We are excited to announce the addition of two new Board Members to Mode Shift Omaha. Kimara Snipe and Manuel Cook joined the Board in August of 2020. Please join us in welcoming them to the Board.
Kimara Snipe works and lives in Omaha, Nebraska where she has been an advocate and community leader since a teenager. She has dedicated her life to servant-leadership in marginalized communities in all of Omaha.
Kimara is the Community Partnership Manager for Nebraska Civic Engagement Table, focusing on empowering the rising electorate of Nebraska, together and a Youth Specialist for the Omaha Public Library where she created Teen Talk About, a program focusing on trauma through literacy with 12-18 year-old at-risk youth.
As president, she revitalized the Highland South-Indian Hill Neighborhood Association. They were recognized for their annual National Night Out event that focuses on poverty and bridging the gap between the police and community. Kimara also serves as President of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance (SONA). SONA enhances South Omaha neighborhoods through communication, collaboration, empowerment and promoting positive perceptions.
Kimara is elected to the Omaha Public School Board where she serves on the Policy Committee and the The Better Together Coalition. Her goals are to focus on equity, policy and mental health, and she is committed to growing communication between schools and OPS families.
Kimara resides in South Omaha, where she is active with neighborhood youth and her church.
Beyond all the talent and insight Kimara brings to the Board based on her extensive work in the community, she also is a user and supporter of the Omaha Metro Bus System and will expand our understanding of the transportation issues and opportunities for South Omaha neighborhoods.
Manne is a placemaker and urban planner who works to develop vibrant places and more livable built environments. Manne works closely with local artists and grassroots organizations to produce events, exhibitions, and creative place based projects.
He is the project lead for Spark CDI and recently worked for the City of Omaha planning department where he led the Forever North Strategy and specialized in planning for people-oriented, human-scale development for the neighborhood planning section.
Additionally he has a long history of placemaking projects including, “The Study,” which repurposed two vacant and underutilized spaces on North 24th Street and resulted in a handful of creative lead projects and was a catalyst for several organizations including Culxr House, NOISE, and Drips.
Manne studied Spatial Sciences at Rijk University in the Netherlands and holds a Master of Science in Urban Studies from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
In addition to all the contributions and talent Manne brings to Omaha, he also is an avid cyclist and looks forward to expanding the reach of our Biking Team and further connecting us with the work of many North Omaha community organizations.
Hopefully after reading Kimara and Manne’s bios you are as excited about the future as we are. It’s going to be a great year!
Welcome Kimara and Manne!