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

Revive Black Business Summit
State of Black Businesses:  Omaha
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Revive Center at 24th and Lake

8:30 am  Breakfast, Networking and Business Exchange

9:00 am  The State of Black Businesses in Omaha Report

9:30 am  Panel:  State of Financing and Banking – Access to Credit and Capital

10:00 am  BREAK

10:10 am  Panel:  Opportunities in Growth Industries

10:40 am  Interactive Strategic Discussions:  Strengths, Challenges, Needs and Opportunities

11:00 am  Resources for Black Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Dreams and Visions are becoming reality. On Saturday, January 10, 2026, seventy Black business owners and entrepreneurs convened at our first Revive Black Business Summit of the year. This event was one of our best yet. Networking. Learning. Sharing. Business Exchange. Inspiration. Resources. Funding.

Yolanda and I have hosted these networking, business exchange and capacity-building events for 12 years. We have been blessed to work with over four hundred Black business owners and entrepreneurs in Omaha and hundreds more across the country.

We set a goal 22 years ago to help support, promote, connect, launch, and grow Black businesses. Saturday’s event at the Revive Center at 24th and Lake shows the incredible things happening in Omaha for Black businesses and the ever-increasing possibilities.

The Brookings Institution highlighted a 95% increase in Black Businesses with employees in Omaha.  Our next goal is to help double the number of Black businesses with employees and create over 3,000 more jobs.

On Saturday, we had a number of owners in attendance running multi-million-dollar businesses and others who are at the start-up phase. The sharing of information, contacts and business exchange was real and impactful.

Carmen Tapio, CEO and Founder of North End Teleservices, is a notable example as she launched her business in the face of challenges to access capital even though she came with global experience and had helped others build extraordinarily successful businesses. She overcame those obstacles and now leads the largest Black owned business in the state, creating hundreds of jobs and careers. NET has been recognized as one of the fastest growing businesses in the country.

Tapio highlighted some keys to success:  It starts with faith.  Form partnerships.  Don’t quit.  “If it’s in your heart, if it’s in your spirit, don’t quit!  There is a pathway there for you.  It is not a straight line.”

Raheem Sanders, MPH Sanders, CEO and Managing Partner of PPRP, a national data, research and evaluation firm shared insights on how to grow profits and build community effectively by maximizing AI and data.

Sanders emphasized AI should be used to increase your sales, revenue and profits, not just to save money.  “It should make you even more productive.  Go from 2-3 proposals in a month to 10-20 proposals.”

Keele Taylor MA,PHR,SHRM-CP Taylor, CEO of HR-Minded with 20 years of experience and a growing national client base provided insights for hiring, onboarding, retention and preparing your business for growth and staying compliant while doing so.

“Onboarding starts from the moment you post your position,” said Taylor.  “My job is to help you stay compliant in all areas of HR, not just hiring.”

Candice Price, serial entrepreneur and community builder, co-owner of HomeTeam Auto and several other enterprises, presented strategies to generate multiple streams of income. Growing from an initial investment of $1,750 to co-owning businesses worth millions.

“Partnerships are essential,” said Price.  “And, don’t take no for a final answer.   Don’t let a no shut you down. There are others out there who will help you.”

Phillip McClain, CEO of the Mensch Group provided an overview of the exciting new projects he is working on to build community through innovations in real estate. He is currently leading a $20 million development in North Omaha and has offices in Chicago and cities.

“I’m excited to bring even more innovative developments and options to North Omaha,” said McClain.

We were also blessed to have numerous resource organizations with us providing funding, training and expertise: Carver Legacy Center, Omaha 100, Nebraska Opportunity Exchange, Hayes & Associates and HR-Minded.
Thank you, Carver Legacy, and HR-Minded for helping to sponsor the event.

Our next Summit is coming up March 7th. Learn more at reviveomaha.com. Omaha is on the move. Come grow with us!

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