Aksarben Foundation

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Aksarben Foundation The Aksarben Foundation convenes leaders and leads initiatives to grow our economy.
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We’re heading into the final two Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards events of the year!📍 Kearney | Nov. 5 at Central Commun...
10/21/2026

We’re heading into the final two Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards events of the year!

📍 Kearney | Nov. 5 at Central Community College - Kearney Center
📍 Gering | Nov. 10 at the Gering Civic Center

Join employers, educators, workforce partners and community leaders as we recognize outstanding interns, apprentices, mentors and employers across Nebraska.

Free to attend. Come learn, connect and celebrate with us!

Register: https://aksarben.org/neta/

10/20/2026

Katie Kalkowski has wanted to be an attorney since she was five years old. And today, she's doing exactly that!

Growing up in a family of attorneys, Katie knew early that law was the career for her.

She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, earned her law degree at Notre Dame, and returned home to Omaha.

Today, Katie is an attorney at Baird Holm, where she works with businesses and nonprofits on everything from starting an organization to navigating growth, compliance, and major business transactions.

In our latest Floor Committee Podcast episode, Katie joins LaShonna Dorsey and Floor Committee Co-Chair Shayla Kelly to talk about her path into law, what she enjoys about her work, and how she's getting more involved in the Omaha community.

Katie is a first-year member of the Aksarben Foundation Floor Committee, but her history with the Foundation goes back years. She previously participated in the Aksarben Ball as both a standard bearer and a princess!

We love getting to know the people behind the Floor Committee and the different careers, experiences, and talents they bring to our community.

🎥 Watch Katie's conversation here: https://aksarben.org

Let's celebrate our Southeast Region Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards nominees!On September 23, we partnered with our fri...
10/14/2026

Let's celebrate our Southeast Region Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards nominees!

On September 23, we partnered with our friends at Southeast Community College to recognize an outstanding group of individuals and employers making a difference through internships, apprenticeships, and exceptional mentorship.

Congratulations to all of the Southeast Region nominees and award recipients!

Our statewide celebrations continue!

📍 NEXT STOP: NORFOLK
Thursday, October 15, at Northeast Community College

In November, we're heading to Kearney and Gering. Registration is FREE, and we'd love to see you there!

Learn more and register: https://aksarben.org/neta

🎉 What a wonderful celebration in North Platte yesterday!Thank you to everyone who joined us at Mid-Plains Community Col...
10/13/2026

🎉 What a wonderful celebration in North Platte yesterday!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Mid-Plains Community College for the inaugural Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards in the Mid-Plains Region!

We had a great conversation about regional workforce opportunities, education and employer partnerships, and the importance of creating meaningful career pathways for Nebraska's emerging talent.

A HUGE congratulations to our 2026 Mid-Plains Region award recipients!
🏆 Apprentice of the Year: Brody Nordhausen
🏆 Apprenticeship Employer of the Year: Union Pacific Railroad – Bailey Yard
🏆 Returning Intern of the Year: Landon Hart
🏆 Internship Mentor of the Year: Traci Foster, North Platte High School
🏆 Internship Employer of the Year: Knobel Refrigeration Inc.

Special thanks to Mid-Plains Community College President Ryan Purdy, Haven Smith, Jake Elmshaueser, and the entire Mid-Plains team for their outstanding partnership and hospitality!

Thank you also to our workforce panelists, Mark Schanou (Snell Services Inc.), Jess Klein (Master Electrician at Sustainable Beef), Jonathan Schulte (Nebraska Public Power District), and Cory Spotanski (Principal at North Platte Public High School), for sharing their insights and experiences.

And to Mid-Plains region selection committee members, nominators, community partners, and everyone who helped make this event possible, thank you!

We're excited to continue these celebrations across Nebraska's six community college regions!

📍 Next stop: Norfolk, October 15!

Registration is FREE for our upcoming celebrations in Norfolk, Kearney, and Gering!

Learn more: https://aksarben.org/neta

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10/13/2026

A career path can change someone’s life. First, they have to know it exists.

In our latest Aksarben Foundation Floor Committee Podcast, Josh Gear, Brand Manager at Lozier Corporation, joins LaShonna Dorsey and guest co-host Shayla Kelly of Complete Weddings + Events to talk about workforce development, community involvement and why he decided to join the Floor Committee.

Josh spent about 15 years working in Omaha television before making the move to Lozier. Today, part of his work includes connecting with schools and communities and helping students learn more about careers in manufacturing and the skilled trades.

He also shares the story behind Lozier’s Sponsorship for the Trades program, which supports graduating high school seniors with tuition, tools and textbooks while they attend Metropolitan Community College and gain real-world experience at Lozier.

That work helped earn Lozier recognition as Apprenticeship Organization/Employer of the Year for the Metro region through the inaugural Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards.

We also get to know Josh beyond his role at Lozier, including his passion for Omaha history, his years in local media and the project he took on to help preserve decades of television archives.

▶️ Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/YQajiUYNVNo

How are you or your organization helping young people discover new career opportunities?

We’re proud to announce John Cook as the Aksarben Foundation’s 2026 Most Honored Citizen, revealed during the 131st Aksa...
10/11/2026

We’re proud to announce John Cook as the Aksarben Foundation’s 2026 Most Honored Citizen, revealed during the 131st Aksarben Ball.

Throughout his career, John has shown what bold leadership, mentorship and belief in people can make possible. His impact reaches far beyond the volleyball court, from elevating women’s athletics to inspiring generations of Nebraskans to dream bigger about what our state can achieve.

The Most Honored Citizen recognition celebrates individuals whose leadership and service have made a lasting impact on Nebraska. We are honored to recognize John and the legacy he continues to build across our state.

Please join us in congratulating John Cook, 2026 Most Honored Citizen.

Read more here: https://aksarben.org/aksarben-foundation-announces-2026-most-honore

We’re hitting the road again! 🚗Next up for the Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards:📍 North Platte | Oct. 12 at Mid-Plains Co...
10/07/2026

We’re hitting the road again! 🚗

Next up for the Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards:

📍 North Platte | Oct. 12 at Mid-Plains Community College
📍 Norfolk | Oct. 15 at Northeast Community College

These regional events bring together employers, educators, workforce partners and community leaders to celebrate the people creating meaningful pathways into Nebraska’s workforce.

Join us!

Register: https://aksarben.org/neta/

10/06/2026

Housing prices. Property assessments. Community growth. Public policy.

They’re more connected than we sometimes realize.

In this episode of the Aksarben Foundation Floor Committee Podcast, LaShonna Dorsey and Floor Committee Co-Chair Shayla Kelly talk with Dakotah Smith, a commercial real estate broker and candidate for Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds.

Dakotah’s career has taken him from federal public policy work in Washington, D.C. to residential and commercial real estate in Omaha. He shares how those experiences shaped his interest in the relationship between property, government and community growth.

The conversation also gets into Omaha’s housing market, affordability, property assessments, the homestead exemption and what the Assessor/Register of Deeds office is responsible for.

And we hear the story of how an Austin, Texas native who met his wife in Washington, D.C. eventually made Omaha home.

🎧 Watch the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/9x7FEJFZrhU

We’re hitting the road again! 🚗Next up for the Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards:📍 North Platte | Oct. 12📍 Norfolk | Oct. ...
10/02/2026

We’re hitting the road again! 🚗

Next up for the Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards:
📍 North Platte | Oct. 12
📍 Norfolk | Oct. 15

These regional events bring together employers, educators, workforce partners and community leaders to celebrate the people creating meaningful pathways into Nebraska’s workforce.

Join us! Register: https://aksarben.org/neta/

Our next set of Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards events are coming up in October!📍 North Platte | Oct. 12, 11a - 1p at Mi...
09/30/2026

Our next set of Nebraska Emerging Talent Awards events are coming up in October!
📍 North Platte | Oct. 12, 11a - 1p at Mid-Plains Community College
📍 Norfolk | Oct. 15, 11a - 1p at Northeast Community College

Join us for a regional celebration of the interns, apprentices, mentors and employers making a difference in Nebraska’s workforce.

Events are free. Registration is requested! https://aksarben.org/neta/

Address

2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 800
Omaha, NE
68124

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+14025549600

Website

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