Lives Radio Show & Podcast with Stuart Chittenden Stuart Chittenden

Drew Davies, the founder of Oxide, a civic-minded brand and design consultancy, talks about the practical and creative side of his years as a designer and a business founder, his work on election and civic engagement materials, and his recent co-authorship of Creative Genius: The Art of the Nebraska Capitol, a book about the Nebraska Capitol’s art.
Davies established Oxide in 2001. He is a national president emeritus of AIGA, the professional association for design, and is the only Nebraskan to have served as a judge for the prestigious design competition, Communication Arts Design Annual. As part of his civic work, Davies contributed to the national ballot design standards for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and collaborated with the Federal Voting Assistance Program to enhance the registration and voting process for U.S. citizens abroad. In partnership with the Center for Civic Design, Davies designed the Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent, which were featured in the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. He also testified before President Obama’s Presidential Commission on Election Administration. Davies recently designed and co-authored “Creative Genius: The Art of the Nebraska Capitol,” a coffee table book showcasing 100 years of art contained within the State’s grandest building, revealing the themes driving the art, and chronicling the stories behind the artists and their creations.

The Reverend Heidi McGinness talks about her journey from the rubble of post-World War II Germany, to a life in faithful service to the poor, the persecuted, the oppressed, and the enslaved, including her work with the South Sudanese Underground Railroad in retrieving citizens from the North and returning them to the South.
Reverend McGinness has, with unflinching zeal and hope, dedicated her life, alongside others of all faiths and of other ethical traditions, in advocating for and helping the poor, the persecuted, the oppressed, and the enslaved. Reverend McGinness’s service has been recognized with several awards. She has worked with numerous humanitarian and anti-genocide organizations, including Christian Solidarity International, a Swiss human rights organization, in delivering humanitarian aid to Sudan in times of war and peace. From 2004 to 2018, Reverend McGinness assisted the South Sudanese Underground Railroad in retrieving citizens from the North and returning them to the South. Since her third retirement in 2018, Reverend McGinness continues to visit East Africa and work with refugees. Living in Omaha, she also supports Nebraskans in need, including assisting in the work of those combatting human trafficking in Nebraska and further afield.

“Strength rock” musician and lawyer Stephen Pedersen shares the evolution of his musical life, with the bands Cursive, Criteria, and many others, and we’ll hear a few of Criteria’s songs to illustrate his musical style and ethos. Pedersen also talks about his career as an attorney and balancing his two life vocations of law and music.
Stephen J. Pedersen is the Chief Legal Officer of Medical Solutions, the second largest clinician staffing company in the United States. Pedersen is also the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Criteria. Pedersen is a 5th Generation Nebraskan and 5th generation attorney, but has carved out a non-traditional path in the world of law and business; all while writing, recording, releasing and touring throughout North America, the UK and Europe in support of his music. Pedersen has for more than 20 years balanced his passion for his professional work with a continuing love of music making. He is a graduate of Creighton University with a juris doctorate from Duke University's School of law.

Author, indigenous leader, and business professor Taylor Keen discusses his new book “Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples’ Account of the Sacred Geography of America” which presents an indigenous lens on history and creation myths. Keen also discusses his own “living red” transformation and evolution of purpose.
A Cherokee Nation citizen, Keen carries the name “Bison Mane” of the Earthen Bison Clan of the Omaha Tribe, The People Who Move Against the Current. Keen is the Founder of Sacred Seed – a nonprofit that educates and celebrates Indigenous culture and history. Keen also is a Senior Lecturer in the Heider College of Business Administration in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Creighton University. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Keen went on to earn a Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, where he served as a Fellow in the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

Author Uche Okonkwo reads from and talks about her debut book “A Kind of Madness,” a collection of short stories set in Nigeria that explore the intricacies of human relationships and desires, our flawed thinking, religious and cultural norms, and the erosion of childhood innocence. Okonkwo also shares her own growth as an author and as a person.
Uche Okonkwo is a writer whose stories have been published in A Public Space, One Story, the Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019, and Lagos Noir, among others. A former Bernard O’Keefe Scholar at Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and resident at Art Omi, she is a recipient of the George Bennett Fellowship at Phillips Exeter Academy, a Steinbeck Fellowship, and an Elizabeth George Foundation grant. Okonkwo grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and is currently pursuing a creative writing PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her debut short story collection, A Kind of Madness, published by Tin House, is now available.

Alexander Cayetano, formerly a Benedictine monk and now the senior director of Leadership Development with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, talks about living life at crossroads, influenced by Cayetano’s Filipino heritage, the appeal of liturgy, coming to Nebraska, and their call to a community-minded monastic life. We talk also about Cayetano exiting the monastery to marry their same sex partner and enter a professional career.
Cayetano serves as the Senior Director of Leadership Development at the Greater Omaha Chamber. A vocation to the monastic life brought them from their hometown, Virginia Beach, to rural Nebraska. A decade spent in a Benedictine monastery instilled deep values of hospitality, community, and service, which Cayetano now carries into their professional life. Their spiritual discernment journey continues as does their commitment to social justice endeavors. Cayetano serves on the boards of Astute Coffee, Tri-Faith Initiative, and Immigrant Legal Center – Refugee Empowerment Center. A graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 44, Cayetano and their spouse, Travis, live in Omaha.