1. pets
2. zoo

Insight
Omaha
Thought you knew this town? THINK AGAIN.
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Insight
Omaha
From miles around,
you can see our commitment.
Contents
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To Omaha: First National Center is
part of the $300 million downtown
development effort, which includes
the 40-story tower and two worldrenowned sculpture parks.
The Arts Scene
Omaha’s many
theaters and venues
contribute to a lively
arts scene.
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To business: We are the largest commercial
bank finance provider to the ethanol industry,
with agri-business customers in 49 states.
Business World
Blue-chip companies
enjoy Omaha’s corporate culture, and their
employees like the
city’s amenities.
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Up and Coming
A few of the faces
behind Omaha’s
growing civic scene.
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Getting Schooled
A dozen first-rate colleges and universities
call Omaha home.
To technology: We were the first U.S.
company to use fuel cell technology as
a primary power source.
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Staying Healthy
Hospitals and research
centers keep Omaha
thriving.
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Youthful Energy
To stability: We are America’s
largest privately held banking
company founded in 1857, rooted in
six generations of family leadership.
Generation X
energizes Omaha.
BY
ERIC FRANCIS,
COURTESTY
OF
GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER
OF
COMMERCE
firstnational.com
Celebrate the Unexpected
Nebraska’s largest city
has evolved from a dot on the map into a destination of choice for corporations, creative
artists, academic and medical researchers, young professionals, and new immigrants.
Rated by Forbes magazine as the 11th best city for business and careers and home to four
Fortune 500 headquarters, Omaha is reaping the benefits of $3 billion in new capital
investment. Passion and partnerships are transforming the landscape from the Missouri
riverfront west to the horizon. Industries targeted by a $20 million growth initiative are
building here, and many companies plan expansions.
The 409,416 residents appreciate a cost of living 11 percent below the national average.
Diversity is welcomed, as it was more than a century ago when European immigrants first
populated the city. A growing Latino community is renewing south Omaha with its spirit.
Home plate for the NCAA College World Series for the past 56 years, Omaha offers
thrilling sports—and great food. Specialties at the more than 1,000 restaurants range from
fork-tender steaks to a tempting mix of ethnic and local favorites. By actively courting
creative minds, the city is becoming a haven for the arts. The Omaha Community
Playhouse is the country's largest community theater measured by attendance, staff size,
and budget, and the Omaha Theater Co. is the nation’s third-largest professional children’s
theater. The Saddle Creek Records label is coveted by indie musicians and their fans. The
historical Old Market boasts a thriving artists’ community. A few blocks away, the elegant
new $94 million Holland Performing Arts Center was funded chiefly by private donors.
Omaha is looking to the future, and the view is awesome.
Whatever you thought about Omaha, think again.
PHOTO
To family: For four years, we have
been recognized by Working Mother’s
Magazine as a top 100 employer.
Bystanders view the Omaha Holiday Lights Festival from Gene Leahy Mall.
Managing Director
STEPHEN MITCHEM
[email protected]
Editor
SUSAN WEISSMAN
Associate Editor
DEANNA ABRAMS
Design Director
LAURA PETRIDES WALL
Art Director
DAVID DEASY
Assistant
Art Director
DEBOICE ROBERTSON
Copy Editor
MARIAN COWHIG
Web Coordinator
DENA SCOTT-CAULDER
Advertising
Services Manager
JULIA LINK
Sales/Business
Development
CHRIS DENBY
CHRIS . DENBY @ PACECO . COM
KATHY CATES
KATHY . CATES @ PACECO . COM
Illustration by Greg Paprocki. Photo by Eric Francis, courtesy of Greater
Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Series written by Nick Schinker. Photos by Kelli Baxendale.
On the Cover /
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Omaha
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FROM
He could live anywhere, but Warren Buffett says he finds the calm of Omaha conducive to business.
Unclouded Judgment
of the world’s
second-richest man as a typical Omaha native, but in
many ways, Warren Buffett is just that. Honest and
unassuming, amiable, and approachable, Buffett is proof
that a smart person can create value anywhere.
Dubbed the “Oracle of Omaha,” Buffett is the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company he
started with a handful of investors in 1956 that in 2005
reported total assets of $198.3 billion. Buffet himself is
worth $40 billion, putting him second on Forbes list
of the richest people—right behind Microsoft’s founder
Bill Gates, Buffett’s close friend and a member of the
Berkshire Hathaway board of directors.
Despite his incredible wealth, the native Omahan still
lives in the same midtown house he bought 40 years
ago. “It’s home,” he says simply.
The same is true of the city, he says. “It’s just been a
great place to live. There’s no disadvantage to it, when
you get right down to it. I’ve got friends every place. It’s
a real community.
“It’s because the people are friendly. They’re direct
and easy to talk to. They work hard. There’s a lot of
spirit. You feel like you’re part of something. And I
didn’t feel that way, frankly, when I lived in White
It may be difficult to think
PHOTO © MICHAEL O’NEILL/CORBIS OUTLINE
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Plains, N.Y., or when I was in Washington, DC. It was
not the same.”
He says Omaha has been a positive influence on his
business, “a good atmosphere for thinking, analyzing,
and remaining rational. I’m not affected by the moods
of Wall Street, so I find it’s a great place to think things
through logically.”
Buffet, 75, can be seen all over town, most often at
restaurants with a few friends. He has a passion for beef
at lunch and dinner, and he always washes it down with
a Coke, a favorite even before he became a director of
The Coca-Cola Co. in 1989.
He enjoys a good game of bridge, but increasingly
he’s turned to the Internet for his games. “It’s so much
easier to play on the Internet than to try and get four
people together,” he laments.
On May 6, Buffett will get 21,000 people together
at the annual Berkshire Hathaway stockholders meeting at the Qwest Center in Omaha. He’ll take a seat
center stage, sipping a Coke as he spends more than
four hours telling stories and answering questions. He’ll
make people laugh. He’ll make them think.
And, if they listen closely to his advice, he’ll make
them rich.
THE
As you survey the landscape for the best location for you and your business, take a good
look at Greater Omaha. A vibrant community of more than 800,000 people (1.1 million
people within a 60-minute drive), Omaha ranks high on everyone’s list.
In Omaha, people thrive
with challenging careers,
a healthy lifestyle and the
chance to make a difference.
• 50 hottest cities for business expansion Expansion Management
• Top 15 metros in the nation Forbes
• Top 10 best cities for women Ladies Home Journal
• Top 10 cities for raising a family Parenting
• Top 20 cities for relocating singles Primacy & Worldwide ERC
• 20 best cities for small business Entrepreneur
• 3rd best place to locate your company Expansion Management
• Sixth of 20 best places to do business Sales and Marketing Management
• 11th best place for business and careers Forbes
• 23rd best city for men Men’s Health
Being at the top of so many lists is great.
Being on top of the world is even better. Join us in Omaha.
Call or Click
800-852-2622
www.AccessOmaha.com
Insight
Omaha
Students at Girls and Boys Town can grow in a safe environment that helps heal scars from the past.
Exceeding Hollywood’s hopes
Father Edward Flanagan,
the priest who
believed “there’s no such thing as a bad boy” and
borrowed $90 to open Father Flanagan’s Boys Home in
1917, would probably remove his glasses and rub his
eyes, just to be certain he wasn’t dreaming.
Today, the nonprofit, nonsectarian Girls and Boys
Town organization, with its headquarters still in
Omaha, provides children with safe, caring
environments and the treatment necessary to
heal the scars of abuse and neglect.
Made famous by the 1938 movie Boys
Town starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey
Rooney, Girls and Boys Town has grown
into a respected voice for the protection
and care of troubled children.
“Many people think Hollywood made
Father Flanagan’s vision a reality,” says
the Rev. Steven Boes, executive director.
“Making a home for kids of all creeds
and colors happened here in Omaha,
not in Hollywood.”
The organization’s outreach is
impressive. Each year, more than 40,000
children receive assistance through direct-care
programs at 19 sites in 15 states, the District
of Columbia, and at the Boys Town National
Research Hospital in Omaha. In addition, more
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than 500,000 children and families are helped through
the Girls and Boys Town National Hotline (800-4483000), and nearly a million more are served through
outreach and professional training programs.
The work put Girls and Boys Town on the 2005
America’s Promise Alliance list of the 100 Best
Communities for Young People.
There is no one profile for the children at Girls
and Boys Town. “Our kids look like any other kids
in America,” Boes says. “Abuse, abandonment,
and neglect don’t discriminate, and neither
do we.”
At the Village of Boys Town in west
Omaha, residential services focus on familystyle living. Married couples known as
family-teachers live in homes with six to
eight girls or boys ages 10–18. The couples
and their assistants teach basic skills and
ensure that the physical, spiritual, and
emotional needs of the children are met.
The success stories are many. One girl
came from a home where she endured abuse
and other difficulties. After graduation from
high school, she entered the military, as do
nearly a quarter of all the program’s grads.
“Now,” Boes says proudly, “she is one of
the soldiers who guard the White House.”
VIEW TOP
FROM
THE
As you survey the landscape for the best location for you and your business, take a good
look at Greater Omaha. A vibrant community of more than 800,000 people (1.1 million
people within a 60-minute drive), Omaha ranks high on everyone’s list.
In Omaha, people thrive
with challenging careers,
a healthy lifestyle and the
chance to make a difference.
• 50 hottest cities for business expansion Expansion Management
• Top 15 metros in the nation Forbes
• Top 10 best cities for women Ladies Home Journal
• Top 10 cities for raising a family Parenting
• Top 20 cities for relocating singles Primacy & Worldwide ERC
• 20 best cities for small business Entrepreneur
• 3rd best place to locate your company Expansion Management
• Sixth of 20 best places to do business Sales and Marketing Management
• 11th best place for business and careers Forbes
• 23rd best city for men Men’s Health
Being at the top of so many lists is great.
Being on top of the world is even better. Join us in Omaha.
Call or Click
800-852-2622
www.AccessOmaha.com
Insight
CONSUMER-DRIVEN HEALTHCARE
Omaha
“
I don’t think a
person ever decides
to be an actor.
Acting chooses you.
I’m here to help
those who realize it.
”
His career has taken him far and wide, but actor John Beasley stays true to his Omaha roots.
Sharing a love of home, stage
Acclaimed actor and director John
Beasley says he can accomplish things in Omaha
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that he couldn’t if he lived anywhere else. Not just for
himself, but for the community.
Founder of the John Beasley Theater at the LaFern
Williams Center in south Omaha, Beasley is planning
a 300-seat theater and workshop facility that he hopes
will become a cultural and educational anchor in the
city’s new North Downtown redevelopment area.
“I’m not here to make money,” Beasley says,
chatting over a cup of coffee in Omaha’s Old Market.
“The money I make supports the theater. With me, it’s
always been about the art.”
Although he didn’t officially begin his acting career
until he was 45 years old, Beasley, now 62, has wasted
little time rising through the ranks. Buoyed by talent
and skill, he has appeared in nearly 40 major motion
pictures and television shows.
He is a regular cast member in the WB television
series Everwood, where he plays bus driver Irv
Harper and also narrates the show. He has enjoyed
numerous film roles, including Coach Warren in Rudy
and General Lasseter in The Sum of All Fears, acting
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alongside Morgan Freeman and Ben Affleck.
Omaha is where Beasley met a friend who shared
his interest in football, Chicago Bears superstar
halfback Gale Sayers. In college, he played football
with Marlon Briscoe, who became the NFL’s first
African-American starting quarterback.
Beasley began acting here. Now, he proudly counts
on his fingertips the theaters in which he’s performed.
“Omaha has an outstanding reputation for community
theater. I was able to build a resumé in theater here
that, when I took it to the next level, it was valid.”
His career has taken him to other cities, first
Minneapolis and then Chicago, where he read for the
role of the love interest in Brewster Place, and won the
part—playing opposite Oprah Winfrey. The roles since
have been frequent and fulfilling.
But he never really left Omaha. This is where he
lives, acts, and directs. He teaches young actors, passing
along the lessons he’s learned on and off the stage. “I
don’t think a person ever decides to be an actor. Acting
chooses you. I’m here to help those who realize it.”
Beasley has no plans to leave. “Omaha is my home.
Here, I can reach out and really make a difference.”
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how Alegent Health is making healthcare better, visit Alegent.com or call 1-800-ALEGENT.
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Insight
Omaha
In the zoo’s Scott Aquarium, visitors can walk a 70-foot tunnel, surrounded by sea life.
Zoo preserves nature’s work
With the world’s last three living Governor
Laffan’s ferns in its care, the government of Bermuda
turned to Omaha’s zoo for help.
Ranked the best zoo in America by Reader’s Digest
in 2004, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo is famous for an
array of exhibits and collection of mammals, birds,
reptiles, fish, and amphibians that attracts more than
1.35 million visitors annually.
It has the world’s largest indoor rain forest, an
IMAX theater, the Hubbard Gorilla Valley, and
the Scott Aquarium, where a
70-foot-long acrylic viewing
tunnel puts sharks and other
fish above and alongside their
human guests. It features the
world’s largest indoor desert
beneath a massive geodesic
dome. One flight down is
the world’s largest nocturnal
exhibit and indoor swamp in
Dr. Margaret From
“Kingdoms of the Night.”
Few people, however, are aware the zoo is a world
leader in plant and animal conservation training,
education, and research.
“We are well known for the size and quality of our
exhibits and the rarity of our collection,” says Dr. Lee
G. Simmons, zoo director. “But what also sets us apart
is our world-class, cutting-edge research center.”
Currently undergoing a $6 million expansion, the
zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research is a magnet
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for scientists and students from around the world.
The expansion will more than double the space
devoted to conservation and research studies in nutrition, veterinary medicine, reproductive physiology, and
molecular genetics. It is the kind of research that, for
example, has led to the identification of eight new
species of lemurs by Dr. Ed Lewis.
The center also houses the zoo’s micro-propagation laboratory for rare and endangered plants and the
work of Dr. Margaret From. Her successes include the
propagation and reintroduction
of the western prairie fringed
orchid to its natural habitat in
the United States and the propagation of many endangered
orchids in Madagascar.
In the case of the Bermuda
ferns, the last specimen was
discovered in the wild in 1905.
The only three living specimens
were being kept at the Bermuda
Botanical Gardens.
In her lab at the Omaha zoo, From was able to
propagate the species in vitro from spores. Two years
ago, 15 cultures containing thousands of baby ferns
were hand-carried to Bermuda for reintroduction.
Another shipment is expected to be sent this year.
“These ferns will continue to exist because of
From’s work,” says Simmons. “The scope of what we’re
doing here is tremendous.”
The
DURING A TOUR OF THE BEMIS CENTER for Contemporary Arts,
Cary Tobin pauses to sign for delivery of a package, a thick envelope containing another submission for the residency program she directs.
“This one,” Tobin says, reading the label, “is from Korea.”
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Bemis Center has one of the nation’s
premier artist residency programs. Each year the center receives more than
500 applications from around the world. Fewer than 30 artists are chosen.
t
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Tobin says the center is known in Europe and around
the world. “Everywhere the Bemis is mentioned, artists
know about us,” she says. “It’s an amazing program that
just happens to be here in Omaha.”
The Bemis Center is one aspect of this city’s conscious effort to attract and cultivate artistic creativity.
The results extend beyond the Bemis to the vibrant
artists’ community in the Old Market historical district
as well as several blocks north to the innovative Hot
Shops Arts Center, with its collection of forges, kilns,
studios, and showrooms.
Omaha has long been recognized as a leader in community theater. The Omaha Community Playhouse,
where Henry Fonda and Dorothy McGuire took their
first bows, is America’s largest community theater
measured by attendance, staff size, and budget. When
Dick Boyd stepped down in December after 30
years portraying Scrooge in the playhouse’s annual production
of A Christmas Carol, his
unblemished longevity was
chronicled in USA Today
and on national television.
Each year, the historical Rose
Theater draws more than 200,000
children and adults into a magical
world of stage performances geared
toward young people. It’s home to
the Omaha Theater Company, which
features one of the country’s largest
national tours. The 2006-07 tour
will visit more than 80 cities and
feature two shows, including The
Berenstain Bears on Stage, written
especially for the company by the
late Stan Berenstain.
Sprinkled throughout the city,
more than 35 production companies welcome audiences and
Above: The Nutcracker at the Rose Theater
Left: Pottery from Hot Shops
aspiring actors of all ages. Every summer, Shakespeare
on the Green presents two plays free of charge at an
open-air theater in Elmwood Park. For dance, there
is the Omaha Theater Ballet resident professional
company, and Chomari Ballet Folklorico Mexicano,
the resident dance company of El Museo Latino in
south Omaha.
Music adds to the city’s flavor. Omahan Chip Davis
is the founder and composer of the Grammy-winning
band Mannheim Steamroller, which performs here every
Christmas. Jazz on the Green attracts thousands to the
lawn outside the Joslyn Art Museum, and the Omaha
Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival is growing in scope.
The Omaha Symphony Orchestra performs at the
grand new Holland Performing Arts Center, while the
stately Orpheum Theater hosts Opera Omaha. Both
facilities are managed by Omaha Performing Arts, a
nonprofit organization active in education and community enrichment programs.
The Holland’s 2,000-seat Peter Kiewit Concert Hall
is unequaled in its attention to acoustics, says Thomas
Sounds Impressive
Stepping for the first time into the Kiewit Concert Hall at the new
$94 million Holland Performing Arts Center invariably elicits a
“Wow,” and when it does, that single word can be heard as far back
as the last row of the second balcony. The acoustics in the 2,000-seat
hall are designed to astound. Each of the 7,000 hand-cast plaster tiles
on the walls, for example, has a varying series of dimples to carry every
note and lyric throughout the room. The attention to detail is paying off.
“We have had incredible interest in the Holland Center in its inaugural
season,” says Joan Squires, president of Omaha Performing Arts.
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Holland Performing Arts Center
Marine Life Studies in the New York Harbor
Golden Gate Bridge Phase IIIA Seismic Retrofit
Since 1917, we’ve called Omaha home,
but our work takes us from coast to
coast. Whether we’re monitoring marine
life in the New York Harbor, or making
the Golden Gate bridge safer during
an earthquake, we’re doing our part
to make the world a better place
in ways that go way beyond
architecture and engineering.
© 2005 Photography by Scott Highton
BY
Internationally acclaimed sculptor and painter Jun
Kaneko first brought his art to Omaha in the early
1980s. Most recently, Opera Omaha invited the
Kaneko to design visually stunning sets and costumes
for Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. His next venture is
even more daring. In a building in the Old Market
district, he is creating “The Kaneko,” described as
“open space for your mind.” It’s a nonprofit “center
for creativity” that he hopes will attract artists, poets,
philosophers, and scientists. “There are great cities all
over, places where I have friends and could gain equal
support,” says Kaneko, who turns 64 this year. “But
with the amazing arts community here, Omaha just
made so much sense to me.”
Scott Dobry Pictures
OTO
No Limit to
His Creativity
Tom Kessler Photography
PH
Wilkins, musical director of the
symphony.
“The investment of $100 million, the majority of it from private donors, in the building of the
Holland to me is the strongest indicator of how Omahans feel about the
performing arts and art in general,”
says Wilkins. “Omaha has built a
concert hall designed not for stage
productions but for acoustic music.
That’s an incredible commitment.”
Wilkins, who is also the resident
conductor of the Detroit Symphony,
says the Holland Center reflects the
city’s spirit. “Omaha is on the cusp
The Omaha Community Playhouse’s annual production of
of great things. Not only is there
A Christmas Carol attracts dedicated fans.
promise here, but a will to have those
promises fulfilled.”
1989 as an artist-in-residence. He returned in 2003
The Bemis Center, founded by a group including
to become the center’s executive director and lauds
artists Jun Kaneko and Ree Schonlau, lives up to its
Omaha for its “artistic economic development.”
promise to support exceptional talent. The center occu“This city has always benefited from a strong, conpies two warehouses in downtown’s Old Market area,
temporary arts scene, where the community nurtured
filling a block and a half of space. Artists-in-residence
and established the retention of artists,” he says. “That
get a place to live and work and a monthly stipend.
became the foundation of today’s arts scene, and it’s
Sculptor Mark Masuoka came to the Bemis in
building an incredible reputation around the world.”
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Omaha
Omaha
Left to right: Creighton University basketball; the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament;
University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks hockey.
TOP LEFT PHOTO BY ERIC FRANCIS, COURTESY OF GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; TOP CENTER PHOTO
C O U RT E S Y O F T H E N C A A ; TO P R I G H T PH OTO B Y E R I C FR A N C I S, C O U RT E S Y O F UN I V E R S IT Y O F NE B R A S K A AT O M A H A;
B AC KG RO U N D PH OTO B Y ER I C FR A N CI S , C O U RT E S Y O F G R E AT E R O M A HA CHA M B E R O F CO M M E RC E
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The commission bid to host the trials not in a
parking lot but at the Qwest Center Omaha, a $291
million convention center and arena completed in
2003. In the end, Omaha was selected over two other
finalists: St. Paul, Minnesota, and San Antonio, Texas.
Announcing the selection, Chuck Wielgus, the executive director of USA Swimming, touted Omaha’s “vigorous business environment and a sports-mad population.”
While “sports-mad” may be a little extreme,
Omahans are loyal sports and recreation enthusiasts.
No matter the season, they find a way to exercise their
passions.
During the winter, sledding and cross-country skiing
are popular pastimes at many of the city’s more than 200
parks and the 15 state parks that lie within a 50-mile
radius. Indoors, youth and adult hockey leagues and
figure skaters keep the city’s ice rinks busy.
In the summer, softball leagues crowd the bases
at city ballparks, while golfers tee off at more than
50 public and private courses. Runners line up for
the annual Omaha Marathon and other competitive
challenges. Joggers and bicyclists follow miles of trails
alongside tranquil creek beds.
Those who enjoy deeper water take to area
lakes for fishing, boating, and swimming or visit the
Missouri, Elkhorn, or Platte rivers. The Riverfront
Marina is the City of Omaha’s newest addition to the
exciting Missouri riverfront-redevelopment area. The
marina offers short-term docking slips and easy access
to activities and events at Rick’s Café Boatyard, Lewis
and Clark Landing, Qwest Center Omaha, the downtown area, and the Old Market.
Spectators have plenty of choices, too.
Each August, the Cox Classic golf tournament at
Champions Run takes on a life of its own. Coverage
of the 2005 tournament on The Golf Channel put the
city’s big red O! symbol before a national television
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audience. The event followed its own record-breaking
tradition with more than 82,000 people turning out
during the tournament. And the nightly parties went
on long after the sun had set.
Hockey is a hot ticket, with three well-followed
area teams, while the Pacific Coast League AAA
Omaha Royals crack the bats at Rosenblatt Stadium.
Loyal fans follow Creighton University Bluejay basketball and soccer teams.
The soccer team plays at the 5,000-seat Michael
G. Morrison, S.J., Soccer Stadium, remarkable for its
high-tech turf that’s composed of sand, rubber, and
fibers. Designed in Amsterdam especially for the sport,
it incorporates 60,000 used automobile tires and is the
records for women’s college volleyball single-game
attendance and two-day session attendance at the
NCAA women’s regional tournament. This December,
Omaha will be the site of the NCAA women’s volleyball
semifinal and championship matches.
The city is attracting other collegiate events. In
2008, first- and second-round games in the NCAA
men’s basketball tournament, and in 2010, the NCAA
Division I wrestling championships will take place at
the Qwest Center Omaha.
For the Olympic swimming trials, two temporary
50-meter pools will be installed in the Qwest Center
arena. The convention center will be transformed into
the USA Swimming Aqua Zone, a sponsor- and
fan-experience area.
“It’s probably safe to say that Omaha will never get
the Olympics,” Morrissey says. “But we have been able
to cultivate a relationship with arguably one of the
premier Olympic sports and bring those trials here.”
He says the economic impact of this event and its
telecast on the NBC and USA cable networks should be
phenomenal.
“We think it’ll blow everything else right out of the
water,” he says.
Once the pools are filled, of course.
Pass the Mustard
Omaha claims a professional baseball
team, three hockey teams, and several
others—enough sports to keep a hot dog
vendor busy all season long.
The Pacific Coast League AAA Omaha Royals
baseball team is the top farm club for the Kansas
City Royals.
The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights American
Hockey League pro team plays 40 home games.
The Omaha Lancers amateur U.S. Hockey League
team has won several championships since play
began in 1986.
The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s hockey
team is an NCAA Division I program. The
Mavericks are part of the Central Collegiate
Hockey Association.
Creighton University’s soccer teams are among the
nation’s best; the Bluejays lead the Missouri Valley
Conference in men’s basketball championships.
The Qwest Center Omaha
only field of its kind in the United States.
Setting Omaha apart and establishing the city as the
nation’s leading host of collegiate and amateur sports
championships is the primary function of the Omaha
Sports Commission, created January 2004 by a group
of prominent civic leaders.
“The successes in our first two years have been quite
incredible,” Morrissey says.
Last year, crowds at the Qwest Center Omaha set
Tune in Sunday Night 7PM Eastern, 6PM Central on Animal Planet
Building
on
Greatness
PHOTO COURTES
NATIONAL BANK
Y O F F IRST
O F O M AHA
LAURITZEN. SCOTT. HOLLAND. YANNEY: These are some of the family
names that adorn buildings, charitable foundations and attractions throughout
Omaha, an indication of great wealth and impressive generosity. These movers
and shakers can afford to live anywhere, but they choose to stay here.
Bruce Lauritzen is the chairman of First National Bank. His ancestors helped
found the city in 1854, about the same time that they founded the bank. With
nearly $16 billion in managed assets, 90 banking locations in seven states, and
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Omaha
7,000 employees, First National Bank is a big company
with headquarters in a city of giants.
Omaha is the headquarters of four Fortune 500
companies. Berkshire Hathaway, ranked No. 7 on
Fortune magazine’s 2006 list of America’s Most
Admired Companies, is Warren Buffett’s success story,
with local holdings that include Nebraska Furniture
Mart and Borsheim’s Fine Jewelry. ConAgra Foods,
whose brands include Chef Boyardee and Slim Jim,
is one of North America’s largest packaged-food companies. Mutual of Omaha group insurers has been a
resident since 1909 and is a major influence in midtown beautification. Union Pacific Railroad, the largest
railroad in North America, built on its 143-year history
here with a new, $260 million corporate headquarters
building. Only 17 cities have more Fortune 500 company headquarters.
Other notables include First Data Resources, which
started here in 1971 with 110 employees. Today, the
credit-card processing arm of the global First Data
Corp., which has headquarters in Denver, employs
more than 5,000 people in Omaha.
From his office on the top floor of the First
National Tower, Lauritzen watches the city grow. In
the shadow of the gleaming tower, he can see how First
National is working to beautify downtown with green
space and sculptures. At 16th and Dodge streets, the
Spirit of Nebraska’s Wilderness features 58 bronze and
stainless steel Canada geese in flight above a granite
fountain. Nearby is Pioneer Courage, a marvelous series
of huge bronze sculptures that honor the great wagon
train migration across America.
“It’s a fun time to live in Omaha,” Lauritzen says.
“We have recruited people from all over the U.S. to
work for us. Most of them come here with no particular expectations. They stay because it’s an exciting
place to be.”
Ameritrade CEO Joe Moglia moved from New York
to Omaha and enjoys the newfound convenience. “I
have less than a five-minute commute to the office, and
if my son has a baseball game, I can be in the stands in
10 minutes—in time for the first pitch.”
Lauritzen says one of the city’s strengths “is its
Companies by her father, Michael B. Yanney. A Stanford
Law School grad, Roskens also is a triathlete, a certified
riding instructor, and the board chairman of Take Flight
Farms, a nonprofit organization that works with social
service agencies and health care providers to offer unique
equine-assisted therapy and learning activities.
“No matter your age, no matter where you were
born, it’s easy to become a part of the fabric of this
city,” she says. She knows a number of people who
served in leadership roles at Stratcom (The U.S.
Strategic Command, located at Offutt Air Force Base)
who made Omaha their home when they retired.”
Roskens says Omaha is a melting pot of diversity. “I
can live on a farm, wear blue jeans and boots and work
my horses in the morning, then 20 minutes later be
in my office downtown. Here, you can choose a rural
home and still have a contemporary, cosmopolitan city
minutes away.”
She says the city suits her professionally and personally. “Being so centrally located is surely a benefit to
our business. It’s easy to travel anywhere from here.
Living here is also a benefit. It’s simpler but not boring.
It’s quiet but definitely not dull.”
“In my opinion, life here is just—better.”
For the Greater Good...
Lisa Roskens, the president and CEO of
Burlington Capital Group
legion of generous citizens. Peter Kiewit. Walter
and Suzanne Scott. Warren Buffett. Dick and Mary
Holland. That sets us apart.”
Walter Scott, the chairman emeritus of Peter Kiewit
Sons’, an Omaha-headquartered construction, engineering, and mining company that until recently was
listed among the Fortune 500, says he is motivated by
“a vision of the future. Those things which make for a
better quality of life, whether it be the arts, medicine,
education or any endeavor the community may take
pride in, can and will be world-class.”
The ingenuity and generosity of his fellow residents
inspires him and his wife to “match their passion,”
Scott says. “The potential of this city, given its
already- devoted foundation and quality of our youth,
is truly limitless.”
Lisa Yanney Roskens, a member of the next generation of Omaha’s civic leaders, shares Scott’s sentiments.
Roskens, 39, is the president and CEO of Burlington
Capital Group, an international investment-management firm founded 21 years ago as America First
In an annual survey of 636 community foundations, the Omaha Community
Foundation ranked in the top 5 percent in gifts received, grants distributed,
and market value size. Established in 1982, the foundation is a collection
of charitable funds built with gifts and bequests. In 2005, the foundation’s
donors invested more than $30 million in a range of charitable programs and
organizations, including local arts and social service agencies and the international humanitarian effort Doctors Without Borders. Mike McCarthy, the
chairman of the McCarthy Group and a noteworthy Omaha philanthropist,
is the foundation’s chairman. “There has always been great awareness in our
community of the power of philanthropy,” McCarthy says. “Through this
foundation, wealth created in Omaha supports causes all over the world.”
As the world’s largest third-party transaction processor, First Data Resources
has become the center of a payment network which reaches around the globe.
But we could not have become an industry leader without every single one
of our employees. So, only with the support and dedication
of every employee can we continue our tradition of success.
First Data. . . global reach with a local presence.
Connected to the World
P
It’s a gate symbolizing a link between two cities thousands of miles apart.
It’s a gift that signifies a four-decade relationship between two cultures. The
Sunpu Gate at Lauritzen Gardens-Omaha’s Botanical Center is a replica
of the entrance gate at the Sunpu Castle in Omaha’s sister city, Shizuoka,
Japan. Built in Shizuoka, reassembled in Omaha, and dedicated in a grand
ceremony last October, it commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Omaha
Sister Cities Association’s relationship with the Japanese city. The association
encourages the exchange of ideas, business, knowledge and goodwill with
Omaha’s other sister cities: Braunschweig, Germany; Siaulia, Lithuania; Naas,
Ireland; and Xalapa, Mexico.
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The Heart of Global Commerce...
In America’s Heartland
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Crossroads
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Commerce
TOP RIGHT PHOTO
C O URT ES Y OF CO N
of
JOHN GOTTSCHALK SAYS THE FIRE behind Omaha’s current economic boom
was sparked more than 35 years ago.
It was about 1970 when government and private sector forces joined to create the
Central Park Mall, an eight-square-block urban park slicing through downtown, with
a water feature flowing from 14th Street east to the Missouri River. Themed “Return
to the River,” the mall was designed to stimulate development downtown, recalls
Gottschalk, publisher of The Omaha World-Herald newspaper.
It succeeded. The popular green space spawned a new library and several office
buildings, culminating in the ConAgra Foods riverfront campus. “That was a
journey of 12 to 15 years,” says Gottschalk, “and the catalyst was clearly the mall.”
161
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Omaha
Other investment created manufacturing plants
and jobs in west Omaha, keeping the city competitive in the blue-collar marketplace. Completion of the
interstate highway system, with Interstate 80 passing
through the city and Interstate 29 just across the river
in Iowa, aided the city’s viability as a crossroads for
commerce. Then, the pace settled, and Omaha grew
comfortable.
That is no longer the case. The past five years have
seen an extraordinary amount of economic development from the Missouri riverfront west to 180th Street
and beyond. The growth totals more than $3 billion in
new capital investment citywide—with an additional
$2 billion in “spillover impact,” according to Creighton
University economist Dr. Ernie Goss.
The list surpasses awesome. The 40-story First
National Bank Tower. The new Union Pacific Railroad
headquarters. The Omaha World-Herald Freedom
Center printing facility. The National Park Service
regional headquarters. The Pacific Life Insurance Co.
regional business center. AAA Auto Club Group’s
operations center. Village Pointe, Lakeside, and Legacy
shopping and entertainment areas. PayPal’s operations center, which is already expanding. The Gallup
University riverfront campus. Northrop Grumman’s
operations facility near Offutt Air Force Base. The
John Gottschalk
Holland Performing Arts Center. The Hilton Omaha.
Qwest Center Omaha convention center and arena.
And on, and on …
Throughout downtown, older buildings are being
converted to apartments and condos faster than ink
dries on the leases. Upscale new projects include
Riverfront Place, with penthouse condos fetching
$1 million or more. In December, plans were
announced for WallStreet Tower Omaha, a 32-story
building with retail space and 282 condos.
The leadership, vision, and investment that has
transformed downtown and the riverfront is generating
pride, excitement, and development citywide.
Doug Bisson, the community-planning manager
with Omaha-headquartered HDR Inc., is seeing the
Managing
Your
Wealth
momentum reflected in other projects, including the
Destination Midtown initiative, Mutual of Omaha’s
pedestrian-oriented redevelopment plan for the Turner
Park neighborhood, the streetscapes of north and
south 24th Street, and the dynamic North Downtown
mixed-use urban area near Creighton University.
“People realize that to compete for the best and
the brightest we have to provide great quality of life,”
Bisson says. “We have no mountains, no ocean. But
we have great urbanity.”
Gottschalk agrees. “Beyond the facilities, the glass
and the glimmer, beyond the transformation of view
and the psychological lift,” he says, “we have not failed
to attend to the quality-of-life issues.”
Looking to the future, the Nebraska Legislature in
2005 passed the Nebraska Advantage Act. The landmark legislation includes $200 million in incentives
available annually to businesses that create new jobs
and investment, job-training funds, and a research and
development tax credit.
Other factors such as the five-year, $20 million
Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership
GO! initiative, which that targets 10 industries for economic development that will bring even more business
to the area, says David G. Brown, the president and
CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
Overcoming Adversity
Nicola Nick was working as a waitress when the
restaurant’s owner decided to sell the failing business. Blind in one eye, with a fused vertebrae and
Erb’s palsy in her right arm, Nick is accustomed
to overcoming obstacles. So, at age 27, she got a
loan and bought the place. Three years and many
improvements later, Nicola’s in the Old Market
serves eager diners and hosts Broadway in Omaha
opening-night parties. She says downtown redevelopment is making a tremendous impact on her
small business. Nick also visits children with
disabilities, passing along her message of hope.
“No matter who you are, you can get a start here.
In Omaha you become family so fast.”
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H E M I S P H E R E S M A G A Z I N E
.
C O M
Chief Executive Officer, Securities America, Inc.
1-800-989-8441
www.securitiesamerica.com
Securities America, Inc., Member NASD/SIPC, Securities America Advisors, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm. Copyright 4/06.
Insight
Omaha
“Statistics show the incredible impact our work force
has on a company’s bottom line,” he says. “They’re
doing things here they can’t do elsewhere.”
Mike Fahey came to Omaha 35 years ago to study at
Creighton University. Today, he’s enjoying his second
term as Omaha mayor—and contemplating a third.
Omahans possess more than a “can-do” attitude,
Fahey says. “We dream big and work to accomplish
those dreams.”
Those dreams include the Central Park Mall, where it
all began. Now the Gene Leahy Mall, public and private
sectors are partnering to give it a makeover, and bring it
up to speed with the fast-paced city growing around it.
City of Giants
BERKSHIRE
HATHAWAY
Mayor Mike Fahey
35
years
50
states
16
countries
6
continents
1000s
of transplants
The transplant team known ’round the world.
One medical center tops the list for many seriously ill
Grow Into the Person You were Destined to Become
patients and their referring physicians. Why? They know
that’s where they’ll find a transplant program so innovative
and successful that it attracts both adult and pediatric patients
from all over the world, and the extraordinary physicians who
could practice anywhere, but choose to
come here.
At College of Saint Mary nothing’s out of reach. It’s a nurturing academic
community where undergraduate and graduate students bond and grow
with other students through clubs, organizations, and community service
projects. Small class sizes allow professors to know students as people,
their strengths and what they still need to learn. On the forefront of
educational trends in the region, College of Saint Mary’s innovative
Mothers Living and Learning provides on-campus housing for single
student mothers and their children. The accelerated one-year Master’s in
Leadership helps working professionals hone their skills and increase their
opportunities for promotion. And the Center for Transcultural Learning
offers classes in languages and cultures to health professionals, business
leaders and others working in our ever-more diverse community.
“An Outstanding
COLLEGE OF
SAINT MARY
7 0 0 0 M E R C Y R O A D • O M A H A , N E 6 8 1 0 6 • 4 0 2 . 3 9 9 . 2 4 0 5 • 8 0 0 . 9 2 6 . 5 5 3 4 • w w w. c s m . e d u
Patient Experience.”
J.D. Power and Associates
Internationally renowned liver program.
One of the world’s leaders in small intestine transplantation.
Kidney, pancreas, kidney/pancreas and other multi-organ transplants.
Cooperative care with family and friends of patients in a
unique, non-institutional setting.
An unparalleled, multi-disciplinary team dedicated to
saving the lives of the desperately ill.
To find out more, visit us at NebraskaTransplant.com
or call 800-922-0000.
Insight
Omaha
The Hilton Omaha
Be Our Guests
Travel is more than just A to B.
Travel should take you to the ideal address
that makes going to Omaha an event.
The Hilton Omaha is the perfect setting for whatever is on your agenda.
If you are here to visit your best customer, attend a conference or see
the sights, our spectacular facilities and brilliant staff will help your
plans go smoothly. Earn United Mileage Plus® miles and triple Hilton
HHonors® Base points for stays between May 15 and August 31, 2006.
Call (402)998-3400 or 1-800-HILTONS and book Plan Code P3
or the “Hemispheres” promotion.
1001 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 998-3400 www.omaha.hilton.com
THE ELEGANCE OF THE HILTON OMAHA,
Nebraska’s only AAA four-diamond hotel, and its skywalk to Qwest Center Omaha exemplify the comfort
and convenience that await the city’s guests.
Dana Markel, the director of operations of the
Greater Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau, counts
8,000 hotel rooms in the metropolitan area and 1,500
more coming aboard in 2007—plenty of space for
conventions, meetings, reunions, and vacations. Two
area hotels are building indoor water parks to add to the
variety.
Enjoying the renewed vibrancy of midtown Omaha,
the Cornerstone Mansion Inn is owned by Julie Mierau
and Mark O’Leary. Built in 1894, the inn has seven
guest rooms that remain elegant but have been updated
with features such as wireless Internet service.
Visitors with an urge to return to nature can stay
year-round at three nearby state parks. Mahoney State
Park offers 40 guest lodge rooms and 51 modern
housekeeping cabins with fireplaces and TVs. Platte
River State Park has 52 cabins, while Two Rivers State
Recreation Area is the only park in the U.S. to use
adapted Union Pacific Railroad cabooses as cabins.
Markel says visitors spent more than $1 billion in
Omaha last year. “Whether you visit for business, a
convention, or a weekend getaway,” she says, “Omaha is
an exciting, energetic, revitalized city that will give you
a truly unique set of experiences.”
Omaha Hotels
CORNERSTONE MANSION INN / 888-883-7745, midtown, cornerstonemansion.com
COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT / 402-346-2200, downtown/Old Market, marriott.com
DOUBLETREE HOTEL / 402-346-7600, downtown, doubletree.com
EMBASSY SUITES OMAHA / 402-346-9000, downtown/Old Market, embassysuites.com
HILTON OMAHA / 402-998-3400, downtown/Old Market, hilton.com
HILTON GARDEN INN / 402-341-4400, downtown/Old Market, hiltongardeninnomaha.com
OMAHA MARRIOTT / 402-399-9000, west Omaha, marriott.com
Travel should take you places™
Offer valid May 15 to August 31, 2006. You must book Plan Code P3 or the “Hemispheres” promotion to receive this special offer. “Triple Base points” means you will receive a bonus equal to two times
the number of Base points earned during a stay. Bonus points earned on Base points do not count toward VIP tier qualification. All standard Mileage Plus program rules and conditions apply. Miles
accrued and awards issued are subject to the terms and conditions of the United Mileage Plus program. United, its subsidiaries, affiliates and agents are not responsible for any products and services
of other participating companies. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the passenger. United and Mileage Plus are registered trademarks. To Double Dip® and earn Points
& Miles® for your stay, provide your HHonors and frequent flyer account numbers when making reservations and at check-in. You must be a Hilton HHonors member to Double Dip. Hilton HHonors
membership, earning of Points & Miles®, and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions. ©2006 Hilton HHonors Worldwide. ©2006 Hilton Hospitality, Inc.
REGENCY LODGE / 800-617-8310, west Omaha, regencylodge.com
SHERATON OMAHA / 402-342-2222, downtown/Old Market, starwoodhotels.com
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Public art at the University of
Nebraska Medical Center’s
Lied Transplant Center
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The Healing Arts
NEBRASKA RANKED ELEVENTH on United Health Foundation’s 2005 list of
healthiest states. Omaha’s hospitals, two university medical centers, and health care
community are at the forefront of research and innovation.
The Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC), the first four-year medical
school west of the Mississippi River, is the busiest trauma center in the state and
home to several centers of excellence, including cardiac care, cancer care, high-risk
pregnancy, transfusion-free medicine, and specialized surgery.
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pediatrician, a psychologist and a social worker, an
activity therapist, dietitian, and nurses.
The Boys Town National Research Hospital is a
recognized leader in the diagnosis and treatment of
deaf or hard of hearing children and children with
speech disorders. In partnership with Alegent Health,
its physicians also provide general pediatric care at
seven Boys Town Pediatrics clinics.
Methodist Health System has as its cornerstone
Methodist Hospital, established in 1891. The health
care system includes Nebraska Methodist College,
Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa;
Shared Services System and Physicians Clinic offices.
Methodist Hospital is the region’s leading provider of
women’s health care services.
Situated near Offutt Air Force Base, Ehrling
Bergquist Hospital serves active and retired military
personnel and their families.
From education and research to comprehensive care,
Omaha’s medical community stands among the best.
Exploring the Options
ALEGENT HEALTH SYSTEMS / alegent.com
BOYS TOWN NATIONAL RESEARCH HOSPITAL / boystownhospital.org
Left to right: Children’s Hospital; University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Lied Transplant Center;
a Creighton University student and instructor.
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PH OTO B Y AN D R EW J . BA R A N , CO U RT E S Y O F CHI L D R E N
C O U RT E S Y O F CR E I G H TO N U N I V E RS I T Y; CE N T E R PH OTO
S PI TA L ;
C O U RT E S Y O F
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Internationally known for hereditary cancer research,
CUMC plans a comprehensive program dedicated
to the treatment of vascular disease. Nebraska’s only
facility to help write the American Heart Association
national guidelines for cardiac rehabilitation, CUMC
has received the association’s performance achievement
award for coronary artery disease, which honors hospitals that have implemented evidence-based therapies for
patients admitted with cardiovascular disease.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center
(UNMC) includes the Lied Transplant Center and the
Durham Research Center. Through clinical trials and
experience, UNMC is responsible for bringing at least
five major new drugs to the market. It also has developed many surgical procedures used around the world.
UNMC serves as a model in the area of bioterrorism preparedness. The Nebraska Health and
Human Services System, UNMC and The Nebraska
Medical Center collaborated to develop the state’s
Biocontainment Unit, the first 10-bed patient care
unit in the nation. Dr. Steven Hinrichs, professor of pathology and microbiology, serves as the
director of the University of Nebraska Center for
Biosecurity at UNMC. The medical center’s bioterrorism facilities have been visited by former Office
of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Dr.
Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
The Nebraska Medical Center was formed in 1997
by the merger of Clarkson and University hospitals. It
serves as the primary teaching hospital for UNMC and
is a leader in solid-organ transplantation, cardiology,
radiation oncology, bone marrow transplantation,
neurology, burn care, and oncology.
Alegent Health Systems is the largest nonprofit,
faith-based healthcare system in Nebraska and southwestern Iowa with nine acute care hospitals, more than
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100 clinics, 1,200 physicians, and 8,600 employees. It
is sponsored by Catholic Health Initiatives and
Immanuel Health Systems. Alegent’s Lakeside Hospital,
which opened in 2004, is a digitally driven, high-tech
facility where bar-code technology and electronic health
records allow instant access to information.
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL / chsomaha.org
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER / creighton.edu/health
EHRLING BERGQUIST HOSPITAL, OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE /
offutt.af.mil/55thWing/55MDG/Medical/
METHODIST HEALTH SYSTEM / bestcare.org
THE NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER / nebraskamed.com
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER / unmc.edu
The most popular name for babies.
Baby names come and go. But year after year, Omaha’s most popular name for
babies is still Methodist Hospital. More parents trust us to deliver their babies
than any other area hospital.* That’s because we offer comprehensive
maternity care that’s second to none. Skilled prenatal care before your baby
arrives. Comfortable birthing suites with an anesthesiologist on-site 24/7. And
throughout the process, the attention of nurses who proudly wear the Magnet
designation – the gold standard of nursing care. See why more parents choose
A MRI technologist at Lakeside Hospital
Children’s Hospital is a 142-bed, nonprofit
organization that has been caring for children since
1948. Children’s operates more than 20 specialty clinics.
It is the only full-service pediatric hospital in the region
and is home to the only dedicated pediatric emergency
department in the region.
The Children’s Hospital Eating Disorders Program
is one of very few pediatric eating disorders programs
in the country that treats children as young as age 5.
Each child’s treatment team involves a board-certified
child and adolescent psychiatrist, a board-certified
Methodist Hospital to deliver their babies. For a physician referral, call
354-8888. Order a free book of popular baby names by visiting bestcare.org.
NEBRASKA’S FIRST
MAGNET-DESIGNATED
HOSPITAL
www.bestcare.org
*National Research Corporation Consumer Choice Awards data ©2006 Methodist Hospital, an affiliate of Methodist Health System
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Left to right: Durham Tower; Creighton University students with the Rev. John P. Schlegel,
university president; the Peter Kiewit Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
O F
EIG HTO N UN IV ERS IT Y;
NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
C O M
CR
.
P C ENT ER PH OTO C O URT ES Y O F
PHOTO C O URT ES Y OF UNIVER SIT Y
U N I T E D
TO
Dr. Gerald Wagner, is an accomplished man. A distinguished research
fellow at the Peter Kiewit Institute, an art collector, and a historic preservationist, he also serves as a senior scientist with the Gallup Organization.
The Riverfront Campus, part of Gallup University, brings thousands of
top-level executives to Omaha for training. Yet, Wagner gets his biggest kick
from One Innovation Place, a student laboratory for advanced software
design and development he leads at UNO’s College of Information Science
and Technology. “One IP allows these marvelous students to combine education with entrepreneurial spirit and live it during their entire academic
career,” he says. “It’s truly unique, and it’s great fun to be around.”
RIGHT
Nurturing Talent
P
Y
WHETHER YOUR INTEREST is technology or medicine, few cities offer the
multitude of higher education opportunities that are available in Omaha.
The city boasts a dozen universities, colleges, and health-science institutions,
including Creighton University and the Creighton University Medical Center, the
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Metropolitan Community College and its
uniquely affordable Institute for the Culinary Arts, and the University of Nebraska
at Omaha (UNO), a wellspring of service-learning programs and home to the
PKI Board Chairman Walter Scott Jr. says the
alliance between industry leaders and higher education “is responsive and strategic with where business is
heading, not where it’s been.”
Scott, whose foundation has supported the institute
through scholarships and other funding, is impressed
by the quality of PKI students. “Many have turned
down the likes of MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Cal Poly, and
others to attend PKI—not bad company by anyone’s
perspective,” he says.
Creighton University, ranked by U.S. News &
World Report as the No. 1 college in the Midwest for
the third year in a row, attracts students from every
state and 40 foreign countries to its College of Arts
and Sciences, College of Business Administration, and
School of Nursing, and to its prestigious professional
programs in medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, as well
as physical and occupational therapies.
Creighton’s undergraduate chemistry program
ranks in the top 2 percent of the nation’s universities
that produce American Chemical Society-certified
chemists. Creighton’s biology department ranks in
the top 4 percent, and the department of physics and
the department of environmental and atmospheric sciences are in the top 12 percent. The university’s medical center has a top-ranked program in cardiology and
is internationally recognized for research in hereditary
TO
PHOTO COURTESY OF
CREIGHTON UNIVERSIT
Center of Learning
University of Nebraska’s Peter Kiewit Institute of
Information Science, Technology and Engineering.
Innovation and information merge at the Peter
Kiewit Institute. From inception to funding to
curriculum development, PKI exemplifies successful
public-private partnerships. The institute blends
a business and industry component with two colleges: the University of Nebraska at Lincoln College
of Engineering and UNO’s College of Information
Science and Technology.
Institute Executive Director Winnie Callahan says
the combination offers complementary disciplines and
educational opportunities. “PKI makes it possible, for
example, to study both civil engineering and computer
design or telecommunications and architectural engineering,” she says. “A graduate who brings two strengths
to the table can prove to be twice as valuable.”
The institute has an advisory board of CEOs and
more than 200 global business partners, including
Union Pacific, the U.S. Strategic Command Center,
IBM, and Johnson Controls. It is also within walking
distance of a conference facility, residence halls, and the
Scott Technology Transfer and Incubator Center, with
facilities for the development of ideas emerging from
PKI and its partners. The buildings share the Ak-SarBen Business and Education Campus with First Data
Resources and the future Ak-Sar-Ben Village.
173
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Omaha
“It’s official.
Colleges and Universities
BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY / 800-756-7920, bellevue.edu
COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY / 800-926-5534, csm.edu
I have my MBA and it feels
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY / 402-280-2700, www.creighton.edu
GRACE UNIVERSITY / 402-449-2800, graceuniversity.edu
great!”
HAMILTON COLLEGE-OMAHA / 402-572-8500, hamiltonomaha.com
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE / Fort Omaha Campus, 800-228-9553, www.mccneb.edu
NEBRASKA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY-OMAHA / 402-827-3555, wesleyanadvantage.com
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA’S PETER KIEWIT INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING / 402-554-3333, www.pki.nebraska.edu
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA / 402-554-2800, www.unomaha.edu
Here’s why Bellevue University’s Master of
Business Administration degree is one of
the fastest growing MBAs in the nation:
VATTEROTT COLLEGE-SPRING VALLEY CAMPUS / 402-891-9411, vatterott-college.edu
Health Science Education
Named “Best Buy Online MBA” by GetEducated.com
CLARKSON COLLEGE / 800-647-5500, www.clarksoncollege.edu
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER / 402-449-4000, www.creighton.edu
NEBRASKA METHODIST COLLEGE / 800-335-5510, methodistcollege.edu
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER / 402-559-4000, unmc.edu
When is a hospital more than just a hospital?
Julia Chamova,
Bellevue University,
MBA, 2004
• Select from eight career-oriented concentrations:
– Accounting
– Finance
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– Human Resource Management
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• Offered online through our exclusive, interactive learning
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Join Julia and hundreds of
other happy graduates.
Call 800-756-7920
www.bellevue.edu/info/executives
When it’s Creighton University Medical Center.
As a helicopter lands, rushing an injured motorist to one of the
region’s busiest trauma centers, a premature baby is sensing the
world for the first time, cradled in her mother’s arms.
A floor below, a young man recovers after brain surgery
while his parents keep silent vigil, strengthened by a
newfound hope.
Meanwhile, a remotely controlled surgical system is being
used to repair a heart through a tiny hole in the body rather
than through a large incision, resulting in less pain and a
faster recovery.
This is more than just a hospital.
This is Creighton University Medical Center.
In the medical school, a genetic scientist is busy mapping the
cancer history of a woman’s family going back three
generations.
Real Learning for Real Life.
Omaha, Nebraska
174
H E M I S P H E R E S M A G A Z I N E
.
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Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools • 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 • Chicago, Illinois 60602-2504 • Bellevue University
does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability in the educational programs and activities it operates. The Bellevue University College of Business also
is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).
Insight
Omaha
cancers and osteoporosis.
The Rev. John P. Schlegel,
S.J., the university president,
says Creighton’s current expansion program, which includes
enhancement of technology
infrastructure, the construction
of academic, social, and athletic
facilities, and the beautification
of the campus, reflects an ongoing effort to invest in Omaha
and its downtown development.
“Omaha has been Creighton’s
home for 128 years, but the best
is just beginning,” Schlegel says.
The University of Nebraska
Medical Center (UNMC)
includes the Lied Transplant
Center and several notable
research facilities including
the Durham Research Center,
which was completed in 2003.
Construction of a twin research
tower will begin later this year.
Currently under construction
is the Michael F. Sorrell Center
for Health Science Education,
a $52.7 million facility that
will house the UNMC College
of Medicine and educational
resources for all medical center
students.
UNMC is a leader in innovation. It partners with University
of Nebraska engineers to develop
robots the size of a lipstick case
for use in surgical procedures.
The center is known for its work
in bioterrorism preparedness, its
initiatives serving as a national
model. It is recognized as one of
the only academic medical
centers in the U.S. to house a
state public health laboratory,
and is also a world leader in
solid-organ transplants.
Dr. Harold M. Maurer,
chancellor, notes that the medical center’s educational programs
are responsible for producing
nearly half of Nebraska’s health
professionals.
“UNMC has a huge positive
impact on the state,” he says,
“both economically and in terms
of quality of life.”
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Cardiac Breakthroughs
A specialist at Children’s
performed the world’s first
hybrid closure of a hole in an
infant’s heart. Research into
areas including robotics for
minimally invasive repair of congenital heart defects and blood
types for transplant surgery,
promise to open new horizons.
Kutak Rock: A Commitment to Omaha
Kutak Rock LLP, a national law firm with offices in 16 cities, was founded in Omaha in 1965.
The firm’s Omaha office remains its largest and serves as the firm’s national administrative
headquarters.
For most of its history, the law firm has occupied a downtown Omaha historic landmark
known as The Omaha Building. Designed by McKim, Mead & White and erected in 1889, the
building is one of Omaha’s most significant architectural treasures.
Kutak Rock is proud to be undertaking
a complete renovation of The Omaha
Building. The 18-month rehabilitation
project will ensure that the structure
remains a distinguished presence and a
hub of activity in downtown Omaha for
decades to come.
Atlanta • Chicago • Denver
Des Moines • Fayetteville
Irvine • Kansas City
Little Rock • Los Angeles
Oklahoma City • Omaha Pasadena • Richmond
Scottsdale• Washington, D.C.
Wichita
To save your child,
you would go anywhere.
Consider Omaha.
Doctors working at Children’s Hospital in
Omaha pioneered the childproof cap and flame retardant clothing for
children.Today, halfway between two coasts, some of the most renowned
In healthcare, there are times you have to wait.
And times you don’t.
When it comes to healthcare administration, speed
is important. Since 1996, we’ve worked with employers,
insurance companies, and medical professionals to
improve the accuracy and speed of claims processing
and office administration.
604 North 129th St. Omaha, Nebraska 68154
402-951-4711 866-794-5345 www.hdmcorp.com
finding a better way
surgeons and specialists in the country continue groundbreaking work.
It might be Children’s philosophy
of putting a child first. Or its teams
of specialists from virtually every area
of pediatric medicine. Perhaps it’s the
pediatric intensive care specialists, at
the hospital 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. Whatever the reasons,
together they create one of the
nation’s leading cardiac programs for
children, and may explain Children’s
breakthroughs in other areas.
Specialists working at Children’s
were first to close holes in an infant’s
heart using cardiac catheterization,
and first to combine congenital heart
surgery with cardiac catheterization
in the world’s first hybrid closure.
And Children’s Hospital, partnering
with the University of Nebraska
Medical Center and Creighton
University Medical Center, continues
to remain at the forefront of such
complex procedures.
For more than half a century,
Children’s Hospital in Omaha has
been dedicated to finding new ways
to save children. In its state-of-the-art
facility, fanciful creatures adorn
ceilings and floors, and water, light
and color create a healing atmosphere.
But it is the ability to tackle issues
others don’t to save children others
can’t that brings families from so far.
Although they don’t leave with
photos of sand beaches or mountain
vistas, to them, Omaha is the most
amazing place on earth.
Brittle Bone Disease
Children’s clinic for brittle
bone disease is one
of the largest in the
world. Discoveries
made there are
changing treatments
for cancer, cerebral
palsy, Crohn’s disease
and asthma.
Eating Disorders
Children’s Eating
Disorders Program
is making national
headlines in it’s fight
against this tragic
problem in children
and adolescents. It is currently
researching infection-triggered
anorexia nervosa.
For more about the worldrenowned resources at
Children’s Hospital in Omaha,
call 1-800-955-7109
or visit chsomaha.org.
For concierge services,
including maps and
lodging information,
call 1-800-642-8822.
More than you
can imagine
Asserting Their Style
TO BE YOUNG AND LIVE IN OMAHA is not a curse. It comes down more
to finding the time rather than finding things to do.
The city’s young professionals are a lively mix of natives and newcomers,
including those who come here to study—and stay once they graduate.
Approximately 80 percent of the graduates of University of Nebraska’s Peter
Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology and Engineering remain in
the area. Creighton University reports 70 percent of its business graduates choose
Dinner at La Bouvet
in the Old Market
Insight
Omaha
to live and work in Omaha. Dr. Anthony Hendrickson,
dean of Creighton’s College of Business Administration,
says internships with local companies have a big influence on the graduates. “They recognize that greater
Omaha offers vast opportunities for career development
and growth,” he says.
There also are plenty of opportunities for fun.
Omaha’s Village Pointe outdoor shopping and entertainment area is a popular place to get together. So is the
Old Market historic district downtown. There are brew
pubs and sports bars, many with sand volleyball courts
and clubs featuring live music. Sokol Auditorium and
the Sokol Underground are where some of Omaha’s best
bands first rattled the walls.
Big-name artists such as Coldplay, U2, and the
Rolling Stones fill the seats at the Qwest Center Omaha,
which ranked eighth in the world in concert ticket sales
last year, behind New York’s Madison Square Garden,
according to Pollstar magazine.
New to the mix is Film Streams, a nonprofit
organization devoted to the presentation and discussion
of film as an art form. Directed by Rachel Jacobson,
Film Streams this fall will open a two-screen cinema
as part of the Saddle Creek Records project in the
North Downtown development area. It will feature
independent and classic films. Filmmaker and Omahan
Alexander Payne, whose work
includes About Schmidt and
Sideways, is a member of the Film
Streams board.
“We plan an education program for high school students,
to develop a whole new audience
for film as an art form,” Jacobson
says. “We’re working to fill a hole
in the cultural landscape
in Omaha.”
Young professionals can take
advantage of dozens of gatherings
and events arranged by the Young
Professionals Council (YPC) of
the Greater Omaha Chamber
of Commerce. The first Young
Professionals Summit, held in
February, attracted a sell-out
crowd of 800.
Amanda Jedlicka, 33, is
executive director of Habitat for
Humanity Omaha and the YPC
chair. Each month, the council
sends out a “cultural and community calendar.” In March, it
Upstream Brewing Co.
0603-079
Welcome to Omaha.
Stay as long as you like.
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CBSHOME has 600+ friendly sales associates
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Metropolitan Omaha area who also make great
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BU
I L D I N G
O NE
OF THE
O N
TR
A D I T I O N
. CH
N ATION ’ S L EADING J ESUIT, C ATHOLIC
A N G I N G
L
I V E S
[email protected]
.
UNIVERSITIES ,
Creighton University’s expanding campus and innovative teaching and research opportunities
draw students and faculty from around the world. Students who choose Creighton are
challenged by high expectations and embraced in a community dedicated to their success,
and inspired to create positive change. To find out how you can become part of our legacy
of excellence, visit Creighton University online or contact the Office of Admissions today.
Jesuit Education Since 1878
2500 California Plaza • Omaha, Nebraska 68178
800-282-5835 • www.creighton.edu
,
The Leader.
Insight
Omaha
Cultivating
Indie Sounds
P
H OTO
C OU RT ES Y
O F
S
A D D L E
CR
E E K
RE
C O R D S
Saddle Creek artist Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes
Until 1993, Saddle Creek Records (originally
Lumberjack Records) was “basically a bunch of
friends making tapes for each other,” says label
manager Jason Kulbel.
Today, Saddle Creek Records is known for a
growing roster of indie artists including Omahan
Conor Oberst and his band Bright Eyes, The
Faint, Cursive and Broken Spindles. In February,
Bright Eyes won Song of the Year for “When the
President Talks to God” and Artist of the Year at
the PLUG Independent Music Awards in New
York.
Named for an Omaha street and creek, Saddle
Creek Records will be one of the first tenants in
the new North Downtown development, with
offices and the “Slowdown” music club opening
this fall. Along with a wealth of great bands here,
Kulbel says being in Omaha “allows us to exist
within yet outside the music industry. Our only
goal is to keep putting out good music and keep
the doors open.”
ran 10 pages. “In Omaha, young
people can actually get a chance
to be involved in shaping our
city,” Jedlicka says. “The success
of the summit shows the extent
that young professionals want to
be involved.”
Rick Jeffries, 37, is an attorney
and partner at the Omaha headquarters of Kutak Rock LLP, a
national law firm. “Omaha is one
of the world’s leading exporters
of ‘cool’ right now,” he says. “In
the last 10 years, it has become
a hip, sexy, cool party-all-night
kind of town.”
Jeffries says the city offers
young Omahans hundreds of
opportunities to connect professionally, socially, and philanthropically.
“The generation ahead of ours
is known for being incredibly
generous with time and money
for building the city,” he says.
“Working downtown, I am surrounded by the monuments of
P
H OTO
C O U RT E S Y
O F
SO
KO L
HA
L L
Sokol Auditorium
our parents’ generosity. We need
to carry on that tradition.”
Jeffries believes more than the
city’s landscape is changing.
“When you get a group of
young professionals in a room,
the excitement and pride in the
city is amazing,” he says. “People
who couldn’t wait to be seniors
in high school so they could
leave Omaha can’t wait to tell
their friends how great the city
is now. It’s easy to think of
Omaha as a bland Midwestern
city, but only if you’ve never
been here.”
182
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C O M
183
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OMAHA’S THREE MOST
OUTSTANDING RESTAURANTS
Better
Loosen That
Belt a Notch
Passport Restaurant
• Prime Beef
• Fresh Seafood
DINNER: MON-SUN FROM 5PM
www.passport-restaurant.com
You’d expect the home of Omaha Steaks, Godfather’s
Pizza, and the Reuben sandwich to be a source of great
food, and Omaha doesn’t disappoint. From slow-roasted
prime ribs of beef to salmon so fresh you’d swear it swam
off the plane, Omaha can satisfy any appetite. Favorites
like Johnny’s Café, where All About Schmidt was filmed,
and Mister C’s Steakhouse, with its Christmas lights up
all year, have delighted diners for decades. Daring new
restaurants open frequently. And bad ones close quickly,
because in a city with more than 1,000 restaurants,
word-of-mouth means taste—then tell everyone.
•
•
•
•
BLUE SUSHI SAKE GRILL
402-445-2583
bluesushisakegrill.com
UPSTREAM BREWING CO.
402-344-0200
upstreambrewing.com
CHINA ROAD
BROTHER SEBASTIAN’S
STEAKHOUSE & WINERY
CHARLIE’S ON THE LAKE
402-894-9411
charliesonthelake.net
LA CASA PIZZARIA
This cool place offers sushi and Asian-inspired grill items such as
honey-garlic duck breast and soy barbecue flank steak with wasabi
mashed potatoes.
Locations in the Old Market and in west Omaha tempt guests with pork
chop schnitzel and beer-braised pot roast. Founder Brian Magee offers 11
house brews on tap. Try the O! Gold, a merger of light beer and the
city’s marketing symbol.
Fireplaces spark romance in, ironically, a California-monastery. Fare
includes Prime rib, filet Oskar, and flaming baked Alaska for dessert.
402-330-0300
brothersebastians.com
Fresh fish and an extensive list of martinis is served in this lively and fun
environment.
Serving Neapolitan-style pizza since 1953, this pizzeria has built a loyal
following in a city that has many fine, family-owned pizza restaurants.
402-556-6464
lacasapizzaria.com
Great steaks aren’t rare in Omaha
unless they’re ordered that way. The city was the livestock capital of the world
in the 1950s, and many Omaha restaurants still feature steaks that are dry-aged,
hand-cut, and destined to satisfy. Choice beef cuts are available at upscale
establishments, including Omaha Prime in the Old Market district, with
its glass-enclosed cigar room. Longtime favorites sport one-word names like
Cascio’s, Angie’s, Jerico’s and Anthony’s. Whether you prefer filet mignon,
ribeye, or T-bone, steaks in Omaha are always well-done. To bring the taste
home, check out Omaha Steaks at Eppley Airfield or online at omahasteaks.com
184
H E M I S P H E R E S M A G A Z I N E
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344.3200
1101 JACKSON STREET
342.4010
1207 HARNEY STREET
Omaha Prime
It’s hard to choose at this Chinese restaurant, where diners are offered
pages of flavorful specialties to choose from. Selections arrive at the table
adorned with too-pretty-to-eat garnishes carved from fresh vegetables.
402-291-8855 (Bellevue)
402-431-0066 (West Omaha)
• Live Piano Music
• Cigar Bar
Elegant • Casual • Affordable
Open kitchen...watch our chefs prepare your food
Sandwiches • Pasta
Omaha Steaks • Sea Food
OPEN FOR LUNCH AND DINNER
www.thebrassgrille.com
This stylish European bistro has been a fixture in the Old Market
district for three decades. Owners Tony and Valerie Abbott showcase
the creations of chef Brian Younglove.
402-341-3547
frenchcafe.com
in a class by itself.
The Brass Grille
The French Café
THE FRENCH CAFÉ
Omaha Steaks...
• Glass enclosed cigar room
• The only New York style chop house
in the Old Market
DINNER: MON-SAT FROM 5PM
www.omaha-prime.com
341.7040
Since 1917, Omaha Steaks has been
providing our customers with the
world’s best steaks anywhere. We
start with premium grain-fed beef
that is naturally aged to give that
distinct flavor, tenderness and
quality that you’ve come to expect
from Omaha Steaks. You’ll know
from the very first bite why we’re
world-famous!
1.800.228.9055
415 SOUTH ELEVENTH STREET
ALL THREE CONVENIENTLY
LOCATED IN THE OLD MARKET
www.omahasteaks.com
Insight
Omaha
More Than
Finger
Paintings
WHERE WOULD WE
BE WITHOUT
OMAHA?
Ever hear your kids yell, “Can we go to the museum?”
Parents in Omaha do. Joslyn Art Museum is ranked
seventh on Child magazine’s 2006 list of the 10 Best
Art Museums for Kids. The rankings are based on
a four-month survey of more than 100 museums to
determine who makes the visual arts most accessible
and fun for children. The top 10 includes the Art
Institute of Chicago and New York’s Metropolitan
Museum of Art. So, Mom . . . can we go?
Probably New York, Chicago or LA
and not having nearly as much fun.
Joslyn Art Museum
BOYS TOWN VISITORS CENTER
girlsandboystown.org
DURHAM WESTERN
HERITAGE MUSEUM
dwhm.org
elmuseolatino.org
FREEDOM PARK
U.S. NAVAL MUSEUM
freedomparkomaha.org
World War II ships on permanent display here include the USS Hazard
minesweeper (a National Historic Landmark) and USS Marlin
submarine.
JOSLYN ART MUSEUM
Omaha’s premier art museum, with 19 galleries and a glass atrium café,
begins a year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary in November.
JOSLYN CASTLE
This 1903 castle, built as the home of George and Sarah Joslyn, is on
the National Register of Historic Places. Scheduled and private tours
are available.
joslyn.org
joslyncastle.com
A tribute to Omaha jazz great Preston Love and his music career, the
center features memorabilia from Omaha’s jazz scene, education programs, workshops, and special exhibits highlighting African-American
culture and art.
LOVE’S JAZZ AND
ARTS CENTER
lovesjazzartcenter.org
MORMON TRAIL CENTER AT
HISTORIC WINTER QUARTERS
lds.org/placestovisit
OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
ocm.org
STRATEGIC AIR AND
SPACE MUSEUM
strategicairandspace.com
H E M I S P H E R E S M A G A Z I N E
.
C O M
OMAHA’S HOME TO HISTORY
Inside a restored, historic Art Deco building, built in 1931 by Union Pacific
Railroad, are exhibits about the region’s history with unique talking statues, restored train cars, traveling exhibits, and a working old-fashioned
soda fountain. An affiliate member of the Smithsonian Institution.
The first Latino art, education, and history museum in the Midwest
exhibits permanent collections and special exhibitions. Education
programs, art and dance classes, workshops, and Family Day events fill
the museum’s calendar.
EL MUSEO LATINO
186
The Hall of History details the life of Father Edward Flanagan and the
work of the organization he founded.
This state-of-the-art museum tells the story of pioneer Mormons who
stopped in Nebraska while journeying west in 1846 and built the state’s
first non-native settlement. A pioneer cemetery honors them.
One of the nation’s largest children’s museums features traveling and
permanent exhibits including a “Rainbow Farm,” a TV news set and
performance stage, a kid-sized supermarket, a science and technology
center, music exhibits, and a creativity area. Fun for the whole family.
Displays in the 300,000-square-foot building include military aircraft and
missiles covering the history of the U.S. Air Force and former Strategic
Air Command. This is a must-see museum, situated off Interstate 80,
a few minutes south of Omaha near Mahoney State Park
801 South 10th Street Omaha, NE 68108
www.dwhm.org
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Insight
Omaha
Alegent Health
Page 143
Kutak Rock LLP
Page 176
800-ALEGENT (253-4368) or
www.alegent.com
www.kutakrock.com
LovelySkin.com
Joel Schlessinger, M.D.
Page 168
Bailey Lauerman Marketing &
Communications
Page 187
www.baileylauerman.com
877-754-6222 or
www.lovelyskin.com
Bellevue University
Page 175
McCarthy Group, Inc.
Page 156
800-756-7920 or
www.bellevue.edu/info/executives
Borsheim’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts
Page 182
800-642-GIFT (4438) or
www.borsheims.com
402-932-8600 or
www.mccarthygroupinc.com
Methodist Hospital/Methodist Health System
Page 171
402-354-8888 or
www.bestcare.org
Brass Grille, The
Page 185
Mutual of Omaha
Page 155
402-342-4010 or
www.thebrassgrille.com
402-342-7600 or
www.mutualofomaha.com
CBSHOME Real Estate
Page 181
Nebraska Medical Center, The
Page 165
402-964-4600 or
www.cbshome.com
• Complimentary deluxe breakfast buffet
• Large guest rooms and suites with free
high-speed Internet and pillow-top beds
• Conference and event facilities
Omaha Performing Arts
Page 145
402-955-5400 or
www.chsomaha.org
402-345-0202 or
www.omahaperformingarts.org
College of Saint Mary
Page 164
Omaha Prime
Page 185
800-926-5534 or
www.csm.edu
402-341-7040 or
www.omaha-prime.com
Creighton University
Page 180
Omaha Steaks
Page 185
800-282-5835 or
www.creighton.edu
Creighton University Medical Center
Page 174
www.creightonhospital.com
Durham Western Heritage Museum
Page 187
www.dwhm.org
402-597-8135 or
www.omahasteaks.com
Passport Restaurant
Page 185
402-344-3200 or
www.passport-restaurant.com
Pheasant Bonanza Hunt Club & Kennel
Page 188
First Data Resources/
Page 159
www.firstdata.com
402-374-1765 or
www.pheasantbonanza.com
First National Bank
Page 136
Qwest Center Omaha
Page 152
402-341-1500 or
www.qwestcenteromaha.com
www.firstnational.com
Gallup Organization, The
Page 149
Regency Lodge
Page 188
402-951-2003 or
www.gallup.com
402-397-8000 or
www.regencylodge.com
Girls and Boys Town
Page 181
Riverfront Place
Page 185
800-217-3700 or
www.girlsandboystown.org
Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
Page 139
402-346-5000 or
www.accessomaha.com
402-397-4837 or
www.riverfrontplace.com
Securities America
Page 162-163
800-989-8441 or
www.securitiesamerica.com
Greater Omaha Convention
and Visitors Bureau
Page 141
SUPERTEL Hospitality, Inc.
Page 187
866-YES-OMAHA (937-6624) or
www.visitomaha.com
www.supertelinc.com
HDM Corp.
Page 176
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Page 178
HDR
Pages 150-151
Upstream Brewing Company
Page 183
Hilton Omaha
Page 166
Werner Institute for Negotiation
and Dispute Resolution
Page 187
402-559-4200 or
www.unmc.edu
866-794-5345 or
www.hdmcorp.com
www.upstreambrewing.com
www.hdrinc.com
402-998-3400 or
www.omaha.hilton.com
402-280-3852 or
http://law.creighton.edu/wernerinstitute
J.P. Cooke Stamp Co.
Page 183
Wild Kingdom
Page 155
800-877-8267 or
www.omahastamp.com
H E M I S P H E R E S M A G A Z I N E
Combining the warmth and charm
of a mountain retreat with
all the conveniences of a big city hotel.
800-922-0000 or
www.nebraskatransplant.com
Children’s Hospital
Page 177
188
ad index
Distinctive Surroundings…
Extraordinary Events.
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.
C O M
909 South 107th Ave. • Omaha, NE 68114
402.397.8000 • www.regencylodge.com