Riverside Chats

Brian Fahey is a local attorney running for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5 against Sean Kelly. An Omaha native and nephew of former mayor Mike Fahey, Brian Fahey attended Central High School and went on to receive a law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. Fahey is also a member of the River City Mixed Chorus Board of Directors, vocalist for the Omaha Chamber Singers and artistic director of the Capitol Avenue Baroque.  Fahey and Michael Griffin discuss how caring for elderly relatives and relying on public assistance inspired Fahey's run for office. They also discuss steps for improving quality of life in his district, staying grounded on the campaign trail, and how to foster political discussions with people from all walks of life. Correction: An earlier version of this description incorrectly identified Brian Fahey's relationship to former mayor Mike Fahey. Brian is his nephew. Correction: An earlier version of this description incorrectly detailed Fahey's employment history.

David Levy is a candidate for the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Board of Directors in District 2. The Transit Authority, also known as Metro, is responsible for running Omaha’s bus system, including ORBT and MOBY services. Levy is running against Clarice Dombeck, who was on this show in June. You can hear my conversation with her wherever you get your podcasts. The first elected transit board will have seven nonpartisan members, one for each district. Prior to this year, seats were appointed by the mayor rather than elected. The change is part of Metro’s increased budget and expanded regional services. Board responsibilities include determining transit policy, overseeing the budget and handling contracts. David Levy was born in Lincoln, and his family moved to Santa Barbara, California when he was 9. He earned both an undergraduate and master’s degree in city planning at the University of California, Berkeley. He spent the first part of his career as a city planner in San Francisco. He earned a la

Ameen Wahba is a licensed mental health practitioner whose work is grounded in the belief that psychotherapy can be a liberatory practice, both individually and institutionally. Wahba is also a multidisciplinary artist, writer and musician. In 2018, he published a book of poetry titled “Bear Witness to That Which Is.” He’s been part of various gallery installations around town and was a 2023 Fellow at the Union For Contemporary Art. Wahba also plays guitar and sings in the bands Thick Paint, Sgt Leisure and Little Ripple, which is a solo project. You can see him perform with Sgt Leisure on Oct. 11 at The Church/Art House. In this episode, Wahba and Michael Griffin are talking about therapy and mental health, Wahba’s journey to realizing he could be both an artist and a therapist, and how he balances both parts of his life. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Zedeka Poindexter and Gina Tranisi are co-executive directors of the Nebraska Writers Collective. NWC is responsible for the annual All Writes Reserved Youth Spoken Word Festival, formerly known as Louder Than a Bomb, which reaches more than 30 schools and 500 students across Nebraska and Iowa with free spoken word poetry lessons, workshops with local writers, open mics, and a space to be heard. NWC will also host National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco for a performance on Oct. 12 at Dry Spokes, located at 19th and Leavenworth. Zedeka Poindexter is a North Omaha-born writer and performer with a background in management and communications. She holds a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Poindexter has built a historical record through poems and essays that draw on physical senses to connect with readers and listeners. Before assuming her current role, she spent ten years with the NWC as a teaching artist. Gina Tranisi is a leader, educator, and poet who has comp

Astrid Munn is a lead attorney at CIRA, the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, where she represents immigrant clients who have survived violent crime, domestic violence and trafficking. CIRA was previously known as the Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center. Munn is also a comedian who performs improv and standup at clubs around town. Munn was born in Scottsbluff and received an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before attending law school at Washington University in St. Louis. On weekends, you can often find her performing at The Backline, The Sydney and other venues around town. In this episode Munn is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the common ground between advocating for a client and making an audience laugh, barriers in the legal process that immigrant communities often encounter and Omaha’s growing comedy scene. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Roger Garcia represents District 1 on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Garcia was elected to his first term in 2021, becoming the seven-member board’s first-ever Latino commissioner. He’s up for reelection this year but is running unopposed. Garcia was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Honduras and Mexico. He was raised in Columbus, Nebraska and moved to Omaha in 2005. He holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Latino/Latin American Studies, a master’s in public administration, a master’s in theological studies, a doctorate in ministry, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Administration. In addition to his tenure as a county commissioner, Garcia co-founded the Metro Young Latino Professionals Association (MYLPA) and serves on the boards for the Women’s Center for Advancement and the Immigrant Legal Center. In this episode, Garcia is in conversation with Michael Griffin are talking about what exactly a county commissioner does, how Garcia's family background influences his po

Eduardo Gardea is a self-taught painter who works out of his studio at Hot Shops Art Center in the North Downtown neighborhood. He recently decided to quit his day job and pursue art full-time. His work is influenced by stories of the disenfranchised, often encouraging the viewer to think more deeply about the immigrant experience. Gardea has also created a number of murals around Omaha. One of his more recent works can be found on the exterior of Ooh De Lally in Dundee.  In this conversation, Gardea and Michael Griffin talk about Gardea's artistic process, the administrative hurdles to being a full-time artist, and steps Omaha can take to invest in the creative community. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Cyrus Jaffery is the founder and CEO of Jaffery Insurance. His new memoir is “Triumph After Trauma: How a Scrappy Battle-Scarred Refugee Insured His Own Success and Can Inspire Yours,” which he co-wrote with Leo Adam Biga. The book outlines Jaffery’s journey of migrating to the United States as an Afghan refugee, and applying the principles he learned in his journey to the business world.  Jaffery is in conversation with Michael Griffin about his transition from war-torn Afghanistan to suburban Omaha. He also gives a crash course in the intricacies of insurance. Remember that big storm in August? You’ll want to hear what he has to say about policies for homeowners. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Attorney Matthew Wurstner returns to the show for a conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the legality of the United States' attempts to ban TikTok if it isn't sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance. Originally aired 6-24-24 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Doris Lassiter is a public health advocate for North Omaha. Lassiter’s career began with a corporate job, which she left after becoming pregnant unexpectedly and prematurely giving birth to her daughter. The experience led her to work with the Omaha Housing Authority on reducing infant mortality rates among Omaha's Black community. With OHA, Lassiter helped launch the Omaha Healthy Start program at Charles Drew, which provides education and healthcare services to new parents and their children.  Years later in 2022, the University of Nebraska Medical Center honored her with the Community Service to Research Award. Today, Lassiter is health ministry director at Mt. Moriah's Baptist Church and runs her own consulting company through the Nebraska Center for Healthy Families.  In this episode, Lassiter is in conversation with Michael Griffin about her transition from corner office to health advocacy, and her vision for the Moriah Intergenerational Center in North Omaha. Originally aired 7-1-24. --- Su

Marcos Eduardo Mora Barrientos is the executive director of Casa de la Cultura, the organization behind Omaha’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. Mora was born in Los Angeles and raised in Omaha, where his family has lived for nearly a century after his grandfather, Vidal Barrientos, migrated from Mexico in the 1920s. La familia Barrientos has been known for its musicianship in South Omaha ever since, and Mora is no exception. He plays guitar in three bands. As executive director of Casa de la Cultura, Mora will oversee Omaha’s 105th Cinco de Mayo next year. The annual celebration attracts more than 200,000 visitors for three days of food and music honoring Omaha’s Mexican heritage. Mora is also founder and executive director for the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation and part of the Nebraska Realty group. In this conversation, he's in conversation with Michael Griffin about balancing his many responsibilities, how to achieve equity in local art and music, and his vision for next year’s Cinco de Mayo. Orig

Martin Sneider, former co-CEO of Edison Brothers Stores, is author of the new book “Amy Unbound,” the second installment in his Feldman Family Saga. The series follows a powerful family in the fashion industry, and the rise and fall of their business empire. Some of the story based on Sneider’s own experience as a fourth generation fashion retailer. “Amy Unbound” is out now and available wherever you get books. Sneider was raised in Omaha and attended Central High. Today, he divides his time between New York and St. Louis, where his family moved when he was a teenager. In this episode, Sneider traces his career from getting yelled at by Rose Blumkin as a teenage Furniture Mart employee, to running a fashion conglomerate, to spending his retirement years writing novels. Originally aired 7-22-24 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Diana Rogel is the diversity outreach and engagement coordinator at Live On Nebraska, one of 56 organ procurement organizations in the country. Live On is responsible for recovering organs and tissue from deceased donors for transplantation, and maintaining the state's donor registry. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 100,000 people in the United States are awaiting transplants. One donor can save up to eight lives. Part of Live On Nebraska’s mission is to educate the public about the donation and transplant processes through outreach and events. In this conversation, Rogel and Michael Griffin talk about how a family illness and her background in community engagement led to her current role with Live On. Rogel also dispels common myths about organ donation, and explains how to register as a donor and why everyone should. Originally aired 7-29-24 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Leah Whitney Chavez is the founder and executive director of World Speaks Omaha, a nonprofit that works to expand language access in Omaha. World Speaks offers low-cost tutoring and language classes, and translation services in more than two dozen languages to businesses and other organizations. World Speaks is also launching the Open Doors Initiative later this year. The program is meant to provide community members whose first language isn’t English with free interpreting services to access affordable housing. Michael Griffin is in conversation about Whitney Chavez how her multicultural childhood impacted her career trajectory, the nuts and bolts of translation services, and ways that community members can keep culture at the forefront of language education. Originally aired 8-5-24 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Clarice Dombeck is a candidate for the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Board of Directors in District 2. The Transit Authority, also known as Metro, is responsible for running Omaha’s bus system, including ORBT and MOBY services. The first elected board will have seven nonpartisan members, one for each district. Prior to this year, seats were appointed by the mayor rather than elected. The change is part of Metro’s increased budget and expanded regional services. Board responsibilities include determining transit policy, overseeing the budget and handling contracts Dombeck was born and raised in North Omaha. In addition to her candidacy, she serves on ⁠Elevate Omaha’s⁠ Board of Directors and is the urban development manager at ⁠Spark⁠, an Omaha nonprofit that aims to transform and invest in underserved neighborhoods. Dombeck is also an urban farmer and a founder of the ⁠Healing Roots African Diaspora Garden⁠ on North 24th Street, and she’s working on a Master of Science in Urban Studies at the Unive

Shelley Mann is the founder and executive director of Nebraska Abortion Resources, also known as NEAR. Mann started NEAR in 2020 with a mission of providing financial aid to people seeking abortions. That assistance can take different forms, such as paying for the procedure itself or covering travel costs. Mann says NEAR has helped 800 people access abortions in four years. Mann has a long history of advocacy related to reproductive rights and other causes. She’s long been a fixture outside the Clinic for Abortion & Reproductive Excellence in Bellevue, escorting patients inside and shouting down anti-abortion protesters. Her TikToks documenting her experiences outside the building have amassed millions of views Mann is in discussion with Maria Corpuz about her personal relationship with abortion and how it led to her current path. We’re also discussing the Nebraska petitions drives for three separate ballot measures related to reproductive rights. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.c

In today's episode, Michael speaks with Lucia Pedroza-Estrada, Elevate Omaha’s advocacy and grantmaking director. Born in Guatemala, and a self-described lifelong lover of politics, Pedroza-Estrada’s work involves acting as a connector to elected officials and other advocacy groups. She also makes the grantmaking process more accessible to youth and develops advocacy strategies that are youth-led. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is a weekend-long, annual celebration of the city’s culture. The festival includes an artist market with more than 130 vendors, a lineup of local musicians, and lots of local food. This year’s festival is June 7 through June 9 in Aksarben Village, and it’s a milestone: number 50. Today, Michael is speaking with Maggie Winton, the Omaha Summer Arts Festival’s marketing manager. She’s here to give a rundown of the festival’s 50-year history, how it adapted during the pandemic, and the future of the festival as a bridge between artists and the wider community. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Ja Keen Fox is an advocate from Nebraska with experience in political organizing, journalism, and media. Earlier this year, Fox began working on The Dreamland Report, a nonprofit news service expected to launch this November. Fox created the serice in an effort to close the information gap between North Omaha and the rest of the city, and to make news about the Black community accessible to readers. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support

Susi Amendola is a yoga therapist, author and Ornish Lifestyle Medicine trainer. She has more than 30 years experience in yoga and stress management. Her studio Yoga Now, where she still teaches, opened in Benson in 1983. Amendola also directs the studio’s annual yoga teacher certification program, which begins this September. Amendola’s new book is “The Centered Heart: Evidence-Based Mind Body Practices to Stress Less and Improve Cardiac Health.” The book explores the relationship between stress management and overall health, and encourages readers to try seven yoga and other mind-body practices to reduce stress and manage chronic health problems like heart disease. “The Centered Heart” was released May 7 and is available where you get books. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riversidechats/support