The Lincoln
SEPTEMBER 2019
BUSINESS Vol. 22 No. 9 $2.00
Journal
Reaanddit
Transportation, Distribution and Warehousing........Pages 4-5 Insurance .........................Page 7
Executive Director Jim Smith … Rural broadband access first of 1 initiatives to attract business, boosting Nebraska’s productivity. Page 2
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President and CEO Boyd Ober … Broadened client base and proprietary software has boosted the counseling and leadership development organization. Page 3
Lincoln Business Journal — inside SEPTEMBER 20, 2019
THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
$2.00
VOL. 45 NO. 38
Atlas MedStaff eyes expansion of Omaha facility in fast-growing industry by Richard D. Brown
Omaha chapter of global Women in Machine Learning and Data Science gains momentum. – Page 2
BBB emphasizes community, values at 24th Annual Integrity Awards. – Page 4
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Metro momentum spans diverse sectors; initiatives focus on labor shortage. – Page 24
Omaha-based Atlas MedStaff, a provider of temporary contract health care professionals to hospitals across the country, is receiving recognition as one of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The firm's two top executives — President Steve Ryan and co-founder/Vice President of Brand and Content Strategy Rich Smith — cite an important organizational strategy decision they've made as crucial to their firm's success. They operate their 850-employee firm with a strict separation between the company's 16 client managers and 56 recruiters operating out of their offices at 11159 Mill Valley Road. “The responsibility of the recruiters is only to find the best nurses for us to employ while the client managers' only job is to communicate with hospitals and vendor partners for both nursing and allied health staffing assignments,” Ryan said. The arrangement, while someContinued on page 10.
From left, President Steve Ryan and Rich Smith, vice president and co-founder … Health care staffing firm is seeing fast-paced growth as demand is strong for traveling professionals. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)
Omaha Community Playhouse programs spotlight accessibility in its 95th year by Michelle Leach
Now in its 95th year, the Omaha Community Playhouse is staying true to the original mission: “To raise the drama from a purely amusement enterprise into an educational, cultural force.” Today, the organization’s mix of diverse performances, offsite and onsite programs, and apprenticeships are developing talent and engaging community members.
“Under new leadership, OCP intends to erase any perception of inaccessibility that currently exists through increased community outreach, programming that appeals to a wider cross-section of community members, formal diversity and inclusion initiatives, and efforts to engage younger audiences,” said Artistic Director Kimberly Faith Hickman, who also alluded to the importance of Continued on page 12.
From left, Talia McGill, director of strategic communications, and Nancy Williams, co-founder and executive director … nonprofit combats food insecurity and economic disparities through education, opportunity.
No More Empty Pots opens Food Hub, brings programming under one roof by Savannah Behrends
F rom left, Artistic Director Kimberly Faith Hickman and Executive Director Katie Broman … … Building upon celebrated history with array of youth, artist and patron opportunities.
After nine years No More E m p t y P o t s h a s o ff i c i a l l y opened its Collaborative Community Centered Food Hub, a $4 million community investment aimed at fighting poverty through education and economic opportunity. The facility, dubbed the “Food Hub,” houses the second Cups Café location, the Culinary
Workforce Training Program, the Food Entrepreneur Program and all community outreach programming. NMEP co-founder and CEO Nancy Williams said that while raising the funds was in no way easy, the hardest work begins now. “There’s still a lot to be worked out because we’ve not seen all of these things in one Continued on page 11.