The Greater Omaha Chamber has announced a partnership with the Human Resources Association of the Midlands (HRAM) that will transition HRAM’s long-standing IDEAL Awards to a new format: the POWER Awards.
“At the Greater Omaha Chamber, we know that building and retaining top talent the right way is essential to our future,” said Heath Mello, president & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “We are honored that HRAM has entrusted us with this next chapter in celebrating progress, recognizing leadership, and advancing our community’s culture across the region.”
The IDEAL Awards have played a central role in recognizing Omaha-area organizations making meaningful progress in creating inclusive workplace cultures. Now, through collaboration with the chamber, these principles will be elevated and integrated into a broader business framework designed to support long-term workforce excellence.
“This milestone represents a meaningful evolution as we proudly entrust the legacy of this award to the Greater Omaha Chamber,” said Bryn Reed, president of HRAM. “This transition reflects our shared dedication to building inclusive, high-performing workplaces that drive both organizational excellence and community vitality. By aligning this important recognition with the chamber’s POWER framework, we are not only broadening its reach, but we are also deepening the support for human resources leaders at the forefront of this work. The evolution of this award is elevating visibility, equipping professionals with forward-thinking resources and strengthening our collective impact across the Omaha metro.”
The newly established POWER Awards, built around the chamber’s People, Opportunities, Workforce, Excellence and Retention (POWER) framework, will continue the legacy of the IDEAL Awards while introducing a more comprehensive approach to helping businesses measure, grow and be recognized for their best practices.
The POWER framework provides practical, scalable tools and guidance to help organizations create deeper cultures of belonging and excellence. The awards will recognize companies across the region who are actively embedding these values into their operations, talent strategies and community engagement.
To learn more about the POWER Awards and the Chamber’s Workforce Excellence initiative, visit: omahachamber.org/workforce-excellence.
