Douglas County Board Of Commissioners
Chris Rodgers is a new political voice within the next generation of heartland leaders seeking to institute change and define a new image of Omaha, Douglas County and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Sworn into office as a Douglas County Commissioner in 2005, Mr. Rodgers is focused on increasing public health resources, strengthening community corrections programs, reforming the juvenile justice system, and controlling spending through a better use of taxpayer’s dollars.
Mr. Rodgers recently served as an assistant to Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and an elected member of the Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors representing its second district. As a member of Fahey’s senior staff, he was responsible for the administration’s efforts to strengthen small and disadvantaged business programs, reconstruct its workforce development initiative and improve the city’s road construction process. While serving on the Metropolitan Community College Board, Mr. Rodgers worked to diversify its workforce, seek new partnerships within the community, increase access to college facilities and maintain affordable tuition cost.
In addition his public service positions, Mr. Rodgers works as a Senior Community Service Associate for the University of Nebraska at Omaha were he leads the its privately funded initiative to strengthen prisoner re-entry programming and reduce recidivism. He previously worked as a community development lender for First National Bank of Omaha, the United Way of the Midlands, the Omaha Small Business Network, Culver & Associates, Inc. (now Redstone Communications) and the Omaha World-Herald.
Mr. Rodgers was married in 2001 to the former Ms. Sharlon Baldwin. They have a six year old son, Ellis Christopher Rodgers, and a two year old son Evan James Rodgers.
Mr. Rodgers was born and raised in East St. Louis, Ill and arrived in Omaha in August of 1987 by way of a basketball scholarship from Creighton University. Mr. Rodgers was part of the Bluejays 1989 and 1991 Missouri Valley Conference championship teams and NCCA tournament qualifying teams.
Mr. Rodgers graduated from Creighton in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. He later received his Master’s degree in Business Administration in 1999 also from Creighton. Mr. Rodgers later attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he received a Master’s degree in Public Administration in 2002.