By Co-Publisher, Willie D. Barney, July 2026

How a 12-year vision, bold partners, and persistence helped bring a $14 million job creation project to North Omaha.

A quick story about thinking big and bold. I realized this week that I never shared this behind-the-scenes piece I wrote a few months ago, when OEDC and CHI formally announced a $14 million job creation project that will bring 100 jobs to North Omaha. For me, this project is more than a building, more than a headline, and more than a ribbon cutting. It is a reminder of what can happen when we cast a vision, stay persistent, and believe that our community deserves solutions at scale.

North Omaha has always had talent, faith, creativity, entrepreneurs, families, leaders, and people ready to work. What we have not always had is the level of investment, access, and opportunity needed to match that talent. That is why this announcement matters. It shows what is possible when institutions listen, community leaders push, and partners are bold enough to stay at the table even when the work gets hard.

The Question That Opened the Door

Twelve years ago, I was in a meeting with Ann Schumacher, Pete Festersen, and Kevin Nokels, former vice president at CHI Health. We were discussing partnerships between the Empowerment Network and CHI Health to address needs in the community. Most of the conversation focused on health, which was important and needed. But I kept coming back to another part of community health: jobs, careers, and wages.

We talked initially about Step-Up and filling existing positions. Then Kevin leaned over and said something that stuck with me: “Why don’t you ask us to do something really BIG?”

WOW. I loved it. We were in the early days of creating the Transformation 2025 plan, and we were talking about taking solutions to scale. Kevin opened the door to do exactly that.

From an Idea to a Community Vision

After taking some time to think and pray about it, I called Kevin and said, “What if CHI could help with job creation by bringing one of their business units to North Omaha? What if that move could help address unemployment and create opportunities for entrepreneurs to do business?”

Kevin said, “Now you are talking.”

That was the beginning of a long journey. I asked Vicki Quaites-Ferris, our VP of Operations, to join me, and we started meeting with Kevin and members of his team to figure out ways to make it happen. As the idea gained momentum, we knew we needed a developer. I reached out to Michael Maroney because we had been working together for years on other initiatives. Michael joined in and made a commitment for OEDC to use its expertise and experience to help bring the vision to reality.

The Long Road to Fruition

We went through all kinds of plans, strategies, designs, and proposals. We looked at dozens of locations and buildings throughout North Omaha. We had one in the historic 24th and Lake area that was almost there, but we could not get it across the finish line. We looked at North 30th, Ames, 16th Street, and other locations.

There were barriers. Challenges. Changes in leadership. Then the pandemic hit, causing even more delays. If you have ever been part of real community development work, you know it rarely moves in a straight line. It takes vision, patience, faith, relationships, and a lot of people who refuse to give up.

Through it all, Michael Maroney and Pete Festersen kept pushing forward. I have not been as involved the last four years, other than working with State Senators to help get state funds approved through LB531. But Michael, Pete, OEDC staff, CHI leaders, elected officials, funders, and many others stayed with it and finally brought it to fruition.

A Win Bigger Than One Project

Now, North Omaha will see a $14 million project that is expected to generate more than 100 jobs with competitive wages and benefits. It will also double CHI’s capacity to serve meals across the region. That is impact. That is investment. That is what happens when a community-centered idea is given room to grow into something transformational.

I think it is important to say this plainly: Black communities deserve more than programs that manage poverty. We deserve investments that create ownership, jobs, careers, contracts, business opportunities, and generational impact. We deserve partners who do not just come to the community for meetings, but who are willing to bring real projects, real dollars, and real opportunity.

The Lesson: Ask Big, Stay Bold

This project reminds me why we have to keep thinking big. Sometimes the first idea is not big enough. Sometimes the first location does not work. Sometimes the timeline stretches far beyond what we expected. But when the vision is rooted in community and the partners remain committed, the outcome can still be powerful.

I am incredibly encouraged to see what is possible when we think big, cast a bold vision, and work with partners who are willing to stick with it even when it gets hard. Congratulations to OEDC and CHI Health. This is a big win for North Omaha, for the city, and for the region.

OEDCOmaha Empowerment Network hashtag#Transformation2025

OMAHA, Neb. (May 15, 2026) — The Empowerment Network convened local, national and international leaders May 6-8 in Omaha for the 19th annual Rebuilding the Village Conference, a three-day gathering focused on collaboration, economic opportunity and community transformation.

“For nearly two decades, Rebuilding the Village has been a place where people come together to share what is working, learn from one another and strengthen the relationships needed to move communities forward,” said Willie Barney, CEO & Founder, Empowerment Network.

The conference brought together community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, policymakers, advocates and residents for keynote conversations, breakout sessions and strategy discussions focused on safer neighborhoods, stronger families, entrepreneurship, education, housing, reentry, violence prevention and Transformation 2030.

The conference concluded Friday, May 8, at the Hilton Omaha Downtown with the Rebuilding the Village Conference and Luncheon. The day’s theme, “Intentional Collaboration: Working Together to Create Places Where We Can All Win,” guided conversations on measurable, community-led progress.

“For nearly two decades, Rebuilding the Village has been a place where people come together to share what is working, learn from one another and strengthen the relationships needed to move communities forward,” said Willie Barney, CEO and founder of the Empowerment Network. “This year was especially important as we advanced Transformation 2030 and focused on the next level of intentional collaboration.”

Transformation 2030 builds on the Empowerment Network’s work in North Omaha and partner cities, with goals tied to education, employment, housing, entrepreneurship, health, public safety, civic engagement and community development. The initiative includes goals of 100% of students reading on grade level, a 90%-plus high school graduation rate, 2,000 families connected to higher-wage jobs, 250 businesses launched or scaled with employees, 2,500 housing units developed, 60% homeownership in North Omaha and a 50% reduction in gun violence and incarceration.

Photo:  Thelma French, CEO of Total Community Action, New Orleans

The conference featured speakers and representatives from Omaha and other cities, including Cleveland, Durham, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Lansing, Michigan; Minneapolis; New Orleans; St. Louis; Syracuse, New York; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sessions highlighted strategies in education, housing, business growth, workforce development, violence prevention, cultural tourism, health access, fund development, neighborhood revitalization and communications.

Breakout sessions focused on reaching education goals, creating housing through innovation and collaboration, doubling the number of Black-owned businesses with employees, connecting residents to higher-wage careers, reducing violence while decreasing arrests and juvenile detention, expanding cultural tourism and improving access to quality health care.

“Rebuilding the Village continues to be a powerful platform for bringing people together around what works,” said Jonathan Chapman, vice president of community collaboratives for the Empowerment Network. “The value is in the relationships, the shared learning and the commitment to take practical strategies back into neighborhoods, organizations and cities.”

The luncheon keynote panel focused on the national and global expansion of intentional collaboration through Empowerment Network 360, Village Strategies and Business Exchanges. National leaders shared lessons from their local work and discussed how coordinated, community-driven strategies can strengthen neighborhoods and expand opportunity.

The Rebuilding the Village Conference also served as a platform for advancing the Empowerment Network’s broader mission of connecting people and partners, communicating solutions and collaborating to address community issues. Since 2006, more than 10,000 residents and hundreds of partners have worked through the Network to support progress in jobs, safety, education, housing and health.

“Events like Rebuilding the Village are so important because they showcase Black talent locally and nationally in a way people don’t always get to see,” said Sheri Moore, Rebuilding the Village vendor and founder, Valincia’s Daughter. “They also create space for Black entrepreneurs who may not always have a place to sell their products and connect with the community.”

Rebuilding the Village is supported by sponsors like American National Bank/Associated Bank, Carver Legacy Center, CHI Health, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and PPRP Innovations, along with partners including The Charles E. Lakin Foundation, the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK), Revive and Weitz Family Foundation.

As a My Brother’s Keeper Model Community, MBK Omaha and the Empowerment Network are working with partners to build safer communities and connect more young people to opportunity. MBK Omaha was selected as a Model Community for demonstrating population-level impact in Milestone 6, focused on keeping youth safe from violent crime and providing second chances.

In alignment with the purpose of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, this year’s conference includes sessions focused on driving change, investing in the community, supporting students and helping them identify their strengths, gifts and talents.

To learn more about the Rebuilding the Village Conference, visit empoweromaha.com 

CHICAGO — Empowerment Network and Omaha leaders joined My Brother’s Keeper Alliance communities from across the country May 28 in Chicago, where they shared the city’s progress as a nationally recognized MBK Model Community, highlighted work to expand impact across all six MBK milestones and received an early preview of the Obama Presidential Center before its public opening later this month.

The Omaha delegation participated in a My Brother’s Keeper systems leaders convening hosted in connection with the Obama Foundation. The gathering brought together the four model communities and national partners to compare progress, learn from one another and discuss strategies tied to the six MBK milestones.

The Omaha delegation included Mayor John Ewing; Douglas County Commissioner Chris Rodgers; Susan Christopherson of Omaha Public Schools; Willie Barney; Jonathan Chapman; Vicki Quaites-Ferris; Deputy Police Chief Sherie Thomas; Jennifer Green of the Lakin Foundation; Emily Nguyen of the Weitz Foundation; Dr. Viv Ewing; Tim Christian, an AAEN board member; Carmelita Christian; Yolanda Barney of the Revive Center; and Calvin Jones of Lion’s Gate Security.

Community leaders from across the country met to focus on education, careers, violence prevention, leadership and strategies to improve outcomes in local communities. The event opened with breakfast and a self-care session centered on reflection and sustainable leadership.

Speakers included Adren O. Wilson, Ph.D., vice president of Youth Opportunity Programs and executive director of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance; Michael Strautmanis, chief corporate affairs officer of the Obama Foundation; and John B. King, chancellor of the State University of New York and a member of the University of the State of New York Board of Regents.

MBK Omaha was selected as an MBK Model Community for achieving population-level impact in Milestone 6, which focuses on keeping youth safe from violent crime and providing second chances. Through intentional collaboration among multiple stakeholder agencies, Omaha reduced homicides by more than 50% from 2011 to 2024. Omaha has a documented 70% reduction in gun violence since the start of Omaha 360. The African-American Empowerment Network leads the Model Communities initiative for MBK Omaha.

Building on that progress, MBK Omaha is now working to achieve population-level impact across all six MBK milestones through coordinated strategies in pre-K, K-12 education, postsecondary education, workforce development, public safety, family support and community empowerment.

Omaha’s presentation, facilitated by Empowerment Network CEO Willie Barney, used a panel conversation format rather than a traditional slide presentation. The panel highlighted Omaha 360, Youth 360, Step Up Omaha, Skill Up Omaha, the Empowerment Network’s Village Readers Program, Omaha Public Schools partnerships and broader community-based strategies to improve outcomes for young people and families.

The format allowed local leaders to speak directly about the relationships, partnerships and day-to-day work driving Omaha’s MBK efforts.

“Impactful is an understatement,” said Jonathan Chapman, vice president of Community Collaboratives, following the visit. “After walking the halls and touring the museum, I’m still in awe and still reflecting on the honor of being a part of only the second group to experience the Obama Presidential Center through our model community work with the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and the impact we’re making here in Omaha.”

Participants said Omaha’s work stood out because of its whole-family approach and its emphasis on connecting youth development, education, public safety, workforce development and community empowerment.

One example is Step Up Omaha, which is creating paid training, employment and career exposure opportunities for young people. In 2025, 580 young people gained paid training and job experience through the program. Step Up Omaha now offers year-round jobs and coaching designed to help youth stay connected to career pathways.

“Attending the convening with the other national cities and hearing their feedback was extremely encouraging, and being among the first groups to tour the Obama Presidential Center was an incredible opportunity and a transformational experience,” said Willie Barney, CEO of Empowerment Network. “President Obama is challenging all of us to continue doing our part to make this a better city and nation.”

The momentum has drawn additional support from the city of Omaha, which invested $600,000 to help expand the program. MBK Omaha and its partners are also working to align Step Up Omaha with Omaha Public Schools College and Career Pathways, with the potential to reach 10,000 high school students. Through Nebraska’s On-the-Job Training program, partners are also working to help employers hire more youth by reducing wage costs.

Quaites-Ferris said the convening created valuable connections with leaders from cities including Yonkers, New York; Newark, New Jersey; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. She said other communities were energized by the MBK milestones and eager to continue building toward measurable progress.

The center’s grand opening ceremony is scheduled for June 18, with the public able to begin visiting the campus and museum June 19. The center’s public opening weekend is scheduled for June 19-21 and will include community-centered programming, according to the Obama Foundation.

Quaites-Ferris described the center as “unbelievable” and said Omaha leaders discussed the possibility of organizing a future bus trip to Chicago so more community members, partners and young people could experience it.

Chapman said the museum experience was both nostalgic and hopeful, reminding him of a time when the country felt “filled with hope.” He said that feeling connects directly to Omaha’s continued work to build opportunity for young people and families.

The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an initiative of the Obama Foundation, works with communities nationwide to address opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and to support local systems that help young people reach key life milestones