10/28/2026 | Press release | Archived content
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2026
CONTACT:
Aron Wehr
Greater Omaha Chamber
402.978.7920
[email protected]
OMAHA, NE - Heath Mello, President & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, released the following statement regarding the announcement that Javier Fernandez will step down as CEO of Omaha Public Power District (OPPD):
"Javier Fernandez has been a transformational leader for the Greater Omaha region and Nebraska. As the CEO of Omaha Public Power District, his vision, integrity, and commitment to planning for the future have helped position the Omaha metro for extraordinary economic opportunity. He understood that the energy decisions we make today will shape our ability to compete for jobs and investment for generations. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and service to both OPPD and the Greater Omaha Chamber Board of Directors and thank him for his tremendous contributions to our community and wish him and his family the very best in their next chapter.
"Javier leaves enormous shoes to fill, and OPPD's next steps will be consequential. The Greater Omaha region must go all in on expanding our energy generation and infrastructure capacity to meet rapidly growing demand from economic growth opportunities. The next leader must share Javier's long-term vision, embrace an all-of-the-above energy strategy, and recognize the urgency of preparing for growth decades before it arrives. We cannot afford to let the pace of infrastructure development determine the limits of our economic potential."
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About the Greater Omaha Chamber
The Greater Omaha Chamber is one of the country's largest, strongest chambers with nearly 3,000 members and a 5-star accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to champion a thriving business community and a prosperous region through visionary leadership and collaboration.