Honor a Leader in your Life with a Donation to ICAN
Recognize an Impactful Leader at the ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference
In celebration of authentic, inspiring and transformative leadership, for a donation to ICAN of $30 or more you can honor a leader who has made an impact in your life and/or professional career.
2024 Honoree Submission ClosedAt ICAN we believe leaders are anyone that makes a difference – an empowering boss or coworker, favorite educator, trusted health care worker, inspiring community volunteer, dedicated public servant, special family member, or anyone that has motivated you to be your best! We also welcome any who would like to honor someone posthumously. Let’s celebrate authentic leaders who inspire, elevate and transform our lives and communities.
ICAN is now accepting submissions for the 2024 list of Honored Leaders. The list – see below – will be featured at the ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference on May 15, 2024 so our audience of 3,200+ can join you in recognizing their leadership and impact. Upon submission and receipt of your donation, your honoree will receive a special message from ICAN notifying them of your donation in their honor. Thank you for your support and effort to recognize this inspiring individual!
The deadline to submit a leader for inclusion on the 2024 recognition was april 19. It is now closed. Thank you!
Recognition for 2025 honorees will open in late Fall 2024.
2024 Honored Leaders
Kiran Ala – Cloud Infrastructure Engineer Lead, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Jessica Bailey – Provider Relationship Executive III, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Cami Beck-Miller – Quality Coordinator, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Darla Blevins – Community Health Worker, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Leah Bond –Director, Human Resources, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Janelle Bosan – Customer Service Manager, WoodmenLife
– Honored by Joclyn Moore
Amanda Bremer – Provider Reimbursment Administrator, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Janet Brunk – Sr Training & Documentation Specialist, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Stephen Condon – Enterprise Platform Strategy Leader, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Chris Costello – Manager, Client Consulting, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Alex Covalt –HR Data Partner, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Mr. Samuel Crawford – Retired Administrator, Omaha Public Schools
– Honored by Andrea Haynes
Tracy Crowell – Director HRBP & Talent Acquisition, WoodmenLife
– Honored by Marsha Graesser
Michael Curry – Training Specialist, Customer Service, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Kim Diggins – Supervisor, Life Safety, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Lance Dixon – Senior Vice President, Werner Enterprises | Mexico, Canada, and Temp Control Divisions
– Honored by Natalie N. Olsen
Melinda Duffy – Training & Documentation Specialist II, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Catrina Dunbar – Agile Project Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Paul Ferreris – Manager, Health & Business Analytics, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Shari Flowers – General Counsel and VP Compliance, Nebraska Methodist Health System
– Honored by Jen Anderson
Christian Gallardo – IT Compliance Program Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Karah Gardner – Senior Agile Project Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Jo Giles – Executive Director, Women’s Fund of Omaha
– Honored by Women’s Fund Staff
Kathy Gilreath – Partner, Aras
– Honored by Tracy Stuart
Elizabeth Gochenour – Training & Documentation Specialist II, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Dr. Jeffrey Gold – Chancellor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, EVP and Provost, NU System
– Honored by Aileen Warren
Nicholas Gray – Senior Software Engineer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Tanya Helfrich – Sr. Software Engineer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Michael Hemenway – VP CHRO, WoodmenLife
– Honored by Marsha Graesser
Allison Hicks – Training & Documentation Specialist II, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Brandi Hobbs – Manager, Customer Service II, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Darin Hochwender – Senior Software Engineer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Wilbur Jenkins – Executive Vice President & COO, WoodmenLife
– Honored by Marsha Graesser
Pam Kurz – Group Underwriter III, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Robin Leaders – Clinical Pharmacist, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Miranda Mayer – Senior Training & Documentation Specialist, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Maria Mayorga – Supervisor, Group Billing & Stop Loss, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Jessica Maddox – Supervisor, Claims, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Shannon Melton – Chief Operating Officer, Ignite Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Denise McCauley – CEO & President, WoodmenLife
– Honored by Marsha Graesser
Marcie Peterson – Director Clinical Operations, Children’s Nebraska
– Honored by Amber Phipps
Tracie Pettijohn – Supervisor, RFP & Inter-Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Nancy Phipps – Inspiring Community Volunteer
– Honored by Amber Phipps
Paula B. Pittman – Vice President Human Resources, Methodist Health System
– Honored by Stephen L. Goeser
Michelle Pool – Claims Analyst, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Lindsay Ray – Customer Service Representative II, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Rana Schreiber – Chief of Staff, NRC Health
– Honored by Molly Murphy
Joshua Shapland – Sr. Enterprise Architect, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Jennifer Sharpe – Enterprise Product Owner III, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Ashlei Spivey – Executive Director, I Be Black Girl
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Jenni Stoll – Vice President Marketing, Methodist Health System
– Honored by Stephen L. Goeser
Sue Tatby – Senior Agile Project Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Curtis Thompson – Service Engineer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Cody Townsley – Sr. Software Engineer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Aileen Warren – President & CEO, ICAN
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer and Alexandra Warren
Jessica (Jay) Warren-Teamer – Director Diversity and Inclusion, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Thomas Warren, Sr. and Richard J. Webb
Alex Watts – Cloud Security Engineer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Joni Wheeler – EVP Talent and Enterprise Solutions, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Laurie Willburn – Vice President Total Rewards & People Strategies, Children’s Nebraska
– Honored by Amber Phipps
Ada Wilson – VP of People Development and Culture, Nebraska Medicine
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Mardell A. Wilson, EdD, RDN – Provost, Creighton University
– Honored by Natalie N. Olsen
Brandy Wojtkiewicz – Manager, Claims, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Shasta Wragge – Omaha/Lincoln Market President / Plains Region SVP, BMO
– Honored by Aileen Warren
Katrina Wulf – Enrollment Services Specialist, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer
Morgan Young – Senior Marketing Strategist, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by BCBSNE Leadership Team
Past Honorees
2023 Honored Leaders
Jon Aronson* – Former Dean of Men, Benson High School
– Honored by Hal Daub
Karen Authier
– Honored by Shirley Siebler
Karen Baldwin – Founder of The Baldwin Group and Former ICAN Faculty Member
– Honored by Sally Anderson
Holli Bingham – SVP Renewal Management, Genesys Cloud Services, Inc.
– Honored by Leslie Stoltmann
Cathy Burrell – Retired, Southeast Warren Community Schools Teacher for 31 years
– Honored by Julie Lillig, Jodi Clendenen, Kate Rice & John Burrell
Dana Coonce – CHRO, Medical Solutions
– Honored by Liz Hall
Brenda Council – Community Volunteer & Former Elected Official
– Honored by Thomas Warren
Melissa Crawford – SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Physicians Mutual
– Honored by Tim Reed
Art Crukshank* – Former Pastor, Benson Presbyterian Church
– Honored by Hal Daub
Kay Durfey – Council Bluffs Community School District
– Honored by Tabatha Durfey
Kathy English – Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
– Honored by Amber Rose Phipps
John W. Ewing Jr. – Douglas County Treasurer
– Honored by Eric L Ewing
Doug Glass – Retired, Union Pacific Railroad
– Honored by Lorraine Chang
Travis Gutierrez*
– Honored by sister, Stephanie Gutierrez
Susan Henricks – Retired, Former ICAN President & CEO
– Honored by Amy McLaughlin, Natalie Olsen and Tracy Stuart
Cecil Hicks – Director of Talent Development and Culture, Immanuel Communities
– Honored by Lisa Taylor-Jones
U.S. Senator Roman Hruska*
– Honored by Hal Daub
Dr. Cheryl Logan – Superintendent, Omaha Public Schools
– Honored by Aileen Warren
Linda Lovgren – Strategic Counsel, Emspace + Lovgren
– Honored by Ashley Rae Turner
JoAnn Martin* – Retired CEO, Ameritas
– Honored by Brian Hastings
Liz Mazzotta – CAO, Mutual of Omaha
– Honored by Aileen Warren
Pam Mortensen – WoodmenLife
– Honored by Marsha Graesser
Elizebeth Murphy – President, Emspace + Lovgren
– Honored by Lynn Stoller
Sara Olson – UNO
– Honored by BJ Reed
Melissa Page – Office Manager & Paralegal, Gourley Rehkemper & Lindholm PLC
– Honored by Kayla Zevenbergen
James M. Paxson* – Former President, Standard Chemical Manufacturing Company
– Honored by Hal Daub
Deb Schorr – District Director – U.S. Congressman Flood’s Office, Former Lancaster County Commissioner
– Honored by Allison Schorr Zach and Melissa Schorr
Martha Sedky* – Formerly Omaha Public Power District
– Honored by McKell Purnell
David L. Smalley – United States Army Reserve, Brigadier General
– Honored by Amber Rose Phipps
Naydia Smith – Vice President of North America & Division Lead at Everest Insurance
– Honored by Lisa Taylor-Jones
Roy Smith* – Former President of HP Smith Ford, Former Chamber President
– Honored by Hal Daub
Dr. Deborah Smith-Howell – University of Nebraska at Omaha
– Honored by Dr. Juan Casas
United States Federal Judge Lyle Strom*
– Honored by Hal Daub
Lisa Taylor-Jones – Human Resources, Methodist Health System
– Honored by Kiara Taylor, Jasmine Brown & Jourdyn Jones
Gina Urbanski – Director of Operations, ReRuns “R” Fun
– Anonymous Donor
Aileen Warren – President & CEO, ICAN
– Honored by Jay Warren-Teamer, Alexandra Warren, Linda Cunningham, Mary Antanelis and Nicole Mitchell
Jay Warren-Teamer – Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
– Honored by Alexandra Warren
Thomas H. Warren, Sr. – City of Omaha
– Honored by Kathy J. Trotter
Regent Barbara Weitz – University of Nebraska Board of Regents
– Honored by Dr. Joanne Li
Nancy Williams – No More Empty Pots
– Honored by Ashley Rae Turner
Gail Yanney – Burlington Capital
– Honored by Dele and Arike Davies
*This leader is being honored posthumously