James Daniel "Jim" Vokal Jr. (born June 28, 1970) was a member of the City Council

Omaha City Council

The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2009. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district...

 of Omaha

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

, Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

, representing district 3, which included Midtown Omaha

Midtown Omaha

Midtown is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska that is a culturally, socially and economically important area of the city. It is home to major research centers, national corporations, several historic districts, and a number of historic residences.-About:...

, Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...

, and The Old Market from 2001-2009.

Biography

Born in Omaha, Vokal graduated from Millard South High School

Millard South High School

On January 5, 2011, Robert Butler Jr., a senior at Millard South, was suspended for trespassing on school grounds after an incident in which he drove his car onto the school's football field on New Year's Day. The suspension was carried out by Assistant Principal Dr. Vicki Kaspar and resulted in...

 in 1988. Vokal attended Creighton University

Creighton University

Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...

, earning his bachelors degree in Business Administration and Accounting in 1992. Following college, he worked as a commercial banker for Norwest

Norwest

Norwest Corporation was a banking and financial services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. In 1998, it merged with Wells Fargo & Co. and since that time has traded under the Wells Fargo name.-Early formation:...

 and Omaha State Bank until entering politics in 2001. Vokal currently serves on the board of directors for Destination Midtown, a community development organization.

He is Vice President of Coldwell Banker Commercial World Group, a commercial real estate company in Omaha.

Jim is married to Liz Vokal and has two children.

City Council

Vokal was elected to the City Council in 2001, and served for two consecutive terms, acting as president from 2003 to 2005. Vokal commonly supported measures to bridge the community and the Omaha Police Department. Vokal had been an outspoken critic of the Omaha police and fire pension system.

Mayoral election

On December 1, 2008, Vokal announced he was entering the race for Mayor of Omaha, and not running for a third term as councilman.
On April 7, 2009, he was defeated in the primary election.

Meca Board

On April 4, 2009, the Omaha City Council appointed Vokal to the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) board. The five-year term runs through 2014. Vokal replaced Terry Moore, who was appointed in 2004 by Mayor Fahey. MECA oversees operation of the Qwest Center and will do the same for the new downtown Omaha stadium once it is built.

External links

• City of Omaha Website