Robert Francis Cryne - 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
Robert Francis Cryne is a prosecutor with a career spanning four decades.
Mr. Cryne received his Juris Doctor degree from Creighton University Law School in 1978. He was admitted to the Bar in Nebraska and then joined the U.S. Army and served as Captain, Judge Advocate General's Corps, Third Infantry Division, in Cold War Europe until 1982.
After the Army, he returned to Omaha where he worked as a Deputy Douglas County Attorney, first on the Felony Trial Staff, then as Deputy in Charge of Narcotics, Firearms and Special Operations. In 2000, he joined the United States Attorney's Office in Nebraska as Assistant U.S. Attorney on the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
During the Iraq War, Mr. Cryne was detailed to the Regime Crimes Liaison's Office (RCLO) and served as Attorney Advisor to the Iraqi High Tribunal for the Trial of Saddam Hussein and other former high officials of the Iraqi Ba'ath Socialist Party for Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity. He was recognized for Distinguished Service by the Iraqi and Kuwaiti governments, and received the Director's Award, U.S. Department of Justice, for Outstanding Service in the Global War on Terror.
Mr. Cryne finished his career in the Intelligence Community. He was assigned to the Justice Department's Special Operations Division in Washington, D.C. He worked on numerous projects involving transnational criminal, narcotics trafficking, and terrorist organizations in the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. He retired from federal service in 2014.
After government service, Mr. Cryne was court appointed as Referee for Attorney Disciplinary proceedings and as a Special Prosecutor. In 2015, he joined the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska at Omaha, as an adjunct professor and then as Special Project Coordinator of the National Violent Death Reporting System, serving as Liaison to the ninety-three elected Nebraska County Attorneys for Coroner-related matters. He retired in August 2024.
Cathy Pettid, University of Nebraska at Omaha - 2025 Distinguished Service Award
Cathy Pettid is the Associate Vice Chancellor for the Division of Student Life and Wellbeing. She is responsible for many of the support services that help students achieve in the classroom and beyond. Cathy received her BS in Psychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University and her graduate degree in Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Cathy is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in the state of Nebraska.
Cathy began her career at UNO as a staff counselor and academic advisor. Since that time, she has served in various roles at UNO, including Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, ADA/504 Coordinator, and Senior Director of Achievement. Cathy was the recipient of the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Achievement Award in 2014, the Chancellor's Medal in 2020, and the Del Weber Student Service Award in 2020 and 2022. In 2024, she was honored by the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences as the recipient of the Distinguished Professional Achievement Award. In the community, Cathy serves on the board of directors for Heartland Family Service and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) | Nebraska.
Cathy is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and has advanced certification in evidence-based trauma treatments and interventions. She serves as the chair of UNO's CARE Team whose mission is to address concerns related to the health and safety of the campus community by coordinating information and developing support plans as needed. Cathy is dedicated to suicide awareness, education, and prevention.
Gene Klein, Project Harmony - 2025 Outstanding Community Service Award
Gene Klein, LCSW, is the CEO of Project Harmony, a non-profit Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Omaha, Nebraska, providing services to enhance the quality of child abuse response. Under his leadership, Project Harmony has become one of the largest CACs in the nation, serving more than 10,000 children and families annually with nearly 400 co-located professionals in a shared facility/campus with professionals working together to respond to the outcry of child maltreatment and also delivering high quality innovative prevention services. The agency has become nationally known as a best practice collaboration involving city, county, and state government with essential non-profit community organizations.
Mr. Klein has over 37 years of leadership experience in agencies serving children and families. He has served on the board of directors for the National Children's Alliance in Washington, D.C., the Nebraska Foster Care Review Board, the Nebraska Governor's Commission for the Protection of Children, and the Omaha Archdiocese Review Board for the Protection of Children, and the Civil Service Commission for the City of Papillion, Nebraska. Mr. Klein has served as a grant reviewer and peer reviewer for the Department of Justice as well as an accreditation peer reviewer for the National Children's Alliance for more than 18 years.
Gene provides leadership workshops, coaching, team facilitation, and strategic planning facilitation to local and national non-profits. He is certified as a Business Associate with Emergenetics International and certified as an Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i) leadership associate. Gene holds a Bachelor's degree from Creighton University and a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is also a licensed Mental Heath Practitioner.
His awards include the 2003 Outstanding Leadership Award on Behalf of Nebraska's Children from the Metro Child Abuse Coalition, 40 under 40 for Outstanding Business Leadership in 2004 from the Midlands Business Journal, the 2004 Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Service from the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the 2006 Director's Community Leadership Award from the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Making a Difference for Children Award in 2008 from Voices for Children of Nebraska, the Children's Advocate Award in 2010 from the Child Saving Institute, the 2012 Protecting our Children Award from the United State Attorney, Nebraska District, the 2015 Outstanding Community Service Award from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Outstanding Grassroots Non-profit Administrator in 2015 from the Nebraska Chapter of Public Administrators at the University of Nebraska, and the 2017 Pathways Award for Outstanding Leadership in Conflict Resolution from the Concord Mediation Center.
From 2016 to 2023, Project Harmony has been recognized with Business Excellence Awards from the Omaha Chamber. Project Harmony received the Human Relations Award in 2019 from the Omaha Education Association. In 2024, Project Harmony received the Champion of Children Jason Award from Children's Square USA. And in 2024, Project Harmony won the Torch Award for Business Ethics from the Better Business Bureau.
Gene would like to emphasize that all these awards and recognitions are Project Harmony's and not his alone. He is most proud of the incredible team at Project Harmony which has resulted in creating an innovative culture that has made Project Harmony a national model of child advocacy collaboration.
Kylee Askew, Sergeant, Omaha Police Department - 2025 Rising Star Alumni Achievement Award
Sergeant Kylee Askew began her career with the Omaha Police Department on October 8, 2018. As an officer, Kylee worked in the Uniform Patrol Bureau in all five precincts. In 2022, Kylee was assigned to the Collaborative Outreach, Response, and Engagement Unit within the Behavioral Health and Wellness Unit. In 2023, Kylee was assigned to the Background and Inspection Unit. In 2024, Kylee was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and has been assigned to the Northeast Precinct.
Kylee earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree with a concentration in Spanish from UNO in 2018, and a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology with a concentration in Police Psychology from Walden University in 2023.