The Beacon - Q4 2021 : simplebooklet.com

Governing Board Executive CommitteeDavid Mayer, ChairDvorak Law Group Mark Pohl, Vice ChairOPPD Steve Koesters, TreasurerFusion Medical Staffing Founding PartnersBob Bates, Emeritus Jefferson Pilot Insurance David BrownGreater Omaha Chamber of Commerce James HegartyBetter Business Bureau Anthony Hendrickson, PhD.Creighton University2022 SIGNATURE EVENTSGet the updated list of events Luke ChristiansenBuildertrend Joel FalkUMB Bank Allen FredricksonSignature Performance Dale GubbelsFirstar Fiber Keith StationCity of Omaha Mayor's Office Joe Woester Blue Cross & BlueShield Nebraska Linda LovgrenEmspace + Lovegren Chad MaresGreater OmahaChamber of Commerce Madeline MoyerSecurity National Bank Christine NeuharthUnion Pacfic Daniel PadillaLending Link Chad RichterJackson LewisMembersIN THISISSUEA NOTE FROM THE TRUSTEE CHAIRLance Fritz, Union Pacfic3ETHICAL OMAHA Valued, Respected, Appreciated & Heard 56ETHICSPACE CONFERENCEConference Recap 11IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS IN ACCOUNTING Frank Hayes, Hayes & Associates915ON THE COVERTRUSTEE SPOTLIGHTAndrea Fredrickson- Revela 14BUSINESS ETHICS PODCASTMic'd Up with Blake Peterson782500 California Ave | Harper Center, Suite 3029Omaha, NE 68178402.280.2235www.businessethicsalliance.orgWHAT IS BUSINESS ETHICS?Why Small Businesses' Should Think About EthicsA NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORMichael Robinson, Business Ethics Alliance

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We’re fortunate to have so many leaders willing to create andshare the wealth that comes from building profitable, ethicalbusinesses. Unanimous Trustee participation is prized byprospective donors, especially foundations, as an acid-test ofinvestor-confidence and grant-worthiness. Thank you in advance for supporting the Alliance and all itdoes for our community. Lance FritzPresident, Chairman, and CEOUnion Pacific RailroadDear Friends:As Chair of the Trustees Group of the Business Ethics Alliance,I invite you to join over 300 fellow Trustees in financiallysupporting the Alliance in 2021. Your contribution enables theAlliance to offer its Signature Programs while innovating toreach new audiences and achieving greater self-sufficiency. Our mission -- building leaders and strengtheningorganizations in elevating ethics education, direction, andrecognition to employers and employees of today andtomorrow – is bolstered by donor support. That supportenables us to enrich individuals of our community throughprograms and services, such as interactive workplace ethicstrainings and workshops. This year, the Alliance has diligently focused on convertingknowledge and experience into marketable products andservices to heighten our impact while generating resources tosupport Greater Omaha programming. We’ve launched threenew workshops: Ethical Manager, Next Level Leadership, andEmotional Intelligence and Communication, along with anengaging podcast. L A N C E F R I T Z"THIS YEAR, THE ALLIANCE HAS DILIGENTLYFOCUSED ON CONVERTING KNOWLEDGE ANDEXPERIENCE INTO MARKETABLE PRODUCTS ANDSERVICES TO HEIGHTEN OUR IMPACT WHILEGENERATING RESOURCES TO SUPPORTGREATER OMAHA PROGRAMMING."PAGE 3

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Business Ethics Alliance Trusteesshall be Ambassadors, Advocatesand Supporters.TRUSTEE CREEDOAs Trustees, we are nominated for our demonstratedexcellence in business ethics leadership. A Trustee’sprimary responsibility is to serve as a beacon forgood business ethics and, through our commitment,we send the message that ethics matter.PAGE 4

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We hope that Business Ethics Alliance programs andservices have benefited your efforts to become abetter leader, and the relationships you haveestablished through your association with the Alliancehave been beneficial to you both personally andprofessionally. Thank you again for the kind of support that enablesOmaha’s ethical roots to continue nurturing our city’sgrowth. Sincerely,Dear Friends of the Alliance: If the past year taught us anything, it’s that the Alliancecontinues to be an important partner with local for-profitand not-for-profit organizations to turn Omaha’sbusiness community into a beacon of ethics. This year was a banner year for ethics education inOmaha, the EthicSpace Conference was offered in-person! Over 80 companies and organizations were in theroom learning how to build higher trust work cultures.Additionally, in 2021, the Alliance and our partners servedover 1,800 people through our community-wide SignatureEvents and over 970 people through our organizationalworkshops. But there are more people to teach. Leaders andemployees alike, across the community, are hungry for abusiness culture rooted in ethics where every employeeis valued, respected, appreciated, and heard. Togetherwe can broaden the Alliance’s reach. We invite you tosupport the mission of the Business Ethics Alliance; tobuild leadership, strengthen organizations, and elevateGreater Omaha through positive, practical businessethics education.. Executive Director/CEO PAGE 6

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BUSINESSETHICSPODCASTWhy did you see the Business Ethics Alliance asthe organization to partner with for thepodcast?Of all the organizations that I have participated in,this one has always been one of myfavorites, and the Alliance were some of the firstpeople to welcome me when I first moved toOmaha. So, I guess it just holds a special place inmy heart.What do you hope The Business Ethics Podcastaccomplishes?I hope this podcast provides individuals access toconversation and knowledge from my gueststhat they otherwise would not have theopportunity to hear. I think the alliance is kind ofcentered around giving everyone a seat at thetable to discuss these topics. No one is excludedand everyone is heard. That is unique, and I hopethis podcast can replicate that.Why were you drawn to the idea of starting apodcast?I began attending Business Ethics Allianceevents in probably the best way possible, byhaving lunch with senior trustees and otheremerging leaders. During these lunches wewould talk about pressing topics that werepertinent to the business community. Then Istarted to realize how these businessconversations translate into the entirecommunity, and I thought it was so cool that Iwas invited to engage in these conversationsand learn from the trustees. We always talkabout ways to make conversations like thesemore available and inclusive, and I thought apodcast would be a good way to accomplishthat. What kind of topics are you interested inhaving conversations about on the podcast?All things regarding business in Omaha and theworld at large, with an emphasis on ethics.Some episodes may be more like an interview,others a conversation, but the last thing I wantto do is put limitations on the knowledge andexpertise that our guests want to share. PAGE 7

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What challenges did your organization face in responseto Covid-19 and what adjustments did you make tominimize the impact on business? There were several challenges, but the two major oneswere adapting to the virtual workplace and assisting ourclients with the negative financial impacts from thepandemic. Fortunately, we were equipped from atechnology standpoint to allow staff to work from homebut our cohesiveness as a team was impacted negatively.To address this, we had virtual “Happy Hours” with staffto dialogue around any issues or concerns they werehaving, we performed internal surveys to gaugesentiment among our staff relating to culture, and wealso found opportunities to engage with each otheraround outdoor gatherings where possible. On the clientside, working virtually was new to most of our clients sothere were some hiccups in meeting certain clientdeadlines due to lengthier turnaround times for thereceipt of information needed to perform our work. We made sure that we communicated effectively with ourclients to ensure that mutual expectations were met.Several of our clients were financially impactednegatively by the pandemic. We assisted them in applyingfor PPP loans to ensure they were able to meet theirobligations. We also provided advice and counsel aroundcash management. The effects of the pandemic wereunprecedented and there were no tried and true answersthat could be relied on so creativity is a must as wenavigate through this unique situation. Q&A WITH FRANK HAYESPAGE 9

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With so much uncertainty existing during the pandemic, how did you work to stabilize yourorganizational culture?We made sure that staff had an option of working from home or working at the office. We had monthly inperson staff meetings that were socially distanced. We provided the latest information on the effects ofthe pandemic and encouraged everyone to socially distance and get vaccinated. On the firm side, we tookadvantage of available financial support vehicles such as the PPP loans and the EIDL loans. We alsoreached out to other firms to take advantage of best practices for dealing with economic uncertainty.We hear a lot of people communicating hope of a return to normal. From a small business perspective,what do you believe your new normal might look like post-pandemic? For us, the major change will be how we transact business. The use of virtual technology has changed theway we work. Outside of that, we will have to ensure that we do not allow the virtual environment to limitcontact with our clients. We must make every effort to communicate regularly and consistently.What can communities do to support small businesses? Omaha is a great place to do business, I think the most important thing for communities to do is to supportbusinesses economically. If you are going to buy, buy from a local business. As we attempt to move beyond the pandemic, what are some ethical issues that you feel smallbusinesses should keep front of mind? At times, it appears that businesses engage in a false choice which puts profits over people. The pandemichas changed things to the extent that every decision you might have to make is a somewhat murky one.Business leaders must discipline themselves to continue to make ethical decisions based on their corevalues. PAGE 10

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Business ethics matter - you know it,and your team knows it. At the annual EthicSpace Conference onNovember 9th over 260 businessprofessionals and leaders came together tomake time and space for business ethicsconversations and learning.This year's EthicSpace Conference was likeno other. Keynote Speaker Kenyon Saloguided us through "The Bucket List Life" -- ahigh-energy address that helped attendeesdiscover how to create new experiences,share more stories, and live a more fulfilledlife. Founding Partners (l -r):PAGE 11

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What is your personal philosophy on ethics? Through my life I have had a personal philosophy thatstems from respect for others and the value of everyone person. As I gain experiences my understanding ofwhat that means and how that is demonstrated hasdeepened. What made you want to get involved with theAlliance? Anytime one can expose themselves to newinformation, ways of thinking, and challenges to habitsof thought, a person grows. Wanting members of ourteam to have those experiences supports not only ourcompany and my personal values, the Alliance is a gemnot many communities have. Our team and communitygain so much by having an organization that focusesspecifically on ethics and the education of such.ANDREA FREDRICKSON What is one of the biggest and/or hardestlessons you had to learn in business? There are many. 1. Working with family isharder that you might think. Learning tonavigate relationships and roles is worthy ofmany tough conversations. 2. Realizing thathow you look at things can be very differentthan how others look at things and still beright. 3. When people get caught between arock and a hard place, they sometimes dothings they would normally never do. Everyonedeserves grace.Who inspires you? People who get up and grind it out every day,regardless of their challenges, to becomebetter versions of themselves and to make adifference in the lives of their family andcommunity.PAGE 14

The Beacon - Q4 2021

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