The “power of we” was a trending theme at this year’s Annual Meeting, with accomplishments of capital investments, angel capital, new-to-market businesses and additional six-county achievements shared.
Regional capital investment exceeded $1.4 billion, bolstered by economic development projects that included 33 new-to-market companies and business expansions. More than 66 tech startups, fueled by angel/venture capital investment in excess of $145 million, also contributed to 2018 achievements.
The region’s multi-partner REACH initiative facilitated 26 startups; while the region’s largest two-state food incubator, Kitchen Council, launched, offering members access to a fully-equipped commercial kitchen and a foothold in the new food economy.
CODE (Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity) was born as a sustainable initiative to address diversity, inclusivity, equity and access to opportunity in Greater Omaha and our award-winning Careerockit posted some astronomical numbers in its second year with 22,000+ experiences, 190 participating employers and 96 participating schools and nonprofits.
We continue to count on many partnerships and collaborations to help move our community forward. We truly could not do it without you. We encourage you to check out our environmentally friendly Annual Report online for more details on last year’s endeavors.
One of the traditional elements of our Annual Meeting is also one of the most important – recognizing individuals and organizations who’ve strengthened our Chamber and our community. This year’s slate of recognitions included:
Chairman’s Award of Excellence
Justin Hughes, Renaissance Financial and Greater Omaha Chamber’s Engagement Council
Jill Schoenherr, Southwest YMCA and Greater Omaha Chamber’s Engagement Council
The Chairman’s Award of Excellence, celebrates individuals who have produced exceptional Chamber membership sales and retention results. Under the leadership of Jill and Justin, the Engagement Council connected with more than 400 members through personal phone calls, in-person visits and by attending ribbon cuttings.
Headliner of the Year
Terence Crawford, WBO welterweight champion, B&B Sports Academy
Headliner of the Year is given to an individual or organization that has positively impacted Omaha and Nebraska’s image. Terence “Bud” Crawford packs a punch, not only as a world champion in three weight classes, but also as a powerfully influential Omaha ambassador, with a 2018 publicity value Universal Information Services calculated in excess of $1.2 billion.
Volunteer of the Year
Tim Kerrigan, Investors Realty, Inc.
This award recognizes a person who really goes above and beyond, offering so much of their time and effort to the Chamber and the business community. Tim has been active in the Chamber for more than two decades, sharing his sales and real estate acumen and general knowledge of the community in a variety of ways to support the organization. We are thankful for Tim’s leadership and expertise.
Deb Calvert, president, People First Productivity Solutions, and coauthor of Stop Selling & Start Leading®, was this year’s keynote speaker.
2018 was truly a remarkable year. We look forward to another year of accomplishing more, together.
This event is possible because of the support of our wonderful event partners.
Our Presenting Sponsors:
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2018 Annual Report
Let’s just say things are about to get very interesting – and inspiring.