Strictly Business Omaha - January 2021

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OMAHA • JANUARY 2021 TM

THE BIRGE FAMILY

OWNERS OF BIG BIRGE PLUMBING

• Business Planning • Supporting Nonprofits Client Spotlights • Lifetime Stone Restoration • King Insurance • Engineered Controls

AGO

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RIVER CITY SIX

In This Issue

? r e b m u l P a d e e N

KIM ROWELL Cox Communications

ZACH BAEDKE ANGIE ARMSTRONG CountryHouse Residence Cornhusker Bank for Memory Care

KARISSA WILLIAMS 365DailyHustle

TOM VONAHLEFELD Mirage Aerial Imaging

DILLON CRAWFORD Strictly Business

JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business

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Why Replace When You Can Restore! LIFETIME stone restoration No matter what type of restoration service you’re looking for, you can count on Lifetime Stone Restoration to help. The local company offers a wide range of services and their specialized equipment uses diamond grinding pads and water to ensure a dust-free process. Get work done on marble, travertine, granite, limestone, terrazzo, slate, and other natural stones.

Grinding – Removes deep scratches or lippage (uneven tile edges) with specialized diamond tools.

Honing – Removes minor scratches and wear from everyday foot traffic with specialized diamond tools.

Polishing – Gives your stone its shine back using natural methods.

Cleaning – Removes dirt and grime from stone and grout without damaging the stone.

Sealing – Protects and preserves your stone using a clear penetrating sealer.

Color Enhancing – Protects and preserves your stone using a specialized penetrating sealer that can darken, highlight, and enhance the beauty of some natural stone.

Stripping – Removes the coatings that block your stone's natural look and beauty. Some examples include janitorial wax, acrylics, urethane, MOP & GLO, and many other items people put on their floors to give a fake shine.

Crack, Holes, Chips – Fill them in with a specialized stone fill that will harden like the stone it is in and can be polished. We have a variety of colors to closely match the colors in your stone.

Seam Repair – Fills in seams between the slabs of stone on counters where the current fill has been damaged.

"Don did a super job restoring our marble entry floor. We had two other companies try and both did an imperfect job. Don came in and did a professional and totally beautiful job. We couldn't be happier with the results. He is the best!" - Nancy H. "The McMill Building was constructed in 1903 and is on the National Registry of Historical Places. It was first used as a federal courthouse and a post office. The lobby, halls, and spiral staircase are a combination of marble and terrazzo. We needed to find someone who respected the historical significance of the building and be qualified to restore it to its original beauty. We knew this would be a difficult task since much of the marble had been covered with multiple layers of carpet, glue, and had endured over 100 years of wear and tear. Don at Lifetime Stone Restoration restored our floors, staircase, and halls to their original grandeur. Don was very professional and worked around our busy schedule.

Our building looks beautiful and we receive compliments daily." - Nancy B. (The McMill Building) "We had decided to update our front entry flooring when a friend suggested I contact Don at Lifetime Stone Restoration. We had no idea our existing flooring could be cleaned and polished before our meeting with Don and were glad to hear we would not have to incur the expense to replace our entry and especially happy we would not need to live through the inconvenience of construction. Don and his team were very efficient, professional, and knowledgeable. We would highly recommend Don at Lifetime Stone Restoration!" - Jane and Tony I.

Call for Your FREE Estimate Anywhere in the Metro Area

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JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

PAIGE ZUTAVERN - Omaha/Lincoln - President (402) 730-0096 | Paige@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

Happy New Year from Strictly Business, Looking Forward to Exciting Times Ahead myself; something that allows me to be actively engaged with so many Going into this new year, our little Strictly Business family has amazing local businesses and organizations. In 2021, my goal is to bring a lot of excitement as we look ahead to our future as an evereven more businesses into the fold through new, creative advertising prominent publication and effective advertising avenue in the opportunities in the magazine. I'm looking forward to shaking many Omaha and Lincoln business communities. A couple things we're new hands this year once we're able to unapologetically do so again. working on include a new website that will be more functional Personally, my New Year's resolution would be to love myself better for mobile view, a social media add-on for advertisers to help so I can, in turn, love those around me better. them take their marketing reach further, and an online-only "Expert Blog" editorial Diane Gumaer, Writer—First and foremost, package. As we fine-tune these offerings, I’m looking forward to 2020 being over. A we're constantly listening to feedback new year brings new hope, and I think we all from our clients to help them get the most need a dose of that. I also look forward to out of their partnership with us. At Strictly the ongoing journey to improve myself, from Business, we're so client-focused. Even whole body-and-mind health and wellness to, when we did a gift exchange for Christmas gulp, getting better organized. My personal last month, we ordered our favorite pies pledge is to spend more time in contact with from a client and shopped at our clients’ extended friends and family, even if it is by businesses for presents. We have a lot of phone or mail. I’m excited for the release of fun together as a team, and nothing brings my first co-authored book just weeks from now us more joy than to see our clients succeed. and, as always, can’t wait to spend another When our local businesses are thriving, year with my sweet, loving husband Jon and we're all thriving. see what we conquer together next!

Aside from the goals I have for Strictly Business Pictured (L-R): Tegan Colton, Zelda, Diane Gumaer, Josie, Dillon Crawford, Art Director—2020 was Paige Zutavern, Hannah Hundley, Dillon Crawford in 2021, I'm looking forward to growing certainly an adventure for my family and I... personally as well. Last year brought so many lots of trials and tribulations. The greatest lesson that this year taught new challenges, which meant there were a lot of new opportunities to me was to truly appreciate what I have right now, right in front of me. grow, learn, and become a stronger business owner and individual. I For that lesson, I am grateful. 2021 presents many more opportunities anticipate this year will be just as interesting as our community navigates for growth, and I look forward to seeing what can be accomplished. My back into a reality that isn't dictated by fear. The journey back to main goal is to finally get married to my amazing fiancé (2020 was not normalcy will no doubt be met with caution, but I'm beyond ready to see ideal for that). Among other things, I'm looking forward to house shopping. the smiling faces of my neighbors again as we dine, shop, travel, and We're excited to find a home to start our lives together in as a family. live our lives without apprehension. My resolution for the New Year is to Tegan Colton, Social Media Strategist—In 2021, I'd like to focus more on remain steadfast in my support of local businesses, in addition to being my career and practicing healthy habits for my life, including embracing the best friend, mother, wife, and employer I can be, keeping God at self-love and self-care! 2020 has been hard on so many, including myself, the center of it all. I've asked my team to share what they're looking and I'm eager to move forward into 2021 with a healthier mindset that forward to this year, as well. will allow me to be an encouragement to myself and others during these Hannah Hundley, Editor/Director of Operations—Next month, I will difficult times. We got this, together! be celebrating three years at Strictly Business, which is the longest I've Let Strictly Business help you lock in your status as ever worked for a company. This is something I'm very proud of and THE EXPERT in your industry, utilizing print, the internet, and social humbled by. It's so rewarding to be a part of something bigger than media. Find out how by contacting Paige at (402) 466-3330.

CONTENTS NEWS

4 Business 23 Personnel

28 Nonprofit 33 Health

SPOTLIGHTS

1 Lifetime Stone Restoration 15 King Insurance 35 Engineered Controls

COLUMNS

16 River City Six 22 Ask the Expert: Outlook Business Solutions

FEATURE STORIES

36 Business Planning 40 Supporting Nonprofits 4 Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

Hannah

Diane

Dillon

PRODUCTION TEAM: Editor/Operations Hannah Hundley - Editor@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Writer Diane Gumaer - Office@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Art Director Dillon Crawford - Design@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Social Media Strategist Tegan Colton - Tegan@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com SALES TEAM: President/Sales Paige Zutavern - Paige@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Publisher/Founder/Accounting Shayne Zutavern - SZutavern@yahoo.com STRICTLY BUSINESS is not responsible for unsolicited material. All rights to submission, including letters, will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to our unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially or creatively, unless otherwise negotiated with the author. Nothing may be printed in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. The publication of any advertisement in STRICTLY BUSINESS is not an endorsement of the advertiser or of the products or services advertised.

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About the Cover

? r e b m u l P a Need Hello! We’re the Birge family, and we’re the proud owners behind Big Birge Plumbing. Our passionate plumbing team is here to provide you with honest and friendly customer service and quality American craftsmanship at a fair price. Whether you need help with a kitchen or bathroom remodel, water heater repair, gas or water piping, or the really fun stuff like drain cleaning and clogged toilets, we will be there with a wrench and a smile.

Meet Omaha’s Plumbing Power Couple!

Brad and Lallenia Birge started Big Birge Plumbing in 2012, operating out of their garage with just one plumbing truck. Since then, they’ve grown to having 15 talented team members and a commercial space off 204th Street in Elkhorn. Brad has over 20 years of plumbing experience. He started in the construction industry at the age of 14, working for a local company learning window, seamless steel gutter, and siding installation. Brad quickly worked his way up to foreman which taught him how to manage his own jobs and a crew of men. After evaluating his future, he decided to launch his career in a trade profession. A commercial/industrial plumbing company took a chance on him and enrolled Brad in the apprenticeship program. During this time, he began to appreciate the beauty and art involved in plumbing and was hooked!

“I have had the privilege of learning from some of the best plumbers today. They taught me plumbing theory, code, and tricks of the trade to make me efficient, professional, and knowledgeable,” said Brad.

After years of hard work, Brad earned the level of journeyman plumber and was promoted to foreman by his last employer. He has now accomplished getting his Masters License and starting/owning a plumbing company in Omaha.

“It is my wish to use the gifts the Lord has blessed me with, as well as my education and experience to bring the best possible plumbing service to the Omaha Metro and surrounding areas,” Brad added.

Lallenia, on the other hand, may not have years of plumbing experience under her belt but she sure understands marketing and customer service!

She’s actually the one who motivated and encouraged Brad to go off on his own when she saw his talent and no quit attitude. They joined together as business partners to start Big Birge Plumbing. She has helped the business establish itself as a trusted, respected, and professional company in the industry. Lallenia’s background is in fitness. She loves working with people and helping them become stronger and healthier. While now her path as changed to being a mom, wife and business owner she still enjoys teaching fitness classes on the side. (She and Brad actually met at the gym where Lallenia worked as a personal trainer!)

Together, Brad and Lallenia have an amazing son and two precious daughters. Family is always their top priority, and they take that family mentality into work with them each day.

(402) 575-0102 | www.bigbirgeplumbing.com

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BUSINESS NEWS Ambius Tapping Hygiene360 to Prepare Businesses for Employees’ Return to Work In anticipation of the eventual all-clear to send employees back to work at full staff, Ambius is engaging its Hygiene360 solution to help businesses prepare clean, safe, and hygienic workspaces. Their comprehensive, 360-degree solution is expertly designed to stop the spread of germs through surface, air, and hands across your facility.

As businesses face their biggest health challenge in 100 years, Ambius assembled a global coalition of expertise from their family of companies to develop Hygiene360’s layered approach, focused on healthy building strategies, to minimize risk and improve long-term health and well-being.

In the wake of the pandemic, business owners are turning to Ambius to address their new hyperawareness of the conditions that impact health in public environments. No single solution can tackle all germs, so Ambius’s 360-degree approach disrupts germs at any point along their journey. Surface, air, and hand hygiene services work in unison to protect health and enhance wellness in workplaces of all sizes and shapes. Their protocol assessment then verifies that business owners’ efforts are supporting the health and well-being initiatives of their organizations.

Ambius Hygiene360 includes hand-sanitizer units and air-purification systems for businesses in the Omaha and Lincoln areas to keep your business clean, safe, and hygienic. For more information or to get your business on the Hygiene360 plan with Ambius, visit ambius.com or call (402) 999-4825.

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Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

Seldin Company Moves to New Location Having experienced extensive growth since moving to its Frances Street location 10 years ago, Seldin Company relocated its Omaha corporate office in December. The property management company’s new address is 2840 S. 123rd Court, effective immediately, though the new space is undergoing significant renovation and will not open for visitors until June.

Among recent growth, Seldin Company acquired S.T.A.R. Momentum Compliance Consulting Inc. in fall 2020, which now operates under the Seldin Company brand as STAR Compliance Consulting, a Division of Seldin Company. The acquisition complements the already strong Seldin Company Compliance department and is providing third-party compliance services to multifamily communities and offering national training and consulting to industry partners.

Seldin Company is a leading property management firm with deep roots throughout the Central United States. Headquartered in the heart of the Great Plains in Omaha, Seldin was founded in 1923 and engages in the management and expansion of multifamily apartment communities. With decades of expertise managing affordable and conventional communities, Seldin Company is proud to be an employer of choice and manager of properties that are the best places for residents to call home. For more information, visit seldin.com.

Agemark Opens $10M CountryHouse Memory Care Community in Elkhorn Recognizing the need for senior memory care in Elkhorn and West Douglas County, Agemark Senior Living announced the opening of a new $10 million exclusive CountryHouse Residence memory-care facility in Elkhorn at the end of December. The 30,000-square-foot community—at 3720 George B Lake Parkway— will house up to 44 residents in 36 private rooms and four companion rooms. As with all of their communities, CountryHouse staff and caregivers completed special training to ensure that the daily care they offer will exceed expectations and the needs of all residents and their families.

Located in Grandview Subdivision, CountryHouse Elkhorn includes all the features of a family home, including a kitchen, dining areas, and comfortable living units. Entries are monitored 24/7, and there’s a secure, beautifully landscaped courtyard for residents to enjoy time outdoors. Life at CountryHouse includes days filled with laughter and activities such as bus rides, crafts, games, singing and dancing, and much more. A familiar daily routine provides reassuring direction, and opportunities to volunteer or help with household chores provide meaning and fulfillment. CountryHouse also takes care of residents’ families and caregivers. That includes providing support groups for families of both current residents as well caregivers within the community at-large, even if their loved one doesn’t reside at CountryHouse.

If you’re interested in viewing CountryHouse Elkhorn or learning more about the new community, visit countryhouse.net, email info@ countryhouse.net, or call (531) 999-2747. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

BUSINESS NEWS Care Consultants for the Aging Announces January 1 Name Change to CCA Home Care Effective January 1, the former Care Consultants for the Aging in Omaha and Lincoln now has a new name—CCA Home Care! Entering their 30th year of business, it was time for a bit . of a facelift, but don’t worry; the premise of the company is not changing. They remain Nebraska’s most affordable home-care option, and the name change better represents the services they provide to their elderly clients and referral patients. CCA Home Care also unveiled a new logo with the name change, as pictured here.

CCA Home Care provides a Home Care Registry, screening and referring caregivers who work for families. The care is client-directed, ensuring that you make the decisions regarding care for your loved one. This unique service has proven time and again to be of superior quality, as evidenced by the company’s reputation for providing the highest level of care possible, and at affordable prices. The total charge for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) help through CCA is $21.50-$26.50 per hour, depending on the length of visit and care needed while the CNA is present.

All of CCA Home Care’s caregivers are CNAs and work directly for the client. They do not require any minimum of hours or financial deposit to begin services and can offer assistance with bathing, dressing, toileting, walking/transferring, meal preparation, medication reminders, Alzheimer’s and other dementia care, hospice support, light housekeeping, and much more. For more information, visit CCAHomeCare.com, email office@CCAHomeCare.com, or call (402) 398-1848.

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Mirage Aerial Imaging Adds 360 Virtual Tours to Provide World Views from Home Mirage Aerial Imaging recently added 360 virtual tours to its list of video services—perfect for real-estate, museum, hotel, and similar businesses— to provide clients real-world views from the comfort of their own homes. The 360 self-guided tours are created using 360-dgree cameras and give your clients the feel of being present at a site. They can be linked to a client’s website, add a unique touch to your visual representations, and are particularly useful during pandemic times of social distancing.

Imagine giving your real-estate clients the ability to check out a home they’re interested in without leaving home or your hotel guests to tour your rooms, restaurant, and lobby before making their reservation. It gives you a step up on the competition and removes any doubts that the photos you post on your website are accurate! Check out an example at mirageaerial.com by selecting “360 Virtual Tours” from the services listed. You can tour the Fisher House and feel as if you are walking the halls in real time, taking in every detail, from floor to ceiling!

Mirage Aerial Imaging also offers thermal imaging services for accurate commercial roof and solar farm inspections, environmental surveys, and more. Mirage’s commercial real-estate services provide baseline and post-damage structural assessments, as well as advertising photography, and their construction imaging can follow the process from a vacant lot to a completed project, including topographical mapping, 3-D imaging, and site surveys. If you have another specific need that might be bolstered by aerial imaging, just ask owners Tom and Sara vonAhlefeld, and they’ll make it happen—and they follow all COVID protocols. For more information, visit mirageaerial.com, email info@mirageaerial.com, or call (402) 203-7868. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

2020 1

NOMINATIONS OPEN Excellence is a way of life here and should be celebrated. Do you know a hard-working business whose contributions are making our community better for all?

Nominate them today or by Friday, Feb 5 –

OmahaChamber.org/ExcellenceAwards

Small Business Award Sponsor: Premier Bank Media Partner: Strictly Business

JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business

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BUSINESS NEWS Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel Opens in Omaha's Blackstone District

Southside Redevelopment Center Rebrands, Renames Itself “Canopy South”

Managed by hospitality company Pivot Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel has opened an Omaha property at 302 S 36th St. The hotel delivers a personalized, social travel experience with top-tier service, local influences, gracious hospitality, and thoughtful amenities such as Kimpton's "Forgot it? We Got it!" travel essentials.

"The revival of this legacy property captures the spirit of Omaha," said Mara Bouvier, General Manager, "and we are looking forward to our guests experiencing genuine Midwestern hospitality."

The property was declared an Omaha Landmark in 1983 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and the design teams worked in concert to preserve the integrity and spirit of the original 1915 Blackstone Hotel.

Hand-carved terra cotta columns, a marble staircase, original tile, and hardwood flooring, and all of the hotel's 800-plus windows have been meticulously restored and are juxtaposed with contemporary furnishings and amenities. The property's guest rooms, including 31 suites, are inspired by the calm and reflective lawns of the original Blackstone property, with serene finishes, a warm color palette and classic European Revival details. The rooftop terraces and historic Schimmel ballroom with vaulted ceilings are optimal for larger social and business events, while a variety of more intimate spaces, including the 300-square-foot Fitzpatrick Boardroom, are ideal for smaller gatherings.

The hotel's 50+ piece art collection, produced entirely by Nebraskan artists, offers "a certain autobiography of Omaha" in the words of community artist and hotel curator, Watie White. One of the five property-specific commissions is by Omaha-born fiber and textile artist, Celeste Butler, who created a dynamic quilt display that incorporates materials from the original Blackstone Hotel, including a rusted shower drain and cottonwood leaves.

Helmed by Executive Chef Ryan Arensdorf, Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel features five food and beverage concepts, each drawing from the property's historical influences. The French-inspired Orleans Room— once lauded as one of Omaha's premier restaurants—returns with sophisticated all-day dining, exclusive sips such as the Cottonwood Pilsner by Scriptown Brewery, and its own unique spin on the legendary Reuben sandwich, introduced at the original Blackstone Hotel. Petit Orleans, a café complement, serves freshly-made bites, and local refreshments like the small-batch Cottonwood blend by Archetype Coffee.

The Committee Chophouse reestablishes classic dining in Omaha with playful nods to the historic Blackstone Hotel. Guests will enjoy intimate moments in cozy banquettes or share vibrant experiences in the private dining rooms. Menu highlights include chateaubriand carved tableside, oysters Rockefeller and prime beef tartare. The Cottonwood Room, a contemporary reinterpretation of the original speakeasy, features a circular bar and an eye-catching faux cottonwood tree sprouting from the center. The Pool Club offers seasonal food and drink and is adaptively programmed to create a dynamic, year-round social experience.

Experience the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel by booking your stay at www. thecottonwoodhotel.com or calling (402) 810-9500.

8 Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

In order to better reflect the energy and diversity of the South Omaha area they serve, Southside Redevelopment Center recently renamed itself “Canopy South,” completing their rebranding into a more vibrantlooking organization.

“We wanted to our brand to be more inviting and representative of our role in neighborhood transformation,” Executive Director César García said. “A canopy serves as the connection for a greater network, which we aim to achieve by partnering with the community and other organizations doing incredible work in the area.”

Canopy South remains committed to its original mission to generate holistic community revitalization in South Omaha. This includes working alongside current residents, community leaders, and partners to build the neighborhood’s future, while simultaneously maintaining Canopy South’s status as a welcoming, inclusive gateway for new residents.

Canopy South believes that their new branding better represents its mission to maintain South Omaha as a diverse, thriving community full of choice and equitable opportunity for residents of every generation and culture. Canopy South transforms neighborhoods in South Omaha by bringing high-quality mixed-income housing, an effective cradle-tocareer education pipeline, and a robust network of facilities, programs, and services that promote healthy lifestyles and build local wealth.

Canopy South is an Omaha-based nonprofit organization that collaborates with a community of doers to establish strong roots of social, educational, and racial equity in South Omaha. To learn more, visit canopysouth.org.

Kathy Gonzales Consulting Announces Launch of New Website Officially live as of December 1, Kathy Gonzales Consulting, LLC's new website has launched at www.drkathygonzales.com.

The site offers information on working with Kathy to get your team comfortable with navigating conflict through co-created conflict interventions, along with community-based research, workplace education resources, and an online course curriculum.

Kathy offers interactive online workshops which provide participants with the framework and the tools to effectively deal with organizational friction, enabling them to build a strong culture of innovation. In addition, she has designed and tested a suite of courses tailored to help any individual improve their conflict engagement skills in order to be successful in their organization, and in life.

Kathy gained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine School of Law in Malibu, CA. During this time, she gained a new passion—the what, the why, and the how of conflict engagement.

This passion developed into a new career path, which led Kathy to start her consulting business and begin doctoral studies at the same time. She went on to graduate from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Conflict Analysis & Resolution.

Kathy has been privileged to do some really exciting and impactful work across the world. In addition to her extensive knowledge and experience, Kathy brings all her energy, creativity, and humor to guide and support teams through their unique conflict journey.

Kathy Gonzales Consulting, LLC offers organizational conflict management consulting, and Kathy is a wonderful educator for nonprofits and social enterprises. To learn more, email hello@drkathygonzales.com or visit the new website at www.drkathygonzales.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

BUSINESS NEWS Audubon Nebraska Hosts Climate Watch Community Science Program Open to Public Audubon Nebraska announced that their next Climate Watch community science program is scheduled for January 15-February 15, 2021, and it is open to everyone. You don’t have to be an expert birder, but knowing how to identify the target species by sight or sound is a big plus. The program entails counting and documenting where birds are today and how they’re responding to a shifting climate, information that is essential to helping protect them tomorrow.

Since 2016, Climate Watch volunteers have collected data which Audubon scientists are able to use to document in peer-reviewed research that birds are responding to climate change and shifting their ranges. That’s why, even in these pandemic times, they’ve arranged a way to continue the count safely. All coordinators and volunteers in Climate Watch must follow COVID safety regulations, including social distancing and carpooling only within existing family or social “pod” groups. Register to participate by visiting Audubon. org/conservation and typing “Climate Watch” into the search. Learn more about Audubon Nebraska at ne.audubon.org.

Offutt Air Force Base Endorsed for USSPACECOM Headquarters Retired Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr. (USN), former commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), and retired NASA astronaut, Clayton Anderson, recently announced their support of Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska as the permanent location for U.S. Space Command Headquarters (USSPACECOM). Clayton and Ellis were joined by former Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and former Nebraska Governor Kay Orr, who also announced their endorsement of Nebraska as USSPACECOM headquarters.

“In 2002, we merged the first United States Space Command with United States Strategic Command in Omaha because of the natural synergies between space operations and all of the strategic roles then resident in USSTRATCOM. Many of those synergies still exist, and I believe colocation of these two important commands would make a great deal of sense, especially given the pro-active ability of the region to craft public-private partnerships and national security research support, and the always-welcoming spirit of the people of Nebraska," Ellis said.

Currently, The Department of the Air Force is considering six locations for USSPACECOM: Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Offutt AFB, Nebraska; Patrick AFB, Florida; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Port San Antonio, Texas and Redstone Army Airfield, Alabama.

The USSPACECOM headquarters is expected to host an estimated 1,400 military and civilian personnel in a 400,000 to 450,000-square-foot building. For context, the “new” USSTRATCOM headquarters building hosts 3,500 military and civilian personnel in a 916,000-square-foot building.

Offutt Air Force Base, Greater Omaha’s No. 1 employer (with nearly 10,000 military and civilian employees), was announced as a finalist November 19, following a rigorous, point-based, objective review.

Home to USSTRATCOM, Offutt Air Force Base already houses the 55th Wing, Air Combat Command’s largest wing; the Air Force Weather Agency; the 595th Command & Control Group and the Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) Annex. Additionally, Space Command was integrated with USSTRATCOM from January 2003-2016. Learn more at www.offutt.af.mil. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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Harry A. Koch Co. Announces Acquisition of Ferris Benefits Group The Harry A. Koch Co. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Ferris Benefits Group, effective September 30, 2020.

Ferris Benefits Group was created by two veterans in the employee benefits industry. They supported clients from Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and the southeastern United States with self-funded health plans and online enrollment technology.

The Harry A. Koch Co. is excited about the expansion to the employee benefits division and the added resources and knowledge provided by the Ferris Benefits Group associates. The division now consists of 26 dedicated employee benefit professionals, serving nearly 3,000 employers and individuals across the region. Known for innovation and client service, The Koch Co. excels at delivering methods for controlling costs and offering targeted solutions beyond insurance to drive best outcomes.

The acquisition was based on the alignment of values between Ferris Benefits Group and The Harry A. Koch Co., especially in the areas of local representation and delivery of solutions specific to the client.

Founded in 1916, The Harry A. Koch Co. is a local, privately owned insurance agency and broker with offices in Omaha and Lincoln.

The Koch Co. team understands the values of trust, integrity, and knowledge when providing quality risk management and insurance services in the areas of Business Insurance, Employee Benefits, Surety Bonds, Personal Insurance, and Loss Control. They employ over 130 professionals and are one of the top 10 largest bankowned insurance agencies in the United States. Learn more online at www.hakco.com.

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BUSINESS NEWS IQ Car Wash Announces Major Upgrades for Loyal Customers in Coming Season

Greater Omaha Chamber Prestigious Annual Membership Meeting on Tap for January 21

IQ Car Wash is excited to announce that their loyal customers can look forward to some major upgrades this season. They are installing roll-up doors in the exits of three of their easy-to-use self-serve bays, and adding an LED monument sign along West Maple to let everyone know about new specials. The IQ Car Wash office also has been transformed from bare, concrete walls and floors to drywall, paint, and plank flooring. Most important, they have hired one full-time and one parttime employee to help customers and continue to keep the facility clean, safe, and friendly.

The Greater Omaha Chamber’s prestigious annual membership meeting is set for 8-9 a.m.

Ja n u a r y 2 1 , o n a v i r t u a l platform. During the meeting, the Chamber’s immediate past chair will recap the accomplishments of 2020, the President and CEO will unveil the annual report, and the newly installed chair will present the Chamber’s priorities and direction for 2021. In addition, the Chamber will honor distinguished contributions to Omaha’s image and community betterment through presentation of three awards:

Customers at IQ Car Wash enjoy free vacuums that give them two choices of nozzles to ensure that they can get their vehicles as clean as possible—and they are open 24/7, so customers can wash their cars at their convenience at a company that guarantees clean! The innovative technology and equipment employed by IQ Car Wash is SMARTER, thanks to 3D mapping technology that uses closedcell foam; CLEANER due to high-tech equipment and premium biodegradable soaps; and GREENER because they use less water and energy than many others.

Launched in March 2020, IQ Car wash is a family-owned local business that makes cleaning your vehicle a no-brainer. Choose from the soft touch or the touch-free, both with 3D scanning, or the state-of-the-art self-service bays, and you’re on your way to clean. For more information, take a spin through the IQ Carwash at 17477 Manderson St. in Omaha—just west of Dillon Brothers Harley Davidson—use their app, or visit iqcarwashomaha.com.

Yield Champions Promotes Pro Ag 1 Training Program to Grow Ag Profits Yield Champions is promoting their Pro Ag 1 Training Program to help agricultural operations and businesses grow profits and enhance their crop yields. Through the program, ag-industry experts from throughout the country will help producers understand soil science and basic microbiology and chemistry that can help take their farming operations to the next level. They’ll learn how to diagnose soil nutrient requirements, decrease costs, and increase yields. Following are the training program dates and locations for January and February: • January 18-19 – Sioux Falls, SD • January 21-22 – Kansas City, MO • February 10-11 – Wichita, KS • February 15-16 – Lincoln, NE Yield Champions has had the privilege of working with some of the best crop producers in America for more than 40 years. They’ve been able to bring them information, resources, and creative and innovative concepts that have helped them go well over their previous levels of production, while reducing their input costs on both a per-bushel and per-acre basis. Their mission is to help agricultural producers understand the challenges of the changing production industry. Their team of agricultural professionals can provide producers with online resources to help them explore all they have to offer and advise them about how to access their training program and products. For more information or to register for the Pro Ag 1 Training Program, visit yieldchampions.com or intensifymycrop.com.

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• Chairman’s Award of Excellence: Nick Leinen, Senior Benefit Analyst for SilverStone Group LLC, a HUB International Company • Headliner of the Year: Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, to be accepted by Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. • Volunteer of the Year: Carmen Tapio of North End Teleservices LLC Individual and group ticket packages—as well as corporate sponsorships—for the Greater Omaha Chamber 2021 Annual Membership Meeting can be purchased at omahachamber.org/ am. All attendees must register using their own primary email address to ensure that each person receives online access to the virtual event platform. Access details will be sent to email addresses 48 hours before the event. For more information, call (402) 346-5000.

Omaha BNI Awards and Recognition Event Set for February 4 It's time to celebrate the success of BNI members in 2020! There will be an awards and recognition event held on February 4 at Legends Aksarben, 6920 Pacific St., from 5 to 7 p.m. Registration is strongly encouraged as it will help gauge the attendance and set up for the event.

There will be no charge for members, who register through January 15. Registrations for all guests will be $10, as well as members, starting January 16. This year's events will be focused on relationship building and cross-chapter networking with fellow members throughout your area.

The award's events will recognize those members who have been in BNI for more than five years, 10 years, and even 15 years. In addition, BNI will celebrate the chapters that have set the high standards in the Region, as well as the member of your chapter that lives out another one of the Core Values, the BNI Philosophy, GIVERS GAIN! This event takes place during International Networking Week, the first week of February. International Networking Week presents a great opportunity to expose people to BNI and to grow your membership. As quoted by BNI Founder Dr. Ivan Misner, “The goal of International Networking Week is to recognize and celebrate the role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses around the world.”

To learn more about becoming a BNI member and this event, visit bniheartland.com or call Ray Huse at (402) 670-7370. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

BUSINESS NEWS Vision Maker Media Accepts Media Proposals on American Indians, Alaska Natives An affiliate of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Vision Maker Media is accepting proposals for its 2021 Public Media Project funding—centered on experiences and perspectives of American Indians and Alaska Natives—from January 4 through February 12. Project funding available ranges from support for research and development projects to funding for production through post-production efforts, with grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. At a time when the media is so significant to who we are as a society, Native voices are an essential part of the American narrative.

Vision Maker Media believes that by empowering Native communities to tell their stories through film, we can cultivate a more diverse, more knowledgeable world.

Vision Media Maker is a CPB-funded media organization with a mission to empower and engage Native people to share their stories. In 2019, they had 10 films go to broadcast and today have more than 37 files currently in broadcast and 56 Native filmmakers in public-media broadcasting. The deadline to apply for Vision’s Public Media Project funding is Feb. 12. To learn more and apply, visit visionmakermedia. org/get-funded. If you have questions, contact Assistant Director Charlie Perry at cperry@netad.unl.edu.

BBB Provides Businesses with Tips for Virtual Meetings As the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated and more people are working from home than ever before, the number of virtual meetings has increased drastically.

This is why the Better Business Bureau has put together the following tips to help businesses have professional and successful meetings remotely: • Be mindful of time. If not properly sorted out in advance, technological hindrances may cause you to be late. If your meeting is at 9 a.m., try to log in a few minutes earlier. This will give you an opportunity to ensure you aren’t keeping anyone on the other side of the screen waiting too long.

• Be aware of your setting. It is encouraged that you try to find an optimal location in your home for a virtual meeting. Be sure the area you are in has adequate lighting, not too much noise, and a neutral background. A setting free from audible and visual distractions will lead to a more efficient and professional meeting.

• Dress accordingly. Virtual meetings are still professional business meetings. Wearing your normal work attire during a virtual meeting will help to keep you in the working mentality, maintain professionalism, and help you adhere to your normal routine.

• Focus on your verbal communication. Nonverbal signals including eye contact, posture, head nods, facial expression, etc. that are heavily relied on to inform a speaker at a presentation as to how they are doing is hindered in a virtual meeting. As an attendee, be sure to verbally acknowledge that you understand or agree with what is being said. Make sure that your camera and microphone are on!

Use the chat box feature and let the presenter know that you are listening and think they are doing a great job.

The Better Business Bureau has been serving local communities since 1936. The overall mission of the organization is to be a leader in advancing marketplace trust. Learn more at bbb.org/Nebraska or by calling (800) 649-6814. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Let’s Eat Opens Doors in Downtown Papillion On December 12, a new permanent pop-up restaurant—Let’s Eat— hosted its grand opening at 110 N. Washington St. in downtown Papillion—but if you’re conjuring visions of a standard café with a go-to menu, you’ll be surprised. The unique Let’s Eat take-and-go concept sports a new menu each week, in a non-traditional restaurant that features a variety of cuisines by showcasing up-and-coming local chefs, seasoned chefs, restaurants, and specialty cooks and bakers.

You’ll find something new and different every time you stop in, but all of the delicious food is first-come, first-served, so get down there early or order ahead to guarantee that you get to enjoy your favorite dishes. You’ll never get bored with the menu, because there’s always something new to eat!

Let’s Eat is owned by Papillion resident Jeanie George who envisions the concept as something that can bring community together and help educate people about a variety of different foods. Let’s Eat doesn’t accept cash, and they highly recommend pre-ordering online because they have quickly discovered that they do sell out. If you want to keep up-to-date on the schedule for featured foods and dates or place your advance order, visit letseatpapio.com or follow them on Facebook (@LetsEatPapio) and Instagram (@Let’s Eat).

Journey Ahead Coaching & Talent Consulting Partners with Cornerstone Staffing Jour ney Ahead Coac hing & Talent Consulting and Cornerstone Staffing have formed a partnership to better serve the Omaha and surrounding communities. Cornerstone Staffing has been serving the Omaha community with a full suite of staffing solutions for more than 15 years and continues to meet customers diverse needs.

"We are excited to add coaching and talent consulting to our current and future customer base,” said Brooke McAlpin, Founder and CEO Cornerstone Staffing.

Journey Ahead will bring a breadth of 25 years of knowledge from recruiting, executive, and leadership coaching, strategic, talent and organization planning. The coaching and talent landscape is evolving.

According to a study by the Human Capital Institute and International Coaching Federation, more than four in five (83%) organizations plan to expand the scope of their managers/ leaders using coaching skills in the next five years. In addition, organizations will continue to have a skills gap, with a common focus on the need for communication, critical thinking, leadership, and soft skills.

“As a leader-coach, I have always had a passion for guiding others to find their purpose and output for decades. I truly believe each individual can find their passion with support, willingness to learn, and guidance. When a team comes together using their collective strengths…that is a culture movement at its best,” said Jessica McCormick, founder and president of Journey Ahead Coaching & Talent Consulting.

“We believe combining our complementary solutions together, during an unprecedented time, will allow for greater strength and teamwork to support customers’ success now and for the future,” added Scott Haag, COO Cornerstone Staffing.

Journey Ahead Coaching & Talent Consulting and Cornerstone Staffing: Two companies working together to partner with organizations on DAILY intentions. To learn more, visit www. journeyaheadcoaching.com / www.cornerstonestaffinginc.com.

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BUSINESS NEWS CareBuilders at Home Distributes 100 Backpacks of Essentials to Homeless People

ActionCOACH Offers Tips for Business Success with Cold-Call Marketing Strategies

CareBuilders at Home Omaha staff and families gathered essential hygiene life items, filled a total of 100 backpacks with them, and drove around Omaha to distribute them to homeless individuals and families as cold weather set in in December. The backpacks were filled with hygiene items, snacks, socks, hats, gloves, a Bible, reusable water bottles, and fleece blankets. CareBuilders staff and families spent a couple weekends putting everything together and another two weekends distributing them. CareBuilders started their backpack gifts to the homeless as their way of paying forward their blessings to those in need in their own unique, private way. They grow the number of backpacks distributed by 25 each year, this year reaching that 100 mark.

As the world of sales gets more challenging, ActionCOACH of Omaha recently offered tips for making the age-old coldcall process work for your business. While cold calling might be the least comfortable of the tactics you employ, it is critical for any sales organization, and it requires a special discipline and process. Now more than ever, refining and perfecting an effective cold-calling marketing strategy is crucial: Don’t rely on just a phone call, because emails and retargeting can also become part of your outbound sales process.

Layering in different approaches will help you land your prospects.

To make your chilly outreach a little warmer, ActionCOACH recommends following these 10 steps: Be confident and focused; set aside time dedicated to outreach without interruption; avoid Mondays and Fridays; respect the gatekeepers and always be polite and professional; target one level higher in the organization; leave short, memorable, and whenever possible, personalized messages; assume you will not get a call back, so make an impression; target a set number of contacts daily; have a follow-up plan ready; and be consistent with your progress. Further, when you use follow-up emails, have an eye-catching subject line, write brief copy, focus on grabbing attention, sparking interest, and tapping into a desire; personalize the emails; and keep an eye on metrics.

ActionCOACH is always ready to assist local business owners with coaching, training, ideas, strategies, and an understanding ear. For more information, visit actioncoachomaha.business.site or call (402) 676-8809.

The mission of CareBuilders at Home Omaha is to provide in-home, non-medical services and care for people of all ages. They are dedicated to helping their clients lead dignified, independent lifestyles in the comfort and safety of their own homes. With their trusted partnership and experience in the field, they offer options that help you or your loved one stay home safely and with the independence they enjoy, through use of technologies such as safety-alert devices, medication management, and electronic dispensers. For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit carebuildersathomeomaha.com or call (402) 506-9368.

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BUSINESS NEWS Cordova Announces New Service, Cordova Nearshoring Solutions Cordova is excited to announce the introduction of a new service Cordova Nearshoring Solutions (CNS). CNS delivers costeffective technical contractors that are highly skilled, in the Central Time Zone, and able to communicate effectively with any team. CNS is a proven service businesses can utilize for crucial development projects, sunsetting demands, software maintenance, or one off resource needs. The technologists at Cordova deliver results quickly and provide greater efficiencies than traditional offshore outsourcing models and are able to integrate seamlessly into existing development methodologies.

Now is the time for businesses to maximize their budget, deliver high-quality products, and drive business results.

With over 40 years of industry experience, Cordova’s team of Career Consultants understand talent acquisition. It’s more than recruitment; it’s a strategic function of an organization, encompassing talent procurement, workforce planning, organizational talent forecasting, pipelining, talent assessment, and development. For more information regarding Cordova’s current suite of services or CNS, please call Founder Gabe Romero at (402) 882-5153, email admin@cordova. solutions, or go online to cordova.solutions.

Sweetwater Hemp’s Ice and Water Hemp Extraction Facility to Open in Early 2021 Sweetwater Hemp was born in 2017 after the Cruise family of Pleasanton, NE started researching and planning with Craft Hemp consultants. Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, the company became licensed to cultivate, extract, process, and handle hemp. Soon, in early 2021, Sweetwater Hemp will launch the world’s largest ice and water extraction facility using the latest technology—and no solvents.

Sweetwater Hemp Company produces only the highest quality of CBD oil products. There’s minimal to no loss of terpenes during extraction, resulting in purer full-spectrum oils. With this advanced technology, Sweetwater’s facility can even isolate and extract other important cannabinoids and terpenes, enabling it to create products that provide optimal therapeutic value for customers. The entire extraction process takes approximately 12 hours. Sweetwater Hemp Company uses only water and ice to extract, convert, and decarboxylate beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Using this process and all its advanced equipment, the company is able to produce 99% pharmaceutical-grade, 100% solvent-free CBD oil in various CBD/terpene profiles.

In addition, Sweetwater Hemp Company provides services for hemp farmers in need of assistance. The Sweetwater Ag Services division provides an array of services to advocate for and support these farmers to grow and succeed within the hemp industry. Farmers can partner with Sweetwater Hemp for agronomic support, such as advice on how to avoid loss and increase profitability. They can also purchase the highest-quality certified hemp seeds on the market.

With more than 150 continuous years of farming under its belt, the Cruise family of operates several successful agricultural businesses.

This includes an acre-sized greenhouse providing produce to more than 300 Walmart locations and a farming operation with a 3,000acre output of corn and soybeans every season. Sweetwater Hemp Company is the family’s latest addition to its growing stable of businesses. To learn more, visit www.sweetwaterhempcompany.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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365DailyHustle Now Enrolling Women for 90-Day Reclaim Your Best Self Group This is a new year, so let go of the craziness of 2020 and focus on becoming your best self in 2021— physically, mentally, and e m o t i o n a l l y. T h a t ’s t h e mantra of 365DailyHustle’s 90-day Reclaim Your Best Self online women’s group coaching on tap for the first quarter of the New Year. The 16week program includes a strategy call and 16 one-hour online group coaching sessions on Zoom, plus handouts, tools, recordings, action guides, and daily Voxer walkie-talkie access to your coach—365DailyHustle Owner Karissa Williams. Participants will learn to develop healthy habits, life/work balance, and achieve proper self-care.

“It’s a program for women who want to get healthier, feel happier, and quite honestly—even if they might not know it yet—find selflove,” Karissa said. “You can change anything about your life that you don’t like, but you have to be willing to take risks, work hard, and play big.”

The Reclaim Your Best Self group coaching program will help women uncover what’s stopping them, slowing them down, or keeping them stuck; create and achieve powerful health and wellness goals; learn which foods, habits, and activities nourish rather than punish them; know how to honor their hunger and fullness in all areas of their lives; learn how to create powerful visualizations that will help women achieve the life they dream of; understand how self-sabotage can set women back; learn how to relax and manage their stress levels; create a self-care practice that prioritizes self and manages health more effectively; double their energy, confidence, and clarity in life, and develop a crystal-clear action plan to continue the work started in the group.

In addition to online group coaching, 365DailyHustle offers signature coaching programs, including one-to-one VIP coaching and corporate coaching for men and women. Karissa also is a corporate speaker and trainer who offers training on a variety of topics, including work/life balance, burnout, wellness in the workplace, and goal-setting Masterclasses. Coaching and training is offered both virtually and in-person. For more information or to register in the January Reclaim Your Best Self group or any other service, contact Karissa at (402) 880-2142 and visit 365dailyhustle.com/group-coaching.

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BUSINESS NEWS Westside Community Schools Creates Family Resource Center Stocked with Clothing, Food

Scooter’s Coffee Now Available in Fareway Stores in Nebraska, Five More Midwest States

Funded by donors whose three children attend school there, Westside Community Schools has created and stocked a Family Resource Center Food Pantry and Clothing Closet to help families of students navigate the mental, physical, and financial struggles that 2020 delivered and continue into 2021. Any family with a student attending a Westside school can receive items from the center, as needed and at no cost.

You’ll find everything from toiletries like soap and toothpaste to stack after stack of canned fruits and vegetables in the Food Pantry. Move along to the Clothing Closet, and you’ll find a tremendous collection of clothes, shoes, and winter wear, all sorted by size and gender.

Scooter’s Coffee lovers now can purchase their favorite brew at all 124 Fareway stores in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and South Dakota. Thanks to a new partnership between the two companies, you can find 17 varieties of packaged and ready-todrink Scooter’s Coffee conveniently located in the coffee aisle. The move nearly doubles Scooter’s grocery retail distribution across the Midwest, which now includes a total of 280 grocery stores in markets including Omaha and Lincoln. Options at Fareway comprise ground varieties including Scooter’s Blend, Scooter Doodle, Costa Rica, Columbia, Ethiopia, and Guatemala, in addition to whole-bean, single-serve, and latte varieties.

The Family Resource Center is located in a space attached to Westgate Elementary School that Westside Community School donors and staff renovated and turned into the thrift store and food pantry.

Westside Community Schools also has a team of school social workers that function as a link between the home, school, and community.

They can connect families with community resources for financial hardships, mental-health support, or any other barriers that might affect student success.

For more information, contact April Anderson at (402) 408-8914 for students of Hillside, Loveland, Prairie Lane, Rockbrook, Swanson, Westbrook, Westgate, and ECC; Kate Hebenstreit at (402) 4523147 for Oakdale, Paddock Road, Sunset Hills, and WMS; or Sarah Fehringer at (402) 343-2613 for families of Westside High School and West Campus. Learn more online at www.westside66.org.

“We are more than excited about this new relationship with Fareway and their customers,” said Bill Black, chief marketing officer for Scooter’s Coffee. “Fareway is a wonderful organization with a strong commitment to employees, customers, and suppliers. Their emphasis upon service and quality means our products will have a good home across their markets.”

Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles and headquartered in Omaha, Scooter’s Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world. The secret to their success is simple: Stay committed to the company’s original business principles and four core values, which are Integrity, Love, Humility and Courage. Keep up-to-date on Scooter’s Coffee news and offerings by visiting scooterscoffee.com and their Facebook page (@scooterscoffee).

Empowerment Network Manages Healthy Village Collaborative for COVID-19 Resources

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The Empowerment Network is the managing partner for the Healthy Village Collaborative, created to connect residents in north and south Omaha with valuable information, resources, and opportunities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and Omaha residents’ needs. That includes physical and behavioral/ mental health services, food, jobs, job training, utility assistance, housing—including rental assistance, foreclosure prevention, and eviction prevention—and personal protection equipment, or PPE. All of the information and contacts are available in a single online location, at empoweromaha.com/hvc.

Supported by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, partners include four health representatives: Charles Drew Health Center, North Omaha Area Health, Center for Holistic Development, and the One World Health Center. Others partners include the Village Ambassadors and food partners Omaha Economic Development , Fair Deal Village Marketplace, No More Empty Pots, and Whispering Roots. Participation

by Douglas County, the Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless, and Family Housing Advisory Services (FHAS) provides assistance for renters, homebuyer education, foreclosures, financial education and savings, the Fair Housing Center, tax preparation, mortgage loans, and more. Finally, Step-Up Omaha and the Empowerment Network are providing extensive employment and job-training resources, leveraging the Urban League of Nebraska, Heartland Workforce Solutions, and Metropolitan Community College.

The Empowerment Network promotes working together to transform the economic condition and quality of life of African Americans, North Omaha residents, and the citizens of the Greater Omaha area. For more information about the Empowerment Network and the Healthy Village Collaborative, visit empoweromaha.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

BUSINESS NEWS Nebraska Bankers Association Hosts IRA and HSA Educational Programs in February The Nebraska Bankers A s s o c i a t i o n ( N BA ) announced plans for introductory and advanced virtual courses about Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Health Savings Account (HSA) Frontline Fundamentals in February.

The programs will be delivered online by a group of highly trained retirement-plan consultants who thoroughly understand the laws affecting IRAs and have daily contact with financial organizations that offer IRA products and specialize in providing practical solutions to the most complex IRA issues.

IRA Essentials is on tap for February 8-9, from 9 a.m. to noon each day. The course will provide participants with a solid foundation of IRA knowledge, with exercises included throughout the sessions to help participants apply information to job-related situations. This is a beginner’s course. On February 10-11, from 9 a.m. to noon each day, the NBA hosts Advanced IRAs, which builds on participants’ knowledge of IRA basics to address some of the more complex IRA issues their financial institutions may handle. This is an advanced session, so previous IRA knowledge is assumed. Finally, on February 12, again from 9 a.m. to noon, the Association is offering HSA Frontline Fundamentals to provide a foundation of HSA knowledge and help participants apply the information to real-world scenarios.

Founded in 1980, the Nebraska Bankers Association is the voice of Nebraska’s $77.9 billion banking industry, which comprises small, regional, and large banks that together employ more than 15,000 people and safeguard nearly $67.1 billion in deposits. Learn more and register for the virtual courses at nebankers.org by clicking on Education, or call (402) 474-1555.

Rentokil Launches New Bed Bug Offering to Limit Downtime, Offer Ongoing Protection On December 15, 2020, Presto-X c o m p a ny Re n t o k i l l a u n c h e d PROTECT+, a new bed-bug system that promises to limit downtime—to hours rather than days—and offers ongoing protection for public businesses like hotels, schools, and healthcare facilities. PROTECT+ uses a proprietary mix of targeted service protocols, precise applications, and specialized, environmentally responsible products. Backed by an industryleading warranty, the treatment system offers a four-hour posttreatment turnaround time, getting employees and customers back to business quickly. Upon an alert to a potential outbreak, the Rentokil team of bed-bug specialists will tackle the issue by physically removing any visible bed bugs, making residual control applications to harborages and activity zones, and ensuring ongoing protection for any remaining pests in hiding.

The combination of environmentally responsible products combats bed-bug resistance, which will reduce the chance of future problems, and it ensures that bed bugs carry the product to their harborage, transferring it to the populations and extending longterm protection. As each business is unique, Rentokil offers three tiers of service for the best coverage for each property—PROTECT+ Essential, Extended, and Premium packages.

Rentokil is the global leader in pest control and believes in protecting brands and their customers by minimizing pest disruptions to business. The company’s highly-trained experts leverage an integrated pest-management approach, honed best practices, and field-tested protocols to create pest-free environments. For more information, visit Rentokil.com/us or email Erin Kelly at erin.kelly@rentokil.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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Business insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Personal insurance Employee benefits Universal has added services to help customers manage and grow their own businesses, among those a suite of benefits that include compliance tools—OSHA regulations, a Family and Medical Leave Act advisor; human-resources hotline and resources, including customized handbooks.

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Toastmasters District 24 Announces Times for All Online Meetings, Clubs in January In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Toastmasters District 24 has moved district and club meetings online, and they have released a master schedule for upcoming sessions at MeetUp.com. Many members are thriving in this new environment, and a host of prospective members are finding time to join meetings as guests, allowing them to decide if now is the time to work on building their public speaking skills. If you are interested, feel free to visit any of the following selection of Toastmasters clubs that are scheduled on MeetUp in January: Omaha Toastmasters Club 229 is held every Monday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; Ameritoasters Toastmaster Club is every first Tuesday of the month from 5 to 6 p.m.; Noonshiners Toastmasters is every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.; Greater Communicators is every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m.; Toast of the Town is every first Thursday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon; West Dodgers Toastmasters is every second and fourth Thursday of the month from noon to 1 p.m.; Why Not Speak is every Thursday from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.; Shelftalkers is every second Tuesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m.; and Dynamic Speakers is every third Tuesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. All meetings on the schedule are open to guests, so feel free to choose the ones that work best for you. For details about each type of online meeting, visit meetup.com/District-24-Toastmasters-Meetup.

Toastmasters International empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Toastmasters District 24 includes over 60 clubs and 1,000 members across Nebraska and Council Bluffs, IA. To learn more, visit d24tm.org, www.toastmasters.org/ resources, or follow them on Facebook (@D24TM).

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BUSINESS NEWS GROW Nebraska Hosts Free Online Mobile Marketing Training for Small Businesses

Business Ethics Alliance to Host Virtual New Year’s Party January 28, Launch New Website

GROW Nebraska is proud to offer a free webinar training, “Mobile Marketing Tips for Each Generation” to help business owners and employees learn more about reaching target audiences with their mobile marketing. Set for live stream from noon to 1 p.m. on January 21, this webinar is part of GROW Nebraska’s Trainings On-Demand digital classroom, training anywhere, anytime. It is brought to the public, in part, by the Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP), which is committed to strengthening rural communities through small, self-employed business development.

The Business Ethics Alliance is inviting Omaha to celebrate with them at their virtual New Year’s party—to be held on January 28 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.—where they will reveal their new staff and office. The Alliance also wants to announce the launch of their new website that will be online later this year. The new site will highlight the many positive changes that have happened over the past five years. The Alliance wants to assure Omaha that their top-notch ethics education, programs, and staff won’t be changing; they will simply be adding more to what they already have! The virtual party will celebrate the new year with a hot seat ethics roundtable with new Executive Director Mike Robinson, a virtual tour of the Alliance’s new office space, and small group ethics speed rounds. Please RSVP on their website to secure a seat and a link to attend!

Mobile marketing is a key component of any comprehensive marketing strategy, and optimizing your company website for all device and screen types and sizes is crucial for staying relevant with today’s audiences—especially Millennials and Gen Xers, but even the more tech-savvy Baby Boomers. If you don’t keep up, you’ll lag behind, losing online visitors, donors and, ultimately, donations.

The GROW Nebraska Foundation serves more than 400 Nebraska businesses with its annual budget of nearly $1 million. The program provides training to more than 850 businesses every year and also hosts the premier Midwest Marketing gathering conference, MarkeTech. Space for the Mobile Marketing Tips webinar is limited, and registration is required to receive call-in details—or to receive a recording afterward if you can’t attend. To sign up, visit grownebraska.org/upcoming-trainings.

The Business Ethics Alliance—the Greater Omaha Alliance for Business Ethics at Creighton University—is the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to city-level business education. They promote ethical conversations and elevate the Greater Omaha area through community programs, educational programs, and other services. To learn more, or to RSVP to their New Year’s party, call (402) 2802235 or visit businessethicsalliane.org. Follow them on Facebook (@ BusinessEthicsAlliance) or LinkedIn (@business-ethics-alliance-omaha) to keep up with upcoming events.

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Whether for your business, home, or auto, King Insurance will custom design and deliver a comprehensive insurance package tailored to your special requirements and individual needs.

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

Family Owned.

Family Values.

Give us a brief synopsis of what your company does.

King Insurance is a local and independent insurance agency for both commercial and personal lines of coverage. Representing a carefully selected group of financially sound, reputable insurance companies, we place your policy with the company offering the best coverage at a competitive price. Our aim is to reduce your insurance cost and to reduce any gaps in your coverage. In the event of a loss, King Insurance is there to follow through and see that you get fair, prompt payment. Most importantly, we want to establish a relationship of mutual trust with each and every one of our clients.

How long have you been in Omaha?

King Insurance was founded in 1984.

What do you think makes you different from other companies similar to yours?

Our amazing employees who have been with us for many years, some close to 20 years! Plus, our family “vibe” helps us stand out as well. We are also the only agency in the Midwest that exclusively specializes in providing insurance coverages for manufactured homes and recreational vehicles.

What is your business philosophy or mission statement?

We don't just sell insurance, we build relationships.

What changes have you seen in the industry and your company in the past few years?

As things advance in the digital world, we carry out more electronic transactions which leads to a higher risk of cyber theft for both homeowners and businesses. We take this very seriously by ensuring our software and processes keep our clients protected.

What is one of the biggest challenges that your company has faced?

We have clients in 13 states throughout the Midwest. Not being able to visit them in person this year because of the pandemic has been a real challenge because we are so relationship-driven. We’ve made it work, though!

Who are the owners/important executives?

Rick King is a second-generation owner of this family-owned business, founded by his father Dick King. Rick began his insurance career in 1987 after graduation from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 1985.

He joined King Insurance in 1988 as a CSR in personal lines.

What do you like about doing business in Omaha?

It’s a big city with a small town feel. We are grateful to be surrounded by many other successful locally owned businesses.

It’s exciting to be a part of all the growth happening in the community around us.

What has been your most important achievement as a business?

Our agency was founded with the business model of serving the manufactured home (MH) and RV industries. Those are important components to our agency. We also felt it was a significant achievement when our founder, Dick King, was inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame.

“We are also the only agency in the Midwest that exclusively specializes in providing insurance coverages for manufactured/mobile homes and recreational vehicles.”

402-597-5224 | rick@kingins.com | 11326 Q St., Omaha, NE 68137 | kingins.com #PrintProudDigitalSmart

JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business

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Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from all of us at AR Solutions!

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KIM

Kim Rowell

COX COMMUNICATIONS Meet Kim Rowell, vice president of Cox Communications.

Tell us a little about your business. - For our residential customers, Cox Communications enables life’s most important connections by providing internet, video, voice, and Homelife products and services. For our business customers, Cox Business and Cox Media provide business solutions, managed cloud services, internet, voice, video, and marketing and advertising solutions, so that they can focus on their core business growth and success.

How did you get started in the business? - My undergraduate degree is in electrical engineering. I was one of about 10 women in my graduating class. The university I attended also had a great recruiting program. The semester before graduation, I had four job offers. At the time, I chose the offer and company that provided the most diversity of roles, the greatest growth potential, was based in technology and was well established and financially stable. At the time, it also didn’t hurt that my dad, his cousin and an uncle were also in the telecommunications industry.

Tell us a little about your family. - My husband Bill and I have been happily married for 27 years. While we were not blessed with children, we have five amazing nieces that are an integral part of our lives. We are so proud of all of them! My sister Susan and her husband Jeff live in Kansas City. My parents, Mike and Nancy, live in Excelsior Springs, MO. Bill’s brother Doug, his wife Kathlyn, and two of our nieces live in Indian Trail, NC. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - We love all types of outdoor activities—hiking, biking, golf, just anything that keeps us moving! I also love yoga and Pilates; Bill doesn’t have the same fondness for these activities that I do.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? - My favorite quote is by Dr. Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I try and live by this quote.

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

If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? - Either a teacher or health care professional.

Both professions require selflessness, a view greater than your own, compassion and continual learning. They require the giving of yourself to create or provide for the greater good.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read? - I love to read. One of my favorite books is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I just finished reading, The Alice Network by Kate Quinn and am currently reading Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

What is your favorite movie? - My Fair Lady, the original from 1964 with Audrey Hepburn.

What is your favorite TV show? - There are so many out there right now. I’m going to go with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It’s smart, funny and slightly irreverent. I can’t wait to binge-watch season 4, which like many other things in 2020 has been delayed because of the pandemic.

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? - I would rather have a dinner party and invite several from the past and present, to discuss current social issues and injustices in hopes of finding some potential solutions.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?

- (402) 943-1179; kim.rowell@cox.com; www.cox.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

ANGIE

Angie Armstrong

COUNTRYHOUSE RESIDENCE FOR MEMORY CARE

Meet Angie Armstrong, senior living consultant for CountryHouse Residence for Memory Care.

Tell us a little about your business. CountryHouse is a community designed specifically to help those living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia get the care they need in a place that looks and feels like home. Our Elkhorn community just opened at 3720 George B Lake Pkwy between Center and F Streets, but we have other locations in Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln, Grand Island, and Kearney.

How did you get started in the business? - I was looking for a career change about five years ago and an assisted living community in Iowa hired me as their community relations manager. I quickly found my niche helping seniors who were diagnosed with memory loss, as well as their families. In my role, I get the opportunity to meet people, learn about them, and walk hand-in-hand with them through the process of choosing a memory care community for their loved one.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? - Our company is very focused on activities and outings, so COVID has forced us to make major changes to what we typically do. On the positive side, it’s been rewarding to learn how to reach people and innovate under so many restrictions. We’ve been forced to really get creative and think of new ways to do our job. I’ve think I’ve learned more in the last 10 months than in the last 10 years because of it!

Tell us a little about your family. - I’m happily married to my husband Drew. We have two daughters: Andi (18) is a freshman in college and Ashlie (23) is in her second year of graduate school. We also have a 10-month-old Golden Retriever named Rosie.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - Anything outside. I also love being with my family. I have two young nephews who are a lot of fun to hang out with.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - I was born in Loveland, CO. At six weeks old, I moved with my family to Iowa. My method of transport was a dresser drawer in the back seat of our Volkswagen Beetle!

Who inspires you? - My two daughters. I am continuously in awe of the fact that they’ve found themselves and their place in today’s world.

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

If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? - I'd run a small flower shop.

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? - The Alzheimer’s Association is an incredibly well-rounded nonprofit that supports all aspects of helping those dealing with Alzheimer’s, while leading the way to a world without it at the same time.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read? - I just finished reading Creating Moments of Joy by Jolene Brackey. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Alzheimer’s and dementia. A lot of the points that are illustrated in this book are things that we really take to heart at CountryHouse.

What is your favorite TV show? - Friends.

What is your favorite local restaurant? - The Drover.

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

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? - (531) 999-2747; Angie.armstrong@countryhouse.net; www. countryhouse.net. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

ZACH

Zach Baedke

CORNHUSKER BANK Meet Zach Baedke, the senior banker and customer service manager at Cornhusker Bank.

Tell us a little about your business. Cornhusker Bank is a full-service community bank serving the Greater Omaha and Lincoln markets since 1903.

The local ownership and strategic decision making sets us apart from other banks. I helped open Cornhusker Bank’s first full-service location in Omaha this year. We value trusted relationships and we will always be committed to your success!

How did you get started in the business? - I received a degree in marketing and public relations, but my passion has always been in the people business. I started as a teller 10 years ago and I have progressed from there.

What has been your most important achievement professionally? I’m proud to be the bank manager of the first Cornhusker Bank location in Omaha. There is so much potential, and I’m excited for the future! It’s an honor to represent such an incredible company in Omaha.

Tell us a little about your family. - I met my incredible wife Emilie 13 years ago when we both ran cross country and track together in college... we have put in a lot of miles together! Our energetic six-year-old son Cayden is so excited to start Kindergarten this year and keeps us very busy. We also have a happy-go-lucky, six-year-old golden retriever named Archer.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - I cherish quiet time at home and having time to be creative. I enjoy writing music, drawing, and thinking about the future. I also like spending time outside hiking, biking, or running (even in winter).

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - I was a Zamboni driver in high school and college. I have always enjoyed ice skating and hockey, but my mom wouldn’t let me play because she was worried about me losing teeth.

The next best thing: Zamboni driver.

Who inspires you? - I am the youngest of four and my siblings have been role models since I was a kid. They are all amazing in their own way and inspire me to be a better father, a better friend, and a better person.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? - My dad has given me plenty of great advice but one thing that stuck with me was: “Never wait for someone to tell you what to do, take ownership and do it.”

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

If you had a theme song, what would it be? - “Don’t Stop Me Now”

by Queen.

What is your greatest talent that you don’t utilize in your daily work life? - Playing guitar and writing songs.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read? - Once A Runner by John L Parker Jr. When I’m reading to my son, it’s got to be If You Give a Moose a Muffin.

What is your favorite TV show? - I enjoy laughing! Parks and Recreation, The Office, Archer, Big Bang Theory…too many to name just one.

What is your favorite local restaurant? - Omaha Tap House or Hiro 88. It depends on what my wife is hungry for.

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

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? - (402) 671-0212; Zach.Baedke@CornhuskerBank.com; www. cornhuskerbank.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

KARISSA

Karissa Williams

365DAILYHUSTLE Meet Karissa Williams, CEO and founder of the 365DailyHustle.

Tell us a little about your business. - I help busy women BossUp and achieve their health and life goals. Specifically, I help women build healthy habits so that they can lose weight, tone up, increase their energy, stress less, and build up their confidence without crazy diets, insane workouts, and medication cocktails. My mission is to inspire, motivate, and empower women to BossUp and live their healthiest lives. I provide clients with the right support, accountability, and fresh perspectives to make lifelong habit changes when it comes to achieving my client’s goals and dreams.

How did you get started in the business? - Driven by my love and passion for helping women create healthier more balanced lives, 365DailyHustle was founded in June 2018. As a certified life, health, and mindset coach, I provide personalized coaching, workshops, and speaking engagements to help women BossUp™ and THRIVE! Conquering many of the personal challenges my clients face through my own past experiences gives me a unique perspective on how to help these women overcome various roadblocks and live life to the fullest.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? - There was a time when I was embarrassed and ashamed of my body. Not only was I at war with myself but this negative way of living was starting to affect the other relationships in my life. I have been repairing my relationship with my old self for over 10 years. I still struggle from time to time but now, instead of coping with food, booze, cigarettes, work, and negative self talk, I lean into love, support, nourishment, and abundance.

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

- Being a part of a collaborative force of women who all decided to “BossUp” during COVID and write a book together. Our book is called Women Who BossUp. Tell us a little about your family. - I’m newly engaged with two awesome kids and three fur babies. I grew up in Bellevue, NE. What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? The decision to leave my corporate career behind to pursue my passion and purpose as a health coach and inspirational speaker.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - I am a self-care and personal development junkie. I incorporate fun things in my life every day, which has been a key to my success. I travel, read, mediate, workout, connect with nature, play boardgames, listen to podcasts, hangout with loved ones, and support and get involved within my community.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - Ten years ago, I weighed over 210 pounds and smoked two packs of cigarettes a day.

Who inspires you? - My clients, future husband, and daughter Sara!

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? - My strength does not come from lifting weights; it comes from getting back up after every setback.

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? - Locally, FitGirl Inc. because I love helping, mentoring, and motivating future boss babes.

On a national level, Join the Journey empowers female entrepreneurs in the developing world through small loans and mentorship. They have a cadre of Spark Coaches—U.S. female business owners like me—who directly pour into the process.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read? - Mel Robbins’ 5-Second Rule. I use her 5-Second strategy on a weekly basic.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? - (402) 880-2142; Karissa@365Dailyhustle.com; www.365DailyHustle.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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TOM

Tom vonAhlefeld

MIRAGE AERIAL IMAGING Meet Tom vonAhlefeld, co-owner of Mirage Aerial Imaging.

Tell us a little about your business. - My wife Sara and I own and run the business together to provide a multitude of aerial imaging services, from thermal imaging for commercial low slope roof inspection to high resolution photos and videos for advertising, construction progression, insurance claims, and real estate. We also provide 360-degree virtual tours for commercial businesses as well as real estate. We pride ourselves on providing individualized services to each of our clients.

How did you get started in the business? - While on my last tour of duty with the Air Force, I also worked as a professional photographer with a focus on college sports and professional rodeo in the Pacific Northwest. I transitioned into aerial photography in 2012 and was one of the first to obtain an FAA 333 Exemption to legally fly remote aircraft for commercial use in Cincinnati. I maintain my certification to fly drones legally for commercial use by maintaining my part 107 certification through the FAA. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? - Getting the business started, making meaningful business connections and educating the community on the benefits of drone technology. We also had trouble deciding which areas of drone technology to focus on here in Omaha. Drones are incredible tools and can be used in so many ways, but the hardware and software can be quite expensive and deciding what the community will most benefit from and want was very difficult. We had many conversations with people, who were interested in the technology but as a small business we had to choose the most cost effective option for ourselves until drone technology became more widely accepted in the community.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - Relax with Sara, the kids, and the dogs.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - I flew as a commercial pilot in rural Alaska.

Who inspires you? - Everyday people who step outside their comfort zone and succeed when they didn’t think they could.

Which talent would you most like to have? - Play the piano.

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? - As a family, we are active in the community through our church. Earlier this year, we connected with Habitat for Humanity Omaha and planned to provide aerial imaging of a couple community builds they had scheduled for this year. Unfortunately, COVID-19 struck and the plans changed so we followed the builds that occurred due to the volunteer efforts of local construction companies over the span of a few months. The effect wasn’t what we had planned, but they still had a different view of their work which was the goal. We hope to work with them again when the community can work together again. These photos can be seen on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

What is your favorite movie? - Secondhand Lions.

What is your favorite TV show? - It’s not my favorite show, but my go-to show when I’m bored and can’t find anything else to do is Forged in Fire.

What is your favorite local restaurant? - Taste of Thailand. My wife and I avidly follow the “Omaha ~ #Keep Local Alive” Facebook group and try new local restaurants to support other local businesses. We have not been disappointed.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? (402) 203-7868; info@mirageaerial.com; mirageaerial.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? - Web 2020AquaSystems_3_68x2_41.indd 1 3/19/20 10:58 AM design was by far the most challenging aspect of graphic design that I had to learn. I still avoid coding as much as possible, but I do love and appreciate web design as it is a new and evolving art form in the design world.

Tell us a little about your family. - I have a gorgeous fiancé whom I live with. We have been together for over 10 years! Together we have our giant puppy son Goose! He is a one-year-old, 120-pound Saint Bernard—120 pounds of pure love and fur. The three of us make quite the little family.

Locally Roasted Coffee | Drive Thru and Dining Room What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - I tend to be a Happy Hour Monday-Thursday 3pm -7pm real homebody. I like to pull out the smoker and invite some great people over for a nice rack of ribs and a few drinks. During the 11426 Davenport St Ste 1, Omaha, Ne 68154 summer months, you can find me struggling on the golf course. During the winter, I like to snuggle up to a new movie or play video games 531-213-2742 | www.storiescoffeecompany.com online with my friends.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? - I can eat a buffalo wing in one fell swoop...I should have tried competitive eating!

Who inspires you? - My fiancé Megan. She is a ray of positive energy and always working. We complement each other well like that. She owns a dance studio along with working another job so she is constantly on the move. She inspires me to work hard every single day. I am so thankful for her in that sense. Work hard every day, and never take for granted what you have at home waiting for you afterwards.

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

If you could have a super power, what would it be? - The ability to clone myself. Who wouldn’t want more Dillons in the world?

Which talent would you most like to have? - I have always wished that I could learn to play an instrument, I love music and would have loved to have been a musician in another life.

If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? - NFL announcer. I’m a huge football fan and would love to talk about the sport that I know entirely too much about.

What is your favorite movie? - The Shining, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Seven Samurai, The Lighthouse, Bladerunner, 2001: A Space Looking for a great alternative to leasing or even purchasing?

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As we begin 2021, virtual meetings continue to be part of the norm for businesses. Whether you employ people with vision loss or make some of your virtual meetings and events available to everyone, you will want to make your presentations accessible.

Here are some tips to ensure people who cannot see get the full experience of what you offer.

Use the chat feature sparingly.

Meeting hosts often ask participants to type questions into the chat window to avoid interrupting the speaker. However, it can sometimes be overwhelming for screen reader users to simultaneously listen to the speaker and their screen reader speaking comments. Consider if chat is necessary to the presentation and allow room for comments and questions to happen verbally. However, chat can be beneficial for deaf and deaf-blind participants. In this case, create specific times for use of the chat function.

Describe visual content

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Screen reader users cannot access screen-shared content, and it still might be challenging for low-vision participants. Presenters can describe shared images and read content out loud to meeting attendees. Send documents before the presentation so blind and lowvision participants can access visual information shared on the screen.

High contrast backgrounds Bright lighting or backgrounds with little contrast may be difficult for low-vision participants. Generally, providing some type of high contrast background will benefit these participants. For example, opting for a darker background behind the speaker, and creating a high contrast for visual content shared on the screen.

Video options Visual participants expect video to be turned on for all people in a meeting. If a participant joins just with audio, it often throws off the visual participants. For some blind and people with low vision, light from the screen or lighting in the background of other participants may be distracting or even cause headaches. For some blind and lowvision participants, turning video on can be uncomfortable when you cannot see others in the presentation, and some might be concerned about being in-frame and staying in-frame.

Video is not always needed during a presentation. If a participant finds joining without video more comfortable, it can help enhance their experience.

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PERSONNEL NEWS True North Technologies Hires Zac Call as Sales Manager

Universal Group Welcomes Cody Roach to Team of Insurance Agents

True North Technologies, a Lincoln-based business launched by Renee Sobotka, recently brought Zac Call onto the team as Sales Manager. Zac has lived in Nebraska most of his life and in Lincoln for the last 13 years. With an extensive knowledge of digital-marketing tactics, Zac matches True North’s goals for providing clients with comprehensive marketing strategies to increase their brand awareness and market share. Zac's responsibilities also include supporting the sales team and creating systems for their success as True North Technologies continues to grow. He loves big-picture thinking and is always interested in growing companies while actively learning new skills and being creative.

Universal Group, LTD is excited to welcome Cody Roach to their team of insurance agents in Omaha. Cody is committed to providing exceptional service to clients by not only finding them the best rate for their insurance by also the best coverage to protect their most-precious assets. He is dedicated to upholding all of Universal Group’s core values to ensure that efforts in providing service to clients and supporting fellow agents result in success for the entire team. Cody acknowledges that happiness flows by being devoted to keeping his clients happy, as he is then rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and success.

Prior to joining the insurance industry, Cody gained great experience in roles in safety and sales. He was the director of safety at Nebraska Beef and a recruiter of healthcare professionals, where he achieved top producer status, received awards, and set records for new growth and client retention. Cody graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2017 with a degree in business and a focus in management. He thrives on learning and growing and looks forward to doing just that in his role at Universal.

Universal Group, LTD brings the combination of tradition and highly technical insurance skills to all of their clients and remains dedicated to professionalism, regular client contact, and ongoing education about the many changes in the insurance field. They offer personal and business insurance, in addition to employee benefits and industry specialties, including contractor, dealership, garage-repair shop, manufacturing, and trucking insurance. For more information, visit universalinsgroup.com or call (402) 399-8721.

In his spare time, Zac enjoys spending time with his friends and his beagle, Puck. Some of his many hobbies are reading, listening to podcasts and, most recently, leatherworking. Zac’s bucket list includes traveling to Japan, a road trip around the United States, and becoming fluent in a second language. One of his favorite philosophies is, “Just because you are struggling does not mean you are failing.”

True North Technologies makes technology simple with website and mobile app development, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), branding, and social-media marketing. Learn more at www.go-tnt. com or by calling (402) 420-5101.

Meridian Business Hires Travis Schwartz as Omaha Market Leader Meridian Business LLC (“Meridian”) is pleased to announce the hiring of Travis Schwartz as the Omaha Market Leader.

Schwartz brings over 20 years’ experience leveraging technology to enable business transformation and growth. He will be focused on helping Omaha companies enhance business operations by investing in NetSuite business applications. Schwartz brings extensive experience managing multiple solution implementations, ranging from custom development to enterprise technology systems. He has a BS in business from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from University of Texas-El Paso.

In his role prior to joining Meridian, Schwartz worked as senior manager at Grant Thornton where he provided technology solutions to businesses, managed transformation plans related to ERP, HCM, and facilitated the implementation of Oracle applications across business sectors.

CEO of Meridian Bruce Allen said, “We’re very excited to have Travis on board. His depth of experience, knowledge and management capabilities are a huge asset to Meridian and the Omaha business community.”

Meridian Business LLC is an award-winning NetSuite Solution Provider specializing in consulting, implementation, support, and development of the full range of NetSuite products. As a 5-star NetSuite partner, the mission of Meridian is to provide insight and advice to lay the foundation for the next phase of any business. Meridian has extensive experience delivering solutions to help companies improve processes and make more effective business decisions in a wide array of industries. More information about Meridian can be found at www. meridianbusiness.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Tim Silknitter Purchases 16-Year-Old Gitt Construction from Founder Mike Gitt In October 2020, Tim Silknitter purchased Gitt Construction, Inc. from Mike Gitt, who founded the company in 2004 on the foundation of quality craftsmanship, on-time delivery, and honoring every client’s budget for custom-designed home remodels. Tim purchased the company with the intention of continuing operations based on those founding principles, ensuring all remodeling projects meet the highest standards of craftsmanship and design while leading with innovative products.

Mike grew up on a farm outside of Valley and earned his construction management degree from the University of Nebraska Kearney before creating the strong, respected home-remodeling company in the Metro Omaha and Valley area. Tim grew up working on family real-estate properties, paid his way through college doing apartment maintenance, and earned his architecturalstudies degree from the University of Nebraska. For more than 20 years, he has had a successful career in the commercial construction industry, including leadership and business-management positions that trained him for his new role.

Gitt Construction is recognized as one of Omaha’s premier remodeling companies, specializing in whole-house remodeling, kitchen and bath remodels, additions, and more. Founded on small-town principles, Gitt Construction treats every client with the respect and care they would give their own friends and family. Partner with Gitt Construction to make your home-design dreams come true! Learn more by contacting Marketing Manager Cole Hoofnagle at (402) 740-9551 / cole@ gittdbr.com or by visiting gittdbr.com.

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PERSONNEL NEWS Harsco Corporation Appoints Wendy Livingston of Omaha as CHRO

Lincoln Federal Savings Bank Promotes Heather Merrill

Harsco Corporation (NYSE: HSC) has announced it has appointed Wendy Livingston of Omaha as senior vice president, human resources and chief human resources officer (CHRO). In this role, Livingston will be responsible for developing the human resources global strategy for the company and its 13,000 employees located in more than 30 countries. She will work alongside corporate functional heads and division presidents on driving performance, teamwork and people development to achieve Harsco’s financial objectives and long-term business plan.

Livingston joins Harsco from The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) where she worked for the past 24 years, most recently as vice president, corporate human resources. In this capacity, she supported the corporate business unit comprising 30,000 employees. Livingston will report to Harsco Chairman and CEO Nick Grasberger and will be a member of the executive leadership team.

Harsco Corporation is a global market leader providing environmental solutions for industrial and specialty waste streams, and innovative technologies for the rail sector. Additional information can be found at www.harsco.com.

Lincoln Federal Savings Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Heather Merrill to deposit services operations specialist.

Heather has worked as a customer service representative at the Bank for 18 years.

She brings a strong work ethic and a hunger for knowledge as she enters her new role.

She will collaborate with operations staff members, provide customer service, and work to optimize bank operations and customer processes. In addition, Merrill is highly involved in giving back to the community through the Bank’s Lending Hands program, which is designed to encourage employees to get involved in the community. Please help the Bank in congratulating Heather Merrill on her great achievements!

Lincoln Federal Savings Bank’s corporate office can be found at 8400 Maddox Dr. in Lincoln. Additional branches are located in Omaha, Fremont, Blair, Holdrege, Hastings, North Platte, McCook, and Benkelman. Learn more at lincolnfed.com.

Clearwater Counseling’s Jessica Frenzen Advocates for Suicide Prevention On December 10, Clearwater Counseling, PC Mental Health Therapist Jessica Frenzen participated as a panelist for the Suicide Prevention Town Hall Event hosted by the Kim Foundation. She and other mental health professionals discussed suicide prevention, COVID-19 in relation to mental health, available resources, and the importance of staying connected during the holiday season. The event also included a Q&A, during which panelists offered their expert advice. Project Harmony invited Jessica to participate, as she is a provider for the Connections Program at Project Harmony, a Clearwater Counseling community partner that offers professional, evidence-based therapy to students needing mental health care. The event was especially timely and critical given that research shows the pandemic directly impacting mental health.

“Servings as a panelist for the Suicide Prevention Town Hall Event allowed me a special opportunity to shed light on the importance of mental health, especially during these unprecedented times,” Jessica said. “I’m grateful to participate in events like this, which help to end the stigma surrounding mental health by involving the entire community in the conversation.”

Clearwater Counseling works with clients who are struggling with a variety of mental health diagnoses, including depression, relationship issues, grief/loss/trauma, addiction and recovery, codependency, anxiety and phobias, parenting problems, sexual abuse and incest, physical abuse and violence, as well as various others. To learn more about staff, services, or resources, visit clearwatercounselingpc. org. To schedule an appointment or for more information about mental health services, please call (308) 210-8487 or email info@ clearwatercounselingne.org.

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Stephen Center Welcomes Directors Eulie, McVea, and Vuong-Wegner to Board Stephen Center is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to Stephen Center Board of Directors. Stephen Eulie, Dr. Kristine McVea, and Krystal Vuong-Wegner joined the Board upon the departure of former members John Andreasen, Eric Ewing, and Robert Monaco, who recently completed their service of two consecutive three-year terms, the maximum allowed by Stephen Center bylaws.

“We appreciate the leadership of our outgoing board members. John, Eric and Stephen Eulie Bob were instrumental in establishing the strategic direction of our organization for years to come,” said Executive Director Michael Wehling, “and we are excited to welcome Steve, Kristine, and Krystal to our Board of Directors. Their counsel and expertise will bring energy to our board and strengthen Stephen Center’s commitment to helping individuals and families overcome homelessness, addiction, and poverty.”

Stephen Eulie is the Executive Vice President of The Kessler Group, a Boston-headquartered Dr. Kristine McVea company that specializes in developing and executing strategies that help financialservices companies and their partners solve complex challenges. Dr. Kristine McVea is the Chief Medical Officer at OneWorld Community Health Center in Omaha and has a passion for reaching marginalized and underserved populations. Krystal VuongWegner is a trainer for Inclusive Communities and has extensive volunteer experience with many local non-profit guilds and boards.

Located in South Omaha, Stephen Center is a Krystal Vuong-Wegner sober campus of resources for mental health and addiction services. The campus includes a homeless emergency shelter, inpatient/outpatient co-occurring treatment, and permanent supportive housing for disabled and low-income individuals. To learn more, call (402) 715-5442 or visit stephencenter.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

PERSONNEL NEWS UNICO Group Announces Promotion of Chad Ideus to Executive Vice President

New Members Join Nebraska Community Foundation Board of Directors

UNICO Group is pleased to announce the promotion of Chad Ideus to Executive Vice President. Chad joined UNICO in 2004 after operating his own insurance agency and has since become a longtime UNICO shareholder. Chad is originally from Adams, NE and is a Nebraska Wesleyan graduate.

Five Nebraskans from across the state recently joined the Nebraska Community Foundation’s (NCF) Board of Directors, following a unanimous vote by existing board members. Jeffrey Gerhart is chairman of the Bank of Newman Grove and president of Gerhart Insurance Agency. Gerhart has served on the Newman Grove Community Foundation Fund, an affiliated fund of NCF, since its founding. He has also served in leadership roles for the Nebraska Independent Bankers Association, the Independent Community Jeffrey Gerhart Bankers of America and the Federal Reserve Board of Kansas City board of directors. He is a member of the Newman Grove Community Club, United Methodist Church in Newman Grove, and the Newman Grove Masonic Lodge #305 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons.

Megan Helberg has been a member of her local NCF affiliated fund, the Calamus Area Community Fund, for six years. She proudly calls rural Loup County home, where she teaches secondary English at Burwell Public School. Helberg is passionate about Megan Helberg Holocaust and genocide education, and she feels strongly about providing opportunities for her students that include glimpses into various cultures and ways of life. Helberg founded a travel club for her school and community members to travel together.

Dr. Chuck Hibberd grew up in Cozad and Lexington before completing degrees in Animal Science at UNL and Oklahoma state University. His 38-year career focused on teaching, research, and extension roles in Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Indiana.

Hibberd retired June 30, 2020 following Dr. Chuck Hibberd eight years of service as Dean and Director of Nebraska Extension.

Adam Pavelka of Hastings is a real estate broker and farm manager with Agri Affiliates, Inc. Prior to that, he practiced law in southcentral Nebraska, serving families and businesses in the areas of estate planning, business law, and real estate. He grew up on a farm near Blue Hill where he remains active in his family’s operation. Pavelka is a past president of the Prairie Loft Center for Outdoor and Agricultural Education and serves Adam Pavelka the Adams Central FFA Alumni as treasurer.

Kent Warneke serves as director of grants and contracts at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. Following his departure from the Norfolk Daily News in 2019 after a 37-year career in the newspaper business, he was named editor emeritus. Warneke’s civic involvement includes serving on the board of directors and chairman of the Nebraska Press Association, the Nebraska District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, and the Kent Warneke Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce.

To learn more about the Nebraska Community Foundation, visit NebraskaHometown.org.

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“I’ve always been a 30,000-foot-view guy, and not just because of my height,” Chad said. “Most of my experience has been focused on advising my commercial and telecommunications clients. Over the last few years, I’ve had a chance to become integrated with our leadership teams and learn the mechanics of how we operate.”

With the promotion, Chad will serve on the company’s Executive Team and Board of Directors, providing strategic leadership, financial oversight, and sales management for the company. He will also continue serving in his role as Risk Advisor to his clients.

“My goals are to identify opportunities to elevate our team’s performance, our culture, and, most important, your experience as a client,” Chad said.

UNICO Group is a full-service insurance agency with services ranging from commercial insurance, workers’ compensation, and employee benefits, to personal insurance and financial planning. UNICO is dedicated to getting their clients the best insurance products and services available to protect them, their families, and their businesses.

For more information, call (402) 434-7200 or visit unicogroup.com.

John Drazic Begins Service as 2021 President of Millard Business Association Banking and financial professional John Drazic this month kicks off his service as President of the Millard Business Association, after completing his term as president-elect in 2020.

John will lead the nonprofit with the support of Past President Jill Schoenherr Melby, Treasurer Dana Anderson, Secretary Raina Garcia, President Elect David Englemeyer, and Vice President Roxy Starkey. The new Board will guide MBA in meeting the organization’s four core objectives: Promote, preserve, and enhance Millard-area commerce; develop active business-to-business networking among members; provide business-specific educational opportunities to members; and provide benevolent community programs.

“MBA is really a great organization with a small-town feel,” John said. “It’s a terrific way to build relationships with other business leaders in the area and support local causes and commerce. It’s all about helping meet local needs. For me, this is also an excellent opportunity to help the organization continue growing. I really want to help increase membership and membership engagement. Right now, it’s difficult to meet given pandemic restrictions so we need to focus on finding creative ways for members to engage with each other without necessarily being in the same room.”

Millard Business Association was formed in 2003 by a small group of Millard-area business owners and associates who recognized and developed opportunities for effective business networking and community development. The MBA is also highly involved with Millard schools and the community. For more information, visit millardbusinessassociation.org or email info@millardbusinessassociation.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

PERSONNEL NEWS NEMA Hires Planning Specialists Allen, Huggins, and Jackson, Promotes Eckles Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recently welcomed three new planning specialists to their team in Omaha and promoted another. Andrew Allen and Elizabeth Huggins were hired to work as planning specialists in the public assistance unit, and Sarah Jackson is a new planning specialist in the hazard and mitigation unit. Megan Eckles (formerly Tesmer) was promoted to serve as a planning specialist after working as an administrative assistant in the Recovery section since December 2019. Megan earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with honors from Doane University, and just got married.

Andrew Allen is from Joplin, MO and earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to joining NEMA, Andrew worked for the Nebraska State Patrol as a capitol security guard and worked part-time for Seward County emergency management. Andrew has a twin brother, who also lives in Lincoln.

Elizabeth Huggins earned her bachelor’s degree in emergency administration and planning from the University of North Texas before joining NEMA in October. Elizabeth interned with Denton County Volunteer Organization Active in Disaster and worked with the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Sarah Jackson spent the spring 2019 semester as the first Emergency Management intern at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Through this internship, Sarah was able to shadow each animal department to gain knowledge of their emergency preparedness procedures.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency is charged by state statute to reduce the vulnerabilities of people from the damage, injury, and loss of life and property. To learn more about NEMA, call (402) 471-7421 or visit nema.nebraska.gov.

Center Sphere Founder and CEO Brett Boyer Promotes Supporting Local Small Businesses Getting to the core of the Center Sphere networking philosophy, Founder and CEO Brett Boyer said the company’s Lincoln Network is built to support local, small businesses and is promoting community-wide support of those businesses as a necessity to a resilient local economy.

“Growing up in a very small, rural community myself, I have watched how keeping your business local can have an effect on so many,” Brett said. “I would always say, ‘There’s only so much money to circulate out here.’ What I meant was that every dollar that is not spent in a community never comes back into the local economy...EVER!” Besides the tax revenue that it creates on a local level to develop the communities and infrastructure needed, Center Sphere operates on the understanding that it is important to support the families that are supporting your community. If you don’t use the local insurance agent for your insurance, for example, how can you expect them to sponsor your kids’ basketball team? Center Sphere’s focus is to have direct impacts on communities across the nation. By developing and cultivating relationships with other local business folks, the natural effect is to do business with one another.

Center Sphere is an established network of business professionals whose mission is to share referrals, ideas, and resources through genuine relationships. The Omaha Network is currently made up of nearly 50 chapters and have access to members nationwide. For more information about Center Sphere or to inquire about attending a complimentary meeting or event, visit www.CenterSphere.com or connect with Omaha Area Director Lona Anderson at LonaAnderson@ CenterSphere.com or (402) 650-5380.

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Omaha Chamber Announces 2021 YP Council The Greater Omaha Chamber has announced the organization’s 2021 YP Council, a select group of regional young professionals committed to ensuring Greater Omaha excels as an inclusive, vibrant community inviting to all. Representing the seven counties of the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, the YP Council advocates for change, inspires visionary collaboration, and ensures new-to-market professionals are seamlessly introduced to the metro’s many opportunities for young workers, ages 20-40.

The 2021 YP Council includes: Abby Fogle, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts; Allison Bartlett, Do Space; Amanda Sirian, Election Systems & Software; Brandon Peterson, The Cottonwood Hotel; Isaiah Washington, Akough & Associates; Ismael Pascual, Northern Natural Gas; Itzel Lopez, AIM; Kendra Wright, Cognizant; Keristiena Dodge, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Kiley Armitage, QLI; Lucia Rodriguez Alvizo, Heartland Family Service; Meray Kim, Bank of the West; Preston Barrett, Omaha Public Power District; Tess Kuenstling, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Vanessa Martinez-Hernandez, Heartland Workforce Solutions; William Ruffalo, Valmont Industries, Inc. Learn more about the Greater Omaha Chamber's YP Council online at www.omahachamber.org/omahayp/yp-council.

Midlands Community Foundation Elects Thomas Ackley as President of Board The Midlands Community Foundation (MCF) Board of Directors has elected Thomas Ackley to a three-year term as president.

Ackley has been a member of the MCF Board since 2011 and enjoys helping MCF continue to expand its charitable footprint in the Sarpy and Cass county areas.

Ackley holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Cloud State University, a Master of Arts degree from the University of South Dakota, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Creighton University School of Law. He is a shareholder at the Koley Jessen law firm where he has practiced in the areas of banking and finance, real estate, and corporate law.

Joining Ackley on the Board’s Executive Committee are: Vice President Rick Iske, Iske Insurance (Springfield); Secretary/ Treasurer Kevin Dasher, Northwest Bank (LaVista); Assistant Treasurer Spencer Kimball, Pinnacle Bank (Papillion); Past President Patrick Sullivan, Adams & Sullivan (Papillion); and Executive Members Janet Barna, Gretna Insurance (Gretna); Julie Bear, Reinsch, Slattery, Bear, Minahan & Prickett, P.C. (Plattsmouth).

The 22-member board, representing the communities the Foundation serves, also includes: Rod Buethe, Werner Enterprises (Gretna); Brenda Carlson, Betay Bank Mortgage (LaVista); Jan Davis (Gretna); Valerie Downs (Springfield/Louisville); Mary Gawecki (Papillion); Kara Habrock, Roloff Construction (Louisville); Dr. Jim Langley, Langley Animal Hospital (Papillion); Lee Polikov, Sarpy County Attorney (Papillion); Matt Pospisil, Nebraska Medicine (Bellevue); Karla Rupiper (Papillion); Barb Slattery, Slattery Vintage Estates (Nehawka); Kevyn Sopinski, Pathfinder Wealth Advisors (Papillion); Ken Summerfield, American Family Insurance (Papillion); Jay Theis, F&M Bank (Gretna); and Kathy Wendlandt (Gretna).

The mission of Midlands Community Foundation is to benefit the diverse needs of the Sarpy and Cass county communities by providing financial support, involvement and service. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated gifts and grants totaling more than $10 million to many worthy organizations with an emphasis toward prevention and education in the areas of health, art, culture, community, education, economic development, and human services. Learn more online at midlandscommunity.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

PERSONNEL NEWS BranchPattern Announces Hiring of Mike Parker to Omaha Engineering Team

Business Ethics Alliance Hires Michael Robinson as New Executive Director

BranchPattern recently announced the hiring of Mike Parker to their Omaha engineering team as a project manager.

In his new role, Mike will be managing projects, clients, and contributing to creating high-performing buildings and environments as a mechanical engineer.

Mike is excited to be on the BranchPattern engineering team and working towards building better, more natural environments for people. The buildings that Mike will help create will be created to have natural-feeling acoustics that reduce stress, optimal planning and placement of security and telecom systems, optimized environmental and energy efficiency, better use of daylight, airflow, and ventilation, and efficient mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology systems. Mike is passionate about helping people live better lives and is looking forward to creating sustainable, nature-inspired environments that others can thrive in.

In November 2020, the Business Ethics Alliance hired Michael Robinson as their new Executive Director and CEO. Michael comes from a background in family housing and financial programs at Notre Dame Housing and Family Housing Advisory Services & Omaha 100, Inc., in addition to formerly serving as the executive director and CEO of Christ Child Society of Omaha. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his Master’s degree in Urban Studies and Community & Economic Development at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Branc hPattern is a commercial engineering and building consultancy firm in Omaha that designs buildings that are energyefficient, environmentally-conscious, and human-centric. Their human-centered design puts people at the core of everything they think, create, and do, allowing them to improve people’s lives by creating Better Built Environments® through building solutions that optimize energy while placing a focus on people’s safety. To learn more about BranchPattern, visit branchpattern.com.

Tegan Colton Joins Strictly Business as Full-Time Social Media Strategist Strictly Business is happy to announce their hiring of Tegan Colton as their new fulltime social media strategist and assistant copywriter. Tegan was hired at Strictly Business last May as the sales intern, where she called on local businesses and went to marketing events to gather new clients for the magazine. During that time, Tegan also spent time gaining experience as a copywriter, assisting with writing press releases, client spotlights, and restaurant exposes. In her new role as social media strategist, Tegan will continue writing editorial for Strictly Business’ Lincoln and Omaha publications while taking charge of their social media, helping them gain new clients and increase their visibility online. Tegan will be instrumental to the implementation of Strictly Business’ new social media add-on offering, where she will helm their transition into a more digital-friendly platform and help other local businesses be seen online.

Tegan is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and where she is currently working on her master’s degree in journalism. She has written for other local publications, including Lincoln Today and The Daily Nebraskan.

Tegan is excited for her new full-time role as social media strategist, where she can expand on her passion to write and contribute to local news while supporting the success of a publication she believes in.

Strictly Business has been a reliable news source and effective advertising tool in Omaha for 14 years, publishing original content on print and online. To inquire about their new social media package, call (402) 466-3330 or contact Tegan directly at tegan@strictlybusinessomaha. com. To learn more, visit strictlybusinessomaha.com. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

“I am truly excited to be joining and leading an organization as well respected as the Business Ethics Alliance,” Michael said. “The foundation laid by Dr. Kracher and fortified by the staff have made my accepting the role of Executive Director and CEO that much more enjoyable. The Alliance is poised to continue offering the excellent business ethics education and resources that it always has, while also preparing to launch new content, workshops, and resources.”

The Business Ethics Alliance—the Greater Omaha Alliance for Business Ethics at Creighton University—builds leadership, strengthens organizations, and elevates Greater Omaha through positive, practical business-ethics education. They do this via signature events throughout the year for the community and via workshops and training aids that can be tailored and delivered directly to your organization, in-person or virtually. For more information, visit businessethicsalliance. org or email info@businessethicsalliance.org.

MLCDC Announces New Board President Aretha Boex Midlands Latino Community Development Center (MLCDC) is proud to present Aretha Boex, MBA, MS, EDFP, CGBP as the president of the Board of Directors. Boex is replacing Marcos Hernadez who will remain on the board as immediate past president.

MLCDC would like to thank Mr. Hernandez for leading the MLCDC board through a transition period during the last two years.

Boex is an Associate State Director for the Nebraska Business Development Center based in Omaha who organizes, oversees business plans, trains, and hires other directors and staff, writes grants proposals, and manages program budgets. Boex has a master’s degree in business administration and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has a Graduate Certificate in Systems Analysis and Design. She is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council and a Certified Global Business Professional. She is the author of White Papers, which is about why cash flow is more important than profits.

Aretha joined MLCDC’s board of directors in 2019 and will now take the position as the president of the Board of Directors. Boex will serve the Board with her leadership and expertise in business planning, financial forecasting, cash flow analysis, commercial loan applications, and SBA loan packaging.

For more information about the Midlands Latino Community Development Corporation, contact Juan J. Montoya at (402)-9334466 / info@midlandslatinocdc.org or visit midlandslatinocdc.org.

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NONPROFIT NEWS CenterPointe Offering Youth and Family Services from Outpatient Office in Lincoln

Omaha Home for Boys’ Project Christmas Joy Provided Celebration, Gifts for Kids, Families

CenterPointe is pleased to announce that they now are able to offer youth and family services out of their Outpatient office at 1000 S 13th St. in Lincoln. Services include a 24/7 crisis line to support youth and their families, crisis walk-in services, and mobile field response to provide interventions and support to youth and families in their home environments. With enrollment in CenterPointe’s Youth and Family Program, they provide you with access to the following services: comprehensive assessment, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intensive Outpatient (DBT IOP) for adolescents, parenting classes, family case management, family peer support, medication management, and primary care.

The Omaha Home for Boys worked especially hard to make the holidays special for the youth and families in their programs, and their Project Christmas Joy holiday gift and essentials drive in December provided holiday celebrations and gifts for 130 young adults and 45 children on Christmas morning. Many youth in their programs also joined in on holiday traditions, including decorating trees, baking cookies, and hanging lights. Omaha Home for Boys President and CEO Jeff DeWispelare said the campus was full of holiday spirit, and so many youth there said the 2020 holiday traditions were the first in which they had ever taken part.

CenterPointe is a nonprofit organization that started in 1973, offering Lincoln and Omaha a broad continuum of care for the disadvantaged, individuals facing homelessness and those with mental health challenges. Today, CenterPointe offers nearly 40 programs in the areas of crisis response, treatment, rehabilitation, housing, and peer support. These programs have helped countless men, women, teens, and veterans find their footing again and make strides toward living a healthier and more fulfilling life. By treating the whole person, CenterPointe has proven that mental health, physical health, and addiction can be addressed together, in real time, and provide a lasting recovery. CenterPointe’s mission is to help those they serve get better, sooner, for longer. To learn more or donate to the cause, call (402) 475-8717, email development@centerpointe.org, or visit centerpointe.org.

Angels Among Us Provides Record Support for Childhood Cancer Amid Global Pandemic Amid a year of challenges that nobody could have expected, Angels Among Us provided a record $500,000 in support to more than 120 childhood-cancer families in 2020. With a need for financial support that is greater than ever, Angels Among Us answered the call to help families stay focused on their sick children and not have to worry about how to make ends meet financially in the meantime. The organization covers things such as mortgage, rent, utilities, car payments, medical bills, and other critical expenses for the entire length of a child’s treatment plan, ranging from six months to 36 months.

During the last five years, Angels Among Us has increased their support to these families exponentially, as 70-90 Nebraska families each year learn that their child has cancer. In fact, Nebraska ranks No. 1 out of the 12 Midwestern states for the number of childhood-cancer cases and the need is expected to continue growing in 2021 and beyond.

Angels Among Us is a Nebraska nonprofit that provides financial and emotional support to families whose children are battling pediatric cancer. Any family living in or being treated in Nebraska is eligible to apply for financial assistance with mortgage, rent, and other expenses. To make a donation or for more information about ways to make an impact for these families in need, visit myangelsamongus.org or contact Aly Theilen at alyssa@ myangelsamongus.org.

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“Every year, we hear from our youth and families that their celebration with us was the only Christmas they had,” Jeff said. “It always warms our hearts to know we are helping them make special memories.

Another goal was to ensure that every youth in our programs experienced the joy of Christmas by receiving a gift during the holidays, so we could make these young adults and families feel special, loved, and celebrated.”

The Omaha Home for Boys equips youth, young adults, and families with the skills needed to become self-sufficient and productive members of the community. Programs include Inspiration Hill Residential Living, Jacob’s Place Transitional Living, Branching Out Independent Living, Supportive Housing, and clinical services, in addition to support services in the form of education and scholarships, Youth Mart, and Valley View 4-H. For more information or do donate to their cause, visit ohb.org or call (402) 467-7000.

Nebraska’s Animal Loving Advocates Finds Homes for More than 675 Animals in 2020 Nebraska’s Animal Loving Advocates (NALA) successfully found forever homes for more than 675 homeless animals in 2020. Led by Angie Hospodka and her army of volunteers, the Omaha-based animal-rescue organization saves animals from across the country. They provide shelter, medical coverage, nutrition, and plenty of love to animals that are in desperate situations, and find safe forever homes for them. NALA could not exist without the tireless efforts of volunteers and the generous contributions from donors.

The mission of Nebraska’s Animal Loving Advocates is to revolutionize the way people think about animals and animal rescues. They educate people about the dangers of puppy mills and the realities of backyard breeders in their effort to provide loving homes to all of the dogs they encounter, including the feral, the unwanted, the damaged, and the lost. NALA believes that every living thing not only deserves love but also has so much love to offer. They accomplish their mission through their core values of love for all living things and faith that they can change our culture and create a world where rescues are no longer needed. If you are interested in adopting, fostering, volunteering, or donating, please visit www.nalarescue.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

NONPROFIT NEWS Malone Center Distributes Holiday Maternal Wellness Packages to Families

Bags of Fun Announces Postponement of Bags for Bags Corn Hole Tournament

Thanks to the donations of local companies and generous individuals, the Malone Community Center was able to distribute essential maternal supplies to many local mothers and families over the holidays.

The care packages were made for families in the Malone Maternal Wellness Program, who the Center helps with childbirth, infant care, postpartum care, breastfeeding, and more. Each family received a care package filled with diapers, a diaper bag, wipes, blankets, hand sanitizer, body wash and lotion, wash cloths, a reusable water bottle, green cleaning supplies, nursing pads, teething toys, books, a bathrobe, laundry detergent, a $250 gift card to Target, and a $250 gift card to Super Saver. Thanks to Spreetail, Victress, Paper Kite, the State of Nebraska Community CARES Grant, and the many individual donors who purchased supplies during their donation drive, many families in Lincoln and surrounding areas were able to receive the care for their infants they may not have received otherwise.

Bags of Fun Omaha sadly announced postponement of their 2021 Bags for Bags fundraising corn-hole tournament, originally on tap for January 21. They will move the date to sometime in the spring when they can hold it at an outdoor venue, where it’s easier to meet COVID restrictions for safe gatherings.

That means you have a little extra time to get your team together and practice up for an afternoon of drinks, food, music, silent auction, and some intense corn-hole bracket play! The event is an important fundraiser to help Bags of Fun continue providing joy, laughter, and relief to sick children in the fight of their lives, so watch for updates about the date and plan to participate!

Meantime, you can still pick your sponsorship opportunities in advance. Choose from Title Sponsor ($5,000), Bar Sponsor ($2,500), Bags for Bags Sponsor ($1,000), and Champion Sponsors ($500). Individual registration, including food and drinks, is $75, and team registration is $125.

The mission of Bags of Fun is to deliver a bag filled with toys and games crafted to every sick child in hospitals whose health and happiness are both compromised and threatened. The contents are based on each patient’s likes, favorites, age, and diagnosis. Sometimes, for example, a child will ask for slippers and a nightlight, while others might ask for Olaf from Frozen. Though all different, each bag contains fun and laughter!

Bags of Fun is independent of hospitals, as each Bag of Fun is funded by the Gabby Krause Foundation. The bags are essential tools that bring the power of play into the hospitals. To learn more or register for the Bags for Bags tournament, visit bagsoffun.org.

Since 1955, the Malone Community Center has created and facilitated programs to combat the racial disparities and inequities that exist in our justice, healthcare, and social systems. The Malone Maternal Wellness Program combats injustice by providing a depth of resources so families can make empowered and informed decisions throughout their birthing journey. To learn more or to donate, call (402) 474-1110 or visit malonecenter.org.

Nonprofit Association of the Midlands Names 2021 Board of Directors, Executive Committee The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM)—representing more than 650 nonprofit organizations in Nebraska and western Iowa—announced its Board of Directors for 2021, including the Executive Committee, as well a new board members and returning ones.

The NAM Board of Directors is responsible for providing overall leadership and strategic direction to ensure that NAM continues to strengthen the collective voice, leadership, and capacity of nonprofits to enrich the quality of community life in the region. Serving on the Executive Committee for the coming year are: • President – Michelle Zych, Women’s Fund of Omaha • Past President – John Levy, William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation • President-Elect – Jaymes Sime, MICAH House • Secretary – Ralph Kellogg, Lutheran Family Services • Treasurer – Kerri Sanchez, The Sherwood Foundation New board members include Liz Codina, Peter Kiewit Foundation; Shaun Ilahi, Seventy-Five North; and Marysz Rames, Ph.D., Wayne State College. Returning board members include Victoria Grasso, The Cooper Foundation; Anne Herman, AVA Insights; Osuman Issaka, The Simple Foundation; Jerry O’Doherty, Seim Johnson; Carolina Padilla, Intercultural Senior Center; Bryan Schneider, D.A. Davidson; Jennifer Skala, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation; Rob Trebilcock, Bank of the West; and Cammy Watkins, Inclusive Communities.

The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands is recognized as the state nonprofit association in Nebraska by the National Council of Nonprofits, the nation’s largest network of nonprofits. For more information, visit nonprofitam.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Outlook Enrichment Expands Services for Neighbors with Vision Loss Outlook Enrichment has shifted many inperson programs and services to virtual formats to increase access to essential goods and services for people with vision loss during the pandemic. With more than 15,000 people in the Omaha metro affected by vision loss, these adjustments and educational opportunities make it easier to stay connected to family and friends during the pandemic.

Adaptive technology training program—The training program helps people with vision loss learn how to use smartphones, apps and magnification technology to maintain their employment, facilitate remote learning and stay connected to their loved ones.

Recreational/cultural events—Inclusive virtual events and activities for teens and adults, such as audiobook clubs and game nights, help combat social isolation, a major cause of depression and anxiety for people with vision loss.

Peer support groups—Living with vision loss can be overwhelming without support. One way to stop feeling alone is to talk to others who have similar situations. Led by a trained facilitator, Outlook’s ongoing peer support groups give active adults with vision loss opportunities to share experiences and address challenges they face.

Educational seminars—Online events each month provide a format for discussion and sharing of best practices, tips and tools creating greater accessibility and inclusiveness for everyday living. Each seminar focuses on a specific topic, such as kitchen accessibility aides, home safety tips and seasonal community resources.

Outlook Enrichment needs your help to continue assisting neighbors living with vision loss. Please consider showing your support at outlooken.org/donate.

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NONPROFIT NEWS 18th Diaper Drive Collects 1.1M Diapers to Benefit Families at Open Door Mission

Domesti-PUPS Announces Canine Obedience Classes to Begin January 10

The 18th Annual Channel 94.1 Diaper Drive to benefit families at Open Door Mission’s Lydia House netted more than 1.1 million diapers! The Diaper Drive was on December 11-12, with donations coming from individuals, families, and groups that stopped by to give.

At a Diaper unloading party on December 29, volunteers bundled up and practiced social distancing while they helped unload the diapers from the Werner trucks and sorted them by size before enjoying chili, chicken noodle soup, and hot chocolate for their efforts. All of the donations will be given to parents experiencing homelessness at Lydia House and distributed in the Mission’s Outreach Centers.

Domesti-PUPS will begin their fiveweek obedience training classes on January 10. The classes: Puppy Manners, Beginning Obedience and Intermediate Obedience, will be held at the Domesti-Pups training center at 141 Harwood Court in Lincoln every Sunday afternoon from January 10 to February 7. Reservations for a five-week class is $129 plus tax.

Open Door Mission is a Gospel Rescue Mission that was founded in 1954 and is committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Each day, Open Door Mission’s campus in Omaha offers 917 safe, shelter beds to people experiencing homelessness, serves more than 4,750 nutritious meals to the hungry, and provides homeless preventive resources to more than 1,000 people living in poverty to empower them to remain in their own homes. To donate to the Mission or for more information, visit opendoormission.org or contact Kristen Dineen at (402) 829-1535 / kdineen@opendoormission.org.

SHARE Omaha and Omaha Community Foundation Partner, End to Omaha Gives Day The Omaha metro area will soon be able to focus on a single website destination for online giving and volunteer opportunities, thanks to a new partnership between SHARE Omaha and the Omaha Community Foundation. The two groups share a passion for philanthropy that invites everyone to participate year-round.

The new partnership will combine the year-round power and versatility of SHAREomaha.org with the far-reaching accessibility of Omaha Gives, which was started eight years ago by the Omaha Community Foundation.

That means an end to the Omaha Gives day of giving—with an incredible $58 million raised for more than 1,000 nonprofits in the metro area over the eight-year run. Leaders from both nonprofits are confident that the giving will continue to grow on the enhanced platform, with SHARE Omaha’s focus on 365-day giving as well as planning for 2021 giving and volunteering events.

The partnership to elevate a single online giving platform will allow each group to focus on what they do best. The Omaha Community Foundation will devote greater focus and resources to their community initiatives, grant programs, community interest funds, and nonprofit capacity building.

SHARE Omaha connects everyday philanthropists to local causes with a website that showcases thousands of ways to do good through Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa. From the 2019 floods to the pandemic, SHARE Omaha has engaged new volunteers—over 2,000 in 2020—and allowed donors to provide useful supplies during these critical times. SHARE Omaha operates with the belief that every member of the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro has a gift to offer the community, each donor and volunteer is valued, and all are invited to give when, where and how they want to give. Learn more at SHAREomaha.org or call (402) 502-0360.

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Domesti-PUPS asks that owners bring their pup on a six-foot standard leash (no flexi-leashes, please), small soft treats, and a copy of vaccination records for Bordatella, Distemper Parvo, and Rabies if available. Spots fill up quickly, so reserve your spot on the website as soon as possible!

For 20 years, Lincoln-based Domesti-PUPS has been training assistance dogs for persons with disabilities, providing pet therapy programs, classroom dogs, education programs, and rescuedog training/adoption programs. They also offer many training programs for all dogs young and old.

To sign your dog up for a class or to learn more, call (402) 4654201 or visit domesti-pups.org.

First Responders Foundation Unveils 2021 Class Schedule for Responders and Families The First Responders Foundation announced its 2021 schedule for classes, workshops, and support groups for first responders and their families. Through the First Responders Support Team (FRST), monthly peer support groups meet the first Tuesday of each month and spouse support groups meet the first Friday of the month, both in-person and via Telehealth. The first quarterly workshop for first responders and their significant others, called Stronger Together, is on tap for February 27, and a With Honor workshop for first responders planning retirement—to help them identify with a new career and life—is scheduled for January 19.

The list goes on, including a weekly Substance Use Support Group that meets on Thursdays from 1 to 2 p.m. and is aimed at first responders who want help to maintain sobriety, in a safe, empathetic place. Physical health and fitness classes also are available at the new Wellness Center. Open gym will be available, with membership, starting on January 18. Specialized yoga classes are offered, including free first responders yoga the last Tuesday of each month.

There is even a weekly exercise program with a spiritual component available, in addition to nutrition coaching and free nutrition classes.

The mission of the First Responders Foundation is to serve and honor all first responders, veterans, and their families, build appreciation and respect for their work, and enhance public safety. To schedule an appointment or talk with someone in the Behavioral Health Department, contact Jason at jason@firstrespondersfoundation. org / (402) 218-1234, ext. 201; for the Physical Health/Fitness Department, contact Adam at adam@firstrespondersfoundation. org / (402) 788-1574. For more information about the organization, email contact@firstrespondersfoundation.org or visit firstrespondersfoundation.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

NONPROFIT NEWS Saving Grace Reaches Milestone of 5M Pounds of Food Rescued

Best Care EAP Introduces Upcoming Virtual Training on Combating Career/Job Burnout

Five million pounds—that is the amount of food Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue has rescued to feed the hungry since operations began in October 2013. In recent months, Saving Grace has adapted operations to meet the evolving needs for food during the pandemic. As normal pickups decreased when some businesses closed or experienced supply chain disruptions, Saving Grace partnered with community groups and provided logistics and transportation services to help with emerging needs for food delivery. Saving Grace picked up perishable food from businesses that closed their kitchens because of COVID-19, transported USDA Farmers to Families Food Boxes to nonprofit agencies and schools to feed their clients, and connected excess produce from community gardens with those who are hungry.

Please join Best Care EAP for their next virtual training on Wednesday, January 20, from 9 to 10 a.m. The training is titled Brunt Crispy and will address career/job burnout. Job burnout is a special type of work-related stress—a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity, and shouldn’t be viewed as a sign of weakness but rather a sign to take a step back to evaluate. Whatever the cause may be, job burnout can affect your physical and mental health. In this program, participants will learn signs and symptoms of job burnout and ways to overcome this state of being. To register, please email Best Care EAP at EAP@BestCareEAP.org, call (402) 354-8000, or go to the event link: www.eventbrite.com/e/ free-monthly-series-burnt-crispy-combating-careerjob-burnouttickets-131057990979.

“This allowed us to increase the amount of perishable food provided to our nonprofit partner agencies asking for more food for their clients because of greater needs,” said Beth Ostdiek Smith, founder and CEO. “We are grateful for the community embracing our simple mission to feed hungry people rather than landfills with surplus food.”

Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue is the only nonprofit organization providing Omaha with a perishable food rescue dedicated to feeding the hungry with nutritious surplus food that otherwise would go to waste. To learn more, visit savinggracefoodrescue.org. Call (402) 215-6718 to reach the office or (402) 913-6776 if you are a food donor/recipient.

Best Care EAP offers emotional/mental health support to your employees, helping them focus on their jobs when problems in their personal lives get too overwhelming. Additionally, Best Care offers a number of professional development options, performance coaching, and leadership training to help your organization be the best that it can be. Learn more about Best Care EAP at www.

BestCareEAP.org.

YES: WoodmenLife Tower to ‘Wear Blue’ for Slavery, Trafficking Awareness January 11 Heartland Hope Mission Seeks Donations of Winter Coats for People of All Ages and Sizes The Heartland Hope Mission is seeking increased donations of winter coats for children and adults of all ages and sizes, as the need at this time of the year is tremendous and Heartland Hope Mission provides clothing to their clients at no cost. They accept donations of new or gently used coats at both the south Omaha pantry (2021 U St.) or the Millard pantry (5321 S 139 Plaza) during our pantry times. Heartland Hope Mission also has volunteer shifts available for the month of January. Volunteers are needed to distribute food, clothing and hygiene products.

Heartland Hope Mission operates one of the largest food pantries in the state, but is More than a Pantry as they help families work toward self-sufficiency. They primarily serve working poor families and those who may be facing a crisis situation with a week’s supply of food, clothing, diapers, job resources, and community referrals.

To stay up-to-date about all the great work they are doing, , visit hearlandhopemission.org, or follow them on Facebook (@ HearlandHopeMission) or LinkedIn (@Heartland Hope Mission).

To schedule a time to volunteer or to receive more information about volunteering, please email Amanda at Amanda@ HeartlandHopeMission.org. For more information about how to donate coats, email Renae at Renae@HeartlandHopeMission.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Youth Emergency Ser vices (YES) is excited to announce that the WoodmenLife Tower in downtown Omaha will ‘Wear Blue’ on Monday, January 11, in recognition of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. January 11, #WearBlueDay, is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s annual Blue Campaign, designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking and respond appropriately to suspected cases. Toward raising awareness, the public is encouraged to take photos of themselves, friends, family, and colleagues wearing blue clothing on January 11 and share them on social media with the #WearBlueDay hashtag.

Creighton University researchers estimate that 900 individuals are sold for sex in Nebraska—often multiple times—each month. Homeless youth and runaways are among the most heavily targeted populations for human slavery and trafficking, experiencing everything from physical violence, torture, and starvation to rape and other sexual abuse, psychological abuse, coercion, blackmail, drug addiction, and other horrors.

Youth Emergency Services is the only nonprofit in Omaha with the sole mission of helping youth who are experiencing homelessness and near-homelessness in our community. YES offers a full continuum of care to ensure all youth receive the support they need, no matter their situation. That includes a street outreach center, emergency shelter, transitional living, maternity group home, and rapid rehousing program. For more information, visit yesomaha. org or email Michael Watkins at mwatkins@yesomaha.org.

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NONPROFIT NEWS Habitat Omaha’s Home Repair Program Provides Veteran, Student with Furnace

NAMI Omaha Announces January 7 Affiliate Meeting on Zoom

Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, through its Home Repair Program, was able to provide Deb, a veteran and fulltime student, with a working furnace.

For more than two years, Deb had been living without a working furnace. When she found out that fixing her 30-yearold unit would be more expensive than replacing it, she made the tough decision to go without.

NAMI Omaha’s announced that their next Mental Health NAMI Affiliate meeting will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday, January 7, from 6 to 8 p.m., during which three individuals experiencing mentalhealth challenges will give a presentation. Advanced registration must be done through Zoom (Meeting ID: 895 6628 9161).

"I closed off the rooms in my house and I only lived in three rooms on the first floor. I kept four space heaters going. Three on the main floor and one in the lower level to keep the pipes from freezing,” Deb explained. "I applied to Habitat Omaha’s Home Repair Program and was approved for a new furnace. Now I don't have the constant worry that comes with running space heaters around the clock and have full use of my home again."

Habitat Omaha’s home improvement Programs can assist with a variety of projects, from larger-scale exterior repairs to smallerscale energy efficiency upgrades. Qualifying homeowners in need of urgent repairs can receive emergency home repair loans. To apply and learn more about qualifications, call Habitat Omaha at (402) 457-5657 or visit habitatomaha.org/programs/home-repair.

HETRA Annual Fundraising Drive Bolstered

by Success Stories, Meaningful Results Along with their annual December funding letter in 2020, Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA) kicked off a month-long series of impactful success stories and testimonials to demonstrate the true impact of your support on the organization. They have 25 horses in their herd to work with veterans and children and adults living with disabilities to achieve physical, mental, and occupational therapy goals. Each horse in the HETRA herd has a unique personality and skillset to help program participants achieve their specific goals. As part of the December series, one long-term volunteer explained the value of the program and the herd like this: “I never truly understood until I began volunteering at HETRA that each horse has its own personality, temperament, fears, likes, and dislikes, just like people. It has been an amazing journey over the past five years getting to know the horses better and learning to treat them as individuals, with respect and dignity. Being present during each interaction offers ongoing understanding and wisdom on working in unison with each horse to accomplish what needs to happen to facilitate a positive therapeutic experience for all riders.

I am so grateful to be part of such an amazing organization….

Thanks, HETRA, for enriching so many lives.”

The Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy comprises a team of dedicated instructors, occupational, physical, and mentalhealth therapists, a band of dedicated volunteers, and 25 wonderful therapy horses. They work to change lives One Stride at a Time for children and adults living with disabilities, as well as veterans and their families. To learn more, participate, or donate, visit hetra.org or call (402) 359-8830.

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NAMI Omaha is a nonprofit organization comprising consumers, family members, professionals, and friends who have come together to share and take comfort in the commonality of their experiences and to educate members of their communities about serious brain disorders. In addition to providing education, literature, support, workshops, conferences, and more, NAMI Omaha actively advocates at the local, state, and national levels to improve the services for and the lives of those affected by mental illness and their families. For more information about NAMI Omaha, visit namiomaha.org or call (402) 345-8101 / (877) 463-626. For helpful articles about mental illness, follow NAMI Omaha on Facebook (@NAMIOmaha).

Red Cross Accepts Nominations for 2021 Heroes in the Heartland to Honor Locals The American Red Cross is accepting nominations for its 2021 Heroes in the Heartland, which will be awarded during a virtual event on March 9. Through this program, the Red Cross annually honors a handful of individuals or groups in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area who have done something extraordinary in the last year or who have dedicated their lives to serving others in need. During 2020, so many people have stepped up to help others, and the Red Cross wants to honor these individuals or groups. Following are the categories of Heroes in the Heartland in which you can nominate: • Call to Action – Presented to an individual who, by circumstances beyond their control, found themselves in a challenging situation and demonstrated extraordinary courage.

• Commitment to Community – Presented to an individual, couple, group, or organization that has made a tremendous impact on the community through their volunteerism, philanthropy, service to others, or example.

• Disaster Relief – Presented to an individual or organization who has served an important role in disaster relief in our community.

• Gift of Life – Presented to an individual, couple, group, or organization that supports the lifesaving mission through personal blood or platelet donations or inspiring others to give blood or platelets.

• Good Samaritan – Presented to an individual who is considered a hero because of their unselfish devotion and concern for the welfare of others.

• Lifetime Hero – Presented to an individual who inspires others by their example. This individual has overcome hardship, risen above challenges, or dedicated their life to serving others.

• Public Servant Hero – Presented to an individual who, in the line of duty (police, fire, military, medical, etc.) went above and beyond the call.

Each day, the American Red Cross is active in the community, serving those in need. To nominate a Hero in the Heartland, visit redcross.org/ local/Nebraska and click on “2021 Heroes in the Heartland” under the About Us tab. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

HEALTH NEWS Prairie Meadows Protects Residents, Staff, Vendors with Access to COVID Vaccinations In an effort to protect the safety of residents, prospective residents, staff, and vendors, Prairie Meadows Alzheimer’s Special Care Center is ensuring that they all have ready access to the COVID-19 vaccination.

In accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in recognition of the extraordinary burden of the pandemic on long-term care facilities, people living in senior living and assisted living facilities are among the first groups to get the vaccines. Prairie Meadows associates have assured that their residents, staff, and vendors will have access to them by early this month. They are also continuing to provide a season full of safe engagement through their specialized programming.

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Part of JEA Senior Living, Prairie Meadows Alzheimer’s Special Care Center is a memory-care facility with 66 beds in four types of apartment-style housing—private deluxe, private, semi-private (just shared bathroom), and companion rooms—and a nurse at the facility around the clock. They use a “Meaningful Moments” program to help get to know residents by learning their life stories and finding out their preferences, likes, dislikes, and cherished memories. Prairie Meadows then incorporates that information into their everyday care. For more information, visit jeaseniorliving.com or call (402) 391-2790.

FAMILY, Inc. Awarded $20K from COVID Fund to Help Create Mobile Wellness Unit FA M I LY, I n c . wa s r e c e n t l y awarded $20,000 from the Southwest Iowa COVID Response Fund to sponsor their new Mobile Wellness Unit, a project inspired

by COVID to deliver improved access to health and safety assessments to underserved and rural children. FAMILY, Inc. will use the $20,000 to purchase and retro-fit an RV that will be taken into underserved communities, providing safe dental, vision, hearing, and nutritional screenings, as well as lead testing and developmental assessments for children.

Includes: Supervised Medical Office Visits Hormone Replacement Therapy Peptide Therapy IV Therapy Emsculpt Weight Loss

The Mobile Wellness Unit will deliver access to health and safety assessments to thousands of children and connect them to the support they need to give them the best chances of success. The donation from the Southwest Iowa COVID Response Fund will help get the project off the ground; however, FAMILY, Inc. is still seeking sponsorships to assist with the ongoing operations and maintenance so that the Mobile Wellness Unit can continue operating and helping children in the coming months.

FAMILY, Inc. provides public-health and family-support services to women, children, and families in Pottawattamie and Mills counties. The Southwest Iowa COVID Response Fund was created via a partnership between the Iowa West Foundation and the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation. To donate or to become a sponsor for the Mobile Family Wellness Unit, please contact Executive Director Kimberly Kolakowski at kkolakowski@ familyia.org / (712) 256-9566. Learn more at familyia.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

1501 Jackson Street Omaha, Nebraska 68102 402.999.2329 JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business

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HEALTH NEWS American Heart Association Announces Virtual 2021 Omaha Heart & Stroke Ball

Nebraska Safety Council Announces Kick the COVID-19 Goodbye Challenge

The American Hear t Association (AHA), the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is pleased to bring the 2021 Interactive Digital Heart Ball experience to Omaha on Thursday, February 18. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. with a virtual happy hour and is followed by the program which includes speakers, an auction, and entertainment.

Join the Nebraska Safety Council for a 19-week weight loss challenge! Have you found yourself struggling to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine during the pandemic? If so, sign up as a company or an individual for the Kick the COVID-19 Goodbye Challenge, running January 19 through May 31, 2021. The company cost is $19 for members (per person); $29 for non-members (per person). Individual sign-up on NESC website is $29.

There are several awards, prizes, and incentives included when you participate in this challenge. It is a great way to hold yourself accountable while also supporting others throughout the 19-week period. You will have access to the following benefits and more: • Access to a closed Facebook group with weekly FAQ's, access to multiple resources, support from other participants, and more • Weekly leaderboard updates for the top 10 participants • Weekly badges for each participant that has lost at least one pound • Discounted individual coaching sessions The mission of the Nebraska Safety Council is to provide education and leadership to empower Nebraskans to live safe and healthy. To learn more or to sign up for a membership today, visit nesafetycouncil.org, call (402) 483-2511, or email nesc@nesafetycouncil.org. Read more about the challenge and sign up online at nebraskasafetycouncil.org.

Emceed by KMTV 3 News Now’s Jennifer Griswold and chaired

by Theresa and Dr. Jeff Carstens of CHI Health, the two-hour event will feature this year’s Heart Princess (courtesy of signature sponsor, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center) and a chance to recognize locals who are making a difference for AHA’s mission.

This year’s American Heart Association annual Heart Ball goes virtual as the safety of sponsors, donors, and all involved remains at the forefront due to COVID-19 concerns and mandates. The Heart Ball is one of the AHA’s main fundraising programs that campaigns year-round. To hear from survivors, honor award recipients, participate in the auction, and learn how you can help further the life-saving mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, go online to heart.org/OmahaHeartBall to register for this event.

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CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

TRANSFORMING BUILDINGS

Through Design, Construction, and Operation Engineered Controls’ vision is to participate in projects to transform the way buildings are designed, built, and operated; and to create environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. From the integration of new control technologies into their designs, to the contracting work they engage in, Engineered Controls is participating in the green movement in construction right here in Nebraska and Iowa.

Building Automation Systems can earn LEED points a variety of ways. Categories include: • Potable water use reduction • Lighting controls • Sensors for Occupancy and CO2 • Measurement and recording • Building automation system

Engineered Controls has participated in the following Green building projects, to name a few.

Air Force Global Weather Agency—Engineered Controls provided the environmental control system for the Air Force Global Weather Agency Facility at Offutt AFB. The 188,000-square-foot facility is responsible for providing around-theclock weather analyses, forecasts, and warnings for global climatological intelligence to military, DOD, national agencies, and allied nations for the planning and execution of missions.

“AFWA wanted a contractor that AFWA Facility achieved LEED Gold could deliver a state of the art certification. Engineered Controls began building management system working with the Air Force Weather Agency in 2006 as part of the original with open communications construction team. Engineered Controls protocols to obtain the flexibility provided all the product, electrical and interoperability they desired. installation and commissioning labor, and The combination of Engineered provide all required site commissioning Controls and Honeywell’s WEBs with the US Corp of Engineers.

"We had Engineered Controls upgrade our software and while they were here, the ECI technician was able to improve the boiler staging to make them operate more efficiently.

We should see a big savings on our energy bill. Way to go Engineered Controls!" – Craig Billings, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Elkhorn

product met all of AFWA’s needs for today and into the future.“

J. James Exxon FBI Headquarters Building—Engineered Controls provided the environmental control system for the J. James Exxon FBI Headquarters Building in Omaha at 4411 S. 121st Street. The 161,700-square-foot facility that serves as the Regional Headquarters for the FBI achieved LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and incorporated numerous sustainable design features, including recycled and regional materials, building automation, gas detection controls, VFDs, energy metering, 3rd party integration, and planned maintenance.

Metro Community College - Engineered Controls provided the environmental control system for the new - three building complex at Metropolitan Community College – Fort Omaha Campus. The 252,000-sq. ft. facility is responsible for providing advanced educational opportunities for the Omaha area. The MCC project is projected to achieved LEED Gold certification.

Established in 1994, Engineered Controls offers complete turnkey building control solutions including system design, new construction and owner-direct retrofit sales, installation, repair service, and preventative maintenance work for smart buildings.

402.339.1300 engineeredcontrols.com #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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Whether it’s creating new opportunities or working through unexpected challenges for your business, we’re here to help. Our team members take the time to learn about your needs. Our goal is simple: to understand your business and deliver smart, personal advice helping you navigate the future, no matter what it may bring.

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Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

At the beginning of each year, many people make personal plans and resolutions for the New Year, looking back on the previous year and identifying ways to improve themselves and continue their personal journeys to achieve the life they envision. When it comes to businesses, annual plans are a necessity to build upon a company’s broader vision and core values, while updating specific metrics and budgets to guide their leadership and employees throughout the year.

After talking with business experts in the Omaha area, we recommend that you add professional coaching to your agenda this year, in addition to the professional advice of financial gurus. Of course, annual business plans must be flexible enough to adapt to unexpected changes and the often-volatile marketplace—think COVID in 2020! Preparation for and execution of your annual plan reviews expectations from the previous year, then builds from there to give everyone in the company a sense of where the business is heading and how they intend to get there.

So, what is included in an annual business plan itself? Certainly, it must revolve around the ever-enduring SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals that help businesses focus their efforts, increase chances of success, and ensure that they use their time and resources in the most productive ways possible. From there, a company can develop financial projections and budgets that take into account anticipated expenses and projected income—in addition to expected financing needs for the year. The plan also must outline responsibilities and expectations of individual employees, teams, or departments and the parts of the plan for which they are responsible and held accountable, to the degree that they can control. Rounding out the picture is an annual vision that maps out what owners or managers realistically want the business to look like at the end of the year.

Continuing to tell your story through marketing is also crucial to continue throughout these crazy times.

Of course, as 2020 taught us beyond all measure, things don’t always go as planned, so it’s crucial to include contingency options in every plan and be flexible to change. Options might be in the form of reserves for emergencies, be they cash or maintenance of room for unexpected cash-flow needs a line of credit. The final pieces of the planning puzzle bring the projections, goals, and plan together with specific tools and processes that will serve as the avenues to achieving those goals. It might sound like a lot of work, but it’s not nearly as much as you’ll eventually face if you fail to plan your business path and your work/life balance each year. It can help you stay on track and adapt to the unforeseen changes in the marketplace. The good news is that there are a host of experts in the Omaha area who can help ensure that you lay that track strategically and are prepared for what is to come, whether you know what that is or not.

Crucial Financial Expertise Financial goals are the very crux of business planning, and in the current environment, it’s essential that businesses go the extra mile to set flexible short- and long-term goals as they look at possible scenarios for 2021 and beyond. It’s also crucial that you seek professional financial assistance for the process because there are more forks in the journey than usual.

“We encourage customers and prospects to allow us to navigate through short- and long-term financial goals with a Cornhusker Bank Life #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Road Map planning session,” said Cornhusker Executive Vice President David Shiffermiller.

“As a Cornhusker Bank client or prospect, they’ll have a banker and a dedicated team whose aim is to understand short-term financial needs and long-term financial goals. The team will help analyze financial health, while offering customized lending and depository solutions, as well as other expert strategic advice to help meet objectives. Our banker will meet with clients to discuss personal and/or business goals utilizing our Life Road Map, too. This David Shiffermiller tool will help determine the steps needed to Cornhusker Bank meet goals.”

Challenges to the business-planning process for 2021 will include keeping current about all of the COVID-related legislation, Internal Revenue Service rules, and potential financial-stimulus dollars to continue to support, stabilize, and grow your business. In addition, managing employees and staffing will continue to be a challenge in 2021, as companies continue to work remotely and plan for every possible scenario moving forward.

“Communicating with your banking partners during these times— as a resource for industry information and financial-planning and forecasting—will be critical,” Shiffermiller said.

Business planning this year also will include adapting to the dramatic changes in business processes during the last year to help you emerge as a healthy business in a new normal, if there is such a thing. You’ll need to seek new and alternate opportunities and prepare, prepare, prepare! But don’t get stuck in the rut of pessimism, despite the hefty challenges that abound.

“The trend in the financial industry has been toward leveraging technology and creating convenience for customers striving to meet expectations for delivering products and services,” Shiffermiller said. “The past year has been a great example of how quickly consumer behavior can change.

Being prepared to embrace these changes has served us well. Look for growth opportunities, consider obstacles, and plan well and prepare!

Consider advice from all trusted advisors, including bankers, attorneys, accountants, insurance advisors, and the like. Be nimble and open to new ideas, and keep a positive perspective on long-term success.”

Customized Technology Given the crucial role that technology and marketing play in any business today, your business plan must incorporate your needs in these categories.

True North Technologies is a frontrunner in mobile app and website development for businesses, in addition to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), branding, and digital-marketing services in the region. Regardless of the size of your business or organization, the experts at True North can help you customize your company or organization’s industry-specific needs, including everything from a basic strategy to a comprehensive package. In the end, it’s always about giving your business a voice in modern business practices. Maybe best of all, you don’t have to be technologically savvy to understand from True North how they can help you, help yourself.

“We strive to help others with their business planning by making the process simple,” said True North Owner Renee Sobotka. “Even the least-techie business owner can tackle the mobile world with our help. We love helping others find their True North. You need lots of tools to compete with larger corporations and franchises, and we will listen to your unique business needs and produce a strategy to help position you for success. By adding product lines, we are really giving business owners the tools they need to thrive. We know our industry like the back of our hands, and there’s Renee Sobotka no challenge too big or too small!”

True North Technologies

Websites Mobile Apps SEO Social Media Branding Blog Writing TapOnIt

402.420.5101 go-tnt.com #PrintProudDigitalSmart

JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business

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Surviving vs. Thriving The uncertainties that COVID delivered upset the apple cart time and again in 2020, making 2021 business planning maybe more crucial than ever. In addition to the challenges for business metrics and management, 2020 was challenging for employees, many of whom faced change and uncertainty throughout most of the year. As a result, both business owners and employees may feel overwhelmed, disconnected, disorganized, or constantly stressed, which directly affects productivity, morale and, in short, the very success of a business. Business coaching can help bring you back from surviving to thriving.

“What I can provide for corporations and small businesses alike is next-level coaching that helps the team thrive and take businesses to the next level,” said 365DailyHustle Owner Karissa Williams. “Businesses are stressed out to the max, and I help them stop stressing and recover from burnout. The biggest thing I hear from businesses and employees is that there’s not enough time in the day. I can provide them with tools and strategies to make the time you have work best for you. We cover time management and prioritization, as well as Karissa Williams networking and building strong relationships 365DailyHustle that can help grow your business, but you need a strategic plan.”

In 365DailyHustle business-coaching sessions, you and your employees will learn about organization and talk about setting work boundaries, especially important when you have employees working from home.

When you’re working from home, the work/life boundary gets blurred, and the mentality of always being ON—like feeling obligated to answer emails at 8 in the evening—typically means that team members are stressing more and sleeping less.

“Burnout is terrible for a business,” Karissa said. “You end up with employees who are tired, disgruntled, and irritable, leading to reduced

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Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

productivity. That’s where I come in. Corporate coaching supports individuals and teams because happy, healthy employees are more productive and excited to show up to work. Everyone is a winner when your teams are happy and the owner is happy.”

While some business owners might think it counterintuitive to increase marketing budgets when business is down and times are tough, it’s actually one of the most growth-oriented things you can do, Karissa said.

That includes a well-rounded marketing plan, but definitely increased digital marketing.

“Don’t be cutting budgets for marketing,” she said. “You have to get really smart about the ROI on ads, and target potential customers.

You have to increase your overall marketing, but definitely your digital budget. Social media is insane right now because so many people are online cruising the internet. Getting in there and standing out will help small businesses compete better with companies that have big marketing budgets. You have to keep your company visible. As a small business, I have to do this, too. For example, I’ve never done print but said yes to it in the middle of COVID. You have to be a little bit of everywhere.”

Karissa offers three key pieces of advice to businesses working on their annual planning and strategies in 2021. First, get yourself a coach or mentor to bounce ideas off of and hold you accountable. Second, get yourself some clarity and focus. When times get scary, ask yourself, ‘How can I make a dollar?’ Stay focused and aligned with what you’re good at and make it available online. Finally, think about what can help your business stand out in a crowd. What’s going to make you different moving forward? Why would someone pick your business over another?

Become the authority on what you do, share your knowledge, and set yourself apart.

Planning with a Purpose Before you lay out the goals for your business for this year and beyond, it’s essential that you have a clear basis for what you want accomplish overall. Business owners and managers are crucial to this piece of the puzzle, and if you’re not clear on that basis, or purpose, we encourage you to consider contacting ActionCOACH for assistance, because planning without a purpose isn’t really planning at all. You might be charting a course, but to where?

“If you follow the definition of planning as your guide, you will see why the process is so critical to any company’s success,” said.

ActionCOACH Certified Business Coach Jim Barger. “In organizations, planning can become a management process, concerned with defining goals for a future direction and determining the missions and resources to achieve those targets. To meet the goals, managers may develop plans, such as a business or marketing plan. Planning always has a purpose and means you have a sense Jim Barger in mind. While tactics and strategies to ActionCOACH achieve the goals set forth might change, the PLAN—the very foundation of what you want to accomplish—shouldn’t.”

One thing the pandemic has done, unfortunately in many cases, is illustrate clearly that trying to operate a business without a solid plan can be fatal.

“You would never take a trip without at least knowing where you were going,” Jim said. “Planning for a business is much the same.

If you have ideas of where your business should be or where you want your business to be, then planning is necessary. With the pandemic, companies that operate by the seat of their pants found themselves, in short order, naked, and unable to pivot resources to the challenges and changes in the marketplace that were happening so fast,” Jim said.

Characteristics of your annual plan should include everything from intellectual and mental exercise to managerial function, goal focus, a basis of continuous improvement, positive and persuasive action, and future-facing—and it must be forward facing. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

“Remember,” Jim said, “tactics and strategies can change. You can deploy resources differently or allocate them in new ways to meet market conditions, but you should never abandon your bigger, better, and stronger plans. Only with a road map, a chart, can you stay the course and achieve the business goals you want. Using a learning platform like ActionCOACH is not only a success, it is a WIN! You are charting a new course build on the foundations of what you have learned.”

The Remote Workplace According to a recent survey by Gartner, Inc., 88% of businesses across the globe mandated or encouraged all of their employees to work from home as COVID hit and the virus began to spread. Clearly, this forced work-from-home trend requires serious consideration in your business planning, and that includes consideration of creating quality home workspaces for your employees—especially if you plan to maintain work-from-home employees beyond the pandemic. As the owners of Storage Concepts, Inc. guide their business into 2021, they are in high gear serving their individual, home-construction, and multi-family customers—and that includes responding to the growing trend toward home-office needs.

“We’ve seen increased demand for home offices in the Omaha area in 2020 with so many people working from home,” said Owner Ed Abersfeller. “Interestingly, most home offices we’re doing are designated to a spare bedroom, where we then incorporate a Murphy bed to maintain the functionality of a guest bedroom. The question now is: ‘Will this trend continue post-COVID-19?’ and we believe it will.”

Storage Concepts Inc. is the oldest customcloset company in the state of Nebraska, Ed Abersfeller Storage Concepts, Inc. and they have a wonderful history with their customers across the entire upper Midwest. As a family-owned, non-franchise business, they are free to offer customers any range of products—from the closet to the garage, pantry, home office, or wine cellar—that best meets their wants and needs. If you’re working from home or the kids are remote learning—or both—consider some of the fabulous home-office concepts that Storage Concepts Inc. can accomplish for you. They can truly bring your dreams to life.

Keep in mind, too, that employees working from home—in addition to your business as a whole—need access to dependable internet services to avoid slowing your company’s productivity. Cox Communications, a leading provider of high-speed broadband internet in Omaha, encourages businesses to keep up with technology trends—including high-speed internet services—to ensure that they have the tools to stay ahead of their competition and save money.

Cox offers powerful one gigabit broadband internet speeds—equal to 1,000 megabits per second. They also have made significant upgrades to their infrastructure in Omaha, as part of the company’s commitment to invest $10 billion in their network over the next five years. Their DOCSIS 3.1 technology builds on the strength of Cox’s fiber-based network and provides the ability to roll out gigabit internet speeds through more neighborhoods and areas in the city at a faster pace. Cox Communications also is an industry leader in managed cloud services.

Powered by RapidScale Technology, Cox Business Cloud Solutions can help any size business or organization manage securely, remotely, and seamlessly with their robust managed cloud services. Because customers and business challenges are always growing and evolving, they offer a variety of customized options to tailor services to specific industries, including small businesses, higher education, K-12 education, government, healthcare, hospitality, and more—to drive real results for your business.

Annual business planning is essential to the health of any company or organization. Enter COVID, and it’s more crucial than ever that you have a strong base and mission from which to plan, as well as access to the expertise to help ensure you’re on track for success. We encourage you to reach out to the experts featured here to plan in a timely, meaningful, and successful way! #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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SUPPORTING NONPROFITS Our hearts go out to the many nonprofits in our community that have felt the enormous burden brought on by COVID. We're at the point now where it's almost been a full year of restrictions and shut-downs that have forced organizations to either cancel, postpone, or reinvent their programs and fundraisers online. In addition to financial strain, these nonprofits have also suffered losses in their volunteer count. It's hard to watch, but we've also seen reassuring efforts to counteract these setbacks. Community members and organization leaders have really stepped up, shown selflessness, and gotten creative.

This became very evident through 2020's Giving Tuesday. On December 1, the metro showed up in a big way, almost doubling giving from 2019’s Giving Tuesday. According to SHARE Omaha, $3,158,015 was given by everyday philanthropists to Omaha area nonprofits—with 32% being first-time donors and the average donation amount of $114. In addition, 28,692 items were given, including diapers, hygiene products, winter gear, canned goods, and supplies, all valued at $32,784! This is amazing.

We have all suffered losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it's even more impressive that our giving went up! We need to continue doing our part to help the community by investing in our nonprofits in any way we can. That doesn't always mean monetary donations. There are many ways to give back and get involved, such as participating in or hosting a donation drive at your business, volunteering your skills and talents, and spreading awareness by sharing needs from nonprofits on your social media channels. We'd like recognize entities like the Omaha Community Foundation for identifying the major needs in the community and creating solutions to meet those needs. Through their COVID-19 Response Fund, the Omaha Community Foundation has raised more than $1.3 million from over 6,000 community members and distributed $1.2 million to support 51 local nonprofits addressing urgent needs. The COVID-19 Response Fund makes grants to organizations that have deep roots in the community and strong experience working with residents without health insurance and/or access to sick days, people with limited English language proficiency, healthcare, and low-wage workers, and communities of color, among others. The following areas of need are the focus of this fund: food support, healthcare, emergency housing, emergency financial assistance, and seniors. To learn more and give to the response fund, visit omahafoundation.org/community/covid-19-response-fund.

At Strictly Business, we believe it is so important to support our local nonprofits. Not only do local nonprofits help enrich Nebraskan life, but they also create jobs and give workers, volunteers, and donors alike a connection to something greater than themselves.

Nebraska's nonprofit sector provides about 10% of private sector jobs in our state. When we pitch in to help nonprofits, we’re helping our communities and neighbors and keeping a culture of humanity, art, and philanthropy alive.

Nebraska’s nonprofits do whatever they can to make our beautiful state an even better place to live, and so we also want to bring awareness to their efforts. Our Supporting Nonprofits feature is a place to recognize some of these amazing organizations and the work they're doing locally. Readers should keep these nonprofits in mind when they’re choosing to give back to Omaha this year.

Whether you choose to donate your own time or to give back through your business, supporting any of these nonprofits will have positive ripple effects in the lives of fellow Nebraskans.

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#PrintProudDigitalSmart

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives—devoted to saving people from two of the nation’s top killers: heart disease (No. 1) and stroke (No. 5).

Powered by millions of volunteers, global and local collaborators, their goal is equitably increase worldwide healthy life expectancy from 64 to at least 67 years by 2030.

Through events right here in Omaha like the Heart Walk, Go Red for Women, and Heart Ball, the American Heart Association is making an impact. For more information, visit www.heart.org/Omaha.

Through a growing grassroots network of volunteers who hail from every corner or the state, Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) unleashes abundant local assets, inspires charitable giving, and connects ambitious people to build stronger communities and a Greater Nebraska.

Headquartered in Lincoln with employees working from hometowns all across the state, Nebraska Community Foundation provides financial management, strategic development, donor education, and training in partnership with 1,500 volunteers serving 270 Nebraska communities. In the last five years, 45,313 contributions were made to NCF and its affiliated funds. Since 1994, NCF has reinvested $393.1 million in Nebraska’s people and places. For information, visit NebraskaHometown.org or call (402) 323-7330.

CenterPointe offers a broad continuum of care with more than 35 programs in Omaha and Lincoln in the areas of crisis response, treatment, rehabilitation, housing, and peer support. By treating the whole person, mental health, physical health, and addiction can be addressed together in real time. Since its start in 1973 under the name Full Circle by Lincoln Lancaster Drug Projects, CenterPointe has been a leader in holistic healthcare.

Housing was added in the 1990s. As more programs are added to address the individual more holistically, more and more men, women, teens, and veterans are able to take steps on their journey toward a healthier life. The majority of CenterPointe consumers experience both severe and persistent mental illness and addiction issues. Nearly every individual CenterPointe serves has very low or no income when they enter our programs. CenterPointe’s mission is to help those they serve get better, sooner, for longer. Learn more online at www. centerpointe.org or by calling (402) 475-8717.

Embracing God’s call, Mosaic in Omaha relentlessly pursues opportunities to empower people.

Even in this pandemic, they’ve not only worked to keep people safe and healthy, they’ve found creative ways to keep people engaged and active.

As a whole-person healthcare organization, Mosaic knows the importance of looking at all areas of a person’s life to help them experience optimal health. Thanks to their dedicated employees and contractors, the nearly 250 people we serve have continued to learn new skills, engage in safe outdoor activities and virtual visits with family and friends, and participate in virtual worship if they chose to.

You’re invited to learn more about Mosaic by attending one of their virtual Discover the Possibilities events. There, you’ll hear personal stories of those we serve told by the people closest to them. Contact Kara Covrig to learn more at kara.covrig@mosaicinfo.org or visit www.mosaicinfo.org/locations/nebraska/omaha. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

The Hope Center for Kids started with a vision in the heart of a father who saw the need for hope in the lives of kids who could not see beyond their circumstances. Today, 22 years after the late Pastor Ty Schenzel opened the doors, The Hope is home to multiple learning spaces, a commercial kitchen and cafeteria, basketball gym, the Hope Skate roller rink, COX STEM Lab and more.

Youth ages 5–19 are offered identity-based programming and a safe place to play and grow. High school students also have the opportunity to apply and interview for The Hope Employment & Learning Academy, a program that prepares youth for successful employment.

Join The Hope vision to help give kids in North Omaha the support to graduate from high school and develop a plan for the future, while experiencing the love of Jesus. Go to hopecenterforkids. com or call (402) 341-4673.

The mission of the Nebraska Safety Council is simple: For more than 60 years, they have provided education and leadership to empower people to live safe and healthy. The Nebraska Safety Council’s comprehensive programs, training courses, events, and services are designed to improve employee care at a desk, on the production floor, behind the wheel, and off the job. Their unique Worker 360° approach provides integrated risk management to improve overall worker quality of life and positively impact an organization’s bottom line.

Members of the Nebraska Safety Council include organizations throughout Nebraska and surrounding areas, across a variety of industries. There is no one-size-fits-all option. Each company’s safety and well-being program is customized for their needs and size.

Demonstrate your commitment to employee safety and health by becoming a member of the Nebraska Safety Council. You will receive access to training, guidance, and resources to establish or enhance your safety and wellness programs and policies.

The Nebraska Safety Council provides leadership and resources for a safe and healthy workplace and community. To reach their team, call (402) 483-2511 or visit nesafetycouncil.org to learn more.

The First Responders Foundation is a social impact organization that directly supports first responders, veterans, and their families.

First responders put their lives on the line for us every day to save and protect the people of our community. The mission of the First Responders Foundation is to serve and honor all our first responders, veterans, and their families; build appreciation and respect for their work; and enhance public safety.

Programming includes: The First Responders Support Team (FRST)— mental and emotional well-being programs and support groups, both in person and via telehealth; Physical Health/Fitness classes and nutritional classes and services; Awards of Excellence Scholarships for first responders children; Appreciation Lunches for first responders; JAVELAN—service dogs for first responders and veterans; Home Safety Program providing smoke/ carbon monoxide detectors; Tri County Fire Corps program for youth; Supporting Officers on 4 Legs—K-9, Mounted Patrol & Alley the Arson Dog. Major events: 9/11 Luncheon of Honor and Guns & Hoses Boxing Challenge.

Your financial gifts to the First Responders Foundation help provide programs for local first responders and the community. For information or to volunteer, contact Jodi Teal at jodi@firstrespondersomaha.org / (402) 218-1234 or visit www.firstrespondersfoundation.org.

JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business 43

A n ge l s A m o n g U s p ro v i d e s financial assistance to families whose c hildren are battling pediatric cancer. Any family living in or being treated in Nebraska is eligible to apply. Once approved, families are provided with $500 a month for the length of their entire treatment plan, up to three years, to help them stay financially stable during treatment. Funds are paid directly to the creditor, which ensures that funds are used for their intended purpose. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, a family’s life as they know it comes to an abrupt halt. Unfortunately, their monthly expenses do not. Since 2006, Angels Among Us has assisted over 500 families with over $2.7 million in support.

There are angels among us. Will you be one? Gifts of any amount are welcome and encouraged. There is strength in numbers. There is also hope, help, and monetary relief. For more information, contact Angels Among Us at (402) 934-0999 or visit the website at www.myangelsamongus.org.

What began as a mother’s wish to offer a playful respite for her daughter fighting brain cancer has now become a movement to reclaim the innocence and playfulness of c hildhood for those threatened by the realities of their medical conditions. Bags of Fun are an essential tool that brings the power of play and distraction from pain into the lives of children fighting a life-threatening illness. Each bag of happiness is individually crafted to provide joy, laughter, and relief to children in the fight of their lives—inspiring pediatric patients to be kids and play while they struggle through tough treatments.

It was Gabby Krause’s wish that every child at the hospital could have their own Bag of Fun, and it is an honor to carry out her wish! Bringing a sense of normalcy, especially during these times, is something everyone could benefit from.

Since beginning in Omaha in September 2019, Bags of Fun has delivered over 130 Bags of Fun to kids! The nonprofit is excited for what the future has to hold, especially with the immense support they have already experienced in the community. “The body cannot heal without PLAY, the mind cannot heal without LAUGHTER, the heart cannot heal without COMMUNITY.” Visit bagsoffun.org to learn more about the Bags of Fun mission.

NALA is a 100% volunteer-based organization steadfast in its commitment to changing the way society thinks about animals, animal rescues, and the impact animals have on humans. They strive to match homeless animals with people who can provide loving homes where both will enjoy the benefits of this companionship.

NALA provides all vaccinations, heartworm testing, spays/neuters, and microchipping. From rehoming healthy felines and canines to caring for the sickest of the sick, NALA is there! Besides routine care, they do so much more such as bottle-feeding newborns, treating illnesses like parvo, distemper, heartworm, ringworm, surgeries, and behavior training/support.

In addition to monetary donations, NALA needs foster homes, event volunteers, transporters, etc. They need it all! They hope that someday there will not be a need for their animal services for the sick, neglected, abused, and unwanted, but until that day, NALA will be there with open homes, hearts, and arms. To learn more, visit nalarescue.org.

44 Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

Open Door Mission is a Gospel Rescue Mission founded in 1954 committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Each day, Open Door Mission’s campus offers 917 safe shelter beds to homeless men, women, and children; serves over 4,747 nutritious meals; and provides homeless preventive measures to more than 1,000 people living in poverty.

Visit www.opendoormission.org or call (402) 422-1111 to see how you can make a difference in the community.

Founded in 1984, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha is a grassroots organization that builds and renovates houses, forges community partnerships and breaks down barriers.

Service areas include Burt County, Cass County, Omaha, Sarpy County, and Washington County.

Habitat Omaha homebuyers complete up to 275 hours of sweat equity before purchasing their homes through 30-year affordable mortgages. Their Home Improvement Programs help community members maintain their homes through 0% interest loans and grantfunded, no-cost services.

Omaha’s two Habitat ReStores, 1003 S 24th St. and 10910 Emmet St., accept donations of new, used and surplus building materials and home fixtures. These donated items are then sold to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Net proceeds help build additional Habitat Omaha homes.

Habitat Omaha relies on funds from local businesses, individuals, and organizations. Support from the local community is essential! Learn more about their work at habitatomaha.org.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease where a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone needed to get energy from food. T1D strikes children and adults suddenly and is unrelated to diet or exercise; at present, there is no cure. JDRF works every day to change this reality. As the largest global funder of T1D research, the mission of JDRF is to improve lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications. You can help make a difference by participating, volunteering, or fundraising.

Events: • JDRF Gala – April 17, 2021 • JDRF TypeOneNation Summit – Spring 2021 • JDRF One Walk – October 3, 2021 Programs: • Advocacy – Advocate for government support of research and policies for affordable and accessible therapies.

• Support/Networking Groups (virtual until further notice) • JDRF T1D Talk – Connecting the T1D community – individuals and families, 2nd Tuesday of every month • Empower1 – Connecting the adolescent T1D community, 2nd Thursday of every month • Give Back at School – School education and fundraising opportunities.

• Outreach – Resources and events for individuals and families • Ride – Destination cycling experience for all fitness levels • YLC – Young professionals raising awareness and funds for T1D. Learn more at jdrf.org/nebraskaiowa or (402) 397-2873. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

People living with vision loss get the skills and resources they need to lead independent, fully engaged lives from the Outlook Enric hment programs you fund. Using computers and smartphones without vision becomes easy with technology training from Outlook. Recreational, cultural, and social activities become possible again with a few adaptations. Those new to vision loss— whether their own or a loved one’s—find practical and emotional support from Outlook during their transition.

Outlook Enrichment’s mission is to create opportunities for people living with vision loss to achieve personal and professional growth in an inclusive community. They help their neighbors living with vision loss and blindness live life independently, confidently engage in their communities, and continue to do the things they love.

Your gifts help Outlook Enrichment change the outcomes for people living with vision loss and blindness. Help them celebrate that there is vision beyond sight for each of them. Easily make a donation at outlooken.org/donate.

Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue provides a unique service in the Omaha area by operating the only perishable food rescue dedicated to feeding the hungry with nutritious surplus food that otherwise would go to waste. Since operations began on September 30, 2013, Saving Grace has rescued more than 5 million pounds of food. Using refrigerated trucks, professional drivers/food handlers pick up produce, meats, dairy products, packaged and prepared meals, and other healthy foods from a network of regularly scheduled and on-call food donors.

This food is delivered the same day—free of charge—to nonprofit partner agencies, including food pantries, shelters, transitional living facilities, children's centers, senior centers, and clinics.

Vision Maker Media is a nonprofit established in 1976 with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Nebraska Educational Television (NET). Their mission is to empower and engage Native people to share stories. They envision a world changed and healed by understanding Native stories and the public conversations they generate. What began as a film archive to conserve and document Native American stories, transformed into the nation’s leader in content by and about Indigenous people for public broadcasting.

Incorporated in 2002, the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM) started with the goal of helping nonprofits help their communities. CEO Anne Hindery has led the organization since 2008. “We serve and strengthen more than 650 nonprofits of all sizes and missions in Nebraska and western Iowa. By connecting organizations with information, education, advocacy, and collaboration, we help our members representing health and human services, the arts, education and other areas make an impact in the communities they serve,” Hindery said.

NAM’s signature Guidelines and Principles Program (nonprofitam. org/GuidelinesandPrinciples) provides legal compliance and best practices information in 12 major areas of nonprofit management: communication, evaluation, financial management, fundraising, governance, human resources, information technology, planning, public policy and advocacy, strategic alliances, transparency and accountability, and volunteer management. The National Council of Nonprofits, the nation’s largest network of nonprofits, recognizes NAM as the state association for Nebraska. Learn more about NAM at www.nonprofitam.org or call (402) 557-5800.

Vision Maker Media works with Native producers to develop, produce, and distribute programs to educate audiences. They empower Native youth to grow up with stories that represent their backgrounds and with figures that embody their culture. The organization generates important public conversations about present-day Native issues and shed a long-overdue light on the foundation of American history through Native American stories. Their audience reach is more than 165,000 worldwide. To learn more, visit visionmakermedia.org or call (402) 472-3522.

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands (BBBSM) is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally-supported oneto-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Big Brothers Big Sisters strives for all youth in the program to reach their full potential. A Big Brother, Big Sister, or Big Couple provides youth with a sense of safety and security, emotional support, and social skill promotion. Bigs and Littles are matched based on common interests so they can have the benefit of doing activities together that they both enjoy.

With a Big by their side, more Littles are discovering who they are and what they can achieve in life. Big Brothers Big Sisters is working to clear the path for youth’s biggest possible futures.

As January is National Mentoring Month, with January 17 being National Mentoring Day, BBBSM hopes to bring in many more mentors during this time. Launched in 2002 by MENTOR National and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Mentoring Month focuses national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us— individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities, and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors to help ensure positive outcomes for our young people. This campaign celebrates mentoring and the positive effect it can have on young lives.

To learn about how to become a Big, make a donation, or other ways to get involved, go to bbbsomaha.org or follow on social media. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Saving Grace addresses a real need, as one in seven people in our community struggle with food insecurity, while food is the largest contributor to landfill waste. For more information, visit savinggracefoodrescue.org and connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Wear Yellow Nebraska provides service, support, and community for Nebraska’s cancer survivors. Their purpose, from the very beginning, is to bring together people passionate about cycling, celebrating life, and being an advocate in the fight against cancer.

Since the organization’s beginning days, Wear Yellow Nebraska has continued to grow and cultivate their mission and vision. In 2012, they launched a free transportation program, which has directed more than $200,000 dollars in providing more than 12,500 cab rides to cancer patients in need.

The Wear Yellow Cab Ride program, Powered by Lyft, is the primary initiative of the organization and is funded by their signature event, the Wear Yellow Ride, Fun Run & Walk. Transportation to and from treatment is essential because patients are often unable to drive themselves, which also leaves them vulnerable to additional medical challenges. Even when patients have family and friends who can help, they are not always available and sometimes they just don’t want to ask for one more thing.

Wear Yellow Nebraska touches lives in Lincoln, Omaha, and Fremont—help them keep growing! Learn more online at WearYellowNebraska.org.

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Established in 1972, Santa Monica House has been providing long-term residential ser vices to thousands of c hemicallydependent women, partnering with them on their journey to recovery. The program relies on the disciplines of the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous® while incorporating mental health and trauma treatment along with life skills. Santa Monica provides food, shelter, rehabilitative counseling, job acquisition guidance, and re-socialization training. Santa Monica provides a halfway house program, followed by a three-quarters way house program and transitional apartment living. This approach to step-down levels of care for the women provides a more holistic continuum of care. These services will give the women more support as they transition back into the community. Donations are always valued at Santa Monica and the women benefit from toiletries, clothing, and paper products.

Visit Santa Monica’s new website at www.santamonicahouse.org for more information about the agency, what the future holds, and how to help.

Since 1989, Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy’s (HETRA) mission has been to improve the quality of life both physically and emotionally of adults and children of all ability levels through Equine-Assisted a c t i v i t i e s. A d a p t i ve R i d i n g, Therapy Ser vices, Carriage Driving, Life Skills, Veterans, and Equine Facilitated Learning programs are at the heart of HETRA’s services. As the only Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH, Intl.) Accredited facility in Nebraska, HETRA employs occupational, mental health, and physical therapists and 16 PATH Intl. Certified Riding Instructors.

Today, despite the obstacles, burdens, and challenges presented by the current COVID-19 Crisis, HETRA continues its 31+ years of dedication and commitment to its participants with the help of over 250 dedicated volunteers who donate over 26,000 hours annually. HETRA offers year-round programming, works with a herd of over 20 horses, and is situated on 25 beautiful acres in Gretna. Learn more at www.HETRA.org or call (402) 359-8830.

The mission of the Jennie Edmundson (JE) Foundation is to improve the quality of life by caring for the body and mind. Jennie Edmundson Foundation is the fundraising arm of Methodist Jennie Edmundson (MJE) Hospital. By engaging philanthropic leaders, they are able to help make certain that the equipment, facilities, programs, services, and educational initiatives at JE continue to meet community needs.

The JE Foundation relies on donations and grants from the community.

These funds help their COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Cancer Center, Cardiac Center, Women’s Services, Charitable Patient Care Fund, Medi-Bus Transportation, and Scholarship Funds, to name a few.

Generous contributions provide care, education and services to many who may not otherwise have access to healthcare services. Individual or planned gifts, memorials, or becoming an event, corporate sponsor or year-end donor are also a few ways to help.

Becoming a JE Adult Volunteer gives you the opportunity to be involved in many facets of volunteerism. It is a wonderful way to meet new people, develop new skills and interests, and be rewarded through the experiences of helping patients, family members, and hospital staff.

To find out more about the Jennie Edmundson Foundation and how you can get involved, call (712) 396-6040 or visit www.jehfoundation.org.

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FAMILY, Inc. is an early childhood and public health organization with a mission for empowering f a m i l i e s t o b u i l d a s t ro n g foundation and healthy future through education, advocacy, support, and community connection. When parents are empowered and children have the nurturing and support they need, their chances of positively contributing to society as an adult increase.

FAMILY, Inc. provides the right supports and services for each child at the earliest stages of development, prenatally through age five, preparing children to enter school ready to learn.

Through early developmental assessment, oral health education, and screening, support to pregnant moms, parenting home visits, care coordination, connections to hawki health insurance, fostering informal support networks, and more, FAMILY, Inc. partners with each family leading to more successful outcomes decades later.

What better investment for the future can a community make?

To learn more, visit www.familyia.org or call (712) 256-9566.

FAMILY, Inc. can also be found on Facebook (@familyincia), Twitter (@FAMILYIowa), LinkedIn (@familyinc), and YouTube (FAMILYonYouTube).

OHB (Omaha Home for Boys) has been transforming lives and strengthening communities for 100 years! What began as a home for wayward and neglected boys has grown to an organization serving more than 1,300 youth, young adults, children, and families annually.

OHB’s continuum of care is aimed at empowering individuals and families with the skills and confidence needed to transition from a state of crisis to one of safety and growth. OHB’s programs focus on helping clients achieve self-sufficiency and offer support in the areas of basic life skills, education, employment, housing, transportation, and behavioral and mental health.

As OHB enters its next century, the organization’s commitment to adapt and grow to meet the ever-changing needs of the community continues, thanks to supporters like you. “Together, we can transform a life and strengthen our community!” Learn more at OHB.org or call (402) 457-7000.

Child Saving Institute (CSI) focuses on the prevention, intervention and healing of childhood trauma, neglect and abuse. Since its beginning more than 128 years ago, CSI’s primary focus has always been children’s safety and wellbeing. As an innovative leader in children’s services, CSI’s programs include an Emergency Shelter for youth in crisis, quality Early Childhood Education, consultation services for low-income child care centers, Foster Care, foster parent training, Therapy, In Home Services for struggling families, Pediatric Social Work services in low-income medical clinics, Independent Living Skills education for youth aging out of the foster care system, free parenting workshops, and older child adoption. The agency also operates the Triage Center at Project Harmony, providing a comfortable environment, food, and fresh clothing to children who have been abruptly removed from their homes in crisis.

CSI’s programs are diverse, but so are the needs of today’s children and youth. With your support and the support of others like you, CSI serves more than 2,800 kids and families each year and touches thousands more, improving the lives of children in our community—helping them discover the joy of childhood that every child should experience. For more information, follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; visit childsaving. org; or call (402) 553-6000. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance (OHKA) is a children’s environmental health nonprofit seeking to improve children’s health through healthy homes. Their main goal is to bring awareness and education to families in the city about environmental hazards like asthma and lead poisoning, and how homes can impact health. OHKA believes that education is fundamental for empowering people and creating change. They strive to create environmental equality in Omaha for all by offering education on health hazards in the home, tenant legal rights, environmental testing, and information on the community resources available in the city.

Call the OHKA office at (402) 934-9700 or visit omahahealthykids. org to see how OHKA can help improve the health of your home!

Life-changing care…right in your own backyard. Join Boys Town in the business of saving kids and healing families!

For more than 100 years, Boys Town has been serving local communities, both as a good neighbor and a provider of high-quality care and treatment programs.

They’ve always taken great pride in being right here when kids and families need them, whether that’s for a child in need of a stable home or a parent looking for a trusted pediatrician for their child.

That’s why the partnership and support of local businesses is so valuable to their mission. Learn more about how you can help Boys Town expand its services so more people in need can experience hope and healing. Call (531) 355-1300, email info@boystown. org, or go online to www.boystown.org.

Many people know Goodwill Industries, Inc., Serving Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, as a place to donate used clothing and household items or find great bargains, but you might not know the mission at the heart of our organization: The Goodwill provides job training and placement services to people with disabilities and other disadvantages.

The sale of donated items sold in Goodwill retail stores supports mission programs. Here’s how: People in the community donate gently used items to Goodwill. The Goodwill sells those donated items in Goodwill retail stores. The proceeds from those sales subsidize mission programs, giving thousands of individuals in the Omaha area the chance to earn a living, discover independence, and succeed in life.

Goodwill provides opportunities through a variety of employment programs, including YouthBuild AmeriCorps, Employment Solutions, and Work Experience. Goodwill is also affiliated with the federal AbilityOne program, which provides jobs at federal facilities to people with severe disabilities.

Goodwill is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit agency governed by a local board of trustees. It is a member agency of Goodwill Industries International of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

For more information about Goodwill’s programs and the 18 convenient locations in Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, Fremont, Blair, Gretna, and Council Bluffs, please visit GoodwillOmaha.org. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

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. The Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters from home fires to major events such as hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes. About 40% of the nation’s blood needed by patients is supplied by the Red Cross. The organization teaches skills such as CPR and First Aid that save lives.

Additionally, the Red Cross provides international humanitarian aid and supports military members, veterans, and their families.

Every day, the American Red Cross is active in the community, serving those in need. Visit redcross.org or call 1-(800) REDCROSS to support Red Cross efforts by volunteering, donating financially or giving blood.

For over 20 years, Domesti-PUPS has been supporting people in our local, regional, and national communities through the assistance of animals.

From therapy dogs in the classroom motivating children to pet therapy visitations in nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living centers, DomestiPUPS pet therapy teams bring a bit of brightness through their furry encounters. The organization’s service dog teams provide increased independence when paired with a disabled partner. These highly-skilled canines can turn on lights, provide balance and mobility, retrieve dropped items, bring a bottle of water from a refrigerator, respond to medical emergencies such as a seizure or a diabetic high or low, and open doors both literally and figuratively. Some even provide lifesaving measures for their disabled partners. Learn more online at www.domesti-pups.org.

With Best Care EAP as a business partner, you can provide support to help employees focus on their jobs when problems in their personal lives get overwhelming.

Best Care EAP provides a wide variety of wellness and online services that will boost your employees’ productivity and morale. All of their services can be tailored to meet the individual needs of your company.

Professional development opportunities—Best Care EAP offers over 100 training programs in areas of management/leadership, physical/mental well-being, team development and professional/ personal growth – all offering the flexibility to be offered at your worksite, virtually or pre-recorded. Customized training options available to you based on your organization’s needs.

Counseling for a wide variety of issues, concerns, and stressors— Their licensed counselors provide one-on-one, couple, and family counseling close to your work or home, plus telehealth options.

Professional help coping with a critical situation—For over 40 years, Best Care EAP has provided immediate support for members during times of crisis. Whether caused by an unexpected injury or death, crime, or environmental/societal impact, Best Care EAP is available to you and your employees with immediate support following a critical incident.

If you are interested in learning more about Best Care EAP or have questions about their services, visit www.bestcareeap.org , call (402) 354-8000 / (800) 801-4182, or email at EAP@BestCareEAP.org.

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Kids Can Community Center’s mission is to educate, engage, and inspire children through early childhood care and out-of-school experiences. Kids Can serves children ages 18 months to 13 years old. They offer a variety of programs including early childhood education, before- and after-school programs, summer and non-school day programs, tutoring, and mentoring.

Kids Can utilizes the Creative Curriculum and Handwriting Without Tears activities for their youngest students with the goal of ensuring all students are prepared to enter Kindergarten. School-age children participate in the STEMsmart Academy which focuses on science, technology, engineering, math, strength, music, art, reading, and tutoring supporting well-rounded children.

Founded in 1908 as Social Settlement Association of Omaha, Kids Can has a long history of making a meaningful impact in the community. Kids Can is located on 49th and Q Streets in Omaha.

For more information about Kids Can Community Center, visit KidsCan.org, call (402) 731-6988, or email jgillman@kidscan.org.

RISE is an innovative “inside-out” program serving incarcerated people through an intensive six-month reentry class inside seven Nebraska state prisons. Additionally, RISE provides reentry services to released program graduates.

In-prison programming focuses on character development, job readiness, reentry planning, and entrepreneurship. Reentry programming includes case management, employment aid, transportation, housing support, mental health, and substance abuse resources, and help obtaining basic needs for returning citizens.

RISE’s vision is that all people find freedom from cycles of incarceration. When people reenter society well and are supported by the community, public safety increases, people can begin to build wealth for their families, maintain healthy relationships, and break the cycles of incarceration.

You can make a direct impact on your community with RISE through volunteering at RISE in-prison events, reviewing program participant resumes online, becoming a RISE Reentry Mentor, volunteering with our policy and advocacy team, and through financial support. To learn more, visit www.seeusrise.org or call (402) 999-8063.

Located in South Omaha, Stephen Center partners with the community, families, and individuals to overcome homelessness, addiction, and poverty. Approximately 250 people call Stephen Center home each day through three programs on a sober campus.

The Pettigrew Emergency Shelter serves men, women, and children experiencing homelessness. The HERO Program (Health, E m p owe r m e n t , Re s p o n s i b i l i t y, a n d Opportunity) is a nationally-accredited, state-licensed substance abuse treatment, and mental health services program providing substance abuse evaluations, in patient services, and intensive outpatient treatment. The third program is Permanent Supportive Housing apartments. These apartments provide affordable housing for those that meet income and disability qualifications. All Stephen Center clients have the support of case managers who assist them with the identification of barriers impeding self-sufficiency. Volunteers play a huge role in Stephen Center’s mission, impacting client lives every day! For more information, visit stephencenter.org or follow on Facebook (@stephencenteromaha).

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The mission of Midlands Latino Community Development Corporation (MLCDC) is to provide low- and moderate-income individuals and families with opportunities and tools to achieve financial stability through entrepreneurship.

MLCDC is a nonprofit organization that focuses on teaching Latinos and refugees leadership skills to create diverse and inclusive businesses. MLCDC focuses on enhancing the life of individuals in the Midlands while reducing poverty and increasing economic growth in local communities.

MLCDC’s programs and services are provided in Spanish, English, and Arabic and cover areas of financial stability, industry training, entrepreneurship and leadership, and lending. The lending program provides business loans to entrepreneurs that are unable to secure capital from financial institutions to start or expand their businesses.

During 2020, MLCDC has benefited more than 200 families and impacted more than 500 individuals in Omaha, Lincoln, and Council Bluffs through financial education and business planning, enabling successful entrepreneurship. To learn more, visit www. midlandslatinocdc.org or call (402) 933-4466.

Fo u n d e d i n 1 9 8 6 , t h e Papillion La Vista Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works closely with Papillion La Vista Community Schools (PLCS) to enhance educational opportunities for students and staff by offering opportunities and programs that otherwise would not be possible if only tax dollars were available. Close ties with PLCS District and surrounding community ensure that the best ideas to support students, teachers, technology, and programs become a reality.

The Foundation upholds this mission by reaching out to staff, parents, alumni, and the community to create financial and supportive resources needed to augment the overall educational experience for Papillion La Vista Community Schools. Immediate and endowed support is provided by donors, alumni, and parents through the Foundation to ensure these opportunities and programs will be available to the District for generations.

To learn more about the Papillion La Vista Schools Foundation, visit plvschoolsfoundation.org or call (402) 829-1340.

The Malone Community Center was founded in 1955 through a reorganization of the Lincoln Urban league. Initially founded during a time in history when civil rights for African Americans were extremely limited, the league founders, both black and white, were determined to improve social and economic conditions and increase understanding between all races. They believed that enhanced understanding between all groups of people would create a better community.

For decades, the Malone Center has served neighboring families, youth, seniors, and the Lincoln community through programs and initiatives that extend well beyond the community center to uphold their mission to end multigenerational poverty. Their holistic community programming reflects their commitment to advancing equality through education, health initiatives, community outreach, advocacy, and leadership development.

For more information about the Malone Community Center, please visit MaloneCenter.org or call (402) 474-1110. #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP) is a nonprofit community based organization that has been providing social and human services to people facing poverty since 1965. Last year, ENCAP provided more than 32,000 services to 14,407 people living in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. ENCAP is a member of a national network of over 1,000 Community Action Agencies dedicated to providing programming that meets community needs, that responds to the voices of the low-income community, and that demonstrates continuous quality improvement. ENCAP’s service areas include: Emergency rent and utility assistance, family well-being via community response, senior well-being, hunger relief (via Omaha and Bellevue Food Pantries) transportation For more information, please visit www.encapnebraska.org.

At the Heartland Hope Mission South Omaha and Millard food pantries, working poor families choose a week’s supply of nutritious groceries including milk, frozen meat, and fresh produce to prepare well-balanced meals at home.

However, Heartland Hope Mission is more than a pantry. Clients also receive clothing, hygiene items, diapers, and access to a Client Service Specialist who assists with SNAP (food stamp) applications and navigational services. The Mission’s Jobs Paths Program provides access to current job postings and on-site interviews with employers. The goal is to provide programming and wraparound services to prevent families from becoming homeless and to help people achieve or rebuild self-sufficiency. Due to COVID-19, Heartland Hope Mission is now serving almost double the amount of families compared to last year. Learn more at heartlandhopemission. org or call (402) 733-1904.

The YMCA of Greater Omaha is dedicated to building healthy, confident, and connected communities through recreation and personal growth while fostering environments that encourage youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. With 10 branch locations, the YMCA provides easy access to youth and adult sports, aquatics, wellness centers, early learning and healthy living centers, group fitness classes, and so much more.

Youth Emergency Services (YES) is the only nonprofit in Omaha with the sole mission to help youth experiencing homelessness and near-homelessness in the comm unity. Last year, YES provided support and services to more than 3,000 youth in the Omaha metro. YES also provided 7,106 meals to youth through their Street Outreach Center. Many of these youth have been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, making it unsafe for them to return home. Without YES, these vulnerable young people cannot succeed independently.

The Strong Communities campaign raises $800,000 every year in donations, helping the YMCA provide $2.3 million in charitable programming, providing memberships and access to those who might not otherwise be able to participate. Over 24,000 Omaha children participate in YMCA youth sports programs, 2,000 kids enjoy summer day camps, 10,000 people have learned lifesaving swim safety education and instruction, and nearly 64,000 families and individuals call the YMCA of Greater Omaha their choice for a healthier lifestyle.

For more information on the YMCA of Greater Omaha and the Strong Communities campaign, visit www.metroymca.org/give.

N A M I O m a h a i s a n o n p ro f i t corporation composed of peers, family members, professionals, and friends who have come together to share and take comfort in the commonality of their experiences and to educate members of their communities about serious mental illness.

NAMI Omaha actively advocates at the local, state, and national levels to improve the services and the lives of those affected by mental illness and their families.

NAMI Omaha offers periodic classes of one of NAMI’s signature programs, including their Family to Family 12-week evidence-based educational course for family, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions.

NAMI Omaha also offers support groups for both peers, family, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions.

The Connections support groups is another NAMI signature program and offers support for peers with mental health conditions.

NAMI Omaha also hosts monthly affiliate meetings where speakers are invited to speak about current mental health issues in the community, including active state legislature bills, mental health services, alternative forms of mental health treatment, etc.

For additional information, go to www.namiomaha.org or call (402) 345-8101 / (877) 463-6264. For additional information on NAMI Omaha and other helpful articles on mental illness topics, please follow/like on Facebook (@NAMIOmaha). #PrintProudDigitalSmart

YES offers a full continuum of care to ensure all youth receive the support they need, no matter their situation. This includes the Street Outreach Center, Emergency Shelter, Transitional Living Program, Maternity Group Home, and a new program for 2020, Rapid Rehousing. Through these programs, YES offers case management, job readiness classes, group activities, support for the LGBTQ+ community, and specialized services for trafficked survivors. To ensure youth are successful once they leave their care, YES requires the youth in their program to set short- and long-term goals; be enrolled in school; have a job, or both; and do community service.

For more information about YES’ programs, please visit www. yesomaha.org or call (402) 345-5187. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Did you know…Midlands Community Foundation (MCF) helps donors achieve their philanthropic goals and “Invest in the Power of Community.”

MCF plays an integral part in the community by serving Sarpy and Cass counties in the area of health care, arts, culture, community, economic development, education, and human services. For example, MCF: • Helps provide shelter for the homeless and stocks shelves at the local food banks; • Underwrites scholarships for college-bound students; • Maintains and supports local libraries; • Updates parks and recreational areas; • Provides new technology for schools and nonprofit organizations; • Treats school children to educational field trips; and • Supports and assists in emergency disaster relief for affected victims.

In addition, MCF manages 150 charitable funds that serve an array of needs. This past year, more than $1.3 million has been distributed into the community through these charitable funds, MCF grants, and discretionary gifts.

To learn more, visit www.midlandscommunity.org or call (402) 991-8027.

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Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

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Experts in Building Control Technology POWERED BY

As a leading Building Control contractor, Engineered Controls’ goal is to provide customers with products and services to create efficient, safe and comfortable building environments.

Engineered Controls offers complete turn-key control solutions including construction, retrofit, service and maintenance for facilities of all types and sizes.

Offices in Omaha and Lincoln, NE.

866.395.0186 | engineeredcontrols.com Building Automation and Controls I Security I Lighting I Gas Detection I Parking Management #PrintProudDigitalSmart JANUARY 2021 Strictly Business 51

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A unique opportunity to let the community get to know local businesspeople and their pets!

FEBRUARY 2021

In the February 2021 issue of Strictly Business, we will run our first-ever “Business Owners & Their Pets!” feature to highlight some of the amazing businesses in Omaha and the furry friends behind the curtain. It’s a fun way to let the community get to know you and your business in a more personal way. Plus, who doesn’t love cute photos of animals!?

Let us know if you do business in Omaha and want to show off your pet to all our readers!

FEATURE INCLUDES: Strictly Business is direct mailed to over 15,000 businesses in Omaha every month! With a 2–4 month shelf life and a pass-along readership, it’s estimated that 1 copy of the magazine could reach more than 5 people.

Editorial features are published on our website as well.

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Photo of owner & their pet(s), business logo & 150-word write-up

To participate, contact: (402) 466-3330 | Editor@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Strictly Business JANUARY 2021

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