Omaha |2014

Alexandra works at a local foundation in Omaha where she is the Research and Evaluation Associate. In her role, she works across each portfolio to assist the Foundation in using evaluation to learn and grow through inquiry. She appreciates the opportunity to learn from some of the most thoughtful and inspiring people she has met through the Foundation. After working degree in community engagement and volunteer services throughout her undergraduate, Alex went on to pursue a Masters in Public Administration focusing in Public Policy to grow her skills and knowledge in public service. She is passionate about progressive policy reform, especially voting rights, immigration, juvenile justice, public education, and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Amy Lillethorup is a proud native Omahan. A 2008 graduate of Duchesne Academy, Amy continued her studies in international relations and Spanish at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). During this time, she also completed a semester at Universidad Veritas in San Jose, Costa Rica studying Latin American history and international relations from a global perspective. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2012.

Her first position out of college was as an AmeriCorps National member at Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. There, her experience engaging with leaders at the neighborhood level helped her realize that Omaha is a special place that deserves widespread investment. She then served as a Program and Outreach Specialist at Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska developing and implementing engaging curriculum for girls of all ages. She currently works at Voices for Children in Nebraska, a nonprofit with the mission of building pathways to opportunity for all children and families through research, policy, and community engagement. She is responsible for their marketing, fundraising, special events, and operations-related affairs.

Amy earned a graduate certificate in public management from UNO in 2016 and expects to graduate with a Master of Public Administration degree in August 2019. Her primary interests lie in organizational development and human resource management as they relate to nonprofit organizations. Amy is hoping her experience with New Leaders Council will provide her with the tools and confidence to become a more effective advocate and mobilize others around progressive issues. She is also excited to connect with other Omahans who are invested in making the city a great place to live for all.

Amy lives in the Gifford Park neighborhood of Omaha with her significant other Charlie. She enjoys traveling whenever possible, listening to podcasts on a wide range of topics, and experiencing all of what the area’s culinary scene has to offer.

Angela Batson currently works at Creighton University as the Office Coordinator for the Department of Cultural and Social Studies. She  completed her Masters of Public Administration through the University of Nebraska Omaha in August 2018. Angela serves the Omaha community as a Steering Committee Member for Nebraska Victim Assistance Academy and as a member of Women's Fund of Omaha Circles class eight.

Balkissa Mahamane, MBA, MEd, works at Kiewit Corporation and consults on a part-time basis for smaller organizations through Excellence Insights Consulting, setting them on the path to achieving excellence in their daily operations. She is living her passion of making people's lives and processes better by supporting entrepreneurship, education and community service. She is a Teammates mentor, a SCORE Volunteers and a member of the Omaha JCI.

As a board member, in charge of international relations, Balkissa led Agaji (Assistance) through a global expansion now positioning the nonprofit organization as an international nonprofit connecting active global citizens in the USA and Africa. The organization provides capacity-building support for rural initiatives. To support Agaji’s mission, Balkissa promotes the Diaspora Cares Network calling the African Diaspora and friends of Africa to collaborate and leverage global resources to inspire their communities.

A successful entrepreneur herself, she is an alumnus of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program, where she was awarded for La Grande Académie School in Niger, West Africa. She decided to start this school to create an environment that will enable children and parents to experience better, to aim for a higher purpose and to own and improve their living conditions. All members of the school community are engaged thanks to our strategic partnerships. Children receive a world class learning experience during the academic year and their parents receive literacy, entrepreneurship, health and environmental-resilience education during the summer periods. This project will not have been possible without the support of Agaji volunteers on the ground in Niger.

Her favorite self-made quote is that “to live in the world of possibilities, we must transcend our cultural boundaries”. Observing that in cultural terms, the rural world, in developing countries and in developed countries, is experiencing the same challenges in diversity, inclusion and acceptance. Therefore, she developed a global competencies and cultural exchange initiative for USA elementary schools, The World Tour Program. It allows g children to view and experience this greater world through other children’s eyes, a perspective each party can relate to easily.

The Great Academy Education a unique human capital development model that invites rural communities from developing and developed nations into the global, diverse and progressive community of innovation, equipped with tools and resources enabling them to defy poverty.

Blake Peterson is a Financial Advisor at Keystone Financial Services. He was recruited to the Omaha area from Denver in 2017, where he now resides with his wife and two dogs. Blake spent the previous five years working in the oil and gas industry.
 

Having achieved his goals in the energy industry, Blake decided to spend his time to something more purposeful and fulfilling. His passion now lies in educating individuals and families in legacy planning, so they can create and sustain healthy, functional lifestyles that are supported by wealth, rather than plagued by a lack of it. Keystone has a strict no-minimum rule meaning that anyone and everyone deserves a seat at the table, regardless of status.Blake dedicates his time to the city of Omaha by sitting on the Administrative Board of Appeals. He takes great pride in assisting people with their everyday problems and believes that true change comes from local government doing the right thing.

Blake enjoys being involved with local nonprofits, including the Business Ethics Alliance of Omaha. The core values that constitute the Alliance’s mission statement directly align with how Blake believes in doing business. Blake looks forward to enacting as much positive change in the community as possible, leaving behind a legacy of compassion.

Dr. Erin Feichtinger directs advocacy and outreach work at Together, Inc., a social service organization. Dr. Feichtinger researches social issues like hunger and homelessness in Omaha and designs collaborative programs to solve those issues. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and her Ph.D in Transnational Urban History from Loyola University Chicago. Her dissertation focused on how the legal system made criminals out of the poor in the early modern world. She has taught Special Education in Chicago Public Schools and as a professor of History at Loyola University Chicago and Elmhurst College. Dr. Feichtinger was elected to represent District 2 on the Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors in 2018.

Franecia Moore is an Omaha native with a passion for intercultural dialogue and leadership development. She attended Omaha Central High School, known for its diversity and academic excellence. Following her graduation from Central High, she began her studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). While studying UNL, Franecia began investing in her own leadership development through her active membership in student organizations and role as a peer mentor with Student Support Services. She graduated from UNL in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in French.
 

After graduating from UNL, Franecia moved to the city of Narbonne in the south of France where she spent two academic years working for the French Ministry of Education as an English Teaching Assistant. During her time abroad, she traveled across France and visited many western and central European countries. Her work and travel abroad igniting her passion for intercultural dialogue and trust building.
 

Professionally, Franecia is currently the Administrative Coordinator of the International Programs unit at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Her duties include marketing and promotion of programming, assisting with the Intensive English programs as needed, and being the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Program Coordinator. As the YSEALI Program coordinator, she is responsible for various tasks such as arranging international travel for all international exchange scholars of the program, day-to-day logistics for the intensive five-week program, and ensuring that our program follows all guidelines outlined by the U.S. Department of State. Academically, she is currently earning a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) with a Nonprofit Management concentration at UNO.

Outside of work and school, she is an active member of the Beta Psi Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated serving as the secretary for both the alumni chapter and the state. She is the co-advisor for the youth auxiliary mentorship program and serves on the undergraduate advisory committee. She enjoys reading, thrifting, and good food with good people.

Inonge Kasaji is an international student who immigrated to the United States (California) with her parents and her younger sister when she was 10 years old. After graduating from high school in California, she decided to attend Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska after which, she decided to make Lincoln home.

During her time over the last seven years, Inonge has been an active volunteer in her community. After volunteering with organizations like The Friendship Home, The People City Mission, and Nebraska Appleseed, her interest in advocacy increased, leading to grassroots activism and work as a campaign staffer first on Patsy Koch Johns’ campaign for Nebraska State Board of Education, then three other races afterward. She is currently a member of Lincoln YWCA and an alumnus of Leadership Lincoln’s Project A.L.L. Class of 2015.

Inonge has a wide range of interests that include, but are not limited to the justice system, poverty/economic justice issues, immigration, and reliable access to education for all students. She is hoping to be able to develop skills that will allow her to continue to be an advocate in her communities and other communities in need.

Outside of work, Inonge enjoys reading just about any book she can get her hands on as well as listening to far too many podcasts. Feel free to ask for a recommendation.

Jen Day is a business owner and passionate advocate for social justice, especially as it relates to gender and race politics. Born in Iowa and raised in LaVista, NE, Jen attended Papillion-LaVista High School. Upon graduation, Jen attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha for two years and, following a non-traditional educational path, returned in 2016 to complete a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Jen went on to participate in graduate studies in Gender and Women’s Studies through a distance learning program with Western Kentucky University.

Jen opened Artis Strength and Fitness in 2013 with her husband, Jon. Since opening, the business has steadily grown and become a successful fitness facility offering a variety of classes. Jen coaches olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, nutrition, and conditioning classes, as well as performs the daily business functions of correspondence, marketing, finances, and managing their team of six coaches. Jen is an Eleiko Certified Strength Coach and USAW Sports Performance Coach. Her favorite aspect to coach is olympic weightlifting, which she competed in as an open athlete for several years and as a masters athlete at the Masters World Championships in 2016. In addition to the classes they have, Jen and Jon hold several fundraising events throughout the year to benefit organizations such as Open Door Mission/Lydia House, Red Cross, Humane Society, and many more. Jen has always been an advocate of giving back to the community that she serves and expanding her outreach by leveraging her influence as a business owner.

Jen is the current Vice President of the Friends of Planned Parenthood Board and is also Co-Chair for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland’s annual fundraiser, Moxie, in 2019. Through being a member of the board for four years, Jen has become a strong advocate for reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, comprehensive sex ed, access to healthcare, and ending discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. She is equally passionate about resolving the issues with systemic racism and white supremacy that she believes plague the United States, and is a fierce proponent of public education. She can occasionally be found bringing these interests together at school board meetings, where she advocates for the aforementioned issues to be mitigated by updating curriculums and arming students with the knowledge and skills to create a healthier, safer society for all.

Jen attended the 2016 Nebraska Democratic State Convention as a State Delegate for Legislative District 49, and was also a Candidate for National Delegate. She enjoys spending time volunteering with local political campaigns, traveling, drinking wine and trying new foods, and spending time with her husband, Jon, and their two children, Canyon, 10, and Noah, 6.
 

Joseline is very passionate about immigration, educating others, and being an advocate for her community. Joseline was born in Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico and moved to Grand Island, Nebraska at the age of 9. Joseline recently graduated with distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She currently works with the Immigrant Legal Center as a Rural Capacity Building Paralegal in Grand Island. The mission of the nonprofit Immigrant Legal Center (ILC) is to welcome immigrants into the communities by providing high-quality legal services, education, and advocacy.  Joseline plans to attend law school in 2020 to become an immigration attorney.
 

While in college Joseline was actively involved as a campus leader through various organizations where she found her passion in helping others. She interned and worked for Nebraska Appleseed as well as a being an active member of the Define American group and the Mexican American Student Association. With these organizations she was able to partake in different activities where she was able to advocate for other DACA recipients in Nebraska.

Some of those activities include testifying in the unicameral in favor of LB623, traveling to DC to speak to senators about passing a Dream Act, testifying in rallies, newspapers and media outlets, including writing an op-ed about her immigration story for the Omaha World Herald.
In her spare time, Joseline likes to bake, travel or just relax at home and enjoy time her family.

Katie Cunningham is a nonprofit professional driven to ensure educational equity and access to higher education in Omaha.  Raised in Omaha, Katie attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English in 2011.  After completing her undergraduate degree, Katie continued to live her passion for social justice and service and moved to St. Louis Missouri and taught 3rd and 4th grade in St. Louis Public Schools with Teach For America.  While teaching, Katie completed her Masters of Education at University of Missouri-St. Louis and completed her thesis on effective reading instructional methods.

Driven by her passion for her hometown, Katie returned to Omaha after completing her two-year term of service in St. Louis.  Since 2013, Katie has worked for College Possible Omaha, a college access and success organization that supports talented, capable students from low-income backgrounds to and through college graduation.  Currently the Program Director, Katie supervises both the high school and college programs and a team of over 40 AmeriCorps members and full-time staff that serve over 750 high school and 1,500 college students each year.  Katie truly loves seeing the positive impact of National Service on the lives of students and the community each day.

Katie is an active member of the Junior League of Omaha, volunteers for the Papillion-La Vista High School Forensics (speech) team, and enjoys distance running, completing many half marathons and most recently, finishing her first full marathon (26.2 miles) in Chicago this October.
 

Lindsey Anne Baker is a manager in marketing and healthcare communications for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s national office. She is an editor of and contributor to MDA’s Strongly blog, as well as an editor for Quest Magazine, MDA’s flagship print publication. With a bachelor’s degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she’s also held reporter and editor positions with the Omaha World-Herald, the Omaha Reader, Omaha Magazine, numerous additional alternative newsweeklies in the Omaha Metro, and AAA’s Home & Away Magazine.

In 2015, Lindsey was awarded an Individual Fellowship in Literature from the Nebraska Arts Council; she’s been a faculty member of Omaha’s Seven Doctors Project and a teaching artist for multiple programs hosted by the Nebraska Writers Collective, a nonprofit that fosters self-empowerment and community building through creative writing and performance poetry. Her first book of poems was published by Chicago’s dancing girl press in 2013; her second book is forthcoming from Omaha’s Gibraltar Editions in the spring of 2019.

Lindsey lives with type 1 diabetes and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive neuromuscular disease that makes everyday abilities like typing, writing, dressing, driving, and walking difficult. In her transition from “able” to “disabled,” she’s had to relearn how to tie her shoes, how to walk through doors, and how to tell others not to feel sorry she’s had to make those adjustments. Instead, she encourages others to think about the adjustments we all must make, all the time, and to know we all are already strong enough to make them.

Luis Sotelo was born in Mexico, is a teacher at heart and a champion of human potential. He is the Chief Diversity Officer and Special Assistant to the President at Doane University, where he serves on the senior executive team, leading the university-wide portfolio on educational access, equity, and inclusion. As an advocate for educational opportunities for all, at the age of 16, he co-founded a youth development nonprofit that trained Latina youth leaders to launch community initiatives across Nebraska. Luis has served as a high school teacher, speech director, university admission counselor, college advisor, consultant to state departments of education, and guest speaker on educational issues at state and national forums, including those hosted by the U.S. Department of Education.

Luis’ commitment to public service inspired him to run for Nebraska’s State Senate in rural legislative district 36 in 2014. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Crete Chamber of Commerce, Blue Valley Community Action Partnership, and Nebraska CASA. Previously, he was the Vice President of the Lexington Public Library Board of Trustees and a member of the executive team of the ACLU of Nebraska Board of Directors.  

Luis has been a spokesperson on immigrant and Latinx issues on the pages of USA Today and has been quoted in regional and national Spanish media outlets including Noticieros Televisa, Fox News Latino, and Telemundo.

Luis is a Coca-Cola Scholar and a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Communication and Center for Leadership. In 2015, he received the “Inspiration Award” from the Nebraska Latino American Commission for his work in Nebraska schools and communities.

Malena Rousseau, Ph.D. is the Research and Evaluation Coordinator at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. She contributes to the research and evaluation of the Institute’s two signature programs—the Achievement Gap Challenge and the Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan. Malena focuses on methodological design, coordination of the research and data collection teams, and program evaluation. Outside of her career, Malena is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Greater Omaha Chapter. In her rare moments of spare time, she likes to sew clothing for herself and her children. Malena is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina who relocated to Omaha with her wife in 2014. They have two daughters, a standard poodle named Carter, and a cat named Huey. Malena earned a bachelor's degree in biological anthropology and anatomy (now called evolutionary anthropology) at Duke University, a master’s degree in anthropology at East Carolina University, and a doctorate in anthropology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Nick Miller is a Nebraska-born leader. Nick currently works as a Senior Operations Manager at Signature Performance. Signature Performance partners with the Veterans Affairs Department to increase our nation’s veterans’ access to healthcare in rural and urban settings. Nick mentors and coaches extensively within his organization and in the community. Nick’s mission is to give a voice to the disenfranchised in Nebraska.
 

Nick’s passions are leadership, communication, and creation. Nick fosters personal growth through reading about leaders and leadership. Two favorites from 2018 are Grant and Hamilton, both by Ron Chernow. Nick believes it is a necessity to ingest great ideas to create excellence in the community.
 

A principle Nick believes in is the idea of service to the community. Nick serves Nebraska’s penal system with Defy Nebraska. Defy Nebraska is a nonprofit that teaches character reform and prepares its entrepreneurs in training for applications, interviews, and jobs after release. Nick also volunteers with the Kim Foundation, a local nonprofit centered around mental health. Mental health policy is an area of reform Nick longs to see implemented in Nebraska. Nick believes firmly in political efficacy. Political voice of the people is amplified when citizens volunteer in local elections. Nick serves as treasurer in the Douglas County Democratic Party. Nick supports progressive politics, policies, and ideas.

Rachel D.Fox is a passionate entrepreneur, business consultant, an advocate of positive change, wife, and mother of 10 beautiful children with an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. She is the proud owner of a business consulting firm; Catapult Consulting Solutions, a Freelance Web Instructor, and co-owner of a flooring company; Fox Flooring. Rachel recently founded a nonprofit; You Go Girl, empowering girls and young women in the community. Infinitely driven to help others, her vision is to provide empowering tools that arm people with the confidence they need to make their every dream into an attainable reality. Moreover, she aims to awaken people to their limitless potential so they can live a vibrant purpose-filled life.  

Throughout the span of almost two decades, Rachel has gained the hands-on experience necessary to ensure her clients achieve an all-encompassing success that lasts. From sales, marketing, training, coding, and project management, to professional and personal development, her knowledge base is vast, but one area is her number one specialty: creating positive change in people’s lives. Rachel is passionate about female empowerment and providing quality education for all students especially minority males. She involves herself with efforts supporting her passion and creates innovative solutions where opportunities exist. In addition to her professional background, Rachel serves on the advisory board for the YMCA in Omaha, is the president for the Division of Continuing Studies Ambassador Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, provides mentorship for students and adults, and volunteers her time with students in alternative school programming. Rachel has experienced darkness firsthand, including nearly losing one of her children. But no matter what life threw at her, she ultimately took matters into her own hands and paved the way to her success story.

Riley is a Veteran Workforce Coordinator at the Nebraska Department of Labor. He works with veterans who have significant barriers to employment and provides them assistance with obtaining employment and veteran-related issues.

Shortly after graduating from Lincoln Southeast High School, Riley worked as an intern with the Nebraska Democratic Party (NDP) in the summer of 2009. While with the NDP, he helped organize and set up their largest yearly fundraiser, the Morrison-Exon Dinner. Riley then took on a job with Planned Parenthood of the Heartland as a canvasser in Omaha, Nebraska. This provided him the chance to go door-to-door and speak with individuals and record their responses about health care and the Affordable Care Act, which was in the process of being crafted in Congress.

In 2010, Riley accepted a position as Volunteer Coordinator with the Citizens for Jobs and the Lincoln Haymarket Arena, a non-partisan campaign to build an arena (Pinnacle Bank Arena) and entertainment, commercial, and downtown residential experience in Lincoln's historic Haymarket district. This was a noteworthy opportunity to build a coalition with, and work alongside, Democrats and Republicans alike to accomplish a major step forward for Lincoln, Nebraska.

From 2011-2017, Riley enlisted into the United States Air Force as an intelligence analyst. While in the Air Force, Riley worked within the 97th Intelligence Squadron and 55th Intelligence Support Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. He was also shortly deployed to the Forward Operating Location in Curaçao. His time in the Air Force allowed him to work with a variety of people with different backgrounds and experiences and become acquainted with the intelligence community. While serving on active duty in the Air Force, Riley completed his associate’s degree in intelligence studies from the Community College of the Air Force and his bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies with a concentration in political science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Riley was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska and is the son of a union welder and a daycare provider. He currently lives with his girlfriend, Regan, in Omaha, Nebraska.

 

Rousol was born in Iraq and was relocated, at the age of four, with her family, to Lincoln, Nebraska. She graduated from Northeast High School and went on to receive her Bachelors of Design in Architecture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, becoming the first in her family to graduate college. As an undergrad, it became important for her to find a space where individuals with different backgrounds, could come together and share ideas. She then started the National Organization of Minority Architects student chapter at the Architecture college. She was also involved with other campus organizations, such as Diversity Ambassadors and New Student Enrollment.

She’s been involved within her community as a volunteer tutor with Lincoln Literacy, a local non-profit that offers free language assistance to recent immigrants and refugees in the community. She was a communications director on a local campaign where she realized the importance of local engagement within local government.  Currently, Rousol works as an architect in Lincoln where she applied her design skills to shape the community. In the future she would like to get her Masters in Urban Planning and Policy. She enjoys photography, film, and travel and has been to nine countries and counting.

Ryan Morrissey grew up in Elkhorn, NE, he learned the importance of public service at very early age with his father serving as the Fire Chief of Elkhorn and his mother serving as a nurse. This exposure to public service is what led Ryan to working in the nonprofit community.  Ryan currently works as the Director of Community Building & Engagement for NeighborWorks® Home Solutions, which specializes in providing single and multi-family affordable housing opportunities and community development. As the Director of Community Building & Engagement, Ryan serves as a liaison between NeighborWorks® Home Solutions and community neighborhoods. He works to plan, formulate, coordinate and implement neighborhood revitalization strategies to achieve neighborhood, agency, and city objectives.

Prior to NWHS, Ryan gained a great amount of experience in community development at the neighborhood level and working with diverse populations from his time working for the Empowerment Network in Omaha.

Ryan obtained his B.S. in Public Administration from University of Nebraska-Kearney and his M.S. in Urban Studies from University of Nebraska-Omaha. Ryan is an advocate for creating cities and neighborhoods for all using community planning processes, human scale urban design, and sustainable practices. Ryan currently lives in the Benson Neighborhood in Omaha, and is very active in Benson Neighborhood Association and Benson First Friday. In the past, he served on the Benson Neighborhood Association board, serving as the secretary and president of the neighborhood association board.  Ryan enjoys going to concerts in his neighborhood, traveling to new cities, and spending time with his family, friends and his dog Atticus.

Born in Mexico but a long-time Nebraska resident, Samantha is passionate about building relationships in the community to address issues of concern and find solutions. A first-generation college graduate, Samantha earned her Bachelor Degree in Social Work degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO). She decided to study social work after learning about sex trafficking and other forms of abuse and has since used her degree to take action to advocate on issues affecting the community. Samantha enjoys learning new skills and has a strong interest in civic engagement, immigration and education.

Samantha has been involved with Civic Nebraska as a polling place observer to protect voter rights, interned at Nebraska Appleseed to work with immigrant communities and has worked at the Heartland Workers Center as a community organizer. Samantha believes that if we want change, each of us must take action. She has spoken about the importance of being an active participant in democracy, urged local city council members to support a DACA resolution and shared her experience and advocated for comprehensive sex education so that people understand how to prevent and reduce STI’s, teen pregnancies and lead a healthy lifestyle.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys reading, resting and spending time with her friends and family.