Regina shared. “Our Hydrating Rose Water is an uplifting facial mist with potent skincare benefits perfect for those who are skincare obsessed, or our Muscle & Joint Body Cream is perfect for relaxing after a long day at work.”

See your skin transform with monthly facials and professional guidance from the skin experts. Their membership includes one Signature Facial and 10% off all products to maintain the glow at home. Other membership benefits include 15% off products when you purchase four or more, and if you can’t make your appointment, they accumulate month over month so you never miss out!

Walk it Out

The concept of going for a run or walk is quite simple – just walk out the door and you are on your way. However, as the Lincoln running co. pointed out, it is not easy! One way employers could encourage their office to get moving is through weekly or monthly challenges for time spent outside walking or running. Another alternative is to sign the office up as a team for a run or walk event.

“The Lincoln Running Co. has a Beginner’s Luck beginning running program that starts

this summer,” shared Manager ann ringlein. “It runs for eight weeks, and features a speaker and a run each week. By the end of the eight weeks, the participants will be ready to complete a 5K!”

Ann explained that being consistent when beginning an exercise program is the top thing to help people stick with exercising and improve. The second most important factor is finding a group to be accountable to. The Beginner’s Luck program provides both of those things for people looking to begin a run or walk program.

“We have the time, the knowledge, the passion, and the empathy to help people get moving,” said Ann. “We want to arm our customers with everything they need to start a running or walking program for themselves. Lincoln Running Co. has everything from the equipment needed – such as shoes, socks, and apparel – to a training program they can take home with them or a walking/ running class to sign up for. We take care of our customers from the ground up!”

The Lincoln Running Co. is so much more than a store that sells shoes. While it is their mission to get everyone in a great pair of shoes that make them want to exercise, Lincoln Running Co. is truly selling healthy lifestyles. Visit them today to see how they can help you encourage wellness in your workplace.

Motivation When You Need It

Another awesome gym that works hard to keep you engaged and stick with your goals is capital city Fitness & Performance. They are a locally owned small business that has been helping the city of Lincoln get fit for the past 14 years!

The gym has outgrown two locations before landing at its current facility, located in the Clock Tower Shopping Center at 6891 A St. The team at Capital City Fitness & Performance focus on nutrition and lifelong wellness. They offer a holistic approach to fitness, delivering results through researched training methods, ongoing

regina read skin experts

Ann ringlein Lincoln running Co.

REVOLUTIONARY SKINCARE

Luxury

learning opportunities for clients, and having an awesome staff who really care about each individual.

Capital City Fitness & Performance is home to the only Training for Warriors (TFW) affiliate in Lincoln, which is a group training program that encompasses signature warmups, speed training, strength training, endurance training, flexibility work, and nutrition with a unique motivational approach and welcoming family environment. They know that if you don’t have fun and enjoy the training, you won’t do it. TFW is not designed as a sport or competition, but focuses on you competing against and bettering your body, mind, and spirit.

Back to 100%

Going back to work after an injury or other health issue can be tough, but with a professional at your side helping you get back on your feet, the opportunities are endless. husker rehab proudly offers therapy services in five clinics in four different Nebraska cities, where they serve physicians and their patients with unique, highly-intensive, highly-customized rehabilitation, wellness, and preventative care therapies that make a difference in people’s lives. They listen to every patient’s needs and desires, analyze the problem, and figure out ways to get people moving again.

“Husker Rehab provides instruction in general activity guidelines to help you through your work day. This might include activities like taking the stairs, walking at lunch, or getting up to move around every hour. We also can provide detailed instruction in proper ergonomics, including how to sit or stand in the optimal position at a computer or work space,” said Ben Petersen , DPT. “We can discuss proper set up at your work space, including things like where you might put your keyboard, what height your monitor should be, and where you could place your phone and other work devices. We tend to put different items around our work space in convenient spots. The problem is, that might cause us to continually reach or lean to one dominant side. This creates postural imbalance and could lead to pain issues or ROM restrictions. We can help with exercises to restore balance and limit restrictions.”

Ben and the team at Husker Rehab help people in all kinds of industries. They understand the toll that even office jobs can have on our bodies and hope that employers start prioritizing their employees’ health.

“I would absolutely encourage employers to look into setting up some kind of wellness program for their employees. This can help to keep your employees healthy, happy, and productive. It can also show your employees that you value them,” explained Ben.

If you work from home, the services at Husker Rehab can be catered to you.

“What Husker Rehab can provide to clients is absolutely applicable to a work-from-home situation. You may even have a little more flexibility at home in arranging a functional work station. With proper instruction, you can arrange your chair, desk, keyboard, and whatever else you need in the optimal set up, explained Ben. “If you have some prescribed exercises to go along with this, you will have the convenience of being able to perform them in the comfort of your own home. Employers may be able to support this by providing breaks during the day for employees to stretch or exercise, providing ergonomically friendly work equipment for home use, or even setting up virtual wellness activities between all employees.”

reach out to these local professionals today to learn more about how they can help you improve wellness in your workplace, whether it’s in the office or at your home!

Ben petersen husker rehab

CommerCial ConstruCtion

With the population in Lincoln and surrounding areas continuing to grow at an increasing rate, the commercial landscape of Lincoln is steadily changing and expanding as well. Lincoln consistently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Because of this, new professionals are easily attracted to the area. All of this means good things for the construction industry, including a wealth of opportunities for exciting new projects and development.

The construction industry plays an important role in the economy. When the economy begins to slow down, the construction industry often feels the effects first – but when there is a strong demand for new construction, it’s an indicator the economy is on the right path. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, such as skyrocketing prices on building materials, major supply chain issues, and labor shortages, the construction industry persevered. According to the US Census, it is estimated that the total put-in-place for 2022 was around $1.79 trillion, an increase of 10.2% from the previous year (construction put-in-place is the estimated total dollar value of construction work done in the United States).

Research indicates that the most pervasive trends in commercial construction in 2023 include increased use of biological construction materials, safety features, remote technology, modular construction, artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, design technology, supply-chain alternatives, and a move away from purchasing new equipment and instead renting or buying previously used implements. As we talked to local companies in the commercial construction business, we found some of the most common trends in the industry now include aerial imaging, attention to safety, quality, technology, and environmental impact, prefabricated construction with precision engineering and consistent quality; repurposing of existing buildings, sustainability, advancement in energy-saving designs, and more.

Are you ready to start from scratch with a new office building? Maybe you aren’t prepared to build a new office, but are interested in renovating an existing building. Regardless of the route you want to take, Lincoln has many knowledgeable and experienced contractors that can help you create the most efficient and effective workplace.

high-Quality Workmanship

Kingery construction offers full service from pre-construction through the completion of the project. It is their mission to provide a superior level of professionalism, integrity, and honesty while offering cost-effective solutions in a timely manner. With exceptional management skills and a solid work ethic, the Kingery team can ensure that the highest-quality workmanship is evident on every project. They value their relationships and vow to remain true to their employees, project owners, vendors, and partners. Kingery has completed projects through a variety of processes including Design Build, Design Bid Build, Construction Management, and as General Contractor.

Kingery is proud to have recently completed Lincoln’s newest elementary school in the Waterford Estates neighborhood as well as eight years of improvements and new spaces at NECC in Norfolk. They are also currently in the third and final phase at Lincoln Regional Center ensuring safer spaces for patients. The building process has recently begun for the new Uehling Fire Station proving the perfect space for an extremely important volunteer fire department. The Omaha Kingery team is currently working on several projects including Ralston High School, Mockingbird Community Center, and D.B. Property/ Voss Electric. In recent years, the drive for environmentally friendly products and projects has increased. Many consumers are beginning to prioritize companies that use these eco-friendly processes, even at a slightly larger cost.

“Green materials are still in high demand. In some projects where owners desire to be more eco-friendly, we have found many of the materials to be minimally more expensive options than normal building materials,” shared r ick Wintermute , Kingery vice president. “As construction costs, material supply, and workforce challenges continue to be a concern, we at Kingery have the experience and ability to assess the building project and find cost-effective alternatives to ensure the project isn’t affected negatively.”

In addition to getting eco-friendly, there are a number of other trends in commercial construction that Kingery has been adapting to and keeping up with.

“We are continuing to see a demand for warehouse and manufacturing spaces. This increase has prompted us to expand our Metal Building division which allows us the opportunity to bring the best construction options to our clients’ projects,” Rick explained. “There has been an increase in technologically integrated data with all systems in the building; heating/air, lighting, security, and access control.”

In January, Kingery Construction acquired Construct Inc. in Omaha. Construct Inc. fits into Kingery Construction’s strategy of providing excellent commercial construction services to the communities of Nebraska. The additional expertise and knowledge the employees in Omaha possess will ensure that Kingery Construction remains a top-notch provider of construction services for years to come. 2024 will be Kingery’s 100th Anniversary making them the longest tenured construction company in Lincoln.

Solutions for the Built Environment

aOI provides solutions for the built environment through their construction, furniture, and prefabricated construction divisions. The furniture team can transform ordinary spaces into collaborative, innovative environments. They utilize the most credible and latest data to help their sales and design teams provide the necessary expertise to help clients create inspiring interior landscapes.

As Nebraska’s MillerKnoll Certified Dealer, AOI offers the most comprehensive set of design brands in the industry. Each of these brands is uniquely innovative and together they add up to a robust portfolio of products that suit any company’s diverse needs.

AOI’s Prefabricated Construction team offers state-of-theart industrialized construction including interior walls, doors, power, technology, plant walls, timber, and casework from DIRTT Environmental Solutions. As Nebraska’s Certified DIRTT Partner, they’re leading a regional revolution of the construction process. Prefabricated Construction has the ability to completely transform how construction projects are designed, priced, and delivered in the marketplace. DIRTT Environmental Solutions can take most of the typical processes of a construction project off-site, meaning that interior walls are prebuilt including doors, hardware, plugand-play power, data and technology, glass and graphics, and more. When all interior walls, doors, power, and casework can be manufactured utilizing the accuracy and efficiencies associated with factory-built, industrialized construction, the balance of the project is generally completed more quickly, cleanly, and safely. This also takes pressure off of local labor markets that are already stretched to capacity. One of the primary benefits of DIRTT Walls is the flexibility of the finished environment. This means that any DIRTT interior environment is essentially future-proof. “Prefabricated Construction is gaining significantly in popularity for workplace, education, and public sector markets with the largest gains occurring in health care. Owners everywhere are looking for reliability in their projects; reliability of design intent, price, and schedule. No construction methodology can currently deliver on all of these promises like Prefabricated Construction. We’ve completed some high-profile projects regionally using DIRTT Environmental Solutions that we’re very proud of including the new Lincoln Electric System Operations Center. This project included DIRTT walls, doors, power, and embedded technology,” Director Client

rick wintermute Kingery Construction

Experience Marco Lade

marco Lade Aoi

shared. “We also completed the Kiewit Omaha HQ project, a sevenstory, 180,000-square-foot steel-framed building designed to foster collaboration and interaction. We provided DIRTT walls for all interior offices, meeting and conference rooms, including modular power on all floors. This project also utilized DIRTT Leaf Wall, DIRTT Breathe, and DIRTT Timber for interior collaborative and office locations.”

AOI is able to provide quick and reliable service with DIRTT Environmental Solutions that has proven to thrive even through difficult obstacles.

“The recent supply chain challenges in construction provided great opportunities for DIRTT Environmental Solutions to shine the light on several critical value propositions available to our clients including speed to market, fit and finish, and future flexibility,” explained Marco. “The standard lead times for DIRTT products are astonishingly short. Walls with power are 14 days manufacturing from order entry. Casework manufacturing is 21 days from order entry, while Timber is just 28 manufacturing days from order entry. The final interiors of a DIRTT project are almost always significantly higher in quality in fit and finish. More of your construction budget stays in your project on a DIRTT job.” customize Your Upholstery

Larkspur Upholstery Studio works with many construction companies and contractors in the Lincoln metro area to provide custom built-in seating, upholstered, wall panels and other custom upholstered and reupholstered products. They use fine, heavy duty contract quality vinyls and fabrics and every year more styles, textures, colors, prints, and finishes become available and so does the eco-friendliness of fabrics and soft furnishings. Some recent projects they've worked on are the confessionals at St Mary's church in downtown Lincoln, built-in and chair seating at the Seward Library Children’s room and reception, customer and banker seating at Pinnacle Bank in Crete, and they're currently working on custom seating and backrests for an upscale nail salon in Fallbrook.

The demand for upholstery in commercial industries is in full swing, as Larkspur can provide seating and built-in furniture options, reupholstery of older furniture, and repair for nearly every industry including medical equipment, gym equipment, dental chairs, exam tables, reception seating, office seating, restaurant booths and banquettes, seating for colleges and universities, office space, cubicle room dividers, seating and headboards for hotels and more. If it is upholstered, Larkspur Upholstery can do it.

Some new features in the upholstery industry are the advancement of eco-friendly fabrics, fabrics that can be cleaned with bleach, and heavy duty vinyls that can withstand temperatures as low as -30 fahrenheit. Textiles and foams are becoming more advanced and long-lasting all the time. Larkspur tries to reupholster as many older pieces of furniture as they can to both extend the life of expensive commercial furniture and keep items out of the landfill.

There is never a bad time to utilize upholstery services, whether residential or commercial. Larkspur can typically reupholster most commercial furniture for less than the cost of buying new, and custom furniture can be had to match the decor of any space. They are comfortable working within budgets and enjoy working with clients to make sure they get what they want.

Larkspur Upholstery prioritizies their commercial clients and typically can turn a job around quickly. They have a large shop with the ability to work on very large items, store large amounts of fabric indefinitely for long-term clients, and are committed to top quality work.

Fresh Paint

Fresh coats of paint and on-trend aesthetics can help bring a building to life. remy refinishing offers interior painting services specializing in cabinet painting. Remy Refinishing has done quite a number of commercial painting projects ranging from hotels to restaurants and even a laundromat. They also paint plenty of office spaces.

“We have painted and been asked to paint all types of commercial spaces. In an active commercial space with people coming and going it

can be hard to manage, but we enjoy working around other people and other trades while we complete our painting service,” said Owner Jeremy Day. “Painting a laundromat has definitely been one of the more unique spaces we have painted and we enjoyed giving that space a fresh look.”

An interior paint job can last a long time but eventually it looks dirty, scuffed up, and not fresh. In your home this could drag down your mood. In a commercial setting it could give customers and clients the impression that you don’t care about your business and therefore you don’t care about them. The world of paint continues to evolve faster than people realize. In the past few years many companies have come out with amazing products that prevent scuffs, are antibacterial, are zero VOC, and have many other beneficial properties.

“I am a big fan of a newer product from Ben Moore called Scuff X. Their demo videos online show how it's nearly impossible to leave those unsightly black scuff marks on walls painted with Scuff X,” Jeremy shared. “It looks beautiful on a wall and it's a tough durable finish that will keep a wall looking great for a long time.”

It’s beneficial to ask a knowledgeable painter what kinds of products are out there that can improve the look, feel, and functionality of your business. Many painters use the same old products they are used to and never explore new paint technologies that can help you improve your home or business. Remy Refinishing is committed to evolving and growing with the current trends to provide you and your customers a space you can be proud of.

“Customers want to know you care about them and showing you care about your place of business conveys that to them,” Jeremy said. ”Paint is one of the highest impact things you can do to make your space look beautiful and inviting to your clients and customers.”

For top-notch paint jobs and top-of-the-line customer service, look no further than Remy Refinishing!

always Meeting Your Needs

As a 100% employee-owned firm, you can be assured that cheever construction will deliver on their promises. The full-service general contractor/construction manager provides pre-construction services, construction management, and general contracting. Cheever Construction’s employees are invested partners that provide solutions for their clients. It is through these employee-owners that Cheever Construction is able to continue to perpetuate the principles of its founder and stay committed to a business philosophy that is dedicated to trusting relationships, excellence in performing services, workmanship that has enduring character, and meeting clients’ expectations on every project.

“Cheever is a relationship-based firm,” said President Justin Kurtzer. “We take pride in building trust with our clients and project partners in all that we do. We have built our reputation on our ingenuity, expertise, and exceptional people. We utilize an effective schedule, coupled with the quality and skill from our subcontractors and combined with our field craftsmen. Cheever Construction takes pride in all of the relationships that we have entered. We strive to make each project the precursor to the next project, while building a lasting relationship with everyone involved.”

In terms of commercial construction projects, Cheever Construction has seen high demand throughout all sectors of the industry, including retail, manufacturing, education, and medical. However, the largest demand is coming from inside the industry.

“The biggest demand we see as a construction company is workforce and supply chain,” explained Justin. “Workforce is in high demand

for all sectors of our industry. With supply chain challenges, extensive pre-planning and creativity in material selections are solutions that we, as a construction manager, have to provide insight on for our projects.”

Cheever Construction approaches each project with consistent objectives for success. They utilize an effective schedule coupled with the quality and skill from their subcontractors, combined with their field craftsmen. Their goal with each project is to make it the precursor to the “next” project, all while building a lasting relationship with everyone involved.

What to Wear

While a completed building is the goal, it takes a lot of work to get there. The hardworking members of the construction team will put hours and hours into making your building the best it can be. It is important that they stay safe and as comfortable as possible while doing so, and that includes what they wear.

Ole’s Boot & Shoe repair offer quality and reliable shoe and boot repair services. The professionals at Ole’s have been highly trained and only use the best products. Whether you need new soles for your construction boots, or a broken heel repaired, you can count on them to do the job right without any hassle.

Ole’s also sells high quality leather products, such as belts, wallets, and cell phone cases. In addition to these items, they offer shoe and boot related products such as laces and inserts. Ole’s has been in business since 1981, so you can feel confident when leaving your boots, shoes, or leather items in their hands.

Invested in Success

Farris Engineering is an employee-owned building design firm that specializes in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and commissioning services. Their roots date back to 1967, and they’ve completed over 34,000 projects in more than 42 states.

Farris Engineering provides a broad swath of commercial building design and construction abilities. Everything from mechanical, plumbing,

Jeremy day Remy Refinishing

Justin Kurtzer Cheever Construction

electrical, and data-comm design is part of every job. Farris Engineering ensures that all options and decisions are in step with what the client would like to see and needs for a successful project.

Farris is proud of the projects they have a hand in, and employees remember the time spent on each project fondly. Brad Kennedy, PE, LEED AP, shared with us some of his favorite projects that he has worked on with Farris.

“I enjoyed working on the Department of Defense and University of Nebraska projects. Our office has designed and helped build several buildings located in Minot, ND, Grand Forks, ND, as well as Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. These projects have ranged from simple office renovations to completely new hanger and maintenance facilities,” said Brad. “The larger, more recent project I was lucky enough to work on for the University of Nebraska was the East Campus – C.Y. Thompson Library renovation. The C.Y. Thompson library, now named the Dinsdale Family Learning Commons, was a major building transformation for the University of Nebraska East Campus.”

Brad also shared what has been popular in today’s market, along with why now is a great time to invest in Farris’ services.

“Following the pandemic, owners and clients are showing more concern about proper ventilation and on the flip side of that, energy conservation. Usually, these two points of design are hard to achieve together, but new energy recovery ventilators and controls are allowing increased ventilation and reduced energy consumption to be a reality,” Brad explained. “In today’s moving market, communication and sustainable decisions must come to the forefront of all construction projects. Energy will only become more expensive to the end user, so up-front discussions about how we can design a building that is not only life-cycle cost effective but safe, is top priority.”

With so many great local businesses available to help with your upcoming project, Farris wants to guarantee that their work sets them apart from the rest.

“I feel that Farris Engineering has the ability and experience to work in any type of building construction condition and usage. As I age in this industry, I feel that sustainability and energy conservation must be part of the grand picture for a project to be successful,” said Brad. “I also believe that communication between the owner, client, designers, and tradesman must be optimal to achieve a solid and functional building.”

creating Intelligent Buildings

As the leading control technology contractor in Nebraska and Iowa, Engineered controls offers a complete turnkey building-control solution, including system design, new construction, and owner-direct retrofit sales, installation, repair service, and preventive maintenance work for small buildings. Since 1994, they have been dedicated to designing easy-to-use building automation and security systems that provide the highest possible efficiency, all while ensuring occupant comfort and maintaining a safe and secure workplace. Their innovative and costeffective building control solutions have been experienced by thousands of satisfied customers.

“We live in an era in which buildings of any size and shape can become intelligent buildings,” said Pat Killeen, president and CEO. “With open protocol technology, they can connect multiple subsystems together, on one network, rather than operating them all independently— maximizing energy efficiency, lowering maintenance costs, and providing centralized building control.”

It’s becoming more and more common for a building to have one central location to control all lighting, heating, cooling, and security functions, including outdoor controls and

Brad Kennedy farris engineering

pat Killeen engineered Contols

elevator controls. Not only is this incredibly convenient, but if you want your company’s building to go green, this is also essential.

“Our Energy and Environmental Optimization, or EEO, program certified professionals are equipped with the training, tools, and experience to quickly assess your building’s current state and consult with you on the goals and objectives of your energy efficiency project,” explained Pat. “Our EEO professionals participate in a rigorous training program learning how to guide building owners and managers through a structured process of analysis and discovery. Leveraging the unique EEO toolset, they will partner with you to develop the right solution for your building.”

Engineered Controls’ EEO program software identifies poorly performing buildings and then provides and automates corrective actions. Their EEO certified professionals can help accelerate implementation of the most popular energy conservation measures to optimize your facility.

Organize in Style

From cabinet and granite to sinks and faucets, the staff at a1 cabinet & Granite is ready to turn the vision you have for your dream building into a thing of beauty. They offer high-quality cabinets and granite countertops at competitive pricing. Hand-pick your actual granite slab from more than 60 colors and 400 slabs at their warehouse. Plus, you can get a free estimate when you bring in your measurements!

“We focus on pricing and quality, which set us apart from other remodeling companies,” said Office Manager Kim choo. “Having our own line allows us to promise good quality at reasonable prices. Come to our showroom to see the wide selections of colors and materials, and we’ll work with you to choose a design that suits your tastes and vision.”

Customers can customize the depth, with the height and width available in a number of measurement options. Base, wall, pantry, vanity, and other cabinet options include this semi-customization option, plus full-extension drawers, plywood boxes, maple doors, drawers and frames, dove-tail and soft-close drawers, six-way Euro hinges, and full overlay panels. The turnaround time for cabinet delivery is about one to two weeks. Counters and other surfaces come in a huge variety of granite and quartzite and quartz composite, with your choice from eight types of edges, including straight, double radius, waterfall, chiseled, ogee, half bullnose, bevel, and laminated.

“Our warehouse is onsite, so you can pick the exact slab of granite that you want for your dream kitchen, bathroom, or bar, and we have marble and quartz options, too,” Kim said. “We have one of the biggest selections in Lincoln and some of the best prices. Come by and see what we can do for you!”

renovate and remodel

An alternative to starting from scratch with your workplace is to remodel an existing building. Tru-Built construction Co-owner Bo Jones said that taking an existing building and making improvements is just as great an option as starting from scratch – and may even work better for your business, too!

“We take pride in offering premier commercial renovation and remodeling services, with some recent projects including transforming the former The Post & Nickel building into a mixed-use one that incorporates Chase Bank, Lululemon Athletica, and Madida Clothing commercial spaces,” said Bo. “The space also has condo spaces available for lease on the upper floors. In reality, though, the building is actually four separate buildings, built side-to-side.”

The situation created some challenges, including varying floor levels, split plumbing and electric, and working on the remodel in the tight confines of the downtown area. Despite these trials, Tru-Built excelled at the

Kim Choo

A1 Cabinet & Granite

Bo Jones

tru-Built Construction

PEOPLE THAT MAKE A

project and was recognized as a Gold winner in Qualified Remodeler magazine for their work on the lofts.

“Regardless of the challenges, we now have a unique building with some fabulous features,” Bo said. “We preserved the original wood floors, the old billboard ads on the brick walls, and restored the big windows that were filled in with brick over the years. The group of owners has committed to a complete renovation, including: re-footing the basement; adding new structural walls and beams; supporting the floor joists and roof trusses with steel; and installing new wall framing, electric, heating, cooling, plumbing, fire protection, drywall, paint, windows, cabinets, and more. It basically will be a completely new building and exemplifies the benefits of using what you have instead of starting from scratch!”

Where You Stand

A key part of commercial construction is picking out all of the details – and there’s a lot of them! One detail that can have a big impact on your business and influence its entire look and functionality is the flooring. Underfoot Flooring Solutions can help you pick out the best materials for your business so that your floors will not only look great, but will last for the years to come.

“The type of flooring you’ll want to put in your building depends on a lot of factors,” said chad Schlisner, operations manager. “If you are conscious of your brand, hardwood floors can add an elegant, timeless look to any office, retail, or commercial space. They make customers more comfortable and create an upscale feel. Resilient flooring materials can be put almost anywhere and are made to withstand heavy use while appearing to look like wood or stone. Resilient flooring can be found as sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), luxury vinyl plank (LVP), or vinyl composition tile (VCT).”

Underfoot proudly carries all types of flooring. Before the countless options overwhelm you, their knowledgeable team will be there to help you decide what material will work the best for your business. They take into consideration a variety of factors when making this decision: Will the flooring be in a high-moisture area? Will there be a lot of foot-traffic? Do you need a pet-friendly floor? Do you need low-maintenance flooring? These are all important questions to ponder.

One material that Underfoot is especially excited about is the Duracolor carpet. It was developed by Mohawk Group, which markets the carpet as “forever stain-free.”

“Some would say that this is a risky claim to make, but not Mohawk,” said Chad. “They guarantee it for life. The advanced resistant fiber technology virtually eliminates carpet stains. We tested three types of carpet in red Kool-Aid, and only the Duracolor came out looking like new. This carpet is a great choice for high-traffic areas such as healthcare facilities, schools, office complexes, and other public spaces.”

cabinets for Every Space

Depending on the type of building you are constructing, you may want to put some storage in the bathrooms, create a kitchen or bar area for your employees, or have a library in place. In this case, make a considerate selection when choosing the cabinetry that will be put into the building. Usher custom cabinets can deliver made-to-order cabinetry that will wonderfully complement the look of your building.

Whether you prefer styles that are more traditional, contemporary, or casual, Usher Custom Cabinets has you covered. Every job is tailored for each and every client, and all cabinets are custom-made to last with no limit on detail. Their cabinets will streamline your storage and help your business stay in-place and organized.

a Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

Whether your new building is looking to be sold, or you want to capture the completed space right when it is built, look no further than a ltitude Motion Media

Chad schlisner Underfoot flooring solutions

The Altitude Motion Media team have been professional photographers in Lincoln for over 15 years, and have been shooting real estate for more than half of that. Their pictures are excellent portrayals of the space, how the house is connected, as well as show the really awesome details that make each house unique.

Altitude has a passion for real estate, and it shows through the content they deliver to their real estate clients. They offer a variety of services including photography, videography, drone video, and virtual 3D tours. Plus, they are flexible for customized needs of each individual request, meaning you’ll get exactly what you pay for.

Transform Your Space with concrete Solutions

Concrete is everywhere. No matter what kind of building you are looking to build, concrete will be a part of it, so don’t cover it up, make it part of the design.

c oncrete c raft of Lincoln can provide nearly endless solutions from simply polishing concrete, to adding color and texture to entryways, walkways, offices, showrooms, and just about any area of your new building. Decorative concrete finishes are great alternatives to traditional flooring options. Whether you want a simple look with polished gray concrete or something with a bit more character, Concrete Craft offers a variety of solutions that are durable and easy to maintain.

Whether you are looking for the wow factor on the inside or outside, Concrete Craft can help you to transform your space and upgrade its overall appearance. From a stamped concrete drive and entry, to stained concrete floors, and even concrete accent walls, let the team of concrete artisans turn your plain gray concrete into a work of art. No matter what concrete project you want to take on, Concrete Craft will help you transform your space and make your dull concrete pop – all without breaking the bank.

Don’t be Left in the Dark!

Established in 1932, aBc Electric has over 165 combined years of experience in the electrical industry, with each manager having over 35 years of experience.

“ABC Electric offers something most other electrical contractors cannot,” said Project Manager Jon Eicher. “We offer the stability that 89 years in business brings, and the reliability and ethical business practices of the inaugural Lincoln Better Business Bureau Integrity award ensures. We can offer design/build construction processes or firm bid estimates, whatever the project requires. We are also in tune with the latest lighting and lighting control technologies. We believe the advancement of LED lighting products and controls will continue to be major issues driving electrical construction projects in the future.”

Jon eicher ABC electric

Jon shared with us a few things to consider when hiring an electrician for any project. First, be sure that the electrician is fully licensed and insured. In Nebraska, electrical contractors are required to have a license that demonstrates they have completed the education and field training necessary to perform jobs safely and correctly. This leads into his next tip: confirm that your electrician is informed and up-to-date with the National Electric Code.

“Professional electricians must stay current on their education about ever-changing electric codes,” Jon said. “The National Electric Code is routinely updated to address changes in technology and new safety requirements, and your electrician must stay informed of every new rule to ensure that your project is completed in a compliant fashion. What’s more, having up-to-date knowledge about codes can help streamline your permitting needs.”

Jon’s other tips included choosing an electrician who prices services based on the specific materials and labor required to complete your commercial project rather than a company that charges a flat rate, as

you could end up paying more than you should have; finding a provider that offers emergency support 24/7; and reviewing an electrician’s guarantee policies, as they can protect you from additional costs if you need to fix problems with any work that your electrician does.

Evolve the Exterior

It’s amazing what a professional paint job can do for not only your business’s curb appeal, but for its brand and interior appeal, too. We highly recommend Walter’s Painting Inc. for all of your painting needs. Walter’s offers first-rate exterior- and interior-painting services, in addition to wallpaper removal, power washing, refinishing of decks and other outdoor areas, re-staining, painting cabinets, and nearly any coating removal or application you can think of. They offer efficient, reliable service with minimal disruption to your commercial activity. If you want to make sure your commercial painting project is completed on-time and on-budget, you need to work with the crew at Walter’s Painting.

“Walter’s Painting uses only top-quality products and qualified painting crews experienced with helping clients make the most informed decorating and painting decisions,” said Owner Jeff Walters

“With our team of well-trained and experienced painters, we understand what business owners expect from a painting company, and we are always ready to deliver.”

Their commercial painting services are carried out by a fully insured, licensed, and well-trained painting team that uses advanced equipment operated under the strictest of safety standards. Walter’s Painting can perform work for office buildings and schools, hotels and retail stores, apartment complexes, medical facilities, and any industry that requires their services.

Brick by Brick

Established in 1881, Yankee hill Brick works with local contractors to supply quality brick of all varieties and colors. The combination of quality, color, and pristine finish makes Yankee Hill an attractive choice for architects and design-build firms throughout the United States and internationally. Their unique blends of clay and a state-of-the-art, high temperature firing kiln allow manufacturing of the highest quality clay brick products in the industry.

Brick is an ideal material for siding and retaining walls and it continues to be a popular choice for its charming aesthetic. In addition to making and selling their own bricks, Yankee Hill also imports a selection of imported bricks from other manufacturers, chosen to complement the local Nebraska market. The biggest advantage of brick siding is that it is low maintenance.

The roof Over Your head

The value of a solid, trustworthy roof over your head cannot be overstated. In fact, the roof just might be the most important part of your building. It provides you protection from the intense Nebraska elements, and if it’s not constructed by a company that uses quality materials and hires only highly qualified professionals, you risk damaging the building itself, inside and out. Neemann & Sons has been replacing and repairing damaged roofs, windows, gutters, and siding for over 40 years, and they are locally renowned for being honest, hard-working, and reliable to ensure that every customer gets a personalized solution to their roofing needs. As a family-owned and -operated business, Neemann & Sons takes enormous pride in their work and guarantees their customers’ satisfaction every time.

Jeff walters walter's painting inc.

trevor neemann neemann & sons

“We specialize in shingled and flat roofing and are one of the few roofing companies left that can install a built-up hot asphalt roofing system in Lincoln,” said Owner Trevor Neemann. “We are a preferred contractor among many roofing manufacturers, allowing us to install roofs with extended warranty years.”

Among all kinds of projects, educational institutions and remodels represent a large portion of their recent commercial requests. They increasingly use satellite technologies in commercial and residential construction alike, to ensure perfect measurement of all elevations.

“One of the biggest changes in the past five years is the quality of satellite imagery,” Trevor said. “We can see a lot of the projects from a computer before ever arriving on site. We now have programs that will measure roof areas with detailed accuracy from satellites. This keeps our estimators much safer and saves a lot of time because they don’t have to walk on tall or steep buildings.”

Watch Your head

It might be a feature of our building we don’t think about right away when making a building plan, but garage doors can actually make or break the design of your building. If you’re wanting to boost your curb appeal a bit, ask yourself how attractive your garage door is. Companies like Overhead Door of Lincoln offer gorgeous garage doors for commercial and residential properties. Here are some types to choose from:

• Modern Aluminum—Sleek and sophisticated, Overhead Door’s Aluminum and Glass Garage Doors offer a unique look for contemporary buildings.

• Courtyard Collection—Designed with the beauty of traditional carriage house doors, these insulated steel doors enhance the look of any new build.

• Signature ® Carriage—Featuring expert Amish craftsmanship, these detailed carriage house doors feature the look of the swing-open doors with the functionality of sectional garage doors

• Carriage House Collection—With high-design, thermal performance and the durability you need, these doors combine elegance and strength.

Go the Extra Mile with New Tile

A big design element for any new build is the tile. Tile can really make a difference in how well all of the elements of spaces like bathrooms and kitchens are tied together.

Maven Tile & Stone is one of Lincoln’s tile design studios that specialize in showcasing unique tiles and stones, as well as other commodity products for both residential and commercial clients. Founded by the talented Lizett Nissenson , Maven’s design services and attention to detail in everything they do sets the company apart from other tile businesses.

“We strive to help you pick the best product that will meet the needs and goals of your family’s home,” shared Lizett. “We are here to make your process easier, which includes answering the technical questions and doing walk-throughs on projects during non-business hours. Plus, clients that purchase through us are offered my tile design services at no charge.”

The hands-on tile design studio has samples available in their showroom and design center for homeowners who want to get ideas and advice for their remodel.

Constructing a commercial building consists of critical details and decisions that can be made simple with the help of local experts. We encourage you to reach out to these Lincoln professionals today to get started on building your next great project!

Lizett nissenson maven tile & stone

Joining Organizations

2023

There are a lot of talented and reputable professionals in Lincoln—so how do you stand out? The answer is getting involved. Find an organization or association that matches your interests and passions. Your commitment to your industry and/or community will shine through and set you apart. With a busy career and social life, we can’t get involved with all the organizations we might be interested in. You have to think about your objectives in terms of how your service helps fulfill your own personal and professional development goals, your own or your employer’s desire to bring in and keep business, and the kind of impact you want to make.

Twice a year, in March and September, Strictly Business puts together a Joining Organizations feature. We want to make sure that these organizations have a chance to get their name out there and share their current efforts, membership benefits, partnership opportunities, etc. Strictly Business is directly mailed to over 15,000 businesses in Lincoln every month and we share all our content online, so we feel that we have a responsibility to provide our readers with relevant information about what’s happening in and around Lincoln.

Community organizations contribute to the fabric of our economy by bringing industry leaders together, offering education and resources to their members, and partnering with other local entities to implement positive change in our area. There are so many dedicated, passionate groups of like-minded individuals who are all committed to making a difference in their professional, cultural, and social communities. Joining these groups often results in forming new relationships that, in turn, lead to personal and professional growth and success.

Here at Strictly Business, we stand behind the hard-working organizations that continuously better Lincoln and its occupants. We do this by offering discounted rates to these organizations so they can highlight their upcoming events and meetings, accomplishments, awards, members, staff, and opportunities for involvement. There are organizations and associations representative of nearly every profession, industry, or special interest group, and many have national, regional, state, and/or local chapters who would love to have you as a member.

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the following organizations if you are looking for ways to grow your business or professional network, make a difference in the community, and gain valuable experience outside of the workplace. Don’t be afraid to reach out and get involved!

To be a Lincoln c hamber of c ommerce (Lc O c ) member is to be a partner. The Chamber honors that partnership by creating opportunities for growth and development, while advocating for the best environment for Lincoln businesses to thrive. They understand each member has unique ideas and ambitions in mind, and they are here to provide the best opportunities for you to get the most out of your membership.

To find out more about how to get your business engaged, contact Derek Feyerherm at (402) 434-5344 or via email at dfeyerherm@lincoln.org. For more information about the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, visit the website at www.LCOC.com.

The Lincoln Young Professionals Group (Lincoln YPG) is dedicated to empowering young professionals with educational, leadership, and networking opportunities. Lincoln keeps its young professionals here by fostering a collaborative community enriched with a bolstering economy, connectivity, and endless opportunities. The Lincoln Young Professionals Group believes members can make the difference they want to see, develop a career that is pleasing to them, and grow into the professional that they want to be.

To learn more about Lincoln YPG, please visit www.lincolnypg.com, email Mia Wilken at mwilken@lcoc.com or call (402) 436-2355.

The a ssociated Builders and c ontractors ( a B c ) Nebraska and South Dakota Chapter supports the commercial construction industry through apprenticeship and safety training, advocacy, and workforce development. In addition, they offer opportunities for networking, and their Excellence in Construction Awards allow them to showcase members’ project successes. The organization helps their members and their members’ employees with the opportunity to succeed, by winning work, and delivering that work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which they work. ABC strives to be the leading voice for free enterprise and the merit shop philosophy of construction in Nebraska. They offer apprenticeship training through the NCCER Curriculum, continuing education, and leadership courses, not only to members, but also to anyone wishing to enter the construction industry for a bountiful career. For information about ABC Nebraska and South Dakota, contact Anne Klute at (402) 477-4451 or annek@abcnesd.org. Please visit the website at abcnesd.org to learn more.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) has been assisting U.S. consumers and businesses since 1912. It is a private, nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Nearly 400,000 BBB Accredited Businesses support BBB’s mission of advancing marketplace trust, and their dues and contributions allow BBB to offer its information and services to consumers at no charge. BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.3 million companies, over 11,000 charity reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting the marketplace.

People today are overwhelmed with choices—and often unsure about where to find verified, unbiased information. There are more than 32 million businesses in North America alone, and hundreds of thousands of sites around the world where people shop online. Also, thousands of free and subscription websites offer a range of information, including: reviews, reports, directories, listings, and gripe sites. BBB is the resource where you can find trusted, verified information. Go to BBB.org/nebraska, call (800) 6496814 and follow on social media (@BBBOmaha).

Lincoln h uman r esource Management a ssociation (LhrMa) strives to be a first-class resource on people management for the community. LHRMA connects professionals to solve every day workforce problems, provides quality education, collaborates with community leaders, and leads change for our industry. The organization comprises a large network of human resources professionals ranging from senior level executives to those just entering the profession and welcomes new members monthly. Benefits to membership include:

• Monthly meetings with learning events and professional speakers

• Professional networking events

• Career development

• Collaboration of HR information

• Monthly newsletter resources

• Membership directory

• Professional certification study groups

• Legislative updates

• Scholarship programs

• Community and diversity programs…just to name a few. For more information or to register for a meeting, visit www.lincolnhr.org.

S c O r E Lincoln needs YOU!

If you want to make a lasting impact in your small business community, SCORE is the place to do that.

SCORE volunteers help thousands of entrepreneurs start small businesses and achieve new levels of success in their existing businesses.

Volunteer with SCORE and give back to your community, connect with fellow business owners, and pass on your knowledge and expertise to the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Small business owners receiving three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased growth. SCORE is America’s premier source of free, confidential business advice. Most SCORE mentors own or have owned and operated their own companies or served in management positions. They understand business challenges because they’ve faced them too.

Take the step to become a SCORE volunteer mentor. Visit lincoln.score.org to sign up. Want more info? Email infolincoln@ scorevolunteer.org, or call (531) 225-6451 to learn more about SCORE Lincoln.

The home Builders association of Lincoln (hBaL) is a visible, effective, and respected trade association which promotes home building through professional education, member communication, and civic participation, and which represents builders and associated professionals in community, governmental, and industry forums. With almost 550 members, HBAL proudly promotes the Nebraska Builders Home & Garden Show, Spring & Fall Parade of Homes, and Tour of Remodeled Homes. These events not only benefit the members, but also the public. HBAL offers networking, education, and training to its members, along with representing the industry at Local and State levels of government.

To learn more about joining the Home Builders Association of Lincoln, go to www.hbal.org for a membership application and to see the many services of this 73-year old association.

The National a ssociation for Women in c onstruction (N a WI c ) is a resource for women in the construction industry and offers its members education, support, and networking to help advance their careers in construction, build their technical skills, and become leaders. NAWIC Chapter #116 includes Omaha, Lincoln, Council Bluffs, and the surrounding areas. Events are on the second Thursday of each month in various locations in the Omaha area. Guests are welcome.

NAWIC hosts a variety of events that serve the community, provides scholarships to men and women pursuing careers in the construction industry via a college education or tradeapprenticeship program, hosts educational Lunch-and-Learns for members, and more. NAWIC Chapter #116 was first chartered in 1966 and has 60+ members working in businesses whose primary focus is construction. For more information, visit www.nawicomaha. com or email nawicomaha@gmail.com to request information.

At Professional Networking Group (PNG), they are all about relationships.

It’s the bread and butter to making a business successful. Through PNG’s five Lincoln groups, bi-weekly meetings, quarterly socials (all groups are invited to an evening networking with a guest), and donations back to the community of Lincoln, they’re constantly working to network and build relationships with the best and the brightest around town.

Join this networking community and watch how you can impact the bottom line on your business like never before. If the thought of creating a new network makes you a little nervous, take a look at why you should take the plunge.

Each group averages over one referral per person per meeting. That equates to over 1,600 referrals per year.

Every year, each group refers over SIX FIGURES worth of business. Automatically add 18–25 salespeople to your team.

PNG donates both time and goods back to the Lincoln community each year including over $1.6K to the Food Bank this past holiday season. The membership cost of $250 is less than half of competitors’ costs. The group culture actually allows you to laugh and have fun as you are doing business, all without the use of a stopwatch. For more information, please visit pnglincoln.com.

Leadership Lincoln develops leaders.

Leadership Lincoln is open to all members of the Lincoln community. Applications begin in the Spring and classes begin in August and September. Each cohort meets monthly for nine months (roughly corresponding with the school year) to learn how to get engaged in Lincoln and to meet leaders from across our business, school, government, and nonprofit sectors.

Leadership Lincoln also hosts monthly public “Hot Topics” sessions such as candidate forums, pandemic response, health care disparities, low-income housing, parks development, and other topics of interest. Leadership Lincoln supports a Poverty Simulation exercise that shows participants the challenging nature of navigating poverty. More than 3,800 Leadership Lincoln alumni are making their communities better across the city, state, and country.

More information about Leadership Lincoln is available at www. leadershiplincoln.org.

rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at local and international levels.

Locally, members of Lincoln Giving Spirits Evening Rotary Club are dedicated people who share a passion for both community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back.

Rotary’s upcoming events include the March Madness Bracket Challenge on March 24, the Annual Poker Tournament on April 11, and the Kentucky Derby Fundraiser on May 6. All events are free and open to the public!

Lincoln Giving Spirits Evening Rotary Club’s meetings occur every other week on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at JCMF Children’s Charities, 8445 Executive Woods Dr., STE B. Meetings feature a new speaker on topics of interest to Rotarians, the town, and general subjects. The club accepts new members by invitation, but anyone is welcome to attend a meeting as a guest. To learn more, visit www.givingspirtseveningrotary.com.

The Lincoln Independent Business association (LIBa) offers numerous opportunities to network with other Lincoln business leaders. LIBA’s monthly BizNet events are free to attend with complimentary snacks and beverages. This provides a great place to meet other local business people and City Council members.

Many of the people who attend BizNet are eager businessmen and women who are ready to learn more about your business. Because it is a free event, you can invite customers or vendors to attend and give them a chance to grow their businesses as well. While BizNet is an after-hours event, LIBA also has a morning “Coffee & Contacts” every month that is sponsored by Custom Blinds & Design. Also free to attend, this event has breakfast snacks and coffee. With this event being early in the morning, it is a wonderful way to start off your day by networking and exchanging business cards. Lastly, the monthly LIBA luncheon is where you have the chance to have lunch with hundreds of business and community leaders every month. While this event isn’t free, it is only $20, which includes admission, the chance to listen to the monthly speaker, and a delicious lunch.

Call (402) 466-3419 and ask about joining LIBA. A membership staff would be happy to visit your office and answer all of your questions. You can also visit www.liba.org for more information.