August 20th, 2007
The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce does a lot of different things. I think that Leadership Omaha is one of the most important of those things, and this week we get to learn a little bit about the person who directs this valuable program. Leadership Omaha is a powerful program because it changes peoples trajectory. It brings current and emerging leaders together, it educates them about their community (in great detail) and it connects them to each other and to their community. If you have not participated in Leadership Omaha, I highly recommend it. And now…here is Lynda Shafer:
1.) Who are you, where do you work, what do you do there?
My name is Lynda Shafer . I am the manager of Leadership & Workforce Development at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. I have been director of the Leadership Omaha program and the Omaha Executive Institute since April of 1999. A program of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Omaha develops community leaders who will strengthen and transform the community. Omaha Executive Institute is designed for senior level executives who, along with their spouses, are new to the community or new to their positions. The program gives them a quick understanding of the community in which they are now living and doing business. I also provide staff support for the Leadership Omaha Alumni Association, and participate in various workforce development initiatives at the Chamber. I serve on the board of directors of INROADS/Nebraska-Western Iowa as well as the board of the Midlands Latino Community Development Corporation. I am active in La Vista, where my husband Chuck and I live. I am an ordained elder and deacon at Faith Presbyterian Church and serve as chairman of the Citizen Advisory Review Committee for the City of La Vista . Chuck and I have twin sons who are sophomores in college, one at Creighton and the other at Iowa State . I have a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition from The Ohio State University.
2.) Why do you do what you do?
The simple answer is that I do what I do because someone trusted me enough to ask me to do it. The longer answer is that I do what I do because I have an opportunity every day to have an impact on Omaha and on those community leaders who are working to strengthen and transform the community. I tell people I have the best job in Omaha because every year I get to work with a cohort of 60-75 people to rediscover the community.
3.) What is the unique value that your organization and / or your work brings to the community?
Leadership Omaha has been working for the last 29 years to develop community leaders who will strengthen and transform the community. As a program of the Chamber, Leadership Omaha and the Omaha Executive Institute are integral to helping the organization fulfill its mission of being the catalyst organization ensuring that Omaha is a vibrant place to live, work, and enjoy. The community leaders who have participated in these programs for the last 25+ years are working in every facet of Omaha , from elected office, to appointed commission. From education to insurance, LO grads are working to make Omaha a better place for everyone.
4.) What is the most challenging aspect of your work and what is the most rewarding?
The most challenging part of my job is recruiting great people from all over the community to participate in the programs I direct. Community leadership in Omaha needs to look like the community itself. It is my responsibility to help people understand the value of the program to themselves, to their organizations, and to the community. The most rewarding is when I can look at a list of candidates for elected office from around the state and see Leadership Omaha making the commitment to run at every level of government. Or when I look at virtually every non-profit board list in the metro and see at least one Leadership Omaha graduate on the board. Every day, Leadership Omaha graduates prove they are the leaders weve been waiting for.
5.) Where do you get new ideas about your work?
I work with a talented, caring, opinionated group of volunteers who constitute the Leadership Omaha Curriculum Committee. It is their job to challenge the status quo about every aspect of the program, along with bringing great ideas about speakers, locations, and topics to the table. I also work with an incredibly talented team at the Chamber, all of whom are vested in making Omaha a great place for everyone. I also am a member of the Community Leadership Association, the international association of community leadership development programs. Finally, Deane Finnegan, my counterpart with Leadership Lincoln, has proven to be a valuable source of information and inspiration.
6.) What do you do to take care of yourself?
I pray. I sing. I hang out with my husband and my sons. I buy the occasional new purse.
7.) What is your favorite thing about Omaha ?
Truthfully, I like the fact that everywhere I go, I meet someone I know. The feeling of connectedness keeps me going. I also like living in Sarpy County . I think the two-county perspective keeps things a little more interesting.
8.) What is the last good book that you read?
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon.
9.) How can people contact you?
Lynda Shafer
Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
13206 Grover Street
Omaha NE 68144
402.978.7928
Lshafer@omahachamber.org
www.leadershipomaha.org