Joe Hanseling has a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and a masters in recreation from the University of Arkansas. As an undergraduate Joe got involved in outdoor recreation education and developed a passion for cycling. Ever since he has been a committed bike commuter and advocate for MORE cycling. Since getting involved with Mode Shift Joe has focused on becoming more familiar with Omaha and the current transportation system. Joe works at the University of Nebraska Omaha and has a focus on increasing cycling options at UNO.
Dawaune Lamont Hayes is a native of Omaha, Nebraska who has graduated from both Central High and Creighton University with a B.A. in Journalism-Public Relations. A natural-born communicator, Hayes is the Communications Manager at The Union for Contemporary Art in North Omaha where he works as an arts advocate, publicist, and community liaison. An avid bicyclist, Dawaune sees multi-modal transportation access as an equalizer for all people and a way to literally and figuratively bring the city of Omaha together. He believes the more connections we create, the stronger we become.
Nicole Wheeler first experienced the multi-modal transportation life while attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The city bus, a 1970s-era Schwinn and a lot of sneaker tread were enough to hook her for life on the joys of getting around without a car. Fast forward many years to 2017 and she is finally living that joy again after ditching the car and switching to Metro Transit a year ago for her daily commute downtown. With a background in advertising, Nicole’s passions lie in bringing awareness to the variety of transportation options currently available to Omaha residents and helping to grow those options to make them more available to all citizens, while also trying to increase their ease of use for families with children, the elderly and the disabled. Her favorite parts of riding the bus are seeing the familiar faces of the drivers and other regulars each day and truly feeling a sense of community while going about daily activities.
Originally from New York, Laura Nottingham has called Omaha home for almost thirty years. After receiving her Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Nebraska – Omaha and completing all but the dissertation for her doctorate at University of Nebraska – Lincoln, she taught for five years at Dana College. Currently, she teaches Sociology at the Elkhorn campus of Metropolitan Community College where she’s been a full-time faculty member for eleven years.
In addition to her professional career, Laura was one of the early presenters for Al Gore’s Climate Project. She added to her toolbox by becoming a Nebraska Certified Master Naturalist in 2013. Her interests in environmental issues, politics, and radical egalitarianism led her to seek ways to promote active transportation, especially as a social equity issue. In 2013, she was a charter board member of the resurrected Omaha Bikes. During that same period she became active with Mode Shift Omaha.
The drive behind Laura’s activism lies in her grandchildren and the hope that we will leave a livable planet for them and generations to come. Laura dreams of the day that she and her husband, Stuart, can go car-free, and she can still commute to her office safely and efficiently.
