Greater Omaha Chamber Announces 2019-20 Omaha Executive Institute Class

The Greater Omaha Chamber (www.omahachamber.org)  has launched the 2019-20 session of its Omaha Executive Institute (OEI), welcoming a cohort that adds a wide range of executive-level talent to the region. OEI is offered exclusively for senior-level executives who are new to their positions and/or to the community and their spouses. Over the course of eight monthly sessions, participants explore the community’s issues, challenges, and opportunities to better understand the environment in which they are now doing business.

The 2019 OEI Cohort include: Aaron Austin, SVP and CHRO at CHI Health, along with spouse Janice Austin; Mike Brookes, director of intelligence for the U.S. Strategic Command, along with spouse Wendy Brookes; Courtney Burnette, director at UNMC iCASD; Shannon Cotsoradis, president/CEO of Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative; Jessica Dennis, VP of finance at First National Bank of Omaha, along with spouse Shawn Dennis, occupational therapist at Kindred at Home; Liz Durham-Ruiz, director of C4 Systems at U.S. Strategic Command; Rich Ruiz, IT specialist at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Naomi Hattaway, program director at Habitat for Humanity of Omaha; Mike Hilt, dean of the College of Communication, Fine Arts & Media (CFAM) at the University of Nebraska Omaha; Sacha Kopp, senior vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska Omaha; Claudio Laterreur, SVP/CIO at Valmont Industries; Mike Lucas, superintendent of Westside Community Schools; Clark Ponthier, SVP of supply chain at Union Pacific, along with spouse Lisa Ponthier; David Ridgeway, EVP/chief lending officer at ACCESSbank, along with spouse Daphne Ridgeway; Todd Sears, president and publisher at the Omaha World-Herald, along with spouse Brenna Sears, owner of Bravenity; Mart Sedky, VP of human capital at Omaha Public Power District; Kristi Thornton, SVP/Omaha retail market manager at West Gate Bank; Randy Wood, president of Global Agricultural Irrigation at Lindsay Corporation, along with spouse Candace Wood, aerobics instructor at Armbrust Family YMCA.

To learn more about the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Omaha Executive Institute, visit the OEI webpage at www.omahachamber.org or contact Lynda Shafer at lshafer@omahachamber.org.