Board of Directors

Halo Institute Executive Director

Taylor Keen

Taylor Keen, Director, The Halo Institute, is a full time Lecturer of the College of Business at Creighton University where he focuses on Strategy and Entrepreneurship. Taylor is also the President of Talon Strategy LLC, which specializes in strategy formulation and execution, Competitive Intelligence, and Financial Forensic. Talon specializes in working with start-up and high potential organizations across the United States and Canada. Holding an MBA/MPA from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, Taylor has served a great diversity of private and public sector organizations. Taylor believes that passion is the foundation of every successful organization and that the hallmark of a successful organization is a vibrant culture with a multitude of strategic thinkers.

Board of Directors

Chairman: John Blazek

Past Halo Executive Director
Corporate Ventures, President
Adjunct Professor, Creighton University

Mr. Blazek is currently on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) and First Westroads Bank. Previous board experience includes: The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce; MECA; Catholic Charities; KVSS 102.7 FM Catholic Radio; City of Planning Board; VJ and Angela Skutt Catholic High School; and the Better Business Bureau. He was also an instructor with the University of Nebraska at Omaha for eight years in the marketing department, teaching business sales and sales management.

Mr. Blazek earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, and later earned his Master of Business Administration, both from Creighton University in Omaha.

Board Member: Cheryl Beamer Ed.D., Ph.D.

Cheryl Beamer, Ed.D., Ph.D., formerly with Gallup, is a perceptive and insightful consultant and well-known Omaha business woman. She has been recognized for helping individuals see the future contributions they could make and for helping leaders gain confidence and assume more responsibility. Her work as a coach and consultant assists leaders worldwide to identify their talents and strengths and build their performance legacies. Beamer earned her doctorate in education from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

Board Member: Anthony Hendrickson, Ph.D.

Prior to joining Creighton University dean of the business school, Dr. Hendrickson was in the College of Business at Iowa State University where he served as Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Chair of the Department of Logistics, Operations, and Management Information Systems and as an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems.  Previously Dr. Hendrickson spent two years as a faculty member in the Department of Management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  He holds a B.S. and MBA degrees from Northwest Missouri State University and received his Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis from the University of Arkansas, in 1994.

Board Member: Jim Linder, M.D., Ph.D.

Jim Linder, M.D., associate vice chancellor for research at UNMC, has been a key administrator and faculty member at UNMC for 25 years. He also serves as the president and CEO of UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer office for UNMC. An Omaha native, Dr. Linder received his medical degree from UNMC in 1980 and trained in pathology at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Linder has led several national pathology organizations and a biotechnology company that pioneered diagnostic and therapeutic devices for women's health care.

Board Member: Mary Ann O'Brien

Mary Ann O'Brien is CEO and founder of OBI Creative, an ad agency hard-wired for innovation. A nationally-recognized branding and marketing thought leader, Mary Ann has been tapped by some of the most successful brands in the world to help steer their strategic direction. She has led national and global strategic initiatives for Intel, Microsoft, Sony, Gateway, Viewsonic, D-Link, Advanced Auto Parts, SAC Federal Credit Union and Miller Electric among others.

Board Member:  Ron Quinn

Ron Quinn is executive vice president at Tenaska and also serves on their board of stakeholders.  He earned both his BSBA and MBA at Creighton University's College of Business.

Board Member: Roger Wells

Roger Wells is president and CEO of McGrath North. With over 20 years experience, he has developed a successful career representing both public and private companies in a wide range of areas including corporate, transactional and regulatory matters and business disputes. Wells also serves as the chairman of the firm's board of directors overseeing the ongoing effort to build upon the firm's recognized strengths and reputation as a leading law firm.