La Vista, NE – The Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA) hosted its 52nd annual conference in La Vista from May 28-30, drawing 198 economic development professionals from across the state. The conference was hosted by the City of La Vista and Grow Sarpy County through a collaborative planning committee. La Vista was selected as the host city through NEDA’s competitive annual bid process.
The conference kicked off with a series of area activities for attendees, including a business tour of a nearby Amazon facility, golf at Tregaron Golf Course and brewery tours. Wednesday evening featured a welcome networking at Smash Park.
Thursday started at the Embassy Suites La Vista with a welcome from La Vista Mayor Doug Kindig. Keynote speaker Josh Beals enlightened the group with tips on closing business deals while promoting economic opportunities.
NEDA president Trevor Lee kicked off NEDA’s annual membership meeting luncheon and awards presentation, later passing the gavel to incoming president James Caraway II. Dan Mauk and Rick Nelsen were honored with Professional of the Year awards. NEDA Lifetime Memberships were awarded to Jeff Jorgensen, Deb Poehling and Lori Shaal. Dawson Brunswick and Jordan Diedrich were elected to the NEDA Board of Directors.
The afternoon featured timely panel discussions regarding workforce and middle-income housing, placemaking such as La Vista’s 84th Street redevelopment and the widespread economic impact of large economic development projects like Lincoln Premium Poultry’s location selection of Nebraska.
The conference’s final evening offered conference-goers the chance to connect with peers while taking in entertaining performances of improv comedy and dueling pianos.
Planning has already begun for the 2026 NEDA annual conference, which will be held in Kearney on June 10-12.
About NEDA
The Nebraska Economic Developers Association provides professional development for economic developers while promoting economic growth statewide. With 230+ members, NEDA is Nebraska’s leading association of economic development professionals.