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Please welcome our newest members:  Lisa Ellis brings nearly 25 years of communications experience to the Emspace+Lovgren public relations team. Her background in radio, television, politics and employee communications provides a comprehensive ability to help clients maximize their potential for growth and impact in the communities they serve.
Lisa has earned a reputation for developing communications plans and messaging for clients to meet and exceed their business goals. She is a proven relationship builder and thrives on daily interactions across all levels of an organization.
Lisa leads the Media Relations team at Emspace + Lovgren, where she collaborates with clients to create and execute robust and comprehensive strategic communications strategies, along with pitching and writing stories and press releases that engage the media and public. She has extensive experience in leveraging existing media relationships and cultivating new contacts within the community. In June 2020, Emspace + Lovgren was named Agency of the Year by the American Marketing Association in Omaha, Neb.
She played a critical role in helping FCC Environmental win the city of Omaha’s largest waste management contract in the city’s 165-year history. She also leads public relations and assists with public outreach for Clean Solutions for Omaha, the City’s multi-million dollar, 30-year sewer separation project.
As an IAP2 Public Participation Professional, Lisa is trained to expertly manage community engagement and public participation in a respectful, positive and effective way that creates the best possible outcomes for all involved.
Prior to Emspace + Lovgren, Lisa worked in television and radio for 13 years, was Communications Director for Congressman Lee Terry and also has experience in financial planning and corporate communications.
 Michelle W. Trawick, Ph.D., the new John Becker Dean of the University of Nebraska Omaha’s (UNO) College of Business Administration and Professor of Economics, has won numerous awards for teaching, research, and student advising during her nearly 25 years in higher education. She has spent more than a decade immersed in higher education administration advancing the success of students, faculty, and staff.
Before joining UNO in February 2020, Michelle spent nearly 20 years at Western Kentucky University (WKU), just miles from the farm on which she was raised. A first-generation college student herself, she is keenly aware of the critical role education plays in advancing our personal and community goals. At WKU, she worked her way through the ranks, starting as an assistant professor and then moving into administrative roles as Chair of the Economics Department, Associate Dean for Faculty and Administration in the Gordon Ford College of Business, and WKU Associate Provost for Faculty and Academic Excellence.
Michelle completed her B.A. in Economics at Western Kentucky University and then earned both her Ph.D. and Master of Economics from North Carolina State University. She and her husband, Mark, have a nineteen-year-old son, Nathan, a freshman at the University of Kentucky. Both Michelle and Mark are excited to be in the Omaha community and can’t wait to explore the city more when the pandemic ends.  Chris Tooker
I was raised in Aurora, Colorado, where I attended Regis Jesuit High School. Scholarships & good fortune brought me to Creighton University in Omaha, where I led two teams to the national level of competition as President of the Mock Trial program, managed a $4 million portion of Creighton's endowment, & had the privilege of mentoring 60 younger students as a resident adviser. After graduating summa cum laude with degrees in financial analysis & economics, I worked in Corporate Audit at Union Pacific before joining Merrill Lynch (ML) in 2014. After completing the rigorous ML advisor development program & obtaining my CFP® & CIMA® designations, I joined Northwestern Mutual and earned my CPWA® designation to offer more resources and serve my clients even better than before.
FOR FUN
Outside the office, I enjoy meeting new people & sharing our life experiences. You will likely find me at a charity fundraiser, volunteering, or exploring a new happy hour spot. Additionally, my family competes in quarter-mile drag races and loves cars. We also participate in car shows, social events, & rallyes. If you have a passion for cars or a particular nonprofit, I'd love to connect with you to learn more about what drives you.
 Mitch Hunt is the owner of Huntrex and a business and Midwest advocate. Huntrex serves
communities, organizations, and companies with professional marketing communications, with
a focus on its signature website design and management solution. A Huntrex website powers
business with responsive designs built by real people and accessible technology. Huntrex serves
clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local enterprises.
Mitch received a specialization in Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland in 2015.
Business, travel, networking, volunteering, and his dedication to lifelong learning continue to
propel his personal and professional growth. Mitch is an alumnus of Leadership Custer County
(2015) and Leadership Nebraska (2018).
Mitch has served many local organizations, including the Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce,
Custer Economic Development Corporation, and Broken Bow Area Rotary Club—which he
served as president. He is the co-founder of the high school HEROs Mentoring Program. Mitch
served as marketing chair for the 2017 Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska. The Sandhills Journey
Scenic Byway awarded Mitch the 2018 Friend of the Byway award for a Huntrex television
marketing campaign. Mitch served in the 2019 public release and rollout of Blueprint Nebraska.
Huntrex relocated from Broken Bow, NE to Omaha, NE in 2020.
Mitch is a fifth-generation Nebraskan. |
Elton Palacio is a 14 year old from Belize with severe Scoliosis. Routine pre-surgery tests in Philadelphia discovered a significant heart issue for which they wanted a pediatric cardiologist to evaluate. Rotary in Belize reached out to us to ask if Children's would help. Elton was accepted last weekend, flew to Omaha on Tuesday, had tests and doctor visits Wednesday, and had a heart catheterization Thursday morning. Unfortunately, he is not a candidate for open heart surgery so his anticipated surgery for scoliosis at Shiner's in Philadelphia has been postponed and probably cancelled. Until arriving in the US a month ago for his back surgery, the family was completely unaware of his heart issue. Needless to say, we are all disappointed he will be returning to Belize this weekend without corrective heart and/or back surgery. We will plan to see him on our next Operation Hippocrates visit to Belize.
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