2026 R2U Speakers
Director of Urban Design
Omaha by Design
Omaha by Design
Abram Lueders is Director of Urban Design at Omaha by Design, where he leads Omaha by Design’s work ...(read more)
Director of Small and Emerging Business Development
Greater Chamber of Omaha
Greater Chamber of Omaha
Alejandra Jimenez is the Director of Small and Emerging Business Development at the Greater Omaha Ch...(read more)
Inclusive Communities
Cammy Watkins is a true champion of community and civic engagement, whose efforts have made a lastin...(read more)
Nebraska Housing Developers Association
Carol is a dedicated professional focused on community development and environmental stewardship, wi...(read more)
CP Aging Services
Carolina Padilla immigrated to the United States from Guatemala 1993. accompanied by her husband and...(read more)
Director of Community Development
City of Council Bluffs
City of Council Bluffs
Christopher N. Gibbons, AICP, serves as Director of Community Development for the City of Council Bl...(read more)
Founder & President
Strong Towns
Strong Towns
Charles Marohn, known as “Chuck” to friends and colleagues, is the founder and president of Strong T...(read more)
Director of Planning
Omaha Municipal Land Bank
Omaha Municipal Land Bank
Daniel Bennett is the Director of Planning at the Omaha Municipal Land Bank (OMLB), where he manages...(read more)
Deputy Director
Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
Diane Stanton has spent 33 years with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, where she devoted most o...(read more)
Executive Director
Omaha Inland Port Authority
Omaha Inland Port Authority
Garry Clark serves as Executive Director of the Omaha Inland Port Authority and brings nearly two de...(read more)
City of Omaha
Jared works at the intersection of development, small business, workforce pathways, and youth engage...(read more)
Founder & Real Estate Developer
Property Dons
Property Dons
Jay Donaldson, from Omaha, NE, is a real estate developer and founder of Property Dons with over fiv...(read more)
Founder & Executive Director
POC Collaborative Community Resource Center
POC Collaborative Community Resource Center
Katrina Adams is a North Omaha native whose deep connection to her community guides her work. After ...(read more)
Design Architect and Associate
Holland Basham Architects
Holland Basham Architects
Kevin Meyer is a Design Architect and Associate at Holland Basham Architects, bringing an inspiring ...(read more)
Executive Director
One Omaha
One Omaha
Kimara Snipes is the Executive Director of One Omaha, where she works to strengthen neighborhoods by...(read more)
Program Administrator
City of Omaha
City of Omaha
Mallory is the program administrator for the City of Omaha's ONEBiz program. ONEBiz is an online pla...(read more)
Executive Director
Metropolitan Area Planning Agency
Metropolitan Area Planning Agency
Mike Helgerson is Executive Director at the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA)—the regional Co...(read more)
Founder
The Mensh Group
The Mensh Group
Phillip McClain is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience building and leading bus...(read more)
Community Development Advisor
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Rachael Surmick serves as a community development advisor with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas Ci...(read more)
Senior Project manager
Spark
Spark
Ryan ZimmerMas is Senior Project Manager at Spark, where he leads development of the North Omaha Tra...(read more)
Housing and Economic Development Planner
City of Council Bluffs
City of Council Bluffs
Ryan Ossell, AICP, serves as a housing and economic development planner for the City of Council Bluf...(read more)
Urban Planner and Public Engagement Strategist
City of Omaha
City of Omaha
Sydney is an AICP Certified urban planner and public engagement strategist focused on building civic...(read more)
Policy Fellow
Spark
Spark
Zeke Rouse is a Policy Fellow with Spark, where he advocates for equitable housing policies across N...(read more)