Greater Omaha Chamber CEO quits job in less than a year
This story was originally published in the Nebraska Examiner.
OMAHA. Less than a year after starting work, Veta Jeffery abruptly leaves the top spot in the Omaha Grand Chamber.
A press release issued on Wednesday gave no reason and said the search for a new permanent chamber director general had begun. While the search committee will move quickly, it will likely take several months, said Carmen Tapio, chairman of the board of the chamber, who is also president and CEO of North End Teleservices.
Veta Jeffery served as President and CEO of the Omaha Grand Chamber for less than a year. (Courtesy of the Greater Omaha Chamber)
Tim Burke has been named interim CEO effective immediately. Burke served as CEO of the Omaha State Authority District from 2015 until his retirement in 2021. In 2020, he was chairman of the Omaha Grand Chamber.
“I am delighted to be able to assist the Chamber and the business community during this transition,” Burke said in a statement. “The work of the Chamber has always been important, and now more than ever it is important to gain momentum and continue to make progress.”
Just last April, it was announced that Geoffrey would replace longtime House President David Brown, who retired after 20 years on the job. She started work in May.
Jeffrey, formerly Director of Diversity for Missouri’s St. Louis County, came to Omaha highly acclaimed by local business and government.
Prior to her position in St. Louis, Jeffrey was in charge of public and economic development services for the state of Missouri, to which she was appointed by the then governor. Jay Nixon. She brought together the public and private sectors and helped rebuild the business community in and around the city of Ferguson after protests and the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by police officers.
When applying for a job in Omaha, she said, “Omaha is a beautiful, well-established place that offers business owners the opportunity to thrive. I’m thrilled to lead this business community and be responsible for workforce development, and I’m just as thrilled to call Omaha my new home.”
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