The Omaha Community Foundation recently added three members to its Board of Directors: Jimmy Nolan, Kari O’Neill Potts, and Bob Schlott.
The three new members are leaders in their industry and bring strong, modern business perspectives to the Board, along with great knowledge of local philanthropy and nonprofit causes across Omaha, according to new Board Chair Brandon Hamm.
Mike Cassling, CEO at CQuence Health Group and CEO at Cassling, ended his term as Chair of the OCF Board of Directors. Cassling’s 12 years of service on the board included three years as chair.
Gary Gates, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), and Ia Hagan, financial advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors, ended their terms on the OCF Board as well.
Meet the new Board Members
Jimmy Nolan is Vice President and Controller at Kiewit Corporation with responsibilities for the Company’s financial statements and external reporting, stock valuation, capital assets, and special projects functions. He participates on the board of the Omaha Children’s Museum, serving as finance committee chair. He also serves as a post-secondary education mentor for Teammates.
Nolan lives in Elkhorn with his wife, Kim, and three daughters, Harper, Hadley, and Hazel. In his free time, he enjoys golf, travel, and socializing with friends.
Nolan was born and raised in Kansas City and graduated from Baker University (KS) with degrees in both accounting and finance, and a minor in economics. He began his career in public accounting at KPMG in 2005 and is a certified public accountant.
Kari O’Neill Potts is a senior business executive and former deputy general counsel recognized for her expertise in global commercial markets, industrial equipment manufacturing and sales, and ESG standards. She is the Vice President & General Manager of North America Irrigation and Tubing at Valmont, a global leader in industrial technology and infrastructure and agricultural equipment.
Earlier, O’Neill Potts led Valmont’s legal and compliance functions for Global Infrastructure and served as legal advisor to its president. It was her leadership of the Transformation Team that combined Valmont’s main divisions into the overarching Infrastructure Segment driving efficiency and removing redundancy. She has managed M&A, joint venture, and divestiture transactions across Valmont’s domestic and international footprint.
As the organization’s first Chair of Inclusion & Diversity, O’Neill Potts shaped an inclusive culture and advanced diversity within the global workforce. In advocating a robust approach to Inclusion & Diversity and ESG, she advised the CEO and reported to the Board of Directors regarding the direct link between I&D initiatives and achieving corporate strategies. She also founded Valmont’s Employee Resource Groups Cross-Council that grew to 7 groups, embedding a stronger inclusive culture across the workforce. She co-founded the Women’s Leadership Council focused on strengthening professional career opportunities and business acumen skills for women throughout Valmont.
Earlier in her career, O’Neill Potts was a Douglas County Assistant Public Defender and concurrently served as an adjunct professor of business law in the MBA program at the University of Nebraska. She is the Board Vice President and Finance Chair for the Omaha Public Schools Foundation and Board President of Mentor Nebraska.
Bob Schlott was the CEO and owner of Warren Distribution, a leading manufacturer and marketer of lubricants and aftermarket automotive products, located in downtown Omaha.
He is a lifelong resident of Southwest Iowa and attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. Bob earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from Harvard University.
He has served on many boards including Kaneko, Heartland Family Service, Historic Dodge House, and Children’s Square/Christian Home. Bob has three grown children, a toddler, and shares his life with his wife and partner, Polina Schlott.