Building on Community Input
To overcome the educational challenges in the two-county area, Building Bright Futures enlisted the help of our citizens. A cross-section of community members was convened and five task forces were formed, each of which identified a set of recommendations to address the varied needs of our young people:
- Making the Most of Early Childhood to ensure that all low-income children receive high-quality early care and education so they are prepared for school.
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Providing Academic Support and Career Awareness to help all students graduate from the K-12 system ready to pursue a career or advanced education.
- After-school Mentoring and Tutoring for Excellence to ensure that all vulnerable youth receive high-quality academic support and services, including access to a tutor, mentor or professional advisor.
- Reducing Truancy and Recovering Lost Youth to minimize absences and keep youth in school, and to redirect youth offenders back into school.
- Addressing Youth Behavioral Health by providing access to health and better mental health and substance abuse support services, to youth and their families, including early identification and proper referral, crisis intervention and support.
To deepen community involvement, 15 community forums were organized that were attended by more than 1,200 persons from December 2007 through April 2008. These forums were held in a variety of neighborhoods throughout Douglas and Sarpy Counties, and many of them included a light meal and child care to encourage working parents to attend. Community members told us their concerns and rated the importance of issues facing our region and young people. These efforts resulted in the identification of a broad community-wide consensus on critical needs and recommendations and identification of particular needs of local communities.
Task Force Leadership
Making the Most of Early Childhood
Vice President, Buffett Early Childhood Fund
Jessie’s entire professional career has focused on improving
outcomes for children and families. For more than 20 years she was an
early childhood education teacher and administrator in a variety of
environments, including Head Start, the Jewish Community Center, and
the Munroe-Meyer Rehabilitation Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
She spent the next 20 years of her profession in state government,
first serving as a Nebraska state senator for four years and then
serving as the state human services director in both Nebraska and Iowa.
She served as the Early Childhood Policy Director for the Nebraska
Children and Families Foundation where she advocated for good public
policy for young children and their families. In this position, Jessie
played an instrumental role in the development and successful passage
of early childhood legislation in 2006 that established a $60 million
early childhood endowment funded through a public and private
partnership. Jessie now works as vice president of the Buffett Early
Childhood Fund.
Jessie holds a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family
Relations. She is married to Dean Rasmussen, has two grown daughters
and is the proud grandmother of Ellie and Mack.
THOMAS TONNIGES M.D., VICE CHAIR
Medical Director of Boys Town Pediatrics & Director of Boys Town Institute for Child Health Development
Thomas Tonniges, MD, FAAP, is Medical Director of the Boys Town
National Research Hospital Institute for Child Health Improvement in
Omaha, Nebraska.
Prior to Boys Town, Dr. Tonniges was the Director of International
and Interprofessional Activities at the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) where he represented the Academy internationally to promote
optimal physical, mental and social health and well-being for all
infants, children, adolescents and young adults worldwide.
For ten years Dr. Tonniges was the Director of the Department of
Community Pediatrics where he led a variety of private and federal
grant programs to improve the health of children nationwide. He also
was a member of the AAP board of directors. A graduate of the
University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska, Dr.
Tonniges served in private practice for 18 years in Hastings, Nebraska.
Providing Academic Support and Career Awareness
CHANCELLOR JOHN CHRISTENSEN, CHAIR
University of Nebraska at Omaha
John E. Christensen was named chancellor of the University of
Nebraska at Omaha in May, 2007, having served as interim chancellor
from September 2006. The university’s 14th leader, Christensen is the
first UNO graduate to lead his alma mater in the institution’s 98-year
history.
Christensen began his UNO career in 1978 as a faculty member in the
College of Education’s Department of Special Education and
Communication Disorders. He subsequently served as chair of that
department for 12 years, prior to being named dean of the College of
Education in 1999. He was appointed vice chancellor for Academic and
Student Affairs in 2004. Christensen has presented at dozens of
conferences and published several articles and professional reports
focused on education and education related issues.
He is a member of the board of directors for the Omaha Community
Partnership and of the Omaha 2000 Steering Committee. He has also
served on various school district advisory boards and other
education-related organizations.
Christensen holds degrees from Dana College, UNO and the University of Kansas.
BEN GRAY, VICE CHAIR
OPS African American Achievement Council
Ben Gray was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He joined KETV
Channel 7 in 1973 as a photo lab assistant and six months later was
promoted to photo lab manager.
In 1976, Ben moved into the newsroom, taking the positions of
reporter and photographer. In 1979, he also became the producer and
host of “Kaleidoscope,” a weekly half-hour program that highlights a
range of subjects of interest to the community in general and minority
communities in particular. Gray officially retired from KETV Channel 7
in 2008.
He has received recognition for local, regional, and national awards
as reporter, photographer and show host. Ben is also actively involved
in the community, specifically with at-risk youth. He is Chairman of
the Omaha Public Schools African-American Achievement Council. This is
a community-based group started by the Omaha Public Schools in and
effort to include the community in helping to close the achievement gap
between black and white students. Ben also serves on the Girls Inc.
board of directors and is currently working with Empower Omaha.
After-school Mentoring and Tutoring for Excellence
MAYOR MIKE FAHEY, CHAIR
City of Omaha
Mike Fahey was first elected to office in 2001 as Omaha’s 49th
mayor. After a successful career as an entrepreneur and businessman,
Fahey viewed public service as an opportunity to give back to the City
of Omaha.
In May 2005, Mayor Fahey was reelected to a second term and
continues to build upon his accomplishments. He looks forward to
continuing his work to strengthen neighborhoods and parks, enhance our
professional police and fire departments, build our city to higher
design standards through Omaha by Design and to promote our city to new
businesses, tourism and convention planners.
Fahey served on the boards of Holy Name Housing, The American Red
Cross Heartland Chapter and Creighton Prep High School. For ten years,
starting in 1981, Fahey served on the Omaha Planning Board and was
chairman for many of those years. Fahey graduated from Creighton
University in 1973, with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
REBECCA VALDEZ, VICE CHAIR
Latino Center of the Midlands, Executive Director
Rebecca Valdez is the Executive Director of the Latino Center of the
Midlands, formerly Chicano Awareness Center, Greater Omaha’s oldest and
largest organization committed to serving the needs and aspirations of
the region’s Latino community.
She holds a degree in Education from Texas State University.
Rebecca serves on the Board of Directors of Clarkson College, the
Omaha Public Schools Foundation, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and
is a member of the City of Omaha Planning Board.
Reducing Truancy and Recovering Lost Youth
DR. JERRY BARTEE, CHAIR
Assistant Superintendent, Business Services Omaha Public Schools
As assistant superintendent of Business Services Dr. Bartee is
responsible for the efficient supervision and effective administration
of all matters pertaining to the development, operation, maintenance,
and disposition of school properties.
This responsibility includes the planning of new facilities,
renovation/expansion of existing facilities, facility maintenance, and
the purchase, storage and distribution of materials, supplies and
equipment. Dr. Bartee assists the superintendent in the preparation of
the budget and all annual reports related to the function of the
Department of Business Services. He is responsible for the supervision
and overall direction, coordination and evaluation of Nutrition
Services, Plant Operations and Maintenance, Purchasing, Schoolhouse
Planning, Student Transportation Services, and Supply. Dr. Bartee
manages all business contracts and agreements with vendors, contractors
and other individuals conducting business with the district.
Dr. Bartee holds B.A. in Education and a Masters in Educational
Administration through Creighton University. He holds a Doctorate in
Educational Administration through the University of Nebraska at
Lincoln/Omaha.
KIM B. HAWEKOTTE, VICE CHAIR
Deputy Douglas County Attorney
Kim B. Hawekotte has served as Deputy Douglas County Attorney, Head
of the Civil Division, since 2007. Prior to 2007, Hawekotte was
appointed by Gov. Dave Heinemann as the Administrator for Nebraska
Office of Juvenile Services and Administrator over the Youth
Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers for Boys and Girls. She was
responsible for policy regarding the Nebraska Juvenile Justice System.
Hawekotte has served on a variety of state and local committees,
including the Governor’s Commission for the Protection of Children,
Nebraska Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Metro Child Advocacy Coalition
Truancy Committee, Governor’s Children’s Task Force, Steering Committee
on State Information Exchange, and the Committee for Children’s Death
Review Team. She has also served as Chair of the Douglas County 1184
Treatment Team and the Co-Chair of the Douglas County 1184
Investigative Team. Hawekotte holds a B.S. degree in Sociology and a
law degree from Creighton University.
Addressing Youth Behavioral Health
RUBENS PAMIES, CHAIR
M.D., FACP, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean for
Graduate Studies, UNMC
Dr. Pamies, received his baccalaureate degree from St. John’s University, his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1986, and completed a residency in Primary Care Internal Medicine at the Cornell-North Shore University Hospital. In 1989, Dr. Pamies joined the University of South Florida College of Medicine as Staff Physician and Assistant Professor. His interest in minority medical education led him to develop the College of Medicine’s first Office of Minority Affairs, where he was director for two years.
Dr. Pamies had a strong commitment to issues in minority education and health.He was the principal investigator or co-investigator on the following grants: NIH sponsored Center for Reducing Asthma Disparities, AHRQ sponsored Center for Improving Patient Safety, REACH 2010 Project (Meharry component), the NIH, Planning Grant for Clinical Research in Minority Institutions, and the GTE Foundation’s The Middle School and High School Teacher’s Science Academy, receiving approximately $1,480,000 in funding. He served on many local and national committees. In Sept. 2005, Dr. Pamies and Satcher co-authored a book titled “Multicultural Medicine And Health Disparities.”
RICHARD O’BRIEN, M.D., VICE CHAIR
Creighton University Center for Health Policy and Ethics
Dr. O’Brien received his M.D. degree from Creighton University,
trained in Internal Medicine at the Columbia University Division of
Bellevue Hospital, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of
Wisconsin. He served in the Army at Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research, was a faculty member at the University of Southern
California, 1966-82, a Visiting Professor of Molecular Biology at the
University of Geneva, Switzerland, 1973-1974, and was the Director of
the USC Cancer Center and the Norris Cancer Hospital and Research
Institute when he left in 1982.Dr. O’Brien was dean of the Creighton
University School of Medicine from 1982-92 and Vice President, Health
Sciences from 1984-99. He has served on numerous professional and
scientific committees of the NIH and American Cancer Society and other
organizations and many professional and public boards. He is a member
of AOA honorary medical society, and has received numerous professional
awards. As the Vice President, Health Sciences, Dr. O’Brien founded the
Center for Health Policy & Ethics in 1985. Since 1999 he has been a
member of the center. Dr. O’Brien is engaged in studying means of
expanding access to health care, research ethics, health disparities,
and ethics of health policy formulation.