2016 Annual Meeting set for May 24

The UNO Alumni Association will conduct its 104th Board of Directors Annual Meeting May 24 in the Thompson Alumni Center (6705 Dodge St.). The meeting will begin after the quarterly board meeting, which convenes at 4:30 p.m.

Voting will be held for the following proposed executive committee and at-large members, as determined by the board’s nominating committee:

Recommendations for 2016-17 Executive Committee
Chairman                     Scott Durbin, Harry A. Koch Co.
1st Vice Chairman       Al Hansen, First National Bank
2nd Vice Chairman      Laurie Ruge, Gordmans Management Company
Treasurer                     Shari Munro, Frankel Zacharia
Legal Advisor              Randy Stevenson, Baird Holm
Secretary                    Chris Denney, Nebraska Medicine
Past Chairman            Sarah Waldman, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska

Recommendations for three-year board terms beginning July 1, 2016
David Brisson, Wells Fargo Securities
Gabe Romero, Phenomblue
Steve Roberts, self-employed artist

Recommendations for 2nd three-year board terms beginning July 1, 2016
Traci Harrison, Community Volunteer
Adam Marek, Colliers International
Penny Parker, Completely KIDS

For more information about the meeting, contact Meri Kennedy at 402-544-3342 or email  mkennedy@unoalumni.org

Association appoints new board members,

executive committee at annual meeting

The UNO Alumni Association conducted its 103rd annual meeting May 19, confirming a new executive committee and electing new members to serve on its board of directors.

The meeting was held at Gordmans Corporate Headquarters near UNO’s Center Campus.
Sarah Waldman (BA, 1994) will direct the association as 2015-16 chairman of the board. She will be the 92nd graduate to chair the board. Waldman is senior vice president of administration for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE). Previously a staff attorney for BCBSNE, Waldman is active in community service and currently serves on several boards. She was a member of Leadership Omaha Class 29 and a 2007 recipient of the Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award. 

Waldman will lead the following executive committee: Chairman: Sarah Waldman; 1st Vice Chairman: Scott Durbin; 2nd Vice Chairman: Al Hansen; Treasurer: Shari Munro; Legal Advisor: Randy Stevenson; Secretary: Laurie Ruge; Past Chairman: David Craft.

Four new board members were elected to serve three-year terms (pictured above, from left): Enid Schonewise (1996, 2001), assistant superintendent at Westside Schools; Jim Sutfin (1993, 2002), superintendent at Millard Public Schools; Viv Ewing (1983, 1986), president and CEO of Alzheimer’s Association of Nebraska; and Matt Kardell (1990), senior vice president of sales and relationship management at FirstData.

Chris Denney (2005), senior project analyst at Nebraska Medicine, and Steve Schmitz (1995, 2008), manager of Nuclear Projects at OPPD, were elected to second three-year terms.

Also at the meeting, Director Appreciation Awards were issued to outgoing board members John Jesse III, Creighton University and Susie Melliger, Aldrich Elementary.

Annual Board Meeting set for May 19, 2015

The UNO Alumni Association Board of Directors will hold its annual meeting Tuesday, May 19, at 4:00 p.m. at Gordmans Corporate Headquarters, 1926 South 67th St. (near UNO Center Campus).

New board members and officers will be elected. The proposed slate, voted upon by the board's nominating committee, follows below. For more information call Meri Kennedy at 402-554-4887 or email mkennedy@unoalumni.org.

Recommendations for three-year board terms beginning July 1, 2015:

President and CEO of Alzheimer’s Association of Nebraska

1983 BS, Public Administration; 1986 MS, Urban Studies

Ewing previously worked for Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army Kroc Center, ConAgra Foods, the Omaha Housing Authority and OPPD. She also has served many of Omaha’s nonprofit organizations. She and her husband, John, earned the 2014 Citation for Alumni Achievement Award.

Matt Kardell
Senior Vice President of Sales and Relationship Management at FirstData

1990 BSBA

Kardell leads the UNO/First Data partnership and serves as the primary sponsor for community activities in Omaha. He has served on numerous boards in the past, including United Way of the Midlands, and currently serves on the College World Series, Inc. Board of Directors.

Enid Schonewise, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent at Westside Schools

1996 MS, Educational Administration; 2001 Ph.D., Education Administration

Schonewise worked at schools in Plano, Texas, and Omaha before becoming assistant principal and principal at Papillion–La Vista Schools. She joined Westside Schools as assistant superintendent in 2013. She is a graduate of Leadership Omaha and has been involved with many nonprofit and professional organizations. 

Jim Sutfin, Ed.D.
Superintendent at Millard Public Schools

1993 MS, Educational Administration; 2002 Ph.D, Educational Administration

Sutfin was named the Bellevue East Rotary Teacher of the Year and Phi Delta Kappa Showcase Teacher in Bellevue before moving to Millard West in 1995. In Millard he served as teacher, assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent before being named superintendent in 2014.

2^nd Term Recommendation:

Chris Denney
Senior Project Analyst at Nebraska Medicine
2005 Bachelor of Science

Steve Schmitz
Manager of Nuclear Projects at OPPD
1995 Bachelor of General Studies
2008 Executive Masters of Business Administration 

Recommendations for 2015-16 Executive Committee: 

Chairman: Sarah Waldman

1^st Vice Chairman: Scott Durbin

2^nd Vice Chairman: Al Hansen

Treasurer: Shari Munro

Legal Advisor: Randy Stevenson

Secretary: Laurie Ruge

Past Chairman: David Craft