Greater Omaha Chamber Announces 2022 Change Makers

The Greater Omaha Chamber Young Professionals today announced their 2022 Change Makers, sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Office of Graduate Studies. These four individuals will be honored at this year’s YP Summit, March 31.

“Omaha’s success is spurred on by young professionals who strive to make a difference for their communities. These Change Makers have all done something extraordinary and we are proud to recognize them here. The 2022 Change Makers truly are an inspiration and an example to others,” said Ana Lopez Shalla, Senior Director, Workforce Development for the Greater Omaha Chamber.

The Change Makers have been carefully selected for their commitment to the success of their community, their friends and family, and themselves by breaking down barriers and overcoming challenges through innovative and exemplary acts.

Note: All UNO-affiliated individuals are eligible to purchase a ticket to the YP Summit with a discount code by March 24.

This Year’s Change Makers

• Theodore W. Johnson, MPA, Instructor – UNO Aviation Institute
• Leah Whitney Chavez, Executive Director and Founder, World Speaks Omaha (UNO Alum)
• Daniela Rojas Florez, Assistant Dean of Student Success, College of Saint Mary
• DaShawn McGary, B.S.B.A, Co-Founder and Director, Divine Living

Maverick Ties

Theodore W. Johnson, MPA, is an Instructor within the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) who is pursuing his doctorate in public administration. He is a Pracademic Educator and DEI stalwart engaged in the integral mission of moving the equity needle in public and private sector entities. He has only been in Omaha 18 months and is already creating lasting change to broaden the horizons of racial and gender minorities within the UNO and Omaha communities pertaining to aviation/aerospace and other STEM fields.

• LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AVIATION INSTITUTE

Leah Whitney Chavez is the Executive Director and Founder of World Speaks Omaha, a nonprofit that remove barriers from our community by providing language access services and community education courses. With a UNO bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language and Literature with a concentration in Spanish, she is bilingual and from an early age had an appreciation of Spanish language and Latin culture.

• WATCH LEAH'S "I AM THE ROI" EPISODE

More Change Makers

Daniela Rojas Florez was born in Bogota, Colombia. She moved to Omaha in 2007. Daniela graduated from College of Saint Mary with a double major in art and theology, as well as a medical interpreting certificate. She attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where she completed her Master’s in Higher Education Administration in the fall of 2020. Daniela now serves as Assistant Dean for Student Success at College of Saint Mary.

DaShawn McGary is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, and recent graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, conferred with a Finance emphasis. He is a co-founder and director of Divine Living, a home and community services-based agency through Medicaid, that provides assistance to community members with developmental disabilities.