Gail Werner-Robertson is an entrepreneur and leader in the Omaha community and is known for her continued involvement in the Creighton community.
She has received numerous recognitions, including the Heartland Family Services Leadership Award and the University of Nebraska Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award, and she was an honoree at Omaha’s 24th Annual Tribute to Women, Women Making a Difference.
Werner-Robertson volunteers throughout the community. She assists women through support of the College of St. Mary’s Mothers Living and Learning housing program for students and is a Community Cabinet member for Project Harmony. Werner-Robertson has also volunteered as co-chair for the Salvation Army DJ’s Hero Awards Luncheon.
A strong advocate for autistic children, Werner-Robertson is the co-founder of Autism Action Partnership (AAP). A nonprofit foundation, AAP was founded with the purpose of increasing the quality and quantity of services in Nebraska benefitting those on the autism spectrum. In addition to the services AAP funds, they also operate Nebraska’s state-of-the-art online resource center for parents, educators and service providers about all aspects of autism in Nebraska. In 2015, AAP will debut a new long-term supported employment services program, release the results of a major autism prevalence data study and help produce a report on the economic impact of autism in our community.
Werner-Robertson also has a passion for finance and a desire to help families manage their wealth and pass it on. Werner-Robertson is the founder and chief executive officer at GWR Wealth Management. In her current position, she helps families with multi-generational planning, including wealth management and legacy preparation. She is a trusted source for publications such the Midlands Business Journal, the Omaha World-Herald and Robb Report’s Wealth Magazine.
In 2005, the Werner Institute at Creighton University was established thanks to a generous gift from the family of Werner-Robertson. In 2014, the Creighton Institute for Economic Inquiry at the Heider College of Business was founded with matching grants from Werner-Robertson’s family.
A standout guard for the Bluejays from 1983-88, Tanya Warren established herself as one of the top players in Creighton women’s basketball history, ranking seventh in career scoring as well as holding numerous other spots in the University’s record books.
While her career as a basketball player earned her a spot in the Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame, Warren’s accomplishments in the coaching realm are perhaps even more impressive.
She started her coaching career at Boys Town High School and Duchesne High School in the Omaha area, leading Duchesne to its first state tournament appearance in program history. Warren served stints as an assistant coach at Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Missouri before returning to Creighton as an assistant in 2004.
Warren oversaw the Bluejay backcourt and was in charge of player development, academic oversight and alumni events, all while playing a major role in camps, recruiting and scouting for the Creighton women’s basketball program. As the associate head coach, she helped guide the team to a WNIT appearance in 2005 and the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championship game in 2007.
In 2007, Warren made the leap to her first college head coaching position at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), becoming the first black female head coach in MVC history. She recently completed her eighth season as UNI’s head coach. A two-time MVC Coach of the Year, Warren directed UNI to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2010 and 2011 and the program’s first regular-season MVC title in 2011. She guided the Panthers to the school’s first WNIT victory in 2013. In all, Warren’s tenure at UNI has been one of the winningest stretches in school history.
Under Warren, UNI has not only become a perennial contender in the MVC, but also one of the nation’s highest-achieving academic programs, regularly posting a team grade- point average that ranks among the top 15 in the nation. Her student-athletes have earned numerous academic awards to go along with their athletic accomplishments.
Most recently, Warren has been selected as an assistant coach for Team USA at the World University Games to be held this summer in South Korea.
Warren has a passion for the game of basketball and a passion for making a difference in the lives of the players she coaches. She feels a deep sense of responsibility that accompanies her status as a role model for female athletes, both on and off the court.
