Executive Director One Year Anniversary Statement

One Year. Building the Foundation.

One year ago today, I was given the incredible opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the Omaha Inland Port Authority.
Coming home to Nebraska has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career.
When I accepted this role, I knew we weren't simply launching a new organization. We were being asked to build trust, create partnerships, establish credibility, and lay the foundation for something that had never existed before in our state.
That work was never meant to be accomplished by one person.
It has always belonged to the community.
I want to thank Mayor John Ewing, Senator Terrell McKinney, Senator Ashlei Spivey, Councilwoman LaVonya Goodwin, our Board of Commissioners, our Community Advisory Committee, our exceptional staff: Jen, Myah, James, Ms. Yo., and Manne, our partners at the Omaha Economic Development Corporation, the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, state leaders, neighborhood organizations, businesses, and the countless residents who believed enough in this vision to help make it real.
Many people ask what an Inland Port Authority actually does.
The answer is simple.
We connect people, projects, capital, transportation, partnerships, and opportunity.
We are the connector.
We are the convener.
We are the organization that helps move ambitious ideas into implementation.

Looking Back: Our First Year

In just one year, together we have:

• Built the operational foundation of the Omaha Inland Port Authority with an outstanding professional team.
• Launched the OIPA brand, website, and communications platform to better connect with residents and stakeholders.
• Advanced the Airport Business Park initiative through strategic coordination with Omaha Economic Development Corporation, helping position the project for its first announced tenant and future job creation. 
• Initiated the vision for Nebraska's first Innovation District through community engagement, property acquisition strategy, planning, and public unveiling.
• Created new tools for community investment, including the Housing Development Fund and Impact Fund initiatives designed to expand access to housing and economic opportunity.
• Began developing conduit bonding policies that will provide another economic development tool for our community.
• Strengthened relationships with local, state, and national partners while positioning Omaha within the growing inland port and logistics network.
• Established new conversations around multimodal transportation, freight, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood investment.

These accomplishments are only the beginning.
Because our work has never been measured by ribbon cuttings.
It is measured by the opportunities we create for others.

Looking Forward

The next chapter is even more exciting.
We see tremendous opportunities to partner with institutions like the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Architecture, Metropolitan Community College, industry leaders, organized labor, entrepreneurs, developers, manufacturers, neighborhood organizations, and philanthropic partners.
Together, we can build a nationally recognized Innovation District centered around constuction innovation, advanced manufacturing, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and research.
One of the ideas that best represents that future is the Creative Construction Campus.
A place where companies like Alquist 3D can demonstrate next-generation 3D-printed housing.
A place where Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) construction can be researched and advanced.
A place where students, architects, engineers, builders, entrepreneurs, and innovators work together to solve real housing challenges while preparing the next generation of skilled workers.
A place where ideas become businesses.
Where businesses become jobs.
And where jobs become generational wealth.

Why This Matters

When people hear the word innovation, they often think of Silicon Valley.
I think of North Omaha.
Innovation has always lived here.
George T. Washington.
Mildred D. Brown.
Cathy Hughes
Preston Love.
Anna Mae Winburn.
Malcolm X.
Innovation isn't something we are bringing to North Omaha.
Innovation is something we are helping create the conditions to grow once again.
Our responsibility is not to tell the community what it needs.
Our responsibility is to listen.
And over the past year, the community has been clear.
They want innovation.
They want ownership.
They want art.
They want culture.
They want entrepreneurship.
They want housing without displacement.
They want good-paying jobs.
They want economic liberation.
That is why we come to work every day.
One year in, I am more optimistic than ever.
Not because the work is finished.
Because the foundation has been built.
And now, together, we build the future.
History reminds us that the time to do what is right...
The time for justice...
The time for innovation...
The time for action...
is always...
always...
right now.
Real Change. Real Investment. Right Now.

Respectfully submitted,

Garry Clark
Executive Director
Omaha Inland Port Authority