Meet Alec Gorynski, Sr. Vice President for Economic Development at Greater Omaha Chamber (omahachamber.org).

Tell us a little about your business. – The Greater Omaha Chamber is committed to fostering a thriving business community and a prosperous regional economy. We achieve this through a combination of services for our business members, public policy advocacy and strategic economic development. As part of this effort, I lead our economic development initiatives—essentially, bringing together the right elements to maximize our region’s economic potential.

Omaha has many attributes that make it an attractive place for businesses to grow, including a skilled workforce, strong quality of life, access to key inputs and customers, robust distribution networks, competitive tax policies and reliable infrastructure. Some of these factors are strengths that we leverage to drive business expansion, while others require targeted efforts to enhance market conditions.

Our work focuses on three key areas: supporting existing businesses of all sizes, attracting new businesses to the region, and addressing our brain drain challenges. For existing businesses, we help them connect with resources and remove barriers to growth. For business recruitment, we package Omaha’s strengths and market them to companies considering expansion. To combat brain drain, we invest in talent attraction and retention strategies. Ultimately, our goal is to create more primary jobs and ensure population growth to sustain long-term economic success.

How did you get started in the business? – My career has blended community development and finance across local government, private financial institutions and nonprofit foundations. Early on, while working for the City of Omaha, I helped secure federal funding for community development projects. More recently, I worked with donors to invest in initiatives like affordable housing to support economic growth. While community and economic development have technical differences, they are closely connected. The common thread in my work has been leadership—developing strategy and guiding teams toward a shared, meaningful goal. This is the key strength I bring to the Chamber to drive our mission forward.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – While not the biggest challenge, my time at The Chamber has been professionally demanding—in the best way. Coming from a background outside of economic development, creating a new strategy for our work was both exciting and complex. I often compare it to drinking from a firehose while trying to aim it in the right direction. By taking the time to learn from experienced peers and colleagues, and by listening to stakeholders with a vested interest in our region’s growth, we developed a meaningful playbook to drive economic progress.

Tell us a little about your family. – My family consists of my supportive, caring and overall cool wife, Laura, whom I have been married to for nearly 14 years. We have three kids who are equal parts sweet and onery, taking something from each of our gene pools I suppose: Jamie (11), Ben (9) and Claire (7). They keep us busy with sports, outdoor recreational activities and breaking up fights.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – Team culture is essential to achieving organizational goals.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 978-7935 | omahachamber.org