The Top 50 Omaha Women Leaders of 2026
Omaha has a quiet superpower: it consistently turns “mid-sized” into “outsized influence.” You see it in freight rail and logistics, in insurance and banking, in healthcare systems that serve the broader region-and in a philanthropic ecosystem that can move faster (and sometimes bigger) than many coastal markets.
What’s especially distinctive about women’s leadership here is how networked it is across sectors. Executives chair civic boards. Nonprofit CEOs sit at economic-development tables. Founders build companies while building talent pipelines. The through-line isn’t just success-it’s civic math: how does my work multiply opportunity for this metro?
Below is an editorial, impact-weighted ranking of 50 of the most influential women leaders in the Greater Omaha-Council Bluffs region (with a deliberate mix across major employers, founders, law, finance, healthcare, education, media, and community institutions) (Roles can change; this reflects publicly available information found in the sources cited.)
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#1 Beth Whited
As the first woman to serve as Union Pacific Railroad president-and a decades-long UP leader across sustainability, strategy, HR, and commercial functions-Whited helped shape how one of Omaha’s most globally consequential headquarters thinks about workforce, resilience, and long-horizon execution. Her transition to strategic advisor status also underscores her role as a civic-level connector in the metro’s transportation-and-trade identity.
#2 Jennifer Hamann
Hamann’s influence is the kind that rarely trends on social media-but it moves real markets: capital allocation, controls, investor confidence, and operational financial discipline at one of Omaha’s largest and most visible companies. She’s also been tapped for regional economic thought-leadership via the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Economic Advisory Council, reinforcing her role as a “translator” between corporate reality and macroeconomic conditions.
#3 Chanda Chacón
Chacón leads one of the region’s most trusted institutions-pediatric healthcare-while also showing up as a civic collaborator (serving with groups like the American Hospital Association and on the Children’s Hospital Association board, and chairing the United Way of the Midlands board per her official bio). Her leadership footprint matters because children’s health systems are also workforce systems: recruiting clinicians, stabilizing families, and building long-run community health capacity.
#4 Josie Abboud
Abboud’s story resonates in Omaha because it’s both personal and systemic: she began her Methodist career as a critical care staff nurse and rose through decades of operational leadership before stepping into the top role in 2026\. That kind of trajectory signals something powerful to the metro’s healthcare workforce-especially women-about advancement, credibility, and leading close to the work.
#5 Susie Buffett
Omaha’s philanthropic gravity is real, and Buffett is one of the city’s most influential “capital allocators for social outcomes.” Public bios describe her as chair of the Sherwood Foundation and note focus areas like public education and alleviating poverty (primarily in Nebraska). Reporting has also described Sherwood as a major engine of local giving-an impact lever that shapes what’s possible across education, human services, and community development.
#6 Carmen Tapio
Tapio is a model of inclusive scaling: building a high-growth company while explicitly tying the business to job creation and life-change in Northeast Omaha. Her company’s own bio emphasizes that mission, and recent coverage notes civic recognition at the highest local level (a proclamation and Key to the City of Omaha). In a metro that wants growth and belonging, that combination is influence.
#7 Dr. Joanne Li
UNO is one of the metro’s biggest “future makers,” feeding Omaha’s talent pipeline and anchoring research, partnerships, and upward mobility. As chancellor, Li sits at the intersection of workforce development, regional competitiveness, and civic leadership-exactly where Omaha’s next decade will be decided.
#8 Margaret Haynes
Haynes leads an Omaha-headquartered home care organization in a moment when aging, caregiving, and healthcare staffing pressures are reshaping every regional economy. Her influence shows up in how the company grows (and how it supports franchise operators and care teams) at a time when “care infrastructure” is becoming economic infrastructure.
#9 Karen Goracke
Running Borsheims means leading a high-visibility brand with Berkshire Hathaway ties and a national customer base-while staying rooted in Omaha’s business identity. Goracke’s influence is both commercial and cultural: a leadership role that touches retail innovation, customer experience, philanthropy, and how Omaha brands show up on the national stage.
#10 Stacy Scholtz
In Omaha, insurance leadership is civic leadership. Scholtz’s appointment to COO formalizes decades of influence inside one of the metro’s flagship employers-spanning corporate operations and major business segments. Operational leaders at this level shape jobs, modernization, and how legacy institutions compete (and retain talent) in a new financial-services era.
#11 Mihaela Kobjerowski
Credit leadership is community-building leadership-because it defines how capital flows to businesses, development, and families. In her senior role at FNBO, Kobjerowski sits at the center of risk judgment and growth decisions that ripple across the region’s economy.
#12 Donna Kush
Community foundations are the metro’s long-game institutions: they aggregate donor intent, invest locally, and help translate wealth into durable community capacity. Kush leads that engine for Omaha-supporting the connective tissue between donors, nonprofits, and the region’s evolving needs.
#13 Brenda Mainwaring
As CEO of one of the region’s most significant philanthropic institutions based in Council Bluffs, Mainwaring influences quality-of-life outcomes that affect the full bi-state metro. Her role matters because regional competitiveness is bi-directional: housing, placemaking, arts, and neighborhood investment on one side of the river changes opportunity on the other.
#14 Shawna Forsberg
Forsberg’s influence is built on coordination: aligning funders, nonprofits, employers, and volunteer capacity around real-time community needs. Her official bio emphasizes responsibility for mission accountability and organizational relevance-exactly what’s required in a fast-shifting landscape of workforce, housing, and family stability.
#15 Amanda Brewer
Brewer leads one of the nation’s largest Habitat affiliates and brings credibility forged through longevity-rising from volunteer roots into executive leadership. In a metro where affordability is increasingly a defining issue, her influence shows up in both the outcomes Habitat delivers and the partnerships it mobilizes across business and government.
#16 Joan Squires
Omaha’s talent economy depends on more than jobs-it depends on whether people want to live here. Arts and venue leadership is therefore economic strategy, and Omaha Performing Arts is one of the metro’s most visible cultural anchors. Squires’ influence is in building civic pride, tourism pull, and a downtown ecosystem that supports restaurants, hotels, and events.
#17 Elisa Davies
HDR is an Omaha-based global engineering and design powerhouse-and Davies’ role sits where strategy, risk, people, and culture collide. Profiles of her leadership emphasize her path into HDR’s executive ranks and the human-centered style she brings to high-stakes decision-making in a global firm rooted in the metro.
#18 Kerri Sanchez
Sanchez represents a modern form of influence: issue-area leadership with real resource allocation behind it. Public listings place her in an urban-initiatives role at Sherwood Foundation, and she also appears in leadership/board contexts locally-signals of trust and networked impact in Omaha’s community investment landscape.
#19 Jen Chaney
Chaney’s influence is growth-facing: helping scale an Omaha-headquartered care company through franchising while shaping how local leaders nationwide build teams and serve families. In sectors like home care, growth leadership is also workforce leadership-and the metro benefits when HQ talent drives national expansion.
#20 Mandy Whiddon
Whiddon influences the metro’s legal and civic pipeline by shaping how future attorneys are trained, mentored, and connected to community needs. Her biography notes a background in hands-on practice and advocacy-focused work-exactly the kind of experience that can deepen a law school’s real-world impact in a city where business, healthcare, and public leadership constantly intersect.
#21 Nancy Crawford
As general counsel at Mutual of Omaha, Nancy Crawford provides steady, strategic guidance that helps a major hometown insurer navigate regulation, governance, and complex business decisions with confidence. Her leadership protects trust while enabling innovation and growth, strengthening one of Omaha’s most influential corporate anchors.
#22 Kimberly S. Weiss
Kimberly Weiss advances First National Bank of Omaha’s partnership work by connecting the bank’s resources with community and business needs in a way that creates shared value. Her relationship-driven leadership helps strengthen access to capital and support initiatives that keep the region competitive.
#23 Maureen Larsen
Maureen Larsen helps translate Nebraska’s economic development priorities into practical programs that attract new investment and support the expansion of existing employers. Her work strengthens the conditions for job creation by aligning incentives, site development, and workforce needs with long-term regional strategy.
#24 Allison Smith
Allison Smith has built public trust through consistent, high-visibility journalism that informs the community and elevates the stories shaping Omaha’s economy and civic life. By connecting audiences to timely reporting and local issues, she strengthens the information ecosystem businesses and residents rely on to make decisions.
#25 Kim Rowell
Kim Rowell drives connectivity and digital access through her leadership at Cox Communications, helping businesses and households benefit from reliable modern infrastructure. Her focus on community partnership and customer outcomes supports economic growth by keeping the region competitive in a digital-first world.
#26 Denise McCauley
Denise McCauley helps guide WoodmenLife’s member-focused mission by pairing operational discipline with a clear commitment to long-term financial strength. Her leadership supports the stability and innovation that make financial services organizations dependable pillars in the communities they serve.
#27 Joanne Sebby
Joanne Sebby contributes to Omaha’s fintech momentum through leadership in the payments ecosystem, helping organizations modernize how they process transactions and serve customers. Her work supports growth by emphasizing reliability, security, and scalable solutions in a fast-changing digital economy.
#28 Wendy Wiseman
Wendy Wiseman builds Omaha’s entrepreneurship fabric by convening founders, mentors, and resources that help ideas turn into durable companies. Her community-first leadership strengthens collaboration and visibility for local innovators, expanding the region’s capacity to create jobs and new markets.
#29 Dr. Cheryl Logan
Cheryl Logan led one of the region’s most important institutions by guiding Omaha Public Schools through complex operational and educational priorities. Her leadership strengthened the connection between schools and the community’s workforce needs, helping more students move toward successful futures.
#30 Adriana Cisneros Basulto
Adriana Cisneros Basulto represents the energy of Omaha’s startup scene, helping Maxwell build products and teams that can compete beyond the region. Her leadership demonstrates how local innovation can scale, inspiring more founders and talent to build in Omaha.
#31 Raeanna Thiele
Raeanna Thiele leads with technical credibility and business discipline in the geotechnical services space, where quality and safety directly influence the success of major projects. By delivering reliable engineering support and building trusted client relationships, she strengthens the region’s ability to grow responsibly.
#32 Hannah Bolte
Hannah Bolte helps advance manufacturing excellence at Lozier Corporation, supporting the operational performance that keeps a major employer competitive. Her leadership contributes to quality jobs and dependable production, reinforcing Omaha’s reputation for strong industrial execution.
#33 Leanne Prewitt
Leanne Prewitt helps shape how organizations grow and communicate through strategic marketing leadership at Ervin and Smith. By translating brand insight into clear campaigns and measurable results, she elevates clients while strengthening Omaha’s creative and business services economy.
#34 Candice Price
Candice Price stands out as an entrepreneur modernizing auto retail with a customer-first approach and strong local relationships. Her leadership at Home Team Auto demonstrates how service, trust, and operational excellence can build a thriving business and a positive community presence.
#35 Jodie McGill
Jodie McGill combines legal expertise with entrepreneurship, building a practice that helps clients make confident decisions in high-stakes personal and business moments. Her steady advocacy and ownership mindset contribute to Omaha’s professional services strength and to a culture of trusted local leadership.
#36 Candi Jones
Candi Jones expands opportunity by leading programs that equip girls with the confidence, skills, and experiences that shape future leaders and professionals. Her work at Girls, Inc. of Omaha strengthens the region’s talent pipeline by investing early in education, mentorship, and workforce readiness.
#37 Tobi Mathouser
Tobi Mathouser advances workforce development through Goodwill’s mission, creating pathways to employment and upward mobility for people facing barriers. Her leadership turns community investment into measurable outcomes, strengthening both families and the local labor market.
#38 Carol Wang
Carol Wang strengthens the healthcare community through leadership that fosters collaboration, professional support, and informed engagement across the Metro Omaha Medical Society. By elevating dialogue and coordination in a critical sector, she contributes to a healthier region and a more resilient healthcare ecosystem.
#39 Wendy Boyer
Wendy Boyer helps translate philanthropy into lasting community outcomes through the Peter Kiewit Foundation’s strategic investments. Her leadership supports the education and quality-of-life initiatives that make Omaha a stronger place to work, build, and stay.
#40 Collette Lozier
Collette Lozier advances community impact through the Lozier Foundation, helping direct resources toward programs that expand opportunity and strengthen families. By connecting philanthropic strategy with local needs, she amplifies the positive influence of one of the region’s most important civic-minded organizations.
#41 Aileen Warren
Aileen Warren has helped elevate women’s leadership in Omaha by growing ICAN’s programs that develop executives, strengthen networks, and build confidence in emerging leaders. Her work multiplies impact by ensuring more women are prepared to lead teams, organizations, and community initiatives at the highest levels.
#42 Heather Smith
Heather Smith strengthens Omaha’s workforce pipeline through higher education leadership that emphasizes student success, career readiness, and community partnership. By aligning programs with real employer needs and expanding access to opportunity, she helps the region grow its next generation of professionals.
#43 Sherrye Hutcherson
Sherrye Hutcherson contributes to regional talent growth through higher education leadership that supports adult learners and career advancement at scale. Her focus on accessible, relevant education helps employers find prepared talent while creating new pathways for individuals to thrive.
#44 Dr. Vickie Murillo
Vickie Murillo drives meaningful impact in education leadership by focusing on student outcomes and the systems that help educators and families succeed. Her work strengthens the broader metro economy by preparing more young people for college, careers, and long-term contribution.
#45 Megan K. Mulder
Megan Mulder brings disciplined financial stewardship to a complex professional services environment, ensuring sound planning and strong operational support. Her leadership helps the firm invest wisely, serve clients efficiently, and maintain the stability that underpins long-term success.
#46 Karen L. Smith
Karen Smith provides the operational leadership that enables high-performing legal teams to deliver consistently excellent client service. By strengthening systems, culture, and strategic management, she helps position the firm and the professionals within it for sustainable growth.
#47 Ashley Kuhn
Ashley Kuhn helps organizations navigate high-stakes moments with clear, strategic communications and public affairs counsel that builds credibility. Her work shapes narratives, aligns stakeholders, and supports informed decision-making across the business and civic landscape.
#48 Jean Stothert
Jean Stothert’s long tenure as mayor reflects sustained influence over the policies and projects that shape Omaha’s growth, infrastructure, and business climate. Her leadership helped maintain momentum through complex challenges, reinforcing the stability and confidence investors and residents value.
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