7th Annual Business, Industry & Innovation Conference

Josie Schafer

Josie Schafer, joined the University of Nebraska at Omaha as the Director of the Center for Public Affairs Research in 2018.
 Schafer joined the Center for Public Affairs Research because of its strong history and positioning as the go-to source for expert data and analysis to inform state and local policy and public and non-profit management in Nebraska. 
Recent projects lead by Schafer include the Entrepreneurship in Nebraska report, data and analysis for the UNO Workforce Development Taskforce, the Nebraska Community Foundation Youth Survey, policy analyses for the Planning Committee of the Nebraska State Legislature and serves as principal investigator of the Nebraska Rural Transit Project for UNO.

K.C. Belitz

K.C. Belitz is currently the Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, being appointed to the position by Governor Jim Pillen in July of 2023.

Prior to joining DED, K.C. served four years as Chief Operating Officer of the Nebraska Community Foundation, working with NCF staff, volunteers, donors and organizational partners to impact the future of Greater Nebraska. 

K.C. lives in Columbus but spends his time at the Lincoln office of DED or traveling to work with Nebraskans across the state. 

Previously, K.C. served as President of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce since 2000.  K.C. is a native of Columbus and graduate of Columbus High School and Northeast Missouri State Univ. (now Truman University).  He and his wife Colleen are the parents of their daughter Emerson, who is a graduate of UNL and now works for an analyst relations firm.

Stacy Watson

Stacy Watson, Tax Shareholder at Lutz, began her career in 1994. A recognized authority on state and local taxation, she has become a key voice in Nebraska’s legislative landscape, serving as tax policy chair for the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and influencing regulations that impact businesses statewide.

Stacy specializes in sales and use tax, legislative review, and international tax, offering strategic guidance to clients across industries. She combines technical expertise with actionable insights to help clients navigate complex tax issues. Stacy is committed to crafting tax policies that benefit both businesses and communities.
 

 

My mission is to maximize others' personal and professional growth and development. As a leader in organizational development, I teach and coach individuals to improve their effectiveness in life and work, and strategically oversee organizational development initiatives university-wide. Strategic, focused, and future-oriented - I am especially strong in developing new and refining current processes and procedures, making diligent and transparent decisions, identifying future trends, and seeing the big picture and small details at the same time. I am a natural introvert who loves to collaborate with others to solve problems - especially when it comes to career and professional development!

Tim Weidman

Tim Weidman is the Director at Frankel Technology Services and  has over 30 years of experience in the technology industry. He has worked as a technology consultant in a wide variety of industries and has extensive expertise in cybersecurity, network infrastructure and technology strategy.

Tim is passionate about leveraging technology to improve the productivity and efficiency of organizations. He and his team work in a large cross section of industries, making technology a productive aspect of each client's business.

Tim's areas of focus include: 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Cybersecurity and defense strategy
• Security reviews and audits 
• Incident response and mitigation 
• Technology assessment and planning
• Backup and disaster recovery
• Network design, implementation, and administration

 

 

Steph Ledbetter

With a passion for transforming workplaces and empowering teams, Steph Ledbetter is a dynamic leader in the realm of Human Resources. With almost 20 years of experience in the HR space, Steph has impacted thousands of people through fostering strong workplace cultures. Having worked across various industries and sizes of organizations, she has a unique perspective on employee engagement, business strategy and people development.

As the founder of Modern HR Collaborative, her unique blend of expertise in people development and business strategy helps organizations cultivate thriving workplaces where employees are motivated, and businesses excel.