Lance M. Fritz served as Union Pacific chairman, president, and chief executive officer from 2015 until 2023, when he retired from those roles after 23 years of service with the railroad. He currently serves as a special advisor to the company.

Lance began his Union Pacific career in July 2000 as vice president and general manager-Energy in the company’s Marketing and Sales Department. Throughout his Union Pacific career, he also served in executive positions in the Operating and Labor Relations departments, and as president and chief operating officer of Union Pacific.

In addition to his ongoing role at Union Pacific, Lance joined the board of Fiserv, Inc. as of mid-February this year.

Lance is a graduate of Bucknell University and earned a master’s degree in management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a member of the board of directors for Nebraska Medicine, Omaha Zoological Society, the Kiewit Luminarium, Parker-Hannifin Corporation, and The Business Council.

Lance and his wife, Julie, have two children and are committed to helping women and children at risk in the Omaha community.

Sid Meridith is from Boone, NE where his parents owned a small general merchandise store. He was taught, at an early age, how to satisfy customers in a small business environment.  After attending a 1 room schoolhouse, to high school in St Edward, Sid enrolled in Nebraska Wesleyan and pursued a degree in Business.  Once graduated, Sid joined the Navy and served 7 years as an officer during Vietnam.  After his military service, he settled in Omaha with an entrepreneur mindset and started Security Equipment Inc.(SEi). in October of 1969. 

SEi has offices in Lincoln, Des Moines, Iowa City, and Kansas City with over 220 employees and a fleet of installation/service vehicles that provide services to more than 18,000 customers in 41 states.

Sid, and his wife Sara, work with many community organizations like: American Legion, Nebraska Community Foundation, Autism Action Partnership, Boys&Girls Clubs, Nebraska Wesleyan, Lifetime Member in Ducks Unlimited & Pheasants Forever.

Connie Ryan earned a medical technology degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and joined the family business, Streck, Inc., in 1982. She became president in 1992 and CEO in 2013. 

Since that time, the company has experienced consistent, steady growth through acquisitions and the introduction of 45 new products. Revenue for fiscal 2023 was over $225 million. Streck was recently sold to Madison Industries under Connie’s guidance. 

 

Connie served as a Habitat Omaha Board Member from 2015 to 2020 and on the Habitat Omaha Advisory Council from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, with Sue Thaden, Connie co-founded the Women Build: Belvedere-Miller Park Project to raise funds for the acquisition of homes, critical home repair and neighborhood clean-up in the Belvedere Point, Miller Park and Minne Lusa neighborhoods.

 

She currently serves on the Luminarium Board, Omaha Symphony Board, iEXCEL Advisory Board, and the Quality Committee at UNMC. She is a member of YPO Gold and the Chief Executives Organization.

Joan H. Squires is President of Omaha Performing Arts (O-pa). She started the organization over 20 years ago, and now O-pa is the largest arts organization in Nebraska, overseeing the Orpheum Theater, Holland Performing Arts Center, Steelhouse Omaha, and the Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement (opening early 2026). 

Joan is a voting member for Broadway’s Tony Awards and is an ex-officio member of the Broadway League Executive Committee and Board of Governors and co-chairs the Jimmy Awards Advisory Committee. 

She is a recipient of the Governor’s Arts Award, was named to the Ak-Sar-Ben Court of Honor for her leadership role in the arts, and was named one of Musical America’s 30 “Movers and Shapers.” Joan was honored with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management from the Broadway League, was recognized as “Midlander of the Year” by the Omaha World Herald and was named the “Woman of Distinction” by the Midlands Business Journal. 

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U.S. Bancorp, with approximately 70,000 employees and $587 billion in assets as of March 31, 2022, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association. In Nebraska, there are 34 U.S. Bank offices in 10 cities. Of those, 17 are located in the Omaha metro area. The Minneapolis-based company serves millions of customers locally, nationally, and globally through a diversified mix of businesses: Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; Corporate & Commercial Banking; and Wealth Management and Investment Services. The company has been recognized for its approach to digital innovation, social responsibility, and customer service, including being named one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies and Fortune’s most admired superregional bank.

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