SPEAKERS
Keynote - John Cook, University of Nebraska Volleyball Coach
When John Cook took over the reins of the Nebraska volleyball program, the challenge facing him was daunting. Cook replaced one of the sport’s legendary
coaches in Terry Pettit, who won 694 matches and guided the Huskers to 18 consecutive NCAA appearances and six National Semifinals.
Cook, who left an emerging power in Wisconsin to guide the tradition-rich Husker program, had his own vision for Nebraska volleyball. He saw a program that had even more potential to grow.
To date, Cook has led the Huskers to four National Championships, five Finals appearances, eight Final Four appearances, 12 Conference Titles, and 16 top-10 final rankings since 2000. Coach Cook currently has 692 career wins and is the fifth-winningest coach in NCAA history. Under Coach Cook, the Huskers have achieved 52 All-Americans and 19 Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, six-time Conference Coach of the Year, a recipient of the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award, and was inducted in 2017 to the AVCA Hall of Fame.
“It is a reflection of Nebraska volleyball and the program, and not about one person or one player,” Cook said when accepting the AVCA Coach-of-the-Year Award in 2005. “We’re trying to be a leader in the sport. We’re trying to take risks and dream big, and fortunately, I’m surrounded by a lot of people who have that vision. I’m really proud of what we’re doing to try and enhance the sport.”
Deb Cottier, Nebraska Northwest Development Corporation
Cottier has spent almost her entire working career in Chadron Nebraska, working in the Chamber of Commerce for 7 years, for Governor and US Senator Ben Nelson for 15 years, selling advertising for NE Life magazine for 3 years and now, serving as the main economic development contact for Chadron and all of Dawes County since 2009.
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Cottier oversees efforts to recruit, retain and expand the businesses in the county. This includes providing incentives such as loans to businesses and creating an overall appealing environment in which to do business. In 2012 (and recertified in late 2017) Chadron became a Certified Economic Development Community. Cottier has led efforts to provide tax increment financing, helped the community pass and re-authorize the Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act (LB840). NNDC, under her leadership has been able to locate more than 20 new businesses, create more than 120 new jobs in the past 5 years and make application and receive a $400,000 Downtown Revitalization grant.
Cottier serves as chair of the regional Panhandle Area Development District board, Treasurer of the Heartland Expressway Association (advocating for the paving of a 4-lane highway system from CO to SD through western Nebraska). She also serves on the Nebraska Economic Developer’s Association (NEDA) as their Legislative co-chair. She was named NEDA Professional of the year in 2017.
Korey Donahoo, Nebraska Department of Transportation
Graduate of Civil Engineering from UNL. Worked as a Highway Design Engineer for the Department of Transportation for over a decade. The last few years have been on the planning side, helping select projects for the Build Nebraska Act, managing the Economic Opportunity Program, and developing the early stages of large projects such as our first Super 2 highway. Also cofounded a member-based nonprofit organization for fans of the US Soccer team, and we just celebrated our 10th anniversary. Live in Lincoln with my wife Logan and cat Arnold.
Ernie Goss, Goss & Associates
Ernie Goss is the Jack MacAllister Chair in Economics at Creighton University. He is also principal of the Goss Institute in Denver, Colo. Goss received his Ph.D. in economics from The University of Tennessee and is a former faculty research fellow at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. He was a visiting scholar with the Congressional Budget Office for 2003-2004. He has published more than 100 research studies focusing primarily on economic forecasting and on the statistical analysis of business and economic data. His book Changing Attitudes Toward Economic Reform During the Yeltsin Era was published by Praeger Press in 2003, and his book Governing Fortune: Casino Gambling in America was published by the University of Michigan Press in March 2007.
He is editor of Economic Trends, an economics newsletter published monthly with more than 11,000 subscribers, produces a monthly business conditions index for the nine-state Mid-American region, and conducts a survey of bank CEOs in 10 U.S. states. Survey and index results are cited each month in approximately 100 newspapers; citations have included the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, The Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Sun Times, and other national and regional newspapers and magazines. Each month 75-100 radio stations carry his Regional Economic Report.
Lara Huskey, Midwest Housing Development Fund
Lara Huskey is the Senior Vice President of Midwest Housing Development Fund, a non-profit, U.S. Dept. of Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution based in Omaha that provides housing development loans in 10 Midwest states. Lara co-chairs the NEDA legislative committee. Prior to joining MHDF, Lara worked for several years at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, most recently serving as Deputy Director. She has a Bachelor Degree in Economics and Sociology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
David Levy, Baird Holm
David Levy represents clients in zoning, land use, energy, environmental and general real estate matters, in transactional, administrative, legislative and judicial proceedings. He is the Chairman of the firm's Real Estate practice.
David is a registered lobbyist in the State of Nebraska. In 2014, David successfully concluded a multi-year effort to pass a 20 percent state tax credit for rehabilitation of historic buildings in Nebraska. In 2016, David played a central role in legislation that significantly streamlined the regulatory process for wind and solar energy generation facilities.
David has served as an Adjunct Professor in Land Use Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law and has taught legal writing at Creighton University School of Law. Since 2011, David has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America the field of Land Use & Zoning Law. He is civically active in Omaha and greater Nebraska, and he serves on numerous boards and committees, frequently in a leadership role.
David is an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley and a native of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Dave Rippe, Nebraska Department of Economic Development
Dave Rippe was appointed by Governor Pete Ricketts as director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) in December, 2017. Previously, he served as executive director for the Hastings Economic Development Corporation, where for eight years, he helped to grow the community and expand local businesses. In his role as executive director, Rippe worked to advance Hastings’ downtown revitalization efforts, also assisting numerous corporate expansions and small business startups.
Prior to his work in Hastings, Rippe was an economic development consultant in business recruitment for DED. From 2005 to 2008, he worked as a fiscal analyst in the Legislative Fiscal Office. Rippe holds an MBA in strategic management and finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Nebraska Economic Developers Association and the Hastings Area Manufacturers Association, among other organizations.
Senator Jim Scheer, District 19
Senator Jim Scheer is proud to represent Nebraska’s 19th Legislative District, which is made up of Madison and the Northwest corner of Stanton County. First elected to the Legislature in 2012, Senator Scheer is in his 6th year as a State Senator. Senator Scheer currently serves as Speaker of the Legislature. As part of his role as Speaker, Scheer also serves on the Legislature’s Performance Audit Committee, the Legislature’s Planning Committee, the Reference Committee, and the Rules Committee. As Speaker Scheer also sets the agenda for the body, presides over debate, and serves as the body’s chief mediator. Senator Scheer has previously chaired the Legislature’s Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee, which has oversight of all of Nebraska’s banking and insurance sectors as well as the trade practices act, real estate, economic development, public accountancy, and the uniform commercial code. He has served as the Vice-Chair of the Education Committee, as a member on the Government, Military, and veterans Affairs Committee, and as a member of the Revenue Committee. Before his election as a State Senator, Scheer served on the State Board of Education, serving much of his time as President of the Board. He also served his community of Norfolk on the Norfolk Public Schools Board of Education, as well as Mayor of Norfolk. Senator Scheer and his wife Kris currently live in Norfolk. They have three grown children, Keeli, Rachel, and John, and six grandchildren.
Senator Matt Williams, District 36
Matt is Chairman of Gothenburg State Bank, a $150 million community bank located in Gothenburg, Nebraska. He is a fourth-generation banker and has been with the family-owned bank since 1973.
Matt became a State Senator representing Legislative District 36 in 2015. He is Vice Chairman of the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, and a member of the Health and Human Services Committee and the Planning Committee.
Matt was Chairman of the American Bankers Association in 2012-2013 and also served on the ABA Board. Matt has been a member of the ABA Government Relations Council and has served as the ABA State Grassroots Coordinator for the State of Nebraska. He was selected as one of 14 bankers from across our country to serve on the FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking. Matt was chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association in 2003-2004 and has served on many NBA committees.
Matt also serves as a Trustee of the University of Nebraska Foundation, UNL Ag Builders, the University of Nebraska President’s Advisory Council, the University of Nebraska Finance Department Advisory Board, and is a past Director of the State Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to the Board of Directors of Innovation Campus. Matt has been very involved with economic development in Gothenburg and Dawson County, formerly serving as Chairman of the Gothenburg Improvement Company and President of the Gothenburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Matt also has served as a State Director for the Tom and Nancy Osborne TeamMates mentoring program. Matt received the Alumni Achievement Award from UNL in 2013, and the ABA Ag Banker of the Year Award in 2014. Matt received his undergraduate and Law degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Matt and his wife Susan have two children and six grandchildren.
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Scott Strain
Scott Strain has worked as an economist and statistician for more than 20 years providing forecasts and analysis across a wide range of industries. Scott served as an industry economist, working in new product development regarding both quantitative and qualitative research. Scott was Senior Director of Research for an economic development agency, providing economic impact and tax incentive analysis to both private businesses and government entities. He served on the business advisory committee that worked with Nebraska state senators and the director of the state’s Economic Development Department to develop the Nebraska Advantage Act – a comprehensive package of business incentives that has helped to add more than $6 billion in new capital investment and over 13,000 new jobs in the state of Nebraska since the Act’s inception in 2006.