Mayor’s office seeks $750,000 from community foundations to fund a Director of Transformation role

The City of Omaha held a public hearing on accepting up to $750,000 over three years from the Omaha Community Foundation to fund a new Director of Transformation and Strategic Partnerships to centralize the city's work with donors and philanthropic partners.

Thomas Warren, chief of staff in the mayor’s office, described the position as a centralized liaison that would facilitate major philanthropic projects, assist with procurement and project oversight and reduce duplication of donor requests across city departments. Warren said the three‑year proposal is roughly $250,000 per year and includes an estimated salary of about $170,000 plus benefits, with philanthropy committing to raise the funding for the position’s first three years.

Council members asked whether the role was intended as a pilot, whether philanthropy would be asked to continue support beyond three years, and how the position would interact with existing partners such as the Parks Foundation. Warren said comparable positions exist in other cities (he cited Colorado Springs) and that the administration would evaluate effectiveness before recommending whether the city should absorb the expense in future budgets. The council heard brief questions about prioritization and communications protocols; Warren said donors had asked for a single point of contact and that the position would help coordinate internal processes and brief the council on major commitments.

The public hearing closed with council members asking staff to return with additional details about evaluation and potential long‑term budgeting for the role.