Armed with new skills in nonprofit governance and a desire to make our community stronger, 24 people are now ready to serve local charitable organizations. This year’s members of "Heartland Blueprint" class graduated on May 19, 2011 in a ceremony at the Omaha Public Schools’ TAC Building.

This is the 19th annual graduating class of Heartland Blueprint, which is focused on increasing the participation of people of color on the volunteer governing boards of local nonprofit organizations. The class, however, is open to people of all ethnic backgrounds in our three-county area.

Applicants come from a wide variety of companies and institutions across the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Bellevue metro area. Applicants first pass a thorough interview process. Since February, their training has included not only strategic planning but legal and financial issues, leadership skills, cultural diversity and parliamentary procedure.

Heartland Blueprint has graduated 413 members; most have served or are serving on local nonprofit boards or on board-level committees.

City Council Member Ben Gray was the keynote speaker at the graduation event; Melvin Ramsey, chair of the Heartland Blueprint Committee was the master of ceremonies. In addition to the graduates families and friends, guests included Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and new United Way CEO Karen Bricklemyer.

2011 HEARTLAND BLUEPRINT GRADUATES:
(Graduates’ professional affiliation included)

Mahdi Alston -  Boy Scouts of America, Mid America Council
Anthony Anderson - State Farm Insurance
Gregory Brooks - International Paper
Krystal Fox - Prudential
Roger Garcia - City of Omaha Mayor’s Office
Tina L. Gray - The Gray Group, Inc.
Angela Hammett  - Eastern Nebraska Community Action Program (ENCAP)
Sherri Harris - Child Saving Institute
Osuman Issaka  - PayPal
Tara Jackson - Heartland Family Service
Peggy Jones - University of Nebraska-Omaha
Marc Kpeglo - Douglas County Mental Health
Carrie Madigan - Self-employed
Barbara Murry - Douglas County Department of General Assistance
Zantel Nichols - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Carolina Padilla - Intercultural Senior Center
David Pollock - A.N.D.Y. Foundation
Jade Rogers - Omaha Public Schools
Debra Shaw
Antionette Shelton - PayPal
Ava Stovall - Omaha Public Power District
Stefanie Torres - Coventry Nebraska
Shetikee Ware - Alegent Health – Immanuel Medical Center
Jemise Williams - Sickle Cell Association of Nebraska

FRONT ROW:  Krystal Fox, David Pollock, Jamise Williams, Carolina Padilla, Debra Shaw, Tara Jackson, Angela Hammett, Marc Kpeglo.  
MIDDLE ROW: Antionette Shelton, Jade Rogers, Barbara Murry, Stefanie Torres, Ava Stovall, Sherri Harris, Zantel Nichols, Melvin Ramsey (chair). 
BACK ROW: Anthony Anderson, Gregory Brooks, Osuman Issaka, Mahdi Alston, Tina L. Gray, Carrie Madigan, Roger Garcia.    
NOT PICTURED:  Peggy Jones and Shetikee Ware.