Nearly 300 guests celebrated four honorees at the 40th annual College of Business Advisory Board Awards Luncheon on April 25. Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean and professor of finance, and Lisa Smith, ’90, senior vice president with D.A. Davidson and Company and chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board, presented awards to Tom Henning, '75; Chris Leitner, '96; Ben Williamson, '12; and GIX Logistics, Inc.

"We celebrate the incredible individuals and organizations that help make the Nebraska Business community so strong and vibrant," Smith said. "This tradition began in 1984, with our very first honorees – including Mr. and Mrs. James Coe, Thomas Smith, Charles Burmeister, First National Lincoln, Valmont Industries and Judy Constance. While the landscape of our business community evolved over the years, our appreciation for these partnerships has only grown."

Farrell noted the luncheon would not be possible without the support of 19 corporate sponsors, including: Ameritas, Assurity, Bryan Health, CDBykerk Consulting, Conagra Brands, Cornerstone Bank, D.A. Davidson & Co., Deloitte, Forvis Mazars, Gallup, Lincoln Industries, Lutz, Nelnet, Pinnacle Bank, RSM, Runza Restaurants, Speedway Properties, Talent Plus and Union Bank & Trust.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Tom Henning, '75

Tom Henning, retired chairman, president and CEO of Assurity Group Inc. and its subsidiaries, received the Nebraska Business Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding leadership, time, energy and guidance throughout his career. Leading Assurity for nearly 27 years, he expanded its insurance product portfolio and launched or acquired several noninsurance subsidiaries. Under Henning's leadership, the company entered the professional employer organization space and founded Assurity Real Estate Development and Assurity Ventures, which partners with insurtech and fintech firms.

"Any success I've personally had came about because I surrounded myself with a great team, both in my personal life and in business," Henning said. "The right people in the right seats is a well-known formula for success in any endeavor."

Henning began his career in banking, first working at Crete State Bank in high school. He later served as executive vice president of First Commerce Bancshares and as president and CEO of its subsidiary banks, Overland National Bank in Grand Island, Nebraska, and the National Bank of Commerce in Lincoln.

"Tom's impact goes far beyond the business world, and he's impacted me tremendously," said Smith. "He's a passionate civic leader who's given his time and energy organizations like the University of Nebraska Foundation, Bryan Health, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the United Way. Today, he continues to serve on the boards of Nelnet, First Interstate BancSystem Inc. in Billings, Montana, and its First Interstate Foundation, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka. In 2022, he was appointed to the Nebraska Investment Council."

Henning also chaired the Nebraska Insurance Federation twice, led the Forum 500 section of the American Council of Life Insurers, and chaired its political action committee. He served as chair of the University of Nebraska Foundation, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Lincoln Chamber Economic Development Corp. and Bryan Health. He chaired the investment committees of both the Lincoln Community Foundation and the University of Nebraska Foundation. A founding member of Lincoln’s Vision 2015 initiative, he currently serves on the board of Nebraska Innovation Campus. He has also held several roles at his church, First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln.

His service and leadership earned him several honors, including induction into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame, the Burnham Yates Citizenship Award from the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the Outstanding Service Award from the American Council of Life Insurers.

Henning authored the book Boost! 50 Legs Up to Become a Better Business Leader. Today, he and his wife, Candy, run Henning Farms, a regenerative family farm, and enjoy spending time with their two daughters, Cassie Kohl and Maddie Giamell, their husbands and four grandchildren.

He and Candy met at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he earned a degree in agricultural economics and she earned a degree in textiles, clothing and design. Tom later graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University, completed the Wharton Effective Executive program, and holds the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations.

"Winston Churchill once said, 'My most brilliant achievement was my ability to persuade my wife to marry me,'" Henning said. "Candy was my most brilliant achievement. Without her support, advice and encouragement, I would have accomplished so much less."

Business Leadership Award – Chris Leitner, '96

Chris Leitner, '96, chief executive officer of Tenaska, received the Business Leadership Award for outstanding leadership, business ethics, community service and excellence. Tenaska is one of the top independent energy companies in the United States, and Leitner also serves on Tenaska’s Executive Leadership Board.

"I do not see leadership or success as a solo endeavor," Leitner said. "Every accomplishment I have been a part of has come from a group of incredibly smart, dedicated people pulling in the same direction. It's a recognition of collective effort, shared visions, and relentless teamwork."

Leitner earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Nebraska in 1996 and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

"Coming back to the College of Business is particularly meaningful," he said. "I consider John Geppert, Richard DeFusco and Dean Kathy Farrell my first finance professors. They really solidified my love for finance. Taking my first finance course with Dean Farrell helped me realize finance is just applied economics. She was an incredibly tough professor, but they all played a critical role in preparing me for the world of business. They saw the potential of a young student before I saw it myself."

Leitner joined Tenaska in 2003, leading capital investment and asset management efforts. He led the acquisition, optimization and divestiture of 10,500 megawatts of power generation facilities. He became CEO in 2022 after serving as president of Tenaska Development (formerly Strategic Development and Acquisitions). In that role, he led strategic planning and business development across North America. Under his leadership, the company developed 16,400 megawatts of renewable energy projects and optimized power generation facilities nationwide.

"Howard L Hawks Hall is a tribute to the founder of Tenaska, a man whose vision deeply influenced who I try to be. To now serve as the CEO of the company he built and be honored in Hawks Hall at the institution that helped both of us is pretty special," Leitner said. "This award may have my name on it, but in my mind, it belongs just as much to those early professors, my colleagues, my family and the people of Nebraska who believe in the power of education, hard work and character."

Young Alumni Award – Ben Williamson, '12

Ben Williamson, principal and general counsel at Invest Nebraska, received the Young Alumni Award for his leadership and service that inspires College of Business students and members of the Nebraska Business community. Leading investment efforts at Invest Nebraska for more than seven years, he also co-founded Grit Road Partners, one of the nation’s leading AgTech seed investment firms.

"My career started a decade ago as an in-house corporate attorney, which was exactly what I set out to become," Williams said. "But there were two shortcomings: it wasn't particularly conducive to my extroverted, collaborative personality, and my impact was limited by the four walls of my cubicle. Fortunately, a good friend, Matthew Dunlap, and my amazing wife, Kara, unknowingly conspired to push me in a different direction.”

That path led him to Invest Nebraska, an organization focused on building infrastructure, providing resources and making equity investments in Nebraska-based startups. Using his bachelor’s degree in finance from Nebraska and a juris doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2015, he led investments in more than 150 early-stage venture capital deals and supported more than 1,000 entrepreneurs across Nebraska and the surrounding region.

"Invest Nebraska not only taught me how to be a good partner, but how to be a good investor," Williamson said. "The virtues for the investor are to be accessible, relatable, transparent and honest to the entrepreneur, and also be extremely demanding but extremely supportive. I hope that mindset and the entrepreneurs we've supported encourage more people to take this stage because they've been the ones that have gone out and created real, enduring value in the world."

Corporate Leadership Award – GIX Logistics, Inc.

Mike Young, vice president of GIX Logistics, accepted the Corporate Leadership Award on behalf of the family-owned and operated freight brokerage firm headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska. The award recognizes excellence in Nebraska-based companies that show success, dynamism and commitment to their communities, customers and employees.

Founded in 2006, GIX Logistics from a 12-person, $6 million company to an 80-person, $100 million company with offices in Lincoln and Denton, Texas. It ranks among the top 75 national brokerages, with much of its talent pipeline coming from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Kearney and other surrounding schools.?

"It's comforting to know we received this recognition for doing the things that we just do. It's just part of our expectations. It's part of what we do try to show up and try to be present, and we try to invest in students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Kearney and across the state," Young said.

The company serves as an intermediary between manufacturers and carriers, facilitating the efficient transportation of goods across the U.S. and parts of Canada.

"A really talented group of individuals makes GIX what it is, and I'm accepting this award because of what they do," Young said. "I'm consistently humbled and kind of spoiled by their ambition and determination. They are very talented, and we appreciate the recognition."