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Welcome to Suburban Rotary of Omaha!

Celebrating 56 years of Fun and Service

We meet In Person

Thursdays at 12:00 p.m.

Legends Patio & Grill

6920 Pacific St
Suite 100
Omaha, NE 68106
United States of America

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Rotarian of the Year

Jennifer Jirak-Brungardt has been named Rotarian of the Year by the Suburban Rotary Club of Omaha, the highest annual honor that can be bestowed on a club member.

Jennifer grew up in Kansas and attended Kansas University. She was an exchange student in Costa Rica. During that time, she learned to speak Spanish and love travel. She is the Owner of Cruise Planners, a travel franchise offering all kinds of travel experiences. She has been married to Lee for 30 years, has two adult children and two cats. Hobbies include Rotary activities, flowering gardening, and, of course, lots of travel.

She has been in Rotary since March of 2009. She has been active in many activities and serves as the 25-26 incoming chair of the Membership Committee. In 2025 she began an exciting Rotarian recruitment campaign called the 12-Month Gift of Rotary. According to Mary Bernier, Chair of the 4-Way Test Committee, “Her excitement and enthusiasm for Rotary have led to more than 20 applications and more are coming. She was a natural choice.”

6th Annual Car Show Success

Our 6th Annual Suburban Rotary Car Show was a tremendous success! With perfect 75-degree weather and an incredible turnout, the event brought together car enthusiasts, families, and community supporters for a day full of fun, food, and fantastic vehicles.

By the numbers:

🚗 152 Cars Registered
🙌 38 Volunteers
🏆 33 Trophies Awarded
🤝 22 Official Sponsors
🧑‍⚖️ 11 Car Judges
🌮 3 Food Trucks
🏁 1 ASCS Sprint Car Midwest Region Champion – Jack Dover

The parking lot was packed, the energy was high, and Boomer Radio kept things lively with a live broadcast from the show. It was truly a family-friendly celebration of community spirit and automotive passion. All proceeds from the event support the Suburban Rotary Foundation, helping to fund youth programs in our local area. Here is a slide show with some great pictures of the event.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, participants, and everyone who joined us—your support made this event unforgettable! A special thank you to: Woodhouse Auto Family, Baxter Auto Group, Edwards Auto Group, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, and Sonic.

Machaela Cavanaugh, NE State Senator

Machaela Cavanaugh will be our speaker June 19 and her talk is entitled "Reflections on My Years as a State Representative."

Senator Machaela Cavanaugh represents Legislative District 6, Omaha, in the Nebraska Legislature, where she serves on the Appropriations and the Performance Audit Committee. Notably, she made history in 2019 as the first lawmaker to breastfeed her newborn on the floor of the Nebraska Unicameral. Her policy agenda prioritizes funding and services for developmentally disabled individuals, support for human rights including LGBTQ and women’s reproductive rights, childcare and child welfare enhancements, and family leave policies. Senator Cavanaugh led efforts to investigate and end the privatization of child welfare in Eastern Nebraska and continues to advocate for improvements in this area.

In 2023, Senator Cavanaugh supported the LGBTQ+ community with an 80-day filibuster in opposition to Legislative Bill 574 prohibiting gender-affirming care for trans youth. The filibuster’s aim was to slow down and stop LB 574, a bill prohibiting gender affirming care for trans youth.

With nearly 20 years of experience in community engagement and public affairs, Senator Cavanaugh has served in various roles including at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Opera Omaha, and the American Province of the Servants of Mary. Her interest in policy was sparked during her time as a Staff Assistant for U.S. Senator Ben Nelson in Washington D.C.

Senator Cavanaugh holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of St. Thomas and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is actively involved in organizations such as the Don’t Legislate Hate PAC, Women Who Run, Inclusive Communities, and the Preschool Advisory Committee at Morning Star Preschool.

Senator Cavanaugh resides in the Peony Park Neighborhood with her husband Nick Brotzel and their children, Della, Harriet, and Barrett. She is the daughter of former U.S. Congressman John Cavanaugh and is dedicated to serving her constituents and advancing progressive policies.

Omahan of the Year: John Knicely

John Knicely has been named the 2025 Omahan of the Year by the Suburban Rotary Club of Omaha. Knicely has been a mainstay on Omaha television networks for many years as a sportscaster and news anchor on WOWT and KETV. He has become a favorite of the Omaha community through his news features of “John at Work” and “Knicley Done, “giving viewers unique behind-the-scenes perspective through reporter-involved segments.

John served as Sportscaster for WOWT from 1974 to 1981, at which time he moved to St. Louis in the same capacity for KTVI, the ABC affiliate. He returned to Omaha and KETV in May 1984, and made the move back to WOWT in May 1992, this time as anchor of the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.

His community spirit is always on display, and he emcees many charity events throughout the year. He has received numerous awards, including the Journalism Alumni Award of Excellence from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a graduate of that university’s School of Broadcast Journalism.

He and his wife Sue have raised five children and have six grandchildren. He was born in Sidney, Nebraska.

According to Mary Bernier Chairman of the Four- Way Test Committee of the Suburban Rotary Club of Omaha, John was chosen by the 4-Way Test Committee because of his commitment to the Omaha Community. Through his fair and honest reporting, including his news segment “Knicely Done,” he has inspired our community to be and do better.

Millard Shopping Trip

Celebrating the end of the year, Rotarians took ESL students shopping at Target. A great time was had by all. See the photos.

Crestridge Bounce Houses

Volunteers from the Club helped with the annual end-of-the-year celebration at Crestridge Elementary that included bounce houses. The windy weather brought the activities inside but everyone got into the act--even some Rotarians. Enjoy this slide show.

Dan Lupardus: Millard Volunteer of the Year

Rotarian Dan Lupardus received the 2025 Excellence in Education Awards for a Volunteer. The Award is sponsored by the MPS Foundation and honoring Millard's top volunteers. Dan heads our work with the Adopt-A-School Program with the school system that includes the high schools and Andersen Elementary. Some of the activities include conversation tables with ESL students, shopping trips to Target at Christmas time, going to the zoo, multicultural events, stocking dens at the schools with supplies, recognizing teachers and more.

Gift of Rotary Campaign

The Membership Committee kicked off the 2025 Gift of Rotary Campaign in mid-January. This will run in conjunction with our Steak and Beans teams contest which finishes up this year. Each club member will be contacted individually and asked to sign a pledge to bring in one new member in 2025. Already this effort has met with great success. See this slide show with pictures of some of our new members.

This campaign is going to center around fun, excitement and what a Gift Rotary has been in all our lives. Join us in growing the club!

Rotarians Serve Lunch at North Corps.

Several Suburban Rotary Club members served lunch to the community at the Salvation Army's North Corps. facility. The Club is in partnership with the facility for volunteer community support.

Rotary Yearling: A Program that Works

When people talk about yearlings the conversation is usually about a young deer that is between one and two years old and has outgrown the fawn stage but is not yet fully grown. At the Suburban Rotary Club of Omaha, that term has a different meaning. Coined by Saul Cutler, a long-time Rotarian, a yearling is a proposed club member that must go through a program to orient them to the club. The onboarding process has proven to be highly successful.

The Yearling Committee is currently chaired by Past District President Roxy Orr. The extensive orientation program is designed to make new members feel part of the club, understand the operations principles and mission pillars of Rotary, get a sense of the history and enhance their participation in the work of the group.

Requirements for yearling participation include:

Attending six yearling meetings in the first year they are members
Signing up to greet
Giving an invocation
Giving a vocational talk to the club
Participating in two service projects
Joining a committee
Participating in the writing of a grant

These requirements are intended to be completed in one-year.

Zach Ziler

It's an honor to serve as President of Omaha Suburban Rotary. I feel privileged to embark on a remarkable journey of service and fellowship together for our 2023-2024 Rotary year.

Rotary is not just an organization; it is a vibrant community of individuals who are united by a common passion for making a positive impact in the world. Our club is a testament to the power of collaboration and the belief that we can bring about meaningful change in our communities and beyond by working together.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the dedicated Rotarians who have paved the way for the incredible work we continue to do today. Their unwavering commitment and selflessness have set an inspiring example for us all.

As Rotarians, we are part of a global network of neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, our communities, and ourselves.

I invite you to learn more about what we do by visiting us at Legends Patio & Grill on Thursdays from 12 pm to 1 pm.

Zach Ziler

President, 2024-2025