In June 2022, my family and I moved from our hometown of St. Louis to Omaha so I could take the role of president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. Prior to the move, in preparation for the job interview, I did a fair amount of research on the city of Omaha, as you can imagine.
Something that caught my eye was the transformation Omaha has undergone in recent years. My research revealed that Omaha is different than it was 20,10, or even five years ago, as shown by a drive down Dodge Street.
Since getting here, I have been impressed with the community’s commitment to the growth of Omaha. Every metro wants to succeed, but the ones that do are the ones with the fortitude to actually put in the work day-in and day-out, and the ones with the right tools to do so. At the Greater Omaha Chamber, we want businesses of all sizes to grow so that our city can grow in parallel. While we strive for growth, we can’t forget about Omaha’s greatest resource—its people.
The transformation Omaha has undergone in the last 20 years, and our evolution over the next 20, has to be supported with a people-first perspective. I appreciate that at the Chamber, we see a perfect opportunity to do so in our Urban Core.
In 2022, the Greater Omaha Chamber announced our Urban Core Strategic Plan. The goal of this plan is maximizing the economic development and overall vitality of Greater Omaha’s city center, stretching from UNMC to the western edge of Council Bluffs. This plan says that by improving the livability of Greater Omaha’s Urban Core, we aim to attract 30,000 new jobs and 30,000 new residents within 20 years. A lofty goal, but one that is ultimately reachable.
It is our mission to provide for our community in any way we can, and we can’t do it alone. We need your help to advocate and educate. There are people in Omaha that don’t know all the great things that are happening in our community. I ask you to be the cheerleader for Omaha. Help us sell our city to the people who already live here, and to the people who might one day live here. Together, let’s make Omaha the destination for professionals wanting a vibrant place to live, work, grow, do business, and call home.
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
