Sep 13 2020

Remembering Pat Haverty

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With a very heavy heart, the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development shares the news that our vice president, Pat Haverty, passed away late last week on September 10. Finding the words to appropriately express the significance of this loss to our organization and our Chamber family is extremely difficult.

Pat was a respected colleague and valued friend to all who were fortunate enough to cross his path. In addition to being an exceptional leader and impactful professional, Pat was a truly kind-hearted individual who will be greatly missed.

Working with Pat for the past 10 years has been a true privilege. The Partnership for Economic Development and the Lincoln community are both stronger as a result of his endless contributions and unwavering dedication throughout the years.

Under Pat’s leadership, LPED attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in new investments as well as helping local companies expand, resulting in numerous awards including three consecutive Governor’s Cups from Site Selection Magazine for the most projects within a state, back-to-back Silver Shovel Awards for the state of Nebraska from Area Development Magazine in 2019 and 2020, and the Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for the Lincoln Economic Dashboard. His leadership in workforce development also resulted in a Google Impact Challenge victory, in partnership with the New Americans Task Force to help internationally trained professionals return to their home profession.

Pat was a huge supporter of the entrepreneurial community in Lincoln and LPED’s assistance to entrepreneurs increased significantly under his watch. He was instrumental in the initial partnership with the University of Nebraska to fund the NMotion Accelerator, as well as the continued funding and support of the program as it exists today. He also oversaw the creation of significant entrepreneurial infrastructure in the Lincoln community, including two grant programs for early-stage startups and the creation of a digital platform to engage entrepreneurs within the community.

Pat’s passion for economic development and growth in Lincoln included serving as past-president of the Nebraska Economic Development Association and actively embracing speaking engagements on economic development opportunities in Lincoln. He recognized the need to attract new talent to the area and sustain the many talent pipelines in Lincoln as many industries started to advance. Likely one of the first, he created a director of talent strategy position to expand the economic development team to work on these issues. Not only was his vision for the Lincoln workforce exceptional, but so was his leadership style. Pat was a wonderful boss and led with confidence and compassion. He trusted his team with his vision and helped navigate the challenges and successes gracefully. His leadership at LPED and within many different communities will be recognized for years to come and missed dearly. 

Our continued thoughts and prayers are with Pat’s wife, children and grandchildren, as we mourn this huge loss with them. Our entire team had the distinct privilege and honor working with Pat, but the greatest blessing was calling him our friend.