Elephants are one of my favorite animals, so I enjoyed seeing the news in January, twice, that baby elephants were born at Henry Doorly Zoo. I was also a bit saddened by the news Feb. 14 that the man who helped envision the Suzanne and Walter Scott African Grasslands is retiring. Dennis Pate has done a spectacular job of filling the large hole left by Dr. Lee G. Simmons in 2009, but now it is time for another person to fill those shoes. Some of the many improvements to Omaha’s Zoo is the subject of our big feature
this month.
The supply chain is causing headaches for many people, from CEOs trying to run their businesses to moms trying to make lunch for their kids. We checked in with a couple of local businesses to find out what the impact has been for them, and how they are managing it.
Frank Hayes started as an accountant in his early 20s. In fact, he had not yet graduated from college when he passed the CPA exam, and by his late 20s, he opened a firm. This impressive man also helped start the organization 100 Black Men of Omaha, and still serves on boards of organizations he cares about, such as Great Plains Black History Museum.
I am fond of the organization ICAN, and was pleased when I heard the name of the woman to succeed the amazing Susan Henricks. That leader, Aileen Warren, is familiar to many, especially those in human resources positions and on community boards. Warren has been president of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, on the Omaha Home for Boys Board Executive Committee, serves as president of the Omaha Downtown Rotary and is a member of the Urban League of Nebraska Guild. She will be a great leader for this organization that helps develop future leaders, and I am excited to see where she
takes things.
Lindsay Corp. Senior VP and CFO Brian Ketcham and his family have been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska since 2008. They have specifically been involved in wish-granting, and Ketcham is on the board at the organization; in fact, he is set to become the board chairman. I also think Make-A-Wish is an incredible organization. The Omaha Volkwasgen Club, to which my husband and I belonged for many years, gave time and effort to Make-A-Wish. This came in the form of restoring a Volkswagen that the club then raffled at their annual car show. The proceeds from the raffle often resulted in a couple of thousand dollars.
On the subject of cars, many auto enthusiasts bring their prized vehicles out of storage starting in spring, and real estate agent Nico Marasco is no exception. He has several vehicles in his collection, including a 2006 Ford Mustang GT and a 2000 Dodge Viper, but his heart lies with a 1994 Viper originally owned by his father, Ralph Marasco. This vehicle left the family for a while, but is back in Nico’s possession. How that came to be is the subject of our How I Roll.
These articles and more can be found in the second half of the book, because the front half is taken with our annual Best of B2B section. There, you will find the full list of winners, as well as sponsored profiles by businesses that want you to know more about their products and services.
This edition is always one of my favorites, as it includes articles on some of the best business in the metro area. I hope you enjoy them all, and congratulations to the Best of B2B winners.
This article originally appeared in the April/May 2022 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.