Learning How to Be an Advocate for the University of Nebraska System

The readers of this blog are well aware of the passion Bridget and I have for the University of Nebraska at Omaha. 

As 1996 graduates of the university, we’ve stayed involved with the institution via the UNO Hockey program (never missed a home game in the program’s 20-plus year history) and the UNO Alumni Association. 

Part of the reason we support the university is because Bridget and I (who started dating as students at Omaha’s Westside High School) both earned Regents Scholarships from UNO — which paid for five years of tuition at the school. 

I can’t appropriately express in words how important those scholarships were to our future. Being able to graduate debt-free with our undergraduate degrees allowed us to start our own marketing communications business (Image Building Communications) in 1996. 

I recall Bridget sitting in a hallway at UNO’s Arts and Sciences Hall (talking on a giant cellphone that looked like something used to call in mortar fire) negotiating our first office lease. 

Like many of the NU system alums currently residing in Nebraska (who graduated from UNO, UNL, UNK, and UNMC), we are able to live the life we want to live because of the educational opportunities afforded to us by the university.

On Wednesday, Aug. 22, Bridget and I were invited to attend the “Alumni Association Advocacy Summit” at the Nebraska Champions Club in Lincoln, NE. 

I was excited to have the opportunity to visit the Nebraska Alumni Association’s beautiful venue. I’ve walked by the Champions Club when we’ve attended Husker Football games, but have never had the opportunity to see the interior (the facility sits on the west side of Stadium Drive, across the street from Memorial Stadium). 

Attendees had the opportunity to hear from university officials who work on advocacy efforts, engagement initiatives, and lobbying efforts at state and federal level. The alumni association directors from were also on hand to talk about outreach and education efforts. 

I’d like to thank our friend and former “Public Relations Case Studies” classmate Lee Denker — UNO Alumni Association Executive Director — for inviting us to attend this event: 

Denker and Elizabeth Kraemer (who is in charge of programming for the UNO Alumni Association) have really made us feel like a part of the university.

The event featured a “working dinner” (the spread at the buffet was delicious) and those in attendance were able to interact and offer suggestions for potential strategies the university might employ in activating alums to act on the university’s behalf.

This was the first time Bridget and I had ever been approached about this topic. In my opinion, it is prudent for the NU system to forge relationships with alums who might help them build and implement more compelling “advocacy campaigns” in the future. 

In today’s media climate it is incredibly important for businesses and organizations to expand their sphere by engaging with "influencers" who can talk directly to potential clientele, members, and advocates. 

It was also nice to have the chance to chat with Heath Mello at the event. Heath joined the University of Nebraska in 2017 as Associate Vice President and Director of State Relations: 

Bridget and I first met Heath back in 2008. He lives in our neighborhood, represented our district in the Nebraska Unicameral, and has been a member of our neighborhood association. 

During our conversation, I got the sense a long-term goal is to build a connected web of alumni across the state who are more engaged with the university system.

Business-guru Seth Godin brilliantly illustrated this concept in his 2008 book “Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.” 

It all starts with a vision. 

Education needs to be the cornerstone of a society that hopes to achieve, accomplish, and advance. 

If you have an opportunity to give back to an institution of learning that helped you along the way, I would strongly encourage you to do so. 

If you’d like to learn more about becoming an advocate for the university system, visit University of Nebraska Advocates website. 



Related blog post: Maverick Landing: The Latest Addition to UNO's Reimagined Front Door 

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Concert & Fireworks at Memorial Park

Each year around this time, Omaha’s Memorial Park hosts a concert and fireworks show on its bucolic, sloping lawn ensconced in midtown Omaha. 

Bridget and I sometimes go towards 10 p.m. for the fireworks, listening to the last few songs performed by the headliner. In years past, we watched the fireworks from my parent’s home near Crossroads Mall. 

This year, Bridget won two VIP passes from Baxter Volkswagon La Vista's Facebook page. This allowed us to sit in folding chair seats close to the stage, get a pass to park in the lower level of UNO's parking garage (Lot T), and have access VIP portable potties (hint: they’re like the regular portable potties in the park, just inside the gated VIP area). Baxter reps also came around to distribute bottles of water, handheld fans, and glow sticks (although we went in search of the glow sticks ourselves, not realizing they'd be brought to us).

 A few of our friends — Jill, Arlen, Andy, Jason and Jolene — also won VIP passes. 

The bands performing were The Confidentials (a local act), Bostyx (a Boston/Styx tribute band), and Starship. Survivor was originally slated to play, but were replaced at the 11th hour by Bostyx (which turned out to be a good act). 

The fireworks display was sponsored by Woodmen of the World. It seemed a tad bit shorter this year than in years past, but was still a lot of fun to watch. (And the music accompanying the fireworks was fun, Bridget noted.)

There was one kind of scary moment. As we walked towards the parking garage, we heard an explosion. We weren't sure where it came from, or what it was. When we descended the stairs to the lower level of the parking garage, there was a lot of smoke and some commotion. Bridget spoke with a UNO security guard, who said that someone had set off a firework in the garage. He didn't see it himself, but the vehicle in question was pointed out by several other folks, and he talked to the people and basically told them to knock it off.

Some idiot set off a large firework in the lower level (Lot T) of the @unomaha parking garage. In case @meanstreetsoma got reports of an explosion near the Memorial Patk  concert -- that's what it was.

— Bridget Weide Brooks (@bridgetabrooks) June 30, 2018

Her tweet was retweeted by the Mean Streets Omaha Twitter account. (Yes, I know it has a typo in it. Twitter needs an edit feature.)

Parking is always an issue for the concert, and even with VIP parking, it took more than 40 minutes to exit the parking garage and get home (usually a 7-minute drive).

The Fourth of July is probably my favorite holiday — I really enjoy this time of year. 

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Book Review: “Without Fail” By Lee Child

My effort to fill in the gaps and finish every single one of Lee Child’s novels (before the author’s April 11 appearance at Baxter Arena) continued this week with the author's 2002 outing “Without Fail.” 

As I said in my review of “Echo Burning” last week, Lee Child doesn’t write the same novel twice. Because his protagonist is a loner who wanders the country (since he left his life as a military policeman), he can head anywhere and become embroiled in a variety of intriguing mysteries. 

“Without Fail” finds Jack Reacher in New Jersey. He had hitched a ride with aging R&B musicians in California — headed for greener pastures in Atlantic City. Reacher is trying to help the pair receive the proper “fee for service” at the lounge where they’re performing. 

It’s November. It’s cold in New Jersey. Reacher sets out to find an affordable clothing store where he can purchase a coat and some warmer duds. He also needs more money, and contacts his bank to have funds wired to Western Union. 

The call to the bank sets our plot into motion. It turns out a United States Secret Service agent named M.E. Froelich is looking for someone who can help with an investigation. Her research points to Jack Reacher, but the fact that he’s off the grid makes him a hard man to track down. 

But find him they do. 

Froelich discovers Reacher on his way to pickup the wire transfer at Western Union. He spots her black Chevrolet Suburban. The two chat and Reacher learns that Froelich had worked with — and dated — his deceased brother, Joe.

“I want to hire you for something,” she said. “On a kind of posthumous recommendation from Joe. Because of what he used to say about you. He talked about you, time to time.”

Reacher isn’t looking for employment, but is intrigued by her “interesting proposition” — the agency needs someone to poke holes in their protection procedures for the Vice President-Elect of the United States.

In short order Reacher finds himself a consultant for the U.S. Secret Service. He hires a former colleague — Frances Neagley — to help them test the security around Vice President-elect Armstrong. 

Reacher and Neagley prove that the politician isn’t as safe as one might believe. 

But this wasn’t a mere “test” of policies and procedures. The would-be veep has received a threatening letter (intercepted by the Secret Service) — a simple message on a particular stock of white paper, printed on a Hewlett-Packard laser printer, in Times New Roman font, with a single fingerprint (that doesn’t come up in any of the government databases). 

It’s a puzzle that sends Reacher, Neagley, and Froelich spinning around the corridors of Washington, D.C., and the wide-open spaces of the Great Plains (Armstrong is a senator from North Dakota).

Reacher is trying to figure out if those threatening Armstrong are hoping to implement their nefarious deed and escape — as Edward Fox did in the movie “The Day of the Jackal” — or if they are planning to die in the act of treachery — like John Malkovich’s renegade CIA agent in “In the Line of Fire.” 

The story itself is compelling. It lacks the action and theatrical punch featured in some of Child’s other Jack Reacher stories — until the final act of “Without Fail,” which is pretty terrific. 

Instead, “Without Fail” is more procedural in nature, showing Reacher analyzing a variety of evidence in the hunt for the truth (he even turns to various iterations of the constitution for clues). The antagonists in this story are basically unseen, and there are a variety of red herrings thrown in for good measure. 

Reacher also finds himself in an awkward romantic relationship with Froelich as the novel progresses — the agent still has some of Joe’s old suits and personal belongings in her home. 

Froelich is conflicted as she tries to convince herself (and Reacher) that she isn’t trying to bring Joe back from the dead, or live vicariously through his brother. 

The early setup of the story reminded me a bit of Stephen Hunter’s novel “Point of Impact” (which was made into the movie “Shooter” starring Mark Wahlberg). The two stories ultimately take divergent paths. 

Reacher’s brother Joe was a key plot point in Child’s first novel “Killing Floor,” and it was nice to see Reacher get a bit of closure on his sibling in “Without Fail.”

Lee Child worked in television before he became a writer at age 40 (he was laid off by Granada television). In this clip he talks about the importance of dialogue and research in his work:

One of my favorite aspects of a Jack Reacher novel is the banter between characters. It doesn’t matter whether Child is writing the novel in first or third person (six of the Reacher novels are told using the first person narrative), the conversations are crisp and quick.

I also like Child’s view on research — not to let it overwhelm the story, Too many novels I’ve read have awkward “info-dumps” at certain points, and you can tell the writer is excited to share how much they learned in the research process. 

“Without Fail” is an intriguing novel in Lee Child’s repertoire (if you’re new to the Jack Reacher novels, I’d start with “Killing Floor”). The story gives new insight into Reacher’s family life, and adds additional depth to the character. It is a tad slower than the best outings in the series, but worth the read.

Also, as I mentioned in my previous review of “Echo Burning,” Lee Child is set to give a free talk at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Baxter Arena on April 11. Click here to learn more about the event — which includes ticket information. 

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Maverick Landing: The Latest Addition to UNO's Reimagined Front Door

Lily Tomlin once opined that "the road to success is always under construction." I've heard a number of variations and derivations of the quote over the years, used to serve various causes or efforts throughout the world. 

But the core message remains the same: progress is defined by a constant rhythm and perpetual evolution. 

Over the course of the past 20 years, the University of Nebraska at Omaha has undergone a significant amount of change. Various leaders have nudged the university to become more than the sum of its parts, working to give the oft-derided "commuter college" a much needed overhaul -- resulting in a metropolitan university that is attractive, cutting-edge, and hurling forward with a tremendous amount of momentum. 

My wife Bridget and I are alumni of the university, and have continued our involvement with the university since graduating in 1996. Not only have we NEVER missed a UNO Hockey home game (since the nascent program began in 1997), we've also been involved with various outreach efforts like the UNO Young Alumni Academy. 

It is our participation with the UNO Alumni Association that led us to an Oct. 21 open house at the university's newest facility -- Maverick Landing. 

The new welcome and visitor center is part of Scott Campus and is located in the heart of Aksarben Village. The area -- once home to horse racing in Omaha -- houses various facilities, including UNO's College of Business Administration, The Peter Kiewit Institute, student dormitories, conference/meeting space, and Baxter Arena (a multi-use arena that houses the UNO Hockey program). 

The area also features a number of businesses including Aksarben Cinema and Dudley's Pizza & Tavern (I am proud to say that both are among my business clientele). 

Maverick Landing features open spaces for students to congregate, meet, study, and learn. There is a coffee bar and snack counter within the facility. 

While I was chatting with my friend Lee Denker -- President and CEO of the UNO Alumni Association -- I learned that the folks who designed Maverick Landing were inspired by Apple Stores when it came to the overall asthetic and vibe for the project. 

That spark is clearly seen in the facility. 

The facility is brightly lit and has casual spaces that encourage engagement. There are also plenty of electrical outlets on hand for power-hungry devices.

According to the university's website, the space will also be used by UNO's Academic and Career Development Center (ACDC) -- for advising and workshops. 

Our visit featured some terrific snacks (Scott Dining provides food services for the facility). We were also able to check out the dorm rooms in the facility -- apartment-style living with a shared kitchen and bathrooms in the 4-room unit. 

I would like to thank Lee Denker and Elizabeth Kraemer for giving alumni the opportunity to see this venue (and for letting us bring our nieces along). 

Maverick Landing is located near the intersection at 67th and Pine St. -- a hub of activity in Aksarben Village. 

The new facility is a welcoming and inviting front door for the University of Nebraska at Omaha...

Well done! 

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