In Omaha, we have a thriving business environment. From our Fortune 500 companies, to emerging and small businesses, every organization makes an impact on our city. As the Greater Omaha Chamber President and CEO, I have the honor of getting to know these organizations day in and day out.
During my time in this role, I have found that Omaha is uniquely rich in exceptional business leaders. At the Chamber, we do not have to look far to find them. Our current chair of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is Carmen Tapio, president and CEO of North End Teleservices.
Recently, North End Teleservices was named one of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It is a major accomplishment to be selected out of 14,000 nominations, as well as being the only business selected from Nebraska. This prestigious award came as no surprise to those of us who know Carmen. Her business instincts and ability to bring people together have changed the landscape of Omaha as we know it. During her tenure as chair, she has driven our Chamber forward with her bold leadership.
Going forward, we knew picking Carmen’s successor would be key to continuing our momentum. That is exactly what the board had in mind when they named Beth Whited, president of Union Pacific, as chair-elect.
Beth has been a leader at U.P. for over three decades, all while giving back to our community through her involvement with organizations such as the Aksarben Foundation, RPM International, Inc., Humanities Nebraska, and the Omaha Symphony. She also leads by example as the founding member and former president of Union Pacific’s LEAD (Lead, Educate, Achieve, Develop) Women’s Initiative.
I have had the fortune of great mentorship in this job and it has been an absolute privilege to learn from some of the best in business first-hand. One of the top priorities of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to cultivate the next generation of leaders.
Fortunately, Carmen and Beth have spent their careers breaking down barriers and set the path for the future trailblazers of Omaha.
For more information, visit omahachamber.org.
Heath Mello is the CEO for the Greater Omaha Chamber.
This article originally appeared in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
