Cammy Watkins Is Helping Omaha Choose Courage

For Camellia “Cammy” Watkins, the work of equity is not abstract. It is personal. It is local. And it is urgent.

An Omaha native and graduate of Omaha South High School, Watkins has long felt called to service. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell College in psychology and vocal performance, a pairing that reflects both her curiosity about people and her love of expression. She has spent nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, with work spanning affordable housing, performing arts administration, and community-focused programming.

There was never a perfectly mapped career path. But there was always a clear drive to make a difference.

That commitment eventually led her to Inclusive Communities, the Omaha-based human relations organization whose mission is to confront prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination. Today, Watkins serves as the organization’s executive director, helping lead work that invites individuals, institutions, and communities into deeper conversations about inclusion, respect, equity, and justice.

The 2016 presidential election marked a turning point. In a published profile, Watkins reflected on the sharp national divide that followed and her growing sense that she could be doing more to help reconnect communities and bridge gaps closer to home.

Inclusive Communities’ work has reached beyond Omaha, including leadership programming with advocates from Norfolk, Lincoln, and Council Bluffs. Watkins has spoken about the importance of asking harder questions: why systems operate as they do, who they serve, and how they can be reshaped more equitably.

Outside of work, Watkins performs with local theaters, nonprofit arts organizations, and churches. She remains grounded by family, especially her mother, whom she describes as her inspiration for hard work, dedication, and mindfulness.

Her work is steady and intentional: reconnecting communities and reminding Omaha who it can be at its best. 

To support that work, the community can attend the 4th Annual Jane H. and Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks Conversations for Change featuring Gaby Natale on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the Holland Performing Arts Center. The free public event continues Inclusive Communities’ mission of building understanding through courageous dialogue.