by Sheri Irwin-Gish | Nebraska Business
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln celebrated eight entrepreneurs from across the state and beyond who positively impact the future of entrepreneurship. CoJMC alum Vern Powers ('84), CEO of Hastings Industrial Manufacturing, was honored with a new award, the Jeff Vaske Service in Entrepreneurship Award.
Presented by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, the eight awards honored entrepreneurs, startups, advocates and students at a ceremony held in conjunction with the 37th annual New Venture Competition at the Rococo Theatre, April 18.
"We honored eight outstanding entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, resilience and impact within our entrepreneurial ecosystem and make the Nebraska entrepreneurial ecosystem so special. Nominated by members of the community and the university, all of our awardees have made a significant contribution to the entrepreneurship ecosystem and enhanced entrepreneurial education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and throughout the state of Nebraska," said Samuel Nelson, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and associate professor of practice in management.
The center awarded four awards with a long history at Nebraska and added four new awards to include students, advocates and others who are central to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and connected to Nebraska.
Powers was honored with the Jeff Vaske Service in Entrepreneurship Award for his unwavering leadership, dedication and invaluable contributions. Like the inaugural recipient and for whom this award is named, this honor celebrates the recipients' tireless devotion and outstanding efforts, which have significantly impacted the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship's success.
"It only takes a few minutes with Vern to feel his energy, passion and sincere commitment to help others succeed. He not only participates and supports initiatives where he is called on for his help and guidance, but he also inspires others through his creative and productively challenging 'what if' questions that have noticeably moved the Center for Entrepreneurship to greater heights and ambitions. The university and the state are lucky to have Vern's contributions toward our combined success," a nominator said.
Serving two terms as the mayor of Hastings, Powers leads Vestal's private sector partnerships in the advancement of research and development efforts and guides commercialization efforts. His expertise advises research and development and leads efforts of Vestal from startup through capital acquisition/retention, production and market commercialization. He also served on the board of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Nebraska Workforce Development Investment Trust and Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Vern worked tirelessly with the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship for over a decade, and his support helped expand the 3-2-1 Quick Pitch held each fall. He continues to support the center and mentor students.
"I truly enjoyed this journey we've been on. When you get to a certain age, the vibrancy that we get from young people keeps us younger ourselves. If we want to keep great, high-paying jobs in Nebraska, some of the elders need to spend more time mentoring young people through the Center for Entrepreneurship. I also want to thank Jeff for bestowing this award," Powers said.
Read more about the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship awards here: https://business.unl.edu/news/eight-entrepreneurs-honored-by-university-of-nebraska/?contentGroup=social
