October 2, 2024

Shari Collins joined the MENTOR Nebraska team in the spring of 2021 as a TA Consultant, providing best practices to mentoring organizations. She also delivers training on various mentoring strategies and has presented at the National Mentoring Summit in Washington DC.

She is also a global consultant, trainer and speaker across various industries with a focus in DEI, mentoring, and leadership. She is a certified teacher and has worked in Omaha metro schools and at Northwest Area Education Agency in Iowa. She currently holds her 3rd contract with National Education Association in Washington, DC, where she is teaching DEI courses to educators across the country. Shari also enjoys facilitating workshops across Nebraska for Inclusive Communities. She is serving her 2nd year on the Omaha Chamber’s CODE Planning Team, and she is a Board Member for HRAM, Human Resource Association of the Midlands.

She holds multiple certifications in DEI and Leadership, and she is a Cohort 3 graduate of Inclusive Communities’ Lead Diversity program. Shari earned her bachelor’s degree in English, Communications and Secondary Education from Hastings College and her master’s degree in Secondary Education from University of Nebraska-Omaha. Shari’s favorite saying is, “The more we learn, the better we can be.” So let’s have some fun learning together today!

A former Chief Diversity Officer in Corporate America, Angela Cooper (she/her) has over two decades of business experience leading change. As the founder of Mindpower Strategic, she now serves as a DEI Strategist, thought partner and change architect for forward-thinking business leaders who are invested in people-centered strategies.

Nicole Ebat is the Sr. Manager of Communications and Community Relations at Metro. Her goal is to make sure taking the bus is easy to understand, easy to learn, and easy to access for everyone in the metro, no matter why they ride the bus. She spends a lot of her time helping people figure out not only how public transit can fit within their daily lives, but how it can add sparks of fun and adventure too. She knows the important role transit plays in connecting people to each other and allowing them to grow and shape their community. Nicole grew up using Las Vegas’ public transit system to get around and has since lived and relied on transit in places like Chicago and Portland, OR. She now lives in Omaha without a car, preferring to focus on podcasts over driving. Feel free to say hi when you spot her on the bus!

Jeremy Fricke is the Vice President of Mission Advancement at Tri-Faith Initiative. As a consultant, trainer, and thought leader of religious diversity, equity, and inclusion, he has worked with dozens of organizations and communities to better the everyday lives of people of all religious backgrounds.

Jeremy received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Human Resources from Wayne State College. He then attended the University of Iowa, graduating with his Master of Arts in Religious Studies in 2018, and has trained and developed workshops on a wide variety of topics including racism and religion, religious diversity, and workplace policy with religious diversity in mind.

Alicia Johnson, PhD, is the Director of Civil Rights and Inclusion at the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority of Omaha, otherwise known as Metro. In her role, she oversees the Title VI Program, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, ADA compliance, and internal and external diversity, equity, and inclusion advancements. Prior to joining Metro, Dr. Johnson was at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (UWO) where she was the interim University (Chief) Diversity Officer, Director of the Women’s Center on UWO’s four-year campus, and the Lead Organizer for The Intersection (diversity and inclusion spaces) on UWO’s two two-year campuses. She holds a PhD from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

Dr. Karen Kassebaum, a native of Chicago, earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Psychology and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Higher Education from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kassebaum served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Leadership and Learning. She also served as the Director of Diversity Education and Inclusive Excellence at the University of South Carolina, Columbia where she developed an inaugural Inclusive Excellence Institute for staff and faculty which increased the capacity of the campus community to engage across differences. Kassebaum currently serves as the new Sr. Manager, Diversity & Corporate Social Responsibility at Hudl. She is also the founder of Athlete2Athlete, an organization that provides transitional mentoring and leadership development. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and the Omaha Chapter of The LINKs, Incorporated. She received the 2017 Chancellor’s Fulfilling the Dream Award for contributing to the university or community by promoting the vision of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Ralph Kellogg serves as the Vice President for People and Training at Lutheran Family Services. Mr. Kellogg has an extensive background in human resources and corporate training.

Mr. Kellogg received a B.S. in Business Administration from Creighton University in 1992. He obtained an MBA from Bellevue University in 2002, and an M.S. in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Creighton University in 2009. In 2012 Mr. Kellogg received a B.S. in Human Resources Management from Bellevue University earning cum-lade designation.

Mr. Kellogg holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) as well as the Senior Certified Professional (SCP) designation.

Kellogg works at as keynote speaker and workshop presenter. In 2022, Kellogg was a keynote speaker for McLean and Company on the topic of employee well-being. Kellogg also presented at TEDx Omaha and spoke on the topic of normalizing mental health conversations in the workplace.

Precious, an AuDHD (Autistic/ADHD) adult, is dedicated to providing education and establishing authentic relationships with job seekers and employers. She is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Loud Nerd. Loud Nerd helps neurodivergent individuals navigate the complex job search process, while also assisting employers in building diverse and inclusive teams and workplace cultures that promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). As a Black, autistic woman, Precious has personal experience with the compounded effects of racism, sexism, and ableism and incorporates an intersectional perspective in her work, encouraging other disability advocates, DEI practitioners and employers to do the same.

Susie Owens currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at MENTOR Nebraska where she creates partnerships with nonprofits, corporations, higher education institutions, and donors to expand mentoring opportunities across Nebraska. Susie is a highly skilled nonprofit and education leader with experience building cross-industry partnerships; executing and measuring programs; and developing onboarding, leadership and training programs. She has a background in workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is passionate about making Nebraska a more inclusive and equitable place.

Susie earned a bachelor’s degree in human development and family science and a master’s degree in leadership education from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Susie brings more than 10 years of career and volunteerism experience uplifting the dignity and humanity of first-generation college goers, Black women and girls and young people of all backgrounds. She is a board member for I Be Black Girl (IBBG), voting member of the IBBG Giving Circle and serves on the Omaha Community Foundation’s African American Unity Fund Review Committee. Susie is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the University of Nebraska Alumni of Color Network Advisory Council. She is also a mentor for CODE’s Growing Home program

Sarah Phelps is the Director of Operations and Programs at OutNebraska- a statewide education and advocacy organization that is working to celebrate and empower thriving LGBTQIA+ communities. With degrees in history and international relations and over 20 years of non-profit and corporate experience, Sarah brings a strategic, inclusive, and innovative approach to programming and thought leadership. Sarah is a co-founder of Leaders for Equity, Allyship and Diversity, facilitator for Inclusive Communities, content strategist for multiple entrepreneur and DEI groups, and a member of FlowLAB startup community, and Anti-Racist Leaders Association. She specializes in founding boards and is currently on the boards of MomPower Inc, The Umbrella Alliance, and Rainbow Rest Stop. In her free time, Sarah gardens, moonlights as a jazz and blues singer, and reads voraciously (150+ books per year, 5-9 newspapers per day).