Grand Island Chamber announces 2024 Top 35 Under 35
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — The Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce this year’s Top 35 Under 35 honorees for the Grand Island area.
The individuals selected to join this elite group have demonstrated exemplary leadership, dedication to the growth of the community through both professional and personal accomplishments, and a commitment to Grand Island’s success.
“A community is only as good as its next generation,” said Jamie Karl, president of the Grand Island Chamber. “Fortunately, Grand Island is blessed with some of the nation’s most talented and community-minded young professionals. The Chamber is proud to recognize these 35 individuals, all of whom will play a critical role in leading Grand Island area well into the future.”
The Top 35 Under 35 honorees will be recognized for their achievements and featured in a special print publication at the Chamber’s ceremony on April 25, 2024.
This year’s Top 35 Under 35 honorees are:
Lindsay Avila, Amur
Guadalupe Ayala Montanez, Multicultural Coalition
Miguel Baeza Aguilera, Wayne State College
Payton Best, JEO Consulting Group
Rene Blauhorn, Blauhorn Law
Taylor Brase, Central Community College
Bo Bruning, Chief Construction
Emily Byerly, Stuhr Museum
Cassandra Casares, Unity Eye Centers
Hannah Fair, Ryder Rosacker McCue and Huston
Mary Frickey, Riverside Lodge Retirement Community
Kyla Fuchtman, Northwest Public Schools
Laura Gamboa Urrego, YWCA of Grand Island
Eric Garcia-Mendez, Heartland United Way
Sydney Armstrong-Grint, Radiant Modern Dentistry
Christine Haba, Central Community CollegeF
Kelly Hranac, Country House
Karen Hurst, Stuhr Museum
Mikaela Keene, Roe Buick
Kelsie Kimbrough, Amur
Kristen Klein, GIX
Eon Lemburg, Grand Island Public Schools
Taylor Lemburg, State of Nebraska - District 9 Probation
Kendra Lutz, Greater Grand Island Community Foundation
Ashley Meister, Central Nebraska Humane Society
Jacob Morrow, Grand Island Public Schools
Jacie Moul, Amur
Claire Nelson, Amur
McKayla Ross, Amur
Jamie Royer, City of Grand Island
Karli Schulz, Nebraska State Fair
Seth Swerczek, Hornady
Megan Vaughn, Greater Grand Island Community Foundation
Nelly Venegas, Literacy Council of Grand Island
Andrew Wilshusen, JEO Consulting Group
The Top 35 Under 35 award was developed as a strategy to help address workforce recruitment and retention. Recruiting and retaining young professionals, through initiatives such as this, is essential to the continued growth and prosperity of our business community.
The Chamber selected three local business leaders to a blind review of the Top 35 Under 35 applications. The selection committee had a challenging task of narrowing the large field of qualified applicants to just 35. This year’s judges were:
Justin Pfenning, Dramco
Laura McAloon, City of Grand Island
Blake Corman, Grand Auto Sales
The Top 35 Under 35 is a biennial award. The next recognition will be in 2026.
