Three CBA Graduates Honored At UNO Alumni Night

The achievements and service of three University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration alumni were celebrated at UNO Alumni Night of Honor on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, at UNO’s Mammel Hall. The following awards were presented at this special awards ceremony with guests and past alumni award recipients.

• Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Award: Lacey Merica
• Alumni Public Service Award: Speaker John Arch
• Young Alumni Achievement Award: Ashley Kuhn

JIM LESLIE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARDS

Established in 1974, Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Awards honor faculty, staff, alumni or friends who have shown long, outstanding service to the alumni association and/or university. With this year’s honorees, the list of recipients grows to 120 individuals. The award was renamed the Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Award in 2022 in honor of Jim Leslie, CEO and president of the Alumni Association from 1973–2006.

Lacey Merica

Lacey Merica has been a longtime volunteer for the UNO Alumni Association, having been involved in several programs. Most noticeable is her involvement at UNO commencement ceremonies, where she has distributed thousands of alumni pins to graduates as they exit the stage after receiving their diplomas. She’s also volunteered for events such as Homecoming, and last year joined the CBA Recent Alumni Advisory Board. Merica has been a consistent supporter of UNO through Wear Black, Give Back donations, and participating in Alumni Month of Service. Merica earned an MBA from UNO in 2011 and an MS in political science in 2021. She was a member of the UNO Young Alumni Academy Class of 2013. Merica is the accreditation/assessment coordinator for the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

The Alumni Public Service Award recognizes UNO alumni who have a record of outstanding public service benefiting the advancement of the university and higher education in general.

Speaker John Arch

Senator John Arch first was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Arch became speaker of the unicameral in 2023. A Sioux City, Iowa, native, he earned an MBA from UNO in 1987. He serves on seven committees, including the Reference, Rules and Executive Board. Arch is a healthcare consultant and former executive vice president of healthcare and director of the National Research Hospital and Clinics at Boys Town. Arch serves on boards for Grace Life Bible Church and Assure Women’s Center. He has previous board service with the Nebraska Hospital Association, Creighton University Medical Center, St. Joseph Center for Mental Health, Grace University, Prairie Health Ventures, UniNet Healthcare Network and Overland Hills Church. Arch also has a BA from Grace University and an MA from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.

YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Established in 2014, Young Alumni Awards recognize outstanding career achievement, active community involvement or exceptional service to the university by graduates 40 or younger.

Ashley Kuhn

Ashley Kuhn is co-founder and president of Blair Freeman Group, the only black female-owned and female-led Class A contractor in Nebraska. The company offers construction, owner’s representation and real estate services. Kuhn co-founded the company in 2018 with Maranda Adams after Adams and her husband had a disappointing contractor experience with an historic building they were remodeling. Kuhn previously had worked for the real estate development company White Lotus Group from 2004 to 2018, rising to executive vice president. Kuhn’s professional passion can be traced to her years growing up in North Omaha, where she developed “a lifelong passion for ensuring that real estate is appreciated and used for its highest and best use regardless of location.” Kuhn earned a BSBA in real estate and land use economics from UNO in 2006. She started her college career at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where she competed for its track and field team before transferring to UNO in 2004. She currently serves on the UNO College of Business Administration Dean’s National Advisory Board.

About the UNO Alumni Association

The UNO Alumni Association exists to strengthen connections between the University of Nebraska at Omaha and its alumni and friends. Founded in 1913 by the first graduating class of the University of Omaha, the association connects more than 121,000 living graduates around the world through events, programs, communications and meaningful ways to engage with UNO and each other. All alumni of the University of Nebraska at Omaha – individuals who have completed more than 60 credit hours at the institution – are members of the UNO Alumni Association. Learn more at unoalumni.org.