I am the ROI: Garry Clark

The following profile is part of the “I am the ROI” series. With seven stories on seven Mavericks, "I am the ROI" will introduce you to alumni who are leaders, change makers and innovators.

Garry Clark’s journey from Washington D.C. to Fremont ran through the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO).

Looking at where he is now, you would never guess he had a difficult childhood. “Both of my parents were addicts, so it was a rough upbringing,” Clark said.

Clark’s story begins with struggle and homelessness. His parents battled addiction, which led to his family bouncing between public housing and the streets of D.C. “I think that is the huge difference for me is that I went from a place that is a little bit of chaos and I came to another place that had a lot of harmony and hope,” he said.

Garry’s undergraduate studies and athletic prowess brought him to Blair, Nebraska, where he attended Dana College and competed in collegiate track events. An accomplished track star, Clark had plenty of options after earning his undergraduate degree in sociology. He considered running overseas professionally, running marathons under a corporate sponsorship, or even becoming a high school educator.

“I was weighing the Maverick way of life versus a professional running career. At the end of the day, I knew that I wanted to have something that was more stable, more long-term, and more of a guarantee that, if I put my work in, I would have a bigger impact.”

“I think I made the right choice.”

One of his mentors pointed him to UNO where he applied for a scholarship to the Master of Science in Urban Studies degree program within UNO’s School of Public Administration. “I received the response that I was going to be awarded a full scholarship for graduate school. I remember crying. I remember my mother crying. Just coming from humble beginnings like that.”

That’s not to say that Garry had his career mapped out. “When I got to UNO’s campus, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do until I sat in Dr. Ethel Williams’ class,” he said. “I thought about my upbringing in D.C. and I thought about what UNO had provided as far as programs and services and ideas and concepts. It was easy to realize that I just wanted to improve communities.”

Now, Clark is doing just that. He is in his second year as executive director of the Greater Fremont Development Council in Fremont, Nebraska. He and his team work on economic development projects to help the city attract and retain businesses and workforces. For example, contractors recently broke ground on a new residential development that will provide housing for employees working in an expanded headquarters for a medical staffing agency and a new poultry plant.

About "I am the ROI"

“I am the ROI” introduces you to alumni whose return on their investment in a UNO education goes far beyond career opportunities. UNO brought out the best in these leaders, change makers and innovators who are making a difference in our communities and enriching our quality of life.

From UNO’s Office of University Communications and the UNO Alumni Association, this joint storytelling effort runs July 1 through August 12, 2019 with a new story every Monday.