Omaha Hosts 42nd Annual NUSA Conference:
Building the Future

On May 24-27, 2017, Omaha hosted the 42^nd Annual Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) Conference, which was held at the Omaha Hilton Hotel and CenturyLink near downtown.

NUSA is a national organization committed to building and strengthening neighborhoods throughout the United States. Its yearly conference attracts national and international community leaders who share ideas and experiences with the goal of building stronger and more vibrant neighborhoods.

NUSA is an organization that provides guidance, encouragement, and educational tools to help community advocates and civic leaders organize neighborhood groups and effectively bring them into local decision-making processes.

Omaha Field Office Director Earl Redrick addresses a packed
ballroom at the Mayor's Reception.

This year's conference in Omaha garnered 870 participants with dozens of local, national and global workshops; awards for exceptional neighborhood betterment programs; local and national exhibitors; and a mayor's reception. The event included two national heavyweights in the community/public space sector as keynote speakers-Fred Kent of Project for Public Space and Joseph Poncelli of Nextdoor.

The conference also entailed more than 20 local tours across the Omaha (NE)/Council Bluffs (IA) region, focusing on the regions rich history, unique designs, and revitalization of neighborhoods. The Omaha Field Office participated as a vendor at the conference with the Denver Homeownership Center (HOC) supporting the efforts.

At her welcoming reception Mayor Jean Stothert commented, "Strong neighborhoods build a strong city...One of the things that makes Omaha so unique is our network of neighborhood associations and alliances working throughout the city. The NUSA Conference will give our citizen leaders the opportunity to share best practices and learn from each other. It is a great honor to be selected as the host city."

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