18 minute read
Personnel
First Responders Foundation Welcomes Therapist Leslie Hartmann to Support Team The First Responders Foundation recently welcomed a new therapist, Leslie Hartmann, to the First Responders Support Team (FRST). Leslie is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP) and specializes in working with spouses and children of fi rst responders. She has more than eight years of experience working with families, as well as children and adolescents with behavioral and social challenges. Leslie’s experience also includes working in the correctional setting, dealing with inmates and corrections staff. As part of FRST, she will also facilitate a weekly substance support group. Leslie is married to a retired U.S. Marine who also was an emergency medical technician (EMT). She is available for both in-person and Telehealth sessions throughout Nebraska. The mission of the First Responders Foundation is to serve and honor all our fi rst responders and their families, build appreciation and respect for their work, and enhance public safety. The programs and services of the First Responders Foundation are available for both paid and non-paid fi rst responders. To schedule an appointment or talk with Leslie, call (402) 218-1234, option 2, or email leslie@ firstrespondersfoundation.org. For more information about the organization, visit fi rstrespondersfoundation.org.
Cathie and John Fullenkamp to Receive MCF's 2021 Refl ection Award Midlands Community Foundation (MCF) is pleased to announce that Cathie and John Fullenkamp will receive the Refl ection Award at the organization’s 2021 Refl ection Ball on Saturday, March 27, 2021, at the Embassy Suites - LaVista. Each year, Midlands Community Foundation honors an individual or individuals who have contributed signifi cantly to Sarpy and Cass counties and the mission of the Foundation with its Refl ection Award. Cathie is a graduate of the College of St. Mary with a degree in Medical Technology. She spent 19 years of employment at Archbishop Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha. Cathie also served in a support capacity for Mary Our Queen Catholic Church, Mercy High School, and the Westside Community Schools Special Education Programs and Activities. She spent most of her time rearing their fi ve children while giving back to the community, most notably to Mosaic, where their oldest daughter who is developmentally disabled lives. John Fullenkamp graduated from Creighton University School of Law in 1970 and is admitted to practice law in Nebraska and Iowa (inactive). Celebrating his 50th anniversary of practicing law, John is an attorney specializing in real estate with the fi rm of Fullenkamp, Jobeun, Johnson & Beller. He represents or has represented numerous commercial, offi ce, industrialm and residential developments in Sarpy County. Cathie and John have been married for 50 years. Their other children and spouses are: Dr. Mark Fullenkamp, and his wife Genevieve, RN; Dr. Michael Fullenkamp and his wife, Sally, Pharm. D.; Beth Fullenkamp Hix and her husband Jeremy; and Dr. Lynn Fullenkamp. John and Cathie also have six grandchildren. The mission of Midlands Community Foundation is to benefi t the diverse needs of the Sarpy and Cass county communities by providing financial support, involvement, and service. To learn more, visit midlandscommunity.org.
26 Strictly Business NOVEMBER 2020
Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance Opens New Offi ce, Welcomes Two New Staff Members Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance (OHKA) announced the opening of a new offi ce and welcomed Sophia Quintero and Arturo Aceves to their team this fall. Sophia joined OHKA as the community engagement coordinator after graduating from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) with her Master’s degree in public health in May. She will focus on planning events and providing resources to clients and the wider Omaha community on healthy housing and lead-poisoning prevention. Arturo joined the direct service team and will be working to implement OHKA’s new virtual healthy-home assessments to continue serving families during COVID-19. OHKA also hosted a virtual event on October 1 to celebrate the opening of their new offi ce and training center, located in the old Maryland Theatre in Little Bohemia. OHKA is excited to join the Little Bohemia neighborhood and can’t wait to use the new space to work toward creating a healthy home for every child in the area. OHKA wants to thank all the donors who made the new offi ce possible. Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance is an Omaha-based nonprofi t dedicated to improving children’s lives by assessing homes, educating families, making informed referrals, and connecting clients to home-repair services to reduce health and safety risks. To learn more, visit omahahealthykids. org or call (402) 934-9700.
UNICO’s LeaAnn Moore and Scot Blehm Qualify for Million Dollar Round Table
Congratulations are in order for UNICO Group’s Midland Financial Division financial advisors Scot Blehm and LeaAnn M. Moore, CRC®, AIF®, who have each earned membership in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). LeeAnn, a certifi ed retirement counselor (CRC®) and accredited investment fi duciary (AIF®), is a 10-year qualifi er of MDRT, with nine years at the Top of the Table and one year at the Court of Table distinction. Scot is an eight-year MDRT qualifi er with three years at the Court of Table distinction.
LeaAnn M. Moore
MRDT membership is attained by life-insurance advisors who meet the organization’s annual production requirement and are members of their local life underwriters’ association. Round Table membership is an exclusive honor that is achieved by only a small percentage of all life insurance and fi nancial-services advisors.
UNICO Group is a full-service insurance agency headquartered in Lincoln, with services ranging from telecommunications to workers’ comp, employee benefits, Scot Blehm personal insurance, financial planning, and human-resource solutions. Midlands Financial, a division of UNICO, offers financial services, including individual investment and retirement services, succession planning, and retirement plans. For more information about UNICO Group or their Midlands Financial division, call (402) 434-7200 or visit unicogroup.com.
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Bridge to Better Living Founder Mary Ann Stallings Receives WOW Award Mary Ann Stallings, founder, president, and CEO of Bridge to Better Living, has been honored as a recipient of the notable Franchise Dictionary Magazine Women of Wonder (WOW) Award. Alesia Visconti, CEO of Franchise Dictionary Magazine, stated the following: “Each year, more and more women are impacting the franchise industry. They are changing the landscape, implementing new initiatives, and bringing groundbreaking ideas to the table. Our 50 Women of Wonder are some of the most talented, strong, and dynamic women franchisors in the franchise industry. Mary Ann and her team are not only business savvy, but model examples of the empathy so needed in today’s culture.”
The choices for senior living retirement options are transparent with the no cost to clients assistance of the Bridge to Better Living team. Thousands of lives have been changed with their unique one-on-one approach. Services are available in Lincoln, Omaha, and surrounding communities. Contact Mary Ann and her team at BridgetoBetterLiving. com or call (402) 802-3301.
MENTOR Nebraska Names Melissa Mayo as New Executive Director MENTOR Nebraska’s Board of Directors announced on October 16 that Melissa Mayo has been appointed the new executive director of the nonprofi t devoted to strengthening and advocating for youth mentoring in Nebraska. Mayo’s hiring comes with the retirement of her successor, Deborah Neary, who led the organization for more than 10 years. “While Melissa has served as MENTOR Nebraska’s Interim Executive Director over the last three months, our organization and community have also had an opportunity to see her dedication, vision, and leadership in action over the past 20 years,” said MENTOR Nebraska’s Board President Chris Rodgers. “Melissa and the MENTOR Nebraska team have demonstrated innovation and collaboration through the pandemic and are positioned to continue our statewide expansion to support the mentoring movement. All of us at MENTOR Nebraska are thrilled to have Melissa lead us in this exciting stage of growth.” Mayo previously served as the senior programming director at MENTOR Nebraska, where she led expansion efforts of Success Mentors and STRIVE refugee mentoring in several Nebraska school districts while supporting evaluation and operations functions for the organization. She has spent her career dedicated to youth through leadership roles at the United Way of the Midlands, Latino Center of the Midlands, Partnership 4 Kids, and Heartland Family Service. Mayo has a strong track record of diversifying funding support for programmatic growth, successfully implementing, and replicating youth development models serving system-impacted youth, leading multi-county initiatives, and collaborating with nonprofi t organizations, school districts, government entities, and corporate partners to create purposeful community partnerships. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Nebraska–Omaha. MENTOR Nebraska is the unifying champion for quality youth mentoring in Nebraska. For 20 years, they have led the mentoring movement by supporting and collaborating with more than 200 mentoring programs across Nebraska. For more information, visit www.MENTORNebraska.org.
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Parkinson’s Nebraska Proudly Announces Amber Winter as New Executive Director The Board of Directors of Parkinson’s Nebraska is pleased to formally announce the promotion of Amber Winter to executive director. Amber started at Parkinson’s Nebraska in 2018, serving as the administrator of statewide programs and operations. A gifted and enthusiastic nonprofi t professional, she is educated and skilled in designing programs that address unmet needs in the Parkinson’s community. Under Amber’s leadership of statewide programs, Parkinson’s Nebraska has greatly expanded its reach outside of the Omaha metro area and has connected the statewide network through strategic engagement and programming. She is dedicated to excellence through continuous evaluation and improvement of the organization’s program effectiveness and is deeply committed to bettering the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease statewide. Amber is a 2019 summa cum laude graduate of Bellevue University with a Bachelor of Science in Nonprofi t Management. Parkinson’s Nebraska is a 501(c)(3) committed to helping people in Nebraska and the surrounding areas who are affected by Parkinson’s disease. Donations to the organization all stay local, giving residents suffering from Parkinson’s disease—as well as their families and caregivers—access to essential information and resources. For more information, visit Parkinsonsnebraska.org, follow them on Facebook (@parkinsonsnebraska), or call (402) 715-4707.
Stories Coffee Co. Hires GM Jeff Babcock Stories Coffee Co. recently announced the hiring of Jeff Babcock as their new general manager. Jeff is the former general manager of Paradise Bakery & Café in Omaha and has additional prior experience in retail management. Stories Owners Dan and Brooke Loutzenhiser said they selected Jeff for the position because he fi ts their vision and core values for the business, in addition to his experience and knowledge to expand the business beyond four walls. Likewise, Jeff said he “wanted to work somewhere that invested in people and our community.” It’s obviously a perfect match. As general manager, Jeff is overseeing all operations for the Stories storefront and kiosk locations, including all of the day-to-day operations that come with running a coffee shop with an extensive menu and processes that entail far more than those of a typical coffee shop. “Jeff gives attention to the things we aspire for—high quality and a focus on an amazing, welcoming experience for customers—and our mission for helping the community and developing a dedicated customer base,” Dan said. “He very much fi ts what we stand for and is a person who we want to build our business and brand upon.” Stories Coffee Co. is located at 114th and Davenport in the heart of Omaha. Stories serves premium coffee that’s roasted in-house and also serve a full menu of teas, smoothies, breakfast, lunch, and heavy appetizers. In addition, they have seven local craft beers on tap and delicious wines that pair perfectly with live music on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A portion of Stories’ sales every month are given to local nonprofi ts that are doing good things in Omaha. To learn more about Stories, follow them on Instagram or Facebook (@ storiescoffeecompany), or visit storiescoffeecompany.com.
NOVEMBER 2020 Strictly Business 27
Building Connections That Matter Partnering with our Commercial Lending Team is more than just business—we build connections that matter. Trust our team to provide a custom, solutions-based approach to support your efforts and help your business succeed. Ready to get started? Give us a call today!
Lenders (L-R) Jon Dittenber 402.758.8718 jdittenber@westgate.bank NMLS#902316 Shane Reardon 402.758.8721 sreardon@westgate.bank NMLS#623868 Rob Glorvick 402.758.8719 rglorvick@westgate.bank NMLS#1779050 Chad Tettenborn 402.758.8723 ctettenborn@westgate.bank NMLS#2029111
westgate.bank | 402.434.3456 True North Technologies Hires Sam Sullivan as Chief Marketing Offi cer True North Technologies—a Lincoln-based business launched by Renee Sobotka— recently brought Sam Sullivan onto the team to serve as chief marketing offi cer. His focus includes content strategy, blog writing, search-engine optimization (SEO), information architecture, and reaching people through new forms of media. Sam was raised on a cattle farm in Hebron and moved to Lincoln for college and is a 2013 graduate of the University of Nebraska, where he earned a degree in English. Since then, he has worked in the social-media and digital-design sector, in industries ranging from printing to healthcare and mental health.
Outside of work, Sam has written and published several novels, enjoys reading and collecting books and watching movies, and he loves to go hiking or exploring new places, cooking new dishes and eating new health foods, staying up on the latest trends, and trying out interesting biohacking techniques and gadgets. He has an interest in all things digital and wants to use technology to make the world a better place.
True North Technologies makes technology simple with website and mobile-app development, SEO, branding, and social-media marketing. Learn more at go-tnt.com or call (402) 420-5101.
Berry Law Attorneys Crow, Hoeser, and Collingham Pass Nebraska Bar Exam Berry Law attorneys Montana Crow, David Hoeser, and Carey Collingham offi cially passed the Nebraska State Bar exam as of September 3, allowing them to practice law in the state. Crow and Hoeser will practice Veterans disability law at Berry Law, while Cunningham will focus on personal-injury cases and New Berry Law attorneys, left related civil matters. Their to right, Montana Crow, Carey swearing-in ceremony was Collingham, and David Hoeser at held at the Pinewood Bowl Nebraska State Bar swearing-in at the on September 15—the same Pinewood Bowl on September 15. day they offi cially became attorneys at Berry Law.
Crow graduated from Creighton University School of Law in May 2020. There, she was the Senior Lead Articles Editor, the Legal Research and Writing Moot Court Competition runner-up, and was part of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society. Hoeser served our country in the U.S. Army for four years following high school and later attended the University of Nebraska College of law, graduating in May 2020. As an Army Veteran, he looks forward to helping fellow Veterans get the disability benefi ts they deserve. Collingham also graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law and has been a law clerk for Berry Law for the last two summers. He suffered severe injuries in multiple car accidents a few years ago, making him unable to play the cello professionally. He is now helping injured persons take back control of their lives.
Berry Law was founded in 1965 by legendary attorney John S. Berry, Sr. With more than 250 years of combined legal experience, Berry Law is well-equipped to handle the most serious legal needs. For more information, visit berrylawfi rm.com, call (402) 466-8444, or email marketing@jsberrylaw.com.
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Ambius Welcomes Colette Chonis to Staff as New Plant Care Specialist Ambius recently announced the addition of Colette Chonis to their staff as a plantcare specialist. Colette has many years of experience in the retail and customer-service industries. Colette said she loves the work environment at Ambius because everyone is so helpful with the training involved for her position and because she has a great degree of control and freedom in her job, enhancing people’s workspaces with plants to bring color into their environment. Outside of work, Colette loves to be by the water and boating is her favorite thing to do. In the winter months, she enjoys doing a variety of craft projects. “Colette has been a wonderful addition to the Ambius team,” said District Manager Tiffany Falconer. “Her skills and customer service are top-notch!” Ambius is an interior landscaping company serving the Omaha and Lincoln areas and also offers Hygiene360, including hand-sanitizer units and air-purifi cation systems, to keep your business clean, safe, and hygienic. Their plant professionals can help keep your plants looking happy and healthy, and their services include live and artifi cial indoor plant displays for businesses, complete offi ce-plant services, ambient scenting, commercial holiday decorations, greenwall design, installation, and maintenance, and more. Given all of the research showing that the presence of plants has positive effects on human psychology, Ambius believes that bringing more plants into your home and business is a smart choice in the modern era. Learn more at ambius.com or by calling (402) 999-4825.
Tom Hallman Takes Over Ownership of CarePatrol in Nebraska In March of this year, Tom Hallman took over ownership of CarePatrol Senior Advisors, serving Omaha, Lincoln, and beyond. As a senior care consultant, Tom is grateful to be able to help seniors and their families as they face the complex challenge of fi nding the right senior living community. He carefully assesses all of his client’s needs, concerns, and preferences before recommending appropriate levels of care, such as independent living, assisted living, memory care, or in-home care. Tom went through the same daunting process when he helped fi nd care for a family member of his own. This experience gave him the passion that he has today to help other families and care givers. "I'm very excited to have this opportunity to work closely with families in Nebraska. I love making a personal connection with everyone we serve through CarePatrol. My goal is to exceed all expectations by giving each family a clear picture of their options, especially during COVID when caregivers are experience more burnout than ever before. We can go through the ins and outs of each community and set up virtual tours," said Tom.
CarePatrol is the nation’s largest senior placement organization that helps families fi nd safer care options for their loved ones. You can trust CarePatrol because the care options in their network go through a rigid screening process, which includes evaluating the care and violation history. CarePatrol's advisors can also refer you to trusted elder law attorneys, fi nancial planners, house-call physicians, and other senior care professionals. To learn more, visit Omaha-Lincoln.CarePatrol.com or contact Tom at (402) 904-8296 / thallman@carepatrol.com.
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FAMILY, Inc. Welcomes Stacy Giebler as Organization’s New Finance Director FAMILY, Inc. is proud to announce the recent hiring of Certifi ed Public Accountant (CPA) Stacy Giebler as their new fi nance director. Stacy earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2005 and passed the CPA exam over the next summer before beginning her accounting career as an auditor in Omaha at KPMG, LLP, one of the Big Four international accounting fi rms. She left KPMG in 2009 to become the director of accounting and later, Chief Financial Offi cer, of PromiseShip, a private child-welfare agency and subsidiary of Boys Town. She worked at PromiseShip for more than 10 years—from the day it opened until the day it closed. When Stacy heard about the fi nance director opening at FAMILY, she jumped at the opportunity to continue using her accounting skillset for the benefi t of families and the community. Now a member of the FAMILY leadership team, she is happy to be working for a nonprofi t organization that provides early-childhood services to the community of Council Bluffs, IA. Stacy’s fi rst bachelor’s degree is in art education, and while she no longer teaches the subject, her life is still greatly enriched by her love of art. She is a painter and repurposes furniture, and her work is shown and sold at the Lewis Art Gallery in Omaha. Stacy has two grown daughters—the centers of her life—and usually a menagerie of pets! FAMILY, Inc. provides public-health and family support services to women, children, and families in Pottawattamie and Mills counties. For more information, please visit familyia.org or contact Kimberly Kolakowski at kkolakowski@familyia.org / (712) 256-9566, ext. 240.
Outlook Enrichment Announces New Founding Board Members Outlook Enrichment, a sister organization to Outlook Nebraska and Outlook Business Solutions, recently announced the appointment of its founding Board members. Outlook Enrichment was formed in late 2019 to continue the technology, recreation, and cultural programs started by Outlook Nebraska for people who are visually impaired. Their newly appointed Board members will guide the organization’s strategic direction and operations, and champion its mission to empower people living with vision loss or blindness to achieve personal success. Founding board members include: Aji George, Physicians Mutual; Matthew Evans, Clear, Inc.; Nina Rongisch; Eric Stueckrath, Tim Hurley, and Susanne Waltermeyer of Outlook Collaborative; Ryan Loneman, Lindsay Corporation; and Shane Havens, M.D., Eye Consultants. “We are excited to welcome these outstanding professionals to the Outlook Enrichment board,” said Donna Faust Aman, executive director. “We’re confi dent their skills will help develop the programs and resources needed to create additional opportunities for our visually impaired neighbors and change the perceptions of blindness in our region. At Outlook, we know our neighbors who cannot see very well can and want to participate fully in the life of our community. Our goal is to empower them and to create communities and workplaces that are more inclusive and accessible to them.” Outlook Enrichment’s programs are designed to present adults and youth experiencing vision loss with opportunities to grow in confi dence, engage in our community, learn new skills, build relationships, and connect to resources promoting independence. For more information or to donate to Outlook Enrichment, go to outlooken.org.
