Meet Aron Wehr, the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at the Greater Omaha Chamber (omahachamber.org).
Tell us a little about your business. – The Greater Omaha Chamber is the voice for business in our region. We have a vast business network with members of all industries and sizes – and this is our ultimate source of strength. By staying as close as possible to our members, we are able to best serve them and our community at large.
How did you get started in the business? – I started my career working on Capitol Hill, where I had the honor of working in both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Although you may work in Washington, D.C., it is your job to know the district (or state) you work for front and back. I found that one of the best liaisons for knowing the temperature of each community was their local Chamber of Commerce. The more I worked with them, the more I gained a huge respect for the work Chambers do and the crucial role they fill. When I moved back to Omaha, I jumped at the chance to work for my hometown Chamber.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – My mom is the youngest of 18 kids: If you are reading this, statistically, you are probably my cousin.
Who inspires you? – Winston Churchill – I love history! To me, one of the most important moments of history was right after the Fall of France in World War Two. To most of the world, the war was lost. Churchill had only been Prime Minister for two months and even members of his own cabinet were clamoring for surrender. The almost superhuman fortitude he showed throughout to pursue victory “however long and hard the road may be,” when there was seemingly no chance for success, is the reason we live in a free world today. Very inspiring!
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – Not necessarily a quote, but a great marketing lesson I learned. My wife Lauren and I love Shark Tank and we are always able to take lessons from the show into our professional life. One of Mark Cuban’s running themes is how you are very unlikely to change consumer behavior. Unless you have a totally revolutionary idea that is going to change the way people operate, your best bet is incorporate your idea into their existing lives/patterns and to be memorable.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – In Marketing and Communications, I think the biggest challenge is always knowing the pulse of your target audience. Your organization’s values and mission should never change. However, it is your job to apply your message to evolving circumstances in a new, exciting, and edible way that your target audience will take with them.
What is your favorite movie? – Goodfellas.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – My favorite project I ever worked on was in 2022, the Greater Omaha Chamber released our Urban Core Strategic Plan. I was able to work with a great writer at the Omaha World Herald, Henry Cordes, to dive deep in every facet of the plan and why it mattered for Omaha. We ended up making a huge splash with the announcement and our story made the front page of the Omaha World Herald three days in a row. I have all three pages framed side-by-side together in my office.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 346-5000 | omahachamber.org