Cindy Gonzalez
LINCOLN — Two former state lawmakers, an Omaha couple that founded a senior home care service and the head of a Lincoln facility that won the first-ever “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” contest are the latest inductees into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.
The 2025 honorees: John Stinner of Gering, a two-term Nebraska legislator and a banker; Matt Williams of Gothenburg, also a banker and former two-term state senator; Paul and Lori Hogan of Home Instead, and Mike Boyle of Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. of Lincoln.
The five will officially become hall-of-famers during a Jan. 30 event at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel.
“This year’s honorees truly represent the entrepreneurial and innovative leadership that is so essential to Nebraska’s growth and success,” said Bryan Slone, president of the statewide chamber.
The Nebraska Business Hall of Fame was established in 1992 by the chamber and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business to recognize business leaders whose contributions to the state’s economy, job opportunities and business environment are deserving of public acclaim.
Nominations are sought each year from the general business community, statewide associations and academia.
More than 135 business leaders are in the hall.
“The impact this group has had on all sectors of Nebraska business is tremendous and their determination and grit are admirable,” said Kathy Farrell, dean of the UNL College of Business.
Stinner, of Western States Bank in Gering, is a Pennsylvania native who was a member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s 1970 and 1971 National Championship football teams. He completed his bachelor’s degree at UNL in 1973 and two years later earned a master’s degree in economics.
Stinner moved to western Nebraska when he and a local group of investors opened a bank in Gering. Scotts Bluff County has been home to his family for more than 26 years, and, according to a biography provided by the chamber, the bank he started is now a major employer in the region, with more than a dozen locations in Nebraska.
He was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2014 and served two terms.
Williams, of Flatwater Bank in Gothenburg, was born and raised in Gothenburg, where his family was involved with banking and ranching. He received his undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of Nebraska.
Williams grew the family banking business and became chair of both the Nebraska Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association. He represented central Nebraska in the Legislature for eight years, receiving the 2022 Friend of Education Award from the School Administrators Association for introducing legislation to make schools safer by creating the Safe2Help call line.
His service includes a chair position on the Board of Directors of Nebraska Innovation Campus.
The Hogans co-founded Home Instead in 1994 and grew it into a worldwide leading provider of home care services for seniors, according to a biography provided by the chamber.
The network includes more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchise offices across 14 countries. In 2021, the business merged with Honor Technology Inc. and continues to operate under the Home Instead banner.
Lori Hogan, a former Miss Nebraska USA and graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, has served on numerous boards including the Autism Action Partnership and Nebraska Family Alliance.
Paul Hogan is a member of the World Dementia Council and co-authored a USA Today bestseller, “States of Senior Care.”
Boyle, a UNL graduate, started at the Lincoln-based Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. as a process engineer who, among other duties, designed robot welding cells and brought new jet ski personal watercraft and motorcycles into production.
Promotions led to his 2022 selection as president and CEO, becoming the first non-Japanese president in the history of Kawasaki’s global operations.
The R211 subway car manufactured at the Lincoln Kawasaki plant took the win in the inaugural 2022 “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition, which is sponsored by the chamber and has become an increasingly popular annual contest.