Eugene Kowel serves as the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Omaha Field Office. Appointed to the role in October 2020, Mr. Kowel overseas all FBI personnel, operations, and criminal, national security, and cyber investigations across the Nebraska and Iowa
Mr. Kowel joined the FBI as a special agent in 2005 and was assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the New York Field Office, where he led counterterrorism investigations and criminal cases. Mr. Kowel completed deployments to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2009.
He was promoted to supervisory special agent in 2010 in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters and subsequently selected as a Unit Chief.
In 2013, Mr. Kowel was named the supervisor of the Savannah Resident Agency. He oversaw all FBI criminal and counterterrorism investigations and led four task forces in southeast Georgia.
Mr. Kowel was promoted in 2016 as an assistant special agent in charge in the Los Angeles Field Office. He led the violent gang, organized crime, violent crime, and drug trafficking investigative programs in Los Angeles. In 2019 he was selected as the chief of staff and section chief in the Intelligence Branch in Washington, DC.
Mr. Kowel graduated from the University of Virginia and earned his law degree from the New York University School of Law. Mr. Kowel served as an assistant district attorney in New York City before joining the FBI. He currently serves as an adjunct Professor at Creighton University School of Law.
My name is Dumka Edwin Kponee, originally from Ogoni, Rivers State, Nigeria. I am an entrepreneur, environmental advocate, and community-minded individual with a strong passion for service and the well-being of society. For more than five years, my wife and I have owned and operated a commercial cleaning business, where we are committed to providing dependable services while helping businesses maintain clean, healthy, and welcoming environments.
My commitment to community and environmental advocacy is deeply rooted in my experience as a member of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Following the execution of ten Ogoni leaders, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, in 1995 under the military government of Sani Abacha, I fled Nigeria as a student and was resettled in the United States as a refugee in 2000 because of my involvement in speaking out against the environmental pollution, corporate ecocide, state oppression, genocide and economic marginalization of the Ogoni people. As a member of MOSOP-USA, I continue to care deeply about environmental protection, human dignity, and the well-being of communities. These experiences have strengthened my belief that meaningful change begins when people are willing to serve, speak up, and work together.
I am drawn to Rotary because I believe in its mission and vision of service above self. I am passionate about giving back, volunteering, building relationships, and making a positive difference through meaningful contributions. I look forward to learning from fellow Rotarians, serving alongside them, and contributing my experiences, skills, and commitment to causes that strengthen our community.
Meet Joie Mora. Joie is a coffee fiend, comic con attending, bookworm and music nerd! Originally from San Diego, CA her husband’s s job has taken them and their fur babies throughout the Central time zone! Wanting to do more in the world, her friend Benjamin told her about his experience in Rotary in San Diego. That brought her to Suburban Rotary. Welcome aboard!
The next meeting of the Rotary Book Club is Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at Bonefish Grill in Regency. The book selection is "The Coming Wave" (Technology, power, and the 21st Century's Greatest Dilemma) by Mustafa Suleyman.
We have had four people apply for membership in the last two weeks. We are so excited to welcome them to our club. The club is getting busy with fall activities from serving coffee to the homeless, to collecting clothing and much more.
This week's speaker was Justin Solomon, who is running for election as a Nebraska Regent. A graduate of UNL, he served as student body president and a student regent. He talked about the development of his company Integrated Life Choices, a human services company headquartered in Lincoln. He manages the complex financial and operational health of an organization that supports people with disabilities across Nebraska, Colorado, and California.
As a beneficiary of a Nebraska public education he is committed to providing families an affordable education where families can feel that their sons or daughters are getting a great education that prepares them for life and work. He reminded the audience that truste in higher education is only at 38 %. Much of that has to do with tuition costs, programs that are not adaptable and lack of input from all segments of the equation-familes, students, faculty, staff and more.
As a Regent he would treat each dollar as sacred and look to financial solutions outside of the box...not tuition.
October is going to be a special month in District 5650, and I hope one of the highlights will be seeing many of you at Fusion 5650, our District Conference, October 23-24 in Ashland!
Our District Conference is more than an event on the calendar. It’s a chance to reconnect with Rotary friends, meet new ones, share ideas, celebrate what our clubs are accomplishing, and return home energized about what comes next. After spending the past several months visiting clubs throughout our District, I can tell you there is a lot worth celebrating!
As I write this, I’ve completed all but one of my official club visits. What an experience it has been! I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible things happening throughout our District, to hear your stories, meet your members, and learn more about the communities you serve.
And one message has come through loud and clear: Rotary creates impact when we see a need and decide to do something about it.
That fits perfectly with October’s Rotary focus on Economic and Community Development. Across our District, Rotarians are strengthening communities in ways large and small. Sometimes that means a major project. Sometimes it means supporting a local organization, creating opportunities for young people, helping a neighbor, or simply bringing the right people together to solve a problem.
October also brings us one of Rotary’s greatest examples of sustained impact: our commitment to ending polio. World Polio Day is October 24, right in the middle of our District Conference. It’s a wonderful opportunity to remember what Rotarians can accomplish when we commit ourselves to a goal and keep going.
Throughout my club visits, I’ve talked a lot about the difference between change and impact. Change is what we do. Impact is what happens because we did it.
As I near the end of my club visits, I’m even more convinced that District 5650 is filled with Rotarians who are making an impact every single day.
So this October, let’s celebrate that impact. Let’s celebrate our communities, renew our commitment to ending polio, and bring all of that Rotary energy together at Fusion 5650.
Consider visiting another Rotary club for a make-up! Rotary.org has a club finder for locations around the world. Please see the District website at rotarydistrict5650.org for details on local clubs. Visit one of the following Metro-Area Clubs!
Monday: Omaha Millard Rotary, 12:00 pm, German American Society, 3717 South 120th St.
Tuesday: Omaha Morning 7:00 am, First Watch Aksarben, 1222 S. 71st, Ste. B, Omaha. NE 68106
Tuesday: Omaha Night, 5:30 p.m. at La Voltaire, 569 N. 155th Plaza (first and third Tuesdays) Omaha, NE http://www.omaharotarynight.org/
Wednesday: Omaha Downtown, 12:00 pm, Field Club of Omaha, 3615 Woolworth Ave., Omaha, NE 68105
Wednesday: Council Bluffs Centennial: 7:00 am, Hy-Vee Community Room 1745 Madison Avenue
Thursday: Western Douglas County, 12:00 PM Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation 20272 Veterans Drive, Elkhorn, NE 68022
Thursday: Council Bluffs, 12:00 pm, Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, 1001 South 6th Street
Friday: Omaha West, 12:00 pm, Charlie's on the Lake, 4151 S 144th St., Omaha, NE 68137
Email Deb for make-up/attendance credit to omahasuburbanrotary@gmail.com.
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