Nebraska Announces Recipients of the 2023 Governor’s Wellness Awards

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently honored the recipients of the 2023 Governor’s Wellness Award. Presented every three years, the Governor’s Wellness Award is presented to Nebraska businesses that prioritize employee health and well-being. At a ceremony on Thursday, October 12, 2023, Gov. Pillen and Nebraska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Timothy Tesmer conferred RDG Planning & Design with the Grower Award, in recognition of its significant strides in enhancing employee health behaviors.

“The Governor's Wellness Award recognizes employers who have built a culture of wellness in their workplace," said Gov. Pillen. “An organization's people are its greatest assets, and it makes good business sense for companies to encourage good nutrition and healthy lifestyles through workplace programs [that] encourage team members to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle.”

Since it was initiated in 2008, the Governor's Wellness Award has recognized more than 500 organizations and companies for dedicating resources and time to wellness efforts in the workplace. 

Cultivating and supporting employee health has been at the forefront of RDG’s culture since its founding. Integral RDG’s culture are the 8 Lifestyles which include Design, Sustainability, Healthy, Leadership, Continuous Learning, Technology, Fun and Community. Each of these lifestyles represents a set of strategies to support a balanced life at home, at work and in communities. As one of the 8 Lifestyles, healthy living means RDG helps employees set and achieve their health and wellness goals by focusing on programs that reduce health risk factors and support mental health and financial well-being.

“At RDG we reinforce healthy living by promoting optimum health in the projects we design, in our office practices and in our individual lifestyles,” said RDG Architect and Managing Principal, John Sova, AIA “Not just because health impacts performance, but it also impacts quality of life. When you feel better, it shows in your relationships, your work and your life.” 

Created to encourage all businesses in Nebraska to offer wellness and health programs for their employees. the Governor’s Wellness Award is divided into three distinguished categories: Sower, Grower and Harvester. It is sponsored by DHHS and administered by the Panhandle Worksite Wellness Council, a part of the Panhandle Public Health District. In 2023, a total of 27 Nebraska-based organizations were honored.  

Cultivating and supporting employee health has been at the forefront of RDG’s culture since our founding. Integral to our culture is what we call our 8 Lifestyles: Design, Sustainability, Healthy, Leadership, Continuous Learning, Technology, Fun and Community. At their heart, each of these lifestyles represents a set of strategies to support a balanced life at home, at work and in our communities. As one of our 8 Lifestyles, healthy living means we help employees set and achieve their health and wellness goals by focusing on programs that reduce health risk factors and support mental health and financial well-being.