Events

Jay Miralles is an Air Force veteran, real estate agent and investor, business coach and consultant, author, speaker, and co-founder of the 50 Mile March Foundation — a movement dedicated to supporting veterans facing mental health challenges and homelessness. What began as a small ruck with just six people has grown into a powerful community-driven mission that has raised significant funds, built meaningful partnerships, and inspired thousands to take action. Through endurance, leadership, and storytelling, Jay challenges others to turn purpose into impact — one step, one mile, and one life at a time.  

Lynn McCormack grew up in Alton, Illinois

After earning a degree in Elementary Education, she taught for two years before moving to Omaha.

She taught 4th, 3rd and 2nd grades for a few years before becoming a Gifted & Talented teacher for 7 OPS elementary schools. That required knowing information about many various topics; sharks, archeology, debate, math, science and the arts.

Lynn works as a sales consultant at her son’s company- Identity Marketing Group

In her free time, Lynn enjoys traveling, reading, playing golf and attending sporting events-especially volleyball at Creighton and College of Saint Mary.

Lynn is going to tell us about the special project the Millard Rotary has been doing this year at Cody Elementary.

Vokal is a familiar voice to advocates of limited government and the free-market system, having served as an Omaha City Councilman from 2001-2009 and as Omaha’s youngest City Council President from 2003-2005. Jim has spent over the last decade developing relationships with elected officials across the state and is the host of the Nebraskanomics podcast.

Jim Vokal is a highly accomplished leader, and adds to his record of public service a solid business and financial background. Jim left his post with Mutual of Omaha Bank as Vice President of Commercial Banking in November of 2012 to join the Platte Institute as Chief Executive Officer. Jim has an extensive background spearheading city revitalization projects with an unwavering commitment to community development through key civic board members positions. Vokal was on the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) Board where he previously served as Chairman. 

Jim, a lifelong Nebraskan, has spent his entire life in Omaha.  Jim graduated from Creighton University in 1992 with a business degree and has been very active in the Omaha community.  In addition to the organizations mentioned previously, Jim is the father of two children, Kate and Will who are both in college, making he and his wife Liz, official empty nesters.

William Carl Brown is an Omaha lawyer who is in his 41st year of law practice. He was born and
raised in Omaha and returned here after attending the University of Iowa for undergrad and law
school. He then practiced primarily in the areas of business, employee benefits, and estate planning
and administration. He served on the board of directors of several client businesses and
civic/charitable organizations. For many years as an adjunct professor, he taught business law to
Executive MBA students. He then spent two years as vice president and trust officer of a local
trust company, eventually returning to private law practice as a sole practitioner. Mr. Brown and
his wife will soon be celebrating 39 years of marriage, which has produced four children and three
grandchildren (so far). He now focuses his law practice on estate planning and administration. In
that pursuit he came across the life story of a Vietnamese refugee who made it to this country. At
the age of 67, Mr. Brown became a first-time author by publishing an account of that refugee’s
extraordinary journey to America.

Prepayment and pre-registration required to attend.

Jessica Lacey, RN, BSN, is a private duty pediatric nurse with 16 years of experience across cardiovascular ICU, in-home nursing, school-based support, and community care. Her work has focused on supporting children and young adults with complex medical and developmental needs, not only in clinical settings, but in everyday life where access, safety, and dignity matter.

Through years of hospital care, home nursing, and school support, Jessica repeatedly witnessed a gap that medical systems do not address. Families could receive excellent clinical care, yet remain isolated once care ended because safe, accessible transportation and community support are limited resources.

Maggie Pop’Nz was founded from this professional insight.

Her background includes care coordination, risk assessment, and individualized support for medically complex individuals. She has served as both caregiver and advocate, supporting adaptive routines and medical needs that allow children to safely participate in school, community activities, and daily life beyond traditional care settings.

Jessica also brings a strong creative perspective to her work, using storytelling and visual design to shape the welcoming, sensory-friendly environment that defines Maggie Pop’Nz. Her approach blends clinical knowledge with imagination, helping create experiences that feel safe, engaging, and inclusive for the children and families served.

Her leadership is grounded in clinical integrity, safety, and dignity. Maggie Pop’Nz is being built as a response to real barriers families face every day, restoring access to moments of connection, participation, and joy that too often remain out of reach.

Dr. Ernie Goss is a prominent regional economist known for making economics clear and relatable to diverse audiences. He directs the Institute for Economic Inquiry and is a professor at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, holding the Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics. He also leads The Goss Institute for Economic Research in Denver, a bipartisan think tank focused on business and economic research and actionable policy recommendations.

In the classroom, Goss uses real-world case studies to connect theory to practice, equipping students with practical insights to interpret, predict, and influence economic outcomes and policy debates. As an economist, he is a nationally recognized expert on the Mid-America economy who explains how regional conditions affect national and global trends—and vice versa. He is a trusted voice for government and business leaders, fellow economists, and the media, and is often at the forefront of regional and national public policy discussions.