OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 23, 2020 – The Great Omaha Chamber’s Annual Meeting, held on Thursday, January 23, celebrated another year of shared accomplishment and a formula for regional prosperity (Business Growth + People + Place) that is strengthening the community and inspiring ambitious goals for the years ahead.
Business Growth | Accomplishments
“Economic growth in the region was robust,” said David G. Brown, Chamber president and CEO, speaking before an audience at CHI Health Center Omaha.
The Chamber’s 2019 economic development accomplishments include:
- 36 landed projects
- $1.03 billion in capital investment
- 2,300 jobs (new + retained)
In addition to applauding Google’s data center groundbreaking in Papillion and the addition of Otoe County to the region’s Economic Development Partnership, Brown highlighted The Startup Collaborative, Kitchen Council and REACH, three unique Chamber programs that “have empowered entrepreneurs to realize their dreams and do more than just earn a living.”
The Startup Collaborative helped inspire the launch of 48 tech startups in 2019. REACH assisted the region’s small and emerging construction contractors with landing $4 million in contracts.
People | Accomplishments
“As we began the implementation of the Prosper Omaha 2.0 strategy in 2019, the Chamber made a huge investment in the people that live and work in our region,” Brown said.
The Chamber’s talent strategy focuses on embracing diversity and strengthening efforts to develop, retain and attract top talent by working with businesses, schools and nonprofit partners to deliver programs and services that support the area’s workforce.
The newest program offerings include:
- Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity (CODE), which included the sold-out, inaugural Diversity Conference last fall
- Greater Omaha WorkLab (GRoW), which accelerates employer investment in frontline workers
- OptIn, a tech talent recruitment campaign and first-of-its kind Omaha-Lincoln regional partnership
“Together, these efforts represent an intentional effort to attract new tech talent, improve the economic well-being of the underemployed population, and show companies how to succeed in hiring and retaining a diverse workforce,” Brown said.
Place | Accomplishments
The Chamber’s drive to make Greater Omaha one of the most inspirational places in the world by 2040, included:
- The work of the Chamber’s Urban Core Committee, which continued to guide the planning for the heart of the city
- The 2019 launch of ConnectGO, a transportation initiative that is “focused on crafting a long-term strategy for building a fully integrated, multi-modal transportation strategy,” Brown said.
- Pro-business advocacy, which included working “feverishly to write new economic development incentive legislation (LB 720) to replace the sunsetting Nebraska Advantage Act,” Brown said. LB720 is up for reconsideration during the current legislative session.
The Chamber’s program of work and full annual report can be found online at www.OmahaChamber.org/2019annualreport.
Nationally Renowned Keynote Speaker
In keeping with tradition, the Chamber punctuated its Annual Meeting by welcoming a nationally-renowned speaker. Daniel Coyle is an expert in unlocking talent and the award-winning, NY Times-bestselling author of The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, and his newest book, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.
“Your culture is not about words, it’s about behavior. It’s not about what you say; it’s about what you do,” Coyle said.
He outlined three behaviors that, he said, will determine the success or failure of any human culture: building safety, sharing vulnerability and establishing purpose.
“Culture is about these three behaviors,” Coyle said. “What you do will either build or destroy your culture.”
Recognitions
The Chamber also recognized the 2019 accomplishments and community-enhancing contributions of the following individuals and institutions:
- Chairman’s Award of Excellence| Jason Gustafson, UMB Bank
- Headliner of the Year | United States Strategic Command
- Volunteers of the Year | Mogens Bay and Ken Stinson for their leadership of The Riverfront Revitalization Project
The Chamber would like to thank its Annual Meeting presenting sponsors: First National Bank, McGrath North, Mutual of Omaha, and Union Pacific; media sponsors KETV and the Omaha World-Herald; and all of the more than two dozen companies that served as supporting and corporate sponsors.