Name                           Sara Kohen

Occupation                   Attorney and School Administrator

Education                     University of Nebraska College of Law, J.D. with highest honors; James Madison University, B.A. summa cum laude, Political Science and Spanish

Political Affiliation        Democratic Party

Website                       saraforomaha.com

What are your connections to the community?

Omaha is a wonderful community. My family and I have lived here since I graduated from law school in Lincoln, and we’re proud to call Omaha home. I clerked for Chief Judge William J. Riley on the U.S Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and continued to practice law full-time for several years after my clerkship. I now work with kids and families as a school administrator: While I still do some in-house legal work on an as-needed basis, most of my work centers around community building, family engagement, marketing, and development. My family and I are active in the two synagogues to which we belong, as well as in the Jewish Federation of Omaha. A particularly impactful experience for me was working with a group from my synagogue to help sponsor a Syrian refugee family through Lutheran Family Services. I hope to be involved in such an effort again. I am also active in the Robert M. Spire American Inn of Court and belong to the Omaha Bar Association.

What experience do you bring to the office?

My professional experience practicing law and managing litigation provide important background that will help me as a City Councilmember. In my current work at the school, I spend time planning and budgeting for programs, managing volunteers and program staff, and coordinating with outside agencies. Finally, as a parent, I work to lead by example and to teach my children that we all have a responsibility to make our community a better place and that no matter where someone’s from or what their background is, people are a lot more similar than they are different.

What would one of your top priorities be?

Omaha is a great place to live, but Omaha can do better. We need elected officials who listen, who let people know what their city government is doing, and who base decisions on facts and bringing people together around solutions. We need to do the basics right—things like fixing streets the right way and protecting public health and safety—but we shouldn’t stop there. I’ll work to help Omaha reach its potential, working with community partners to create new jobs and insisting that our city do more to reduce climate change and defend our community from its worst effects.

What motivated you to run for public office?

I know how important local government is: From the quality of the roads we drive on, to the parks our children play in, to our families' health and safety, decisions made by local elected officials matter. Omaha is amazing, our people are great, and we have so much potential as a city. I also know that we should keep striving to improve. As a mom of four great kids, I want to work to make Omaha an even better place for my kids—and all of our kids—to grow up.

What’s the biggest issue that Omaha faces?

Our community, like many, has become divided. We need to listen to people and let them know what their city government is doing. We also need to pay attention to the details, use common sense, and bring people across our community together around solutions.

Is there anything else you want to tell voters?

Local elections matter: Local government decisions affect our quality of life, and because of the relatively small size of each district (compared to a national or statewide election), City Council elections really give voters a chance for their voices to be heard. Even if you’ve never voted in a city election before, I strongly urge you to consider doing so this time around. And if there’s something on your mind, please reach out to me directly. My email address is sara@saraforomaha.com, and I want to hear what matters to you.