The Team

Mike Yanney is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Burlington Capital, formerly America First Companies, which has managed public investment funds. From 1977 until the organization of the first such fund in 1984, Mr. Yanney was principally engaged in the ownership and management of commercial banks. Mr. Yanney served as a director and member of the Executive Committee of FirsTier Financial, Inc., the largest bank holding company in Nebraska, from 1985 until his resignation in 1991. He has done business in the former Soviet Union and 14 other countries since 1976.  Mr. Yanney also served on the East West Institute joint US / Russia delegation in 2007 whose specific objective was to keep the two countries from going back into a cold war. Mr. Yanney is a member of the board of directors for Burlington Capital and America First Multifamily Investors, and was formerly a director of Level 3 Communications, Inc., Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, Freddie Mac Advisory Board, Durham Resources, Inc., Freedom Communications, Inc., Forest Oil Corporation, MFS Communications, Inc., PKS Information Services, Inc., Omaha Steaks, MFA, Chairman; Tetrad, Core Bank Holding Co. and Streck Inc.

Rebecca Noble began teaching vocal music at South High in 2006.  In her current capacity as Magnet Facilitator/Visual and Performing Arts curriculum specialist, she facilitated the development and expansion of specialized curricula in dance, guitar and piano. In 2009 she started a summer arts academy program at South; Summer Stage @ South was open to students throughout the city.  In 2017 that program became the South High Summer Musical, with its mission to maintain the integrity of multicultural musicals.  She collaborated with local theatre companies, community theatre actors, high school and college students to produce critically acclaimed productions of In The Heights, Once On This Island, and West Side Story. Rebecca was a founding member of Omaha’s professional chorale, Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum, under the direction of Almeda and Jackson Berkey.  She sang for three summers with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Pittsburgh Symphony. Rebecca toured nationally in The Sound of Music and was for over 7 years the Executive Director of the Dundee Dinner Theatre.  She has performed at many local theatres in the area and is the recipient of the 2014-15 Barbara Ford Award for her role in Hands On A Hardbody at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Rebecca is the recipient of the 2020 Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Arts Education. 

Keith Allerton started his career as an English teacher.  He left education for the corporate world, serving as a store manager and regional training director for Younker’s, followed by 25 years of development work for nonprofits.  He has also been active in theatre over the past 30 years as an actor, director, and producer.  He received awards from the Omaha Community Playhouse and the Theatre Arts Guild for his role as Father Mark in Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding.  He directed productions at Omaha area theatres and is a past president and lifetime member of the Theatre Arts Guild.  Keith served as president of Chanticleer Theatre’s Board of Directors and is a founding member of SNAP! Productions. Keith was a co-owner of the Upstairs Dinner Theatre and was general manager of the Firehouse Dinner Theatre.  He retired in 2019 as an Executive Vice-President of the Steier Group. 

The Omaha Public Schools Foundation enriches students’ lives by funding learning experiences that inspire hope, open doors and help students to achieve their dreams. To carry out this mission, the Omaha Public Schools Foundation seeks private and corporate contributions and gifts. The Foundation also develops proposals for projects and programs for presentation to private, corporate and philanthropic organizations for sponsorship and funding. The Omaha Public Schools Foundation is recognized as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. It is incorporated under Nebraska Law as a nonprofit corporation. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, all residents of the Omaha Public School District.

Jim Eisenhardt graduated from South High in 1967. He returned to South in 1984 after serving as Director of Theatre at Technical High School.  At South, he developed an award-winning theatre program and helped to develop its Visual and Performing Arts Magnet. He became the Curriculum Specialist in the Visual and Performing Arts.  Jim, with Jane Hill and Hal France of Opera Omaha, developed a program in opera which utilized student talent in performance, composing, filmmaking and stage management. Jim and Charles Jones of the Omaha Community Playhouse developed a partnership that provided technical and artistic training for students through the Playhouse and the Nebraska Theatre Caravan. Both programs were nationally recognized.  Jim was named a Buffet Outstanding Teacher and Arts Teacher of the Year. He received Graduate Fellowships from Northwestern University and the Shakespeare Institute of Statford-upon-Avon. He is a member of the South High Hall of Fame.  Eisenhardt has been President of the Nebraska Theatre Association and a member of the boards of Center Stage and Why Arts. He has been a member of the Omaha Playhouse Board of Trustees since 1986 and is currently the Vice President for Education and recipient of the Trustees’ Award.

During a forty-year professional career, conductor Hal France has led organizations and performed with opera companies and symphony orchestras around the United States and abroad. He has completed tenures as Executive Director of KANEKO (2008–2012), Artistic Director of Opera Omaha (1995–2005), and Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic (1999-2006).  His conducting credits include the Houston Grand Opera, Royal Philharmonic, National Symphony, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Chautauqua Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Hawaii Opera Theater, Northwestern University and the Royal Opera of Stockholm.  Hal’s relationship with Omaha South began during his tenure at Opera Omaha when the company had a multi-year partnership with the students and teachers at South under the leadership of Jim Eisenhart and Jane Hill. Many outstanding projects came about during those years.  Hal is currently the Instructor of Musical Theatre at UNO.

After serving a stint as Omaha Magazine’s executive editor, Mike Klug entered the corporate world of marketing and promotion. Eventually his specialty became production of large events. Over the years he has worked on the opening celebrations for many of the city’s major public venues including the Holland Performing Arts Center; TD Ameritrade Park; the renovated Joslyn Art Museum, Durham Museum and Orpheum Theater; The Rose Theater; the Kroc Center and South High School’s Collin Field. He has worked professionally or as a volunteer for most of the area’s major arts organizations helping to produce the Arts on the Green series, annual galas, centennial celebrations for Aksarben, Boys Town and Alliance Française Omaha. Mike is a past president of Opera Omaha. 

Susan Koenig is a graduate of Omaha South Class of ‘74, Drake University, Northeastern University School of Law, and the Academy for Coaching Excellence. She is the founder of the Koenig|Dunne Law Firm located in Little Bohemia. Among her awards are the Outstanding Contributor to Women in the Law and the WCA Tribute to Women. Now an executive coach, speaker, and writer, Susan loves supporting the arts and area nonprofits. Among her many passions is helping to rehabilitate South’s habitat garden with her sweetheart Kevin Barratt, head of the school’s drama department. 

Senator Tony Vargas has devoted his career to public service and advocacy. Tony earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Rochester and a Master’s in Education at Pace University. Tony began his career as a public school teacher in New York City with Teach for America. Upon moving to Omaha, Tony was appointed as a member of the Omaha Public Schools Board of Education. Elected to serve in the Nebraska Legislature in 2016, Tony has focused on addressing educational equity, increasing affordable housing, and improving healthcare access. After re-election in 2020, Tony was re-elected by his peers to serve as the vice-chair of the Executive Board and as Chair of the Legislative Planning Committee as well as continuing to serve as a member of the Appropriations Committee. Over the last year, he has fought for COVID-19 relief by securing $85 million in emergency funds and fighting for meatpacking worker protections. In 2018, Tony was selected for the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, a partnership between the foundations of Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon Johnson. Tony was recently named a “Top 20 Under 40” official by the Council of State Governments. Tony is a Fellow of the third class of the Civil Society Fellowship, a Partnership of ADL and The Aspen Institute, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Terri is a Ph.D. immunologist with extensive experience in infectious disease research. She has over 30 years of industrial experience ranging from start-up biotechnology companies to large pharmaceutical organizations.  She is currently an Adjunct Microbiology professor at the College of St. Mary.  Terri and her husband, Alan, are the proud parents of Reid and Lara, South High class of 2015.

Cheryl Wild is a 1968 graduate of South High School. She attended UNO, graduating with a Bachelors degree in Education in 1972. Cheryl’s father, Mickey Sparano, was a winning wrestling coach at South.  She was actively involved in the Omaha Opera/South High productions of Bloodlines, as well as the Collins Football Stadium capital campaign. Cheryl was inducted into the South High Hall of Fame in 1998.  Cheryl’s involvement throughout Omaha has included chairing events for Child Saving Institute, Lied Center for the Performing Arts, Madonna School, Family Service, and the Omaha Community Playhouse, to name just a few. Her commitment to our community has been recognized by the YWCA Tribute to Women, Champion of the Year from United Cerebral Palsey, and the Suburban Rotary Club’s Omahan of the Year.