The Greater Omaha Chamber’s Annual Meeting, a celebration of Chamber accomplishments and outstanding member achievement, was held at CenturyLink Center Omaha on February 20th. David G. Brown, Chamber president and CEO, shared the Chamber’s 2013 highlights and presented the Chairman’s Award of Excellence to Mark Grieb of AAA Nebraska/North Dakota; Volunteer of the Year Award to Steven W. Seline of Walnut Private Equity Partners, LLC; and Headliner of the Year to the U.S. Senior Open and the Omaha Country Club.
Gary Pruitt, president and CEO of The Associated Press (AP), served as keynote speaker. The former chairman, president and CEO of The McClatchy Co.; Pruitt became the 13th leader of the AP in July 2012. Pruitt’s keynote was titled “Free Press vs. National Security: The False Choice,” an exploration of the AP’s recent response to the secret government seizure of reporter phone records, lessons learned and the compelling need for vigilance.
The Annual Meeting also marked the release of The Annual Review, the Chamber’s end-of-year report detailing key economic measures, trends and insights compiled on behalf of members. The Annual Meeting Luncheon sponsors were Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, McGrath North, Mutual of Omaha and Wells Fargo. For more information about the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, visit www.omahachamber.org.