During his 25 years as the CEO of MECA, Roger Dixon managed the development of the CHI Health Center Omaha, Charles Schwab Field, and the Riverfront. The $747 million projects have resulted in more than 32 million visitors and a $2 billion impact on Omaha's economy.

Dixon, who announced earlier this year that he'd retire as chief executive officer at the end of 2025, was recognized for his leadership and vision during the 37th annual Commercial Real Estate Summit at the CHI Health Center on Aug. 22.

The CRE Summit presented Dixon the Chairman's Award – given only five or six times over 37 years - for 25 years of "visionary leadership and unwavering commitment in shaping the downtown Omaha community," said Jerry Slusky, founder of the CRE Summit.

The Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority has hosted world-class concerts, the College World Series, NCAA men's basketball tournament games, women's volleyball Final Four national championships, and four consecutive Olympic team trials for USA Swimming. MECA is currently overseeing a 90,000 square-foot expansion of the CHI Health Center Omaha, expected to be completed in the summer of 2027, adding $1.2 billion to the local economy.

"I've lived in a lot of cities over my 50 years in this business; none of them hold a straw to this place, the best place to live and work," Dixon said.

The Commercial Real Estate Summit is the brainchild of Slusky, a longtime real estate attorney. During a 50-year career, Slusky has participated in major real estate developments in the Omaha area, including One Pacific Place, First National Bank Park and Commercial Federal Bank Park, as well as several apartment communities.

While working as an adjunct professor at Creighton in 1990, where he taught a real estate development course, he organized the first Commercial Real Estate Summit.

It was a challenge because Omaha had experienced an economic downturn, which impacted Omaha's real estate community.

About 90 people attended the first summit in 1990. More than 1,000 people from the real estate industry - developers, realtors, brokers, engineers, attorneys, and builders - attended this year's CRE Summit at CHI Health Center Omaha.

Among the awards presented during the 2025 CRE Summit, the Deal of The Year - awarded to the brokers who completed the single most-complex and -impactful community transaction in Omaha - went to Cushman and Wakefield/The Lund Company and CBRE, the teams that created Olsson Engineering's new headquarters at The Row at Heartwood Preserve in West Omaha.

"It starts with great clients, and one of the hardest things as a leader to do these days is make a decision about your work goals," said Jason Cushman of Cushman and Wakefield/The Lund Company. "And I'm super proud to be involved with Olsson, watching their leadership team really make a decision that was employee-centric."

CRE Summit's Development of the Year recipient - 37 West Farnam - was recognized for its scope, investment size and influence on further development. The nine-story Blackstone District project includes retail space, 159 apartments, and a parking garage. The project was a joint venture of Clarity Real Estate, GreenSlate Development, and Park Omaha.

"Our project wouldn't have been possible without all the work that has happened over so many decades in Omaha," said Tom McLeay, chief executive officer and founder of Clarity Real Estate. "It's a culmination of the work of this room and so many others. Growing up in Omaha in the '70s and the '80s...to imagine where we would get to today during those honestly dark times of the '70s and '80s is remarkable. We have a long way to go. We have so much more runway ahead of us, and it's so exciting, and all you folks are all part of that."

The Summit Award - recognizing a project that has outstanding and regional impact - was awarded to the Catalyst Project, a co-working hub for healthcare and technology businesses near the main campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The 170,000-square-foot project was headlined by GreenSlate Development and Koelbel and Company.

The CRE Summit's Hall of Fame annually recognizes people who have made a lasting impression in the Omaha-area real estate community, as well as influential deals and developments that have helped transform the community. The summit honored five people this year.

Robert "Bob" Dreessen joined Thompson, Dreessen & Dorner in 1968 and became its president in 1974. He's served as the Chairman of the Board since 2010, though he's retired from day-to-day operations. Dreesen played a key role in developments for the LaVista and Papillion areas, including the development of residential neighborhoods such as Monarch Place, as well as public recreational facilities, including Tara Hills Golf Course and Papio Bay Aquatic Center.

Doug Dreessen took over as President of Thompson, Dreessen and Dorner from his father in 2010, representing the second generation of family leadership at the firm. Joining the company in 1975 when he was 14 years old, gaining hands-on experience in land surveying, geotechnical engineering, materials testing, and construction observation. During his career, Dreesen has managed the design and construction of numerous residential and commercial subdivisions across eastern Nebraska.

David Maenner of CBRE has spent his career focusing on the industrial and commercial real estate markets. He started his real estate career in 1981 in Dallas, Texas. During his career, Maenner has handled sales and leasing of major industrial properties within a 150-mile radius of Omaha.

Michael Matejka has more than 40 years in the legal profession, joining Woods Aitken in 2007. As a real estate attorney, Matejka manages real estate development, leasing, and tax planning for real estate transactions. He also handles business and taxation law.

As Chair of Lamp Rynearson Engineering, Nancy Pridal provides more than 30 years of experience in civil engineering. She's been recognized for her futuristic mindset. Pridal's civil engineering career began with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She's been with Lamp Rynearson for almost 30 years, serving as its CEO for about eight years.

Growing from less than 100 attendees in its first year to becoming perhaps the most-influential commercial real estate conference in the Midlands, the CRE Summit proudly supports local companies, using their representatives as speakers and session leaders, Slusky said.

Tim Trudell is a freelance writer and online content creator. His work has appeared in Flatwater Free Press, Next Avenue, Indian Country Today, Nebraska Life, Nebraska Magazine, Council Bluffs Daily Non-Pareil and Douglas County Post Gazette, among others. He is a citizen of the Santee Dakota Nation.