Thomas Jefferson is a great place to be

Left to Right: Janie Wolfe Rogers, Jim White, David Coziahr, and Jon Narmi holding their awards.

Photo by Rob Lindquist.

Emily Eikenberry - Editor-in-Chief

Thomas Jefferson High School held 20th class induction for the Hall of Fame on May 3rd, 2019.

This year there were four people who got inducted: David Coziahr (‘77), current school board president and businessman; Jon Narmi (‘65), founding partner and Director of the Narmi Group at Baird; Janie Wolfe Rogers (‘98), businesswoman; and Jim White (‘80) Senior Vice President at HR at Paramount Pictures.

In 1965, Narmi graduated from TJ beginning his career in the investment business.

“My counselor said I wasn’t fit for college, so I started in college prep classes.”

Narmi was also enrolled in creative writing classes at TJ, where his love for writing eventually lead to him finishing his first novel SEAL Team 6, bin Laden and Beyond in 2011.

Coziahr graduated in 1977, he worked for his family business, Coziahr Heating and Air Conditioning. He is currently our school board president. “The teacher’s relationships with me impacted my education and has taught me that you are always learning,” he said.

White graduated in 1980, he has successfully held executive level careers in high profile entertainment companies including BlockBuster Entertainment, Universal Music Group/Napster for, Activision/Blizzard for, currently White is working as a Senior Vice President for Human Resources at Paramount Pictures.

Wolfe Rogers graduated in 1998. She first invested in real estate in 2003 with her now husband, Ryan. Wolfe Rogers focuses on her businesses throughout Council Bluffs.

“TJ is the underdog,” said Wolfe Rogers. “I think we need to prove that we are as good [as Omaha]. We need to flip it [the perception] upside down.”

Jon Narmi summed up his speach with a true ode to his alma mater, “TJ is a great place to be.”