Hannah Amrollahi—Contributing Writer

Amrollahi started with Omaha Magazine as a copy editor and freelance writer in 2017. She has been freelancing in Omaha since 2012, working with 13th Floor Magazine and others. Growing up in Omaha, The Bookworm was her neighborhood bookstore, and the first job for which she applied (though she did not get that job). She has been working as a bookseller at The Bookworm since 2011, with sabbaticals to study abroad and teach English as a second language with the Fulbright Program. In July 2019 she started as the department manager for the children and young adult sections.

 Mary Hiatt—Senior Branding Specialist

Hiatt grew up swimming at the local pool in Glenwood, Iowa. With her non-swimming mom frantically looking on, she was jumping off the high diving board before she started kindergarten. Now she spends her summers with her wonderful husband, Scott, entertaining family and friends in the backyard pool. She is blessed with three beautiful daughters—Amie, Chloe, and Madison—and three adorable “grandmuffins.” Mary spends the winter playing board games and music bingo at Twisted Vine. She loves to travel and has a goal of visiting all of the national parks before she moves to heaven. Mary has been with the company since February 2016 and has enjoyed contributing to the growth of native advertising in B2B, Omaha Magazine, and Faces of Omaha. She has embraced digital and delights in working with her clients and showing them results. She loves her job and the friendships she has built with her clients.

 Jill Nelsen Hing—Contributing Writer

Hing grew up in northeast Nebraska on a large farm situated on the Elkhorn River. She was fortunate to be raised by a mother who was wary of processed foods, and instilled in her an elevated conscientiousness about what to eat (and not eat) that Hing carries with her to this day. Immediately after high school, Hing moved to New York City, where her career in food and beverage service began. The ’90s were an amazing time to be working in some of the coolest joints in New York City, and it unquestionably informed what was to come next. Hing married, and, while pregnant with their second child, she earned her culinary degree, doing her externship under Bobby Flay at Mesa Grill. For more than two decades, she and her husband have owned and operated two Gringo-Mex style restaurants, which have become institutions in the East Village and Lower East Side of Manhattan.

 Joel Stevens—Contributing Writer

Stevens was born and raised in Omaha. As the ninth of 10 sons he barely survived childhood and the inevitable deep trauma associated with having eight older brothers. After graduating from Central High School, he went on to study journalism at UNO. He’s worked as a researcher for an environmental nonprofit and as a film critic, entertainment reporter, and sportswriter. When he’s not writing or in therapy, he’s spending time with his wife Angee, a school social worker; children Beckett, Finnegan, Juno, and Iris; and dog Zeke. He has also served as a judge for the Omaha Film Festival and is active in several local charities and social causes with his wife and children.

This article first appeared in the July/August 2020 issue of Omaha Magazine. Click here to subscribe to the print edition.