Executive
Todd Lemke, Publisher
Todd grew up in Papillion, Nebraska, and graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1981 with a degree in journalism. Two years later he started a magazine called Omaha Today, which helped to springboard a 30+ year career in magazine publishing. The positives include the philanthropic and cultural events around town as well as the abundance of business opportunities. Todd credits his staff with creating an award-winning magazine that has been recognized with regional Great Plains Journalism Awards, state AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) awards, and local Omaha Press Club awards.
Greg Bruns, Vice President
Greg was an entrepreneur with a bottle recycling business before joining Omaha Magazine back in 1988. He and wife Terese went on to invest in the magazine, becoming partners with publisher Todd Lemke in 1990. Today, Bruns is Vice President of Omaha Magazine and works in advertising sales. An avid music lover, Bruns has played the role of drummer and/or lead singer in numerous Omaha bands over the past 35 years. He enjoys golfing, hiking, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and hanging out “in our little house on the prairie” cabin in Estes Park, Colorado, with “my awesome wife of 30+ years.”
Bill Sitzmann, Associate Publisher & Lead Photographer
Bill was born in Utah and currently resides in the hip Benson neighborhood with wife Kim, son Ty, and daughter Parker. He has shot for every magazine since 2002 and originally worked alongside partner Scott Drickey, who helped him found minorwhite studios in 2008. In 2012, Bill joined Omaha Magazine‘s staff as Director of Photography and was promoted to Creative Director in 2015 and associate publisher in 2018. He enjoys early mornings, space and conversations. His work has helped him travel the world and meet amazing individuals. His client list includes Rolling Stone, Sony, Borsheims, and Money Magazine.
Editorial & Creative
Kim Carpenter, Managing Editor
Kim spent her childhood in Vandling, a tiny town in northeastern Pennsylvania, and lived in Washington, D.C.; Akron, Ohio; Arlington, VA; Frankfurt and Munich, Germany; and Brussels, Belgium prior to her permanent move to Omaha. She earned her Ph.D. from Georgetown University, and her professional experience includes having worked at the Akron Art Museum, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and the Omaha World-Herald. She has written extensively for national and international publications and authored several books and artist catalogues.
She can be reached at kim@omahapublications.com.
Natalie Veloso, Associate Editor
Natalie joined Omaha Magazine’s editorial team in August 2023. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, having completed her bachelor’s degrees in Journalism & Media Communication and Latin American Studies/Spanish in the spring of 2023. During her time at UNO, she served as Copy Editor and Digital Content Manager for The Gateway Student Newspaper, which opened doors to various writing opportunities with other local newspapers and magazines. While Natalie gained experience during her undergraduate years in broadcast journalism, bilingual political reporting, public relations, marketing, and social media management, her true passion lies in editorial and creative writing. Throughout her university courses and internships, Natalie developed a particular affinity for arts, culture, and entertainment writing. Born and raised in Omaha, she enjoys exploring and supporting the local art and music scene, or discovering new dining hot spots with friends on the weekends.
Claudia Moomey, Assignment Editor
Born in California, but raised in Omaha, Claudia is the youngest of two daughters. She graduated from Millard North High School in 2016 and went on to study at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, from which she graduated in December of 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in British, Irish, and Anglophone Literature, a minor in History, and another minor in Medieval/Renaissance Studies. During her free time when she’s not reading classic literature or putting her collection of Blackwing pencils to paper, she is probably attending various theater shows, photographing local bands at rock concerts, or napping with her Russian Blue cat, Shenzi. She spends a significant amount of time in her kitchen, experimenting with new ideas and recipes, including savory dinners, delectable desserts, and craft cocktails. Claudia hopes to eventually hold an editorial or writing position as a full-time career, where she will implement her strongest opinion: the Oxford Comma is a necessity.
Rachel Birdsall, Creative Director
Rachel Birdsall has 15 years of graphic design experience under her belt, mostly in the world of print publishing. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Interactive Media from Dana College and has been making the design world a bit more vibrant ever since. When she’s not brainstorming her next big idea or perfecting a print layout, you’ll find Rachel hanging out with her husband, three cats, and two dogs. She’s a big fan of tabletop and board games, which she approaches with the same enthusiasm as her design projects. In her downtime, she’s busy brewing her own mead and cider—proving that her creativity knows no bounds, whether it’s in the studio or in the kitchen! Her personal motto: There’s nothing that can’t be bedazzled if you try hard enough.
Renee Ludwick, Graphic Designer I
Ludwick is a senior and a graphic design major at Concordia University of Nebraska. Ludwick is artistically inclined in many aspects. Her favorite form of art, to pass time, is needle felting, making amazing sculptures with only wool and a needle. In her free time she trains her dog, Ariel; reads comics; watches anime; and plays video games. In the future, she hopes to work in animation.
Joey Winton, Graphic Designer
Joey Winton is a 22-year-old from Omaha. Nebraska. He attended Doane University from 2019-2023 and graduated with a BFA in graphic design. Outside of art and design he enjoys cooking, writing, playing and listening to music, watching movies—Predator (1987) is his favorite—exercising, and video games. As a saxophone player, his favorite genre of music is jazz, but he also enjoys classical, punk, metal, and pretty much anything that isn’t pop-country. Winton’s favorite bands and artists include Breaking Benjamin, Gorillaz, and The Count Basie Orchestra, though the list extends well beyond that. Some of his favorite visual artists include Francisco Goya, Zdzisław Beksiński, and H.R. Giger. His other interests include Star Wars, gin, history, sociology, and sharks. Winton’s commissions are open and examples of his work can be found at joeywinton.com.
Nickie Robinson, Graphic Designer
Nickie was raised and lives in Tekamah, Nebraska. She has worked as a graphic designer and held similar roles in the newspaper publishing business for the last 15 years. She graduated Summa cum laude from University of Nebraska Omaha with a degree in studio art/visual technology followed by a degree in electronic imaging/media integration from Metropolitan Community College while belonging to three academic honor societies. When not designing, Nickie enjoys drawing, painting, cooking, and making signature craft cocktails which has led her to a part-time gig as a mixologist/bartender at BCB Vault in Tekamah.
Operations
Dave Trouba, Advertising Traffic Manager
Dave joins the company after running his own graphic design company, Troubadour Design Studio, in Papillion for many years. Trouba was born and raised in Omaha, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, so he is, by birthright, a die-hard Nebraska Cornhusker fan. He enjoys cooking, playing cribbage, shooting photographs, and all things Czech and Irish. He is also a borderline golf addict, so readers will find him hitting the links whenever possible. Trouba and his wife, Susan, have three children—Dan, Ryan, and Lauren—and an outspoken corgi named Riley.
Kyle Fisher, Business Manager
Fisher’s career has taken him on a full-circle adventure. More than 30 years ago, his sports management career started with the Omaha Royals. His wife, Phyllis, is a former military brat, so it was relatively easy for her to travel with Kyle on eight different sports gigs in eight years, the eighth being the Omaha Stormchasers. Their son, Travis, grew up in the area and started college at Nebraska Wesleyan in fall 2020. Memorable moments at the ballpark include a stadium bomb threat, an exploding field sprinkler that provided the teams with a pregame shower before the first pitch, and a dinner with Hall of Fame player George Brett and Warren Buffett.
Damian Ingersoll, Distribution Manager
Originally from California, Ingersoll and his wife, Samantha, moved to Omaha in 2013 and have enjoyed living here ever since. Born March 24, 2017, their son is as rambunctious as ever. Damian taught preschool before he started working for Omaha Magazine and still enjoys helping out at the preschool from time to time. He is an avid collector of musicians’ autographs and hopes to be able to attend more concerts this year. In his down time, Ingersoll enjoys watching movies, playing classic video games, and doing outdoor projects.
Sales & Operations
Sandy Matson, Publisher’s Assistant & OmahaHome Contributing Editor
Sandy joined the Omaha Magazine team in 2011. Recently, she added the title ‘Contributing Editor of OmahaHome magazine.’ Having worked in the home industry and marketing/advertising for the last 15 years, her new position seemed a natural fit. “I have a passion for OmahaHome, and have been told my whole life I missed my calling and should have been an interior designer,” Matson explains. “I love helping friends and family with their homes, and enjoy painting and unique home projects of all sorts.” The Iowa native has three children—Steph, Jake and Mady. She enjoys going to estate sales and antique stores, and sharing wine with good friends at favorite spots like Johnny’s Steakhouse, Brix, and the Old Market. “Most nights, though, you can find me at home watching a good movie under a comfy throw,” Matson confides.
Gil Cohen, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing
Gil is a New Jersey native, who moved to Omaha in 1984 when he worked as a hotel manager with Marriott. Since then, he’s held positions as director of a Missouri riverboat, marketing director for the Omaha Symphony, and his current position at Omaha Magazine. Outside of his sales responsibilities, he’s always looking for new and exciting business ventures. Gil is Omaha Magazine’s “man about town,” and is often seen at Omaha events and hotspots, promoting Omaha fun. When not working, he can often be found at Havana Garage, Mahogany Steakhouse, Pitch, and Sullivan’s for live jazz on Thursdays. He also enjoys golf, his Vespa, and driving his 1979 MGB…when it’s running, of course.
Alicia Hollins, Senior Sales Coordinator
Alicia has worked at Omaha Magazine for 11 years as Gil Cohen’s assistant. She is currently the senior sales coordinator, helping Gil with customer service, ad work, and sales. Collaborating at edit meetings over ideas are her favorite Omaha Magazine days. She also enjoys collaborating on house projects with her husband, Trevor. Currently, she is the president-elect of the Duchesne Academy Alumnae Board and an active volunteer at Loveland Elementary. She enjoys researching her family tree, and has even received a certificate from Boston University in genealogical research. All of this happens while she is fielding an array of constant questions from her amazing son, Logan.
George Idelman, Brand Specialist
George has called Omaha home since 1991. The Chicago native and his wife, Jill, will soon celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary with their two sons, Justin and Brandon. George is no stranger to the Omaha sales community and has held sales and management positions with ITI Marketing Services, Ecolab, and, most recently, Valpak of Omaha. He joined the Omaha Magazine family with a diverse selling background and a passion for building loyal customers. When George isn’t focused on creating great opportunities for his clients, you can find him with his family enjoying a wide range of activities and sporting events. You might even find George hitting a few rounds at one of the many area golf courses. In addition, George is a faithful Chicago Cubs fan…but we won’t hold that against him!
Dawn Dennis, Account Sales Manager/Photography Scheduler
The origin of obsession is the subject of much discussion in psychological circles, but Dawn doesn’t care to give it a second thought when it comes to frogs. That’s right. The slimy kind. Warts and all. “What’s to explain,” the Omaha native chuckles, “I’m just crazy about frogs.” A fascination with the emerald-hued amphibians has led her to collect everything from frog-related ceramic figures to clothing—and everything in between. Something of a tadpole here at Omaha Magazine, she joined us last June after a long career in a variety of advertising gigs. Her giving and nurturing nature also led her to dedicate four years of her life as a medical assistant working with Alzheimer patients. Dawn has been married to husband Steven for 14 years and is the proud mother of adult sons Joshua and Austin. She recently became a grandmother for the first time and is already spoiling grandson Gabriel with all manner of frog-themed toys, clothing, and baby gear.
Sandi McCormack, Sales Coordinator
Tim McCormack, Brand & Digital Marketing Specialist
Tim McCormack is a highly energetic and passionate master marketer whose past business experiences include positions as a teacher, school principal, and an entrepreneur. Tim has built, owned, and operated 14 businesses in 4 states, hiring hundreds of employees, putting together marketing programs, and cultivating strong and loyal customer bases for each. At Omaha Publications, he provides customers with a wealth of experience, and works closely with clients on ideas for building core customer bases, strong marketing programs from expertly designed print ads to email marketing, social media, and web-wide smart display ad campaigns. Today’s businesses are kaleidoscopes and they are ever changing. Gas Stations have become convenience stores, grocery stores have added banks, deli’s and flower shops. Restaurants that had previously only served lunch and dinner are now serving breakfast and coffee drinks. Times have changed and Tim McCormack would like to work with you to keep you up-to-date and to provide real value to you in your marketing efforts.
Francine Flegg, Branding & Digital Specialist
Francine has over 40 years of experience at various companies in roles such as product developer, publisher, and reporter. For the past 10 years, she has served as a sales and marketing manager. Francine also teaches Pilates and yoga and has managed several fitness studios across the metro. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, metaphysical research, reading, theater, and travel. Francine is proud to be part of a company that allows her to think outside the box and push her limits. She is excited to be a positive driving force for Omaha Magazine.
Michelle Schrage, Top Level Revenue Generator
Michelle Schrage considers herself an experiential marketing strategist and a proactive connector of people. Over her 20-year career, she has enjoyed deploying creative marketing strategies, relationship-building, and leading cross-functional teams toward a common goal and vision.
She is passionate about Omaha and bringing people together through events and engagements. In the past decade, she has hosted and created programming for over 100 unique professional networking events–facilitating the connections of over 1,000 business owners, community leaders, and collaborative influencers.
She is fascinated by the unknown and can spend hours talking about the universe, the paranormal, the meaning of life, and the afterlife. She is the proud mother of one son, Robert, and two feline fur babies, Cheddar and Chauncey.
