{{Short description|American politician (born 1979)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Heath Mello |state_legislature1 = Nebraska |district1 = 5th |term_start1 = January 7, 2009 |term_end1 = January 4, 2017 |predecessor1 = Don Preister |successor1 = Mike McDonnell |birth_name = Heath Michael Mello |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|8|2}} |birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |spouse = Catherine Mello |children = 2 }} '''Heath Mello''' (born August 2, 1979) is an American politician who is a former member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Mello ran for mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, but was defeated by incumbent Jean Stothert in the 2017 mayoral election, receiving 46.56% of the vote. The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce named Mello their CEO in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://omaha.com/news/local/business/heath-mello-named-ceo-and-president-of-greater-omaha-chamber/article_9e0a2822-1ff8-11ee-a914-8fd283186627.html|title=Heath Mello named CEO and president of Greater Omaha Chamber|date=July 11, 2023|website=Omaha World-Herald}}</ref>
==Biography== He was born in Nebraska, graduated from Gretna High School and resides in Omaha, Nebraska. Mello received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2002.<ref =bio>[http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist05/biography/ District 05 Blog], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> He currently works as a Community Affairs and Development Specialist at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, NE.<ref =bio>[http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist05/biography/ District 05 Blog], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> He is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.<ref =bio>[http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist05/biography/ District 05 Blog], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref>
Prior to his election to the Nebraska Legislature, Mello worked as a senior aide to U.S. Senator Ben Nelson and as an Assistant Coordinator to the Nebraska Community Improvement Program.<ref =bio>[http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist05/biography/ District 05 Blog], accessed July 9, 2010.</ref>
=== State legislature === Mello was a Nebraska state senator who was elected to represent the 5th Legislative District in the Nebraska Legislature on November 4, 2008. Legislative District 5 consists of the South Omaha and North Bellevue portions of the Omaha Metropolitan area. Mello was re-elected November 6, 2012. He was opposed by NARAL Pro-Choice America<ref>{{cite news|title=Omaha Mayoral Candidate Under Fire For Anti-Choice Past Vows To Protect Reproductive Rights|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/omaha-mayoral-candidate-under-fire-says-he-would-never-do-anything-to-restrict-access-to-reproductive-health-care_us_58f8e868e4b018a9ce590a84|accessdate=21 June 2017|work=Huffington Post|quote="Heath Mello has introduced and supported anti-abortion legislation during his time at the Nebraska Unicameral, and Planned Parenthood Voters of Nebraska strongly opposed him when he took such actions,"}}</ref> due to earlier introduction of anti-abortion legislation, and support of legislation introduced by others. Pro-choice advocates also assailed Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez<ref>{{cite news|last1=D.D. Guttenplan|title=Why Was Heath Mello Thrown Under the Bus?|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/why-was-heath-mello-thrown-under-the-bus/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425023622/https://www.thenation.com/article/why-was-heath-mello-thrown-under-the-bus/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 25, 2017|accessdate=21 June 2017|work=The Nation|quote=Nor did it stop Perez from issuing a statement announcing that he "fundamentally disagree[s] with Heath Mello's personal beliefs about women's reproductive health,"}}</ref> for their support of Mello.<ref>{{cite news|title=DNC Unity Tour Hits Speed Bump Over Candidate's Abortion Record|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/democrats-vs-trump/dnc-unity-tour-hits-speed-bump-over-candidate-s-abortion-n748911|accessdate=21 June 2017|work=NBC News|quote=progressives began withdrawing support for Omaha, Nebraska mayoral candidate Heath Mello after discovering that, as a Nebraska state senator eight years ago, he supported an abortion-related ultrasound bill.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=SCOTT DETROW|title=Bernie Sanders Defends Campaigning For Anti-Abortion Rights Democrat|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/04/20/524962482/sanders-defends-campaigning-for-anti-abortion-rights-democrat|accessdate=21 June 2017|work=National Public Radio|quote=Mello has co-sponsored several bills in Nebraska's unicameral legislature that would restrict abortion rights, including a 2009 measure requiring doctors to inform women seeking abortions about the availability of an ultrasound.}}</ref> The ''Huffington Post'' reported that Mello sponsored the final version of a 20-week abortion ban approved by the governor in 2010. He also cast anti-abortion votes, including supporting a requirement for physicians to be physically present during an abortion, which limited access to telemedicine abortion care. Additionally, he supported a law banning insurance plans in the state from covering abortions. He was endorsed in 2010 by anti-abortion group Nebraska Right to Life.<ref>{{cite news|title=Omaha Mayoral Candidate Under Fire For Anti-Choice Past Vows To Protect Reproductive Rights|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/omaha-mayoral-candidate-under-fire-says-he-would-never-do-anything-to-restrict-access-to-reproductive-health-care_us_58f8e868e4b018a9ce590a84|accessdate=21 June 2017|work=Huffington Post|quote="Heath Mello has introduced and supported anti-abortion legislation during his time at the Nebraska Unicameral, and Planned Parenthood Voters of Nebraska strongly opposed him when he took such actions,"}}</ref>
==== Legislative committees and organizations ==== Mello was elected to the Legislature in 2008 and reelected in 2012. In his final term in the legislature, Mello served as chairman of the Appropriations Committee <ref>[http://news.legislature.ne.gov/app/ Appropriations Committee], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> and on the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee<ref>[http://news.legislature.ne.gov/nrs/ Nebraska Retirement Systems], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> in the Nebraska Legislature, as well as the Legislature's State Planning Committee,<ref>[http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/committees/select-committees.php Select Committees], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> Homeland Security Policy Group and the Healthcare Reform Task Force. Mello was appointed as chief lobbyist for the University of Nebraska system in December 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://journalstar.com/news/local/education/former-state-sen-heath-mello-named-nu-s-chief-lobbyist/article_c53f05b7-ffc0-58a7-8bbd-05918f013e60.html|title=Former state Sen. Heath Mello named NU's chief lobbyist|last=Dunker|first=Chris|work=JournalStar.com|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en}}</ref>
Mello is an active member in national state legislative organizations; serving on the Economic Development<ref>[http://www.csgmidwest.org/About/MLC/Committees/Economic/roster.htm Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225101743/http://www.csgmidwest.org/About/MLC/Committees/Economic/roster.htm |date=February 25, 2010 }}, accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> and Energy<ref>[http://www.csgmidwest.org/About/MLC/Committees/Energy/Roster.htm Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212063705/http://www.csgmidwest.org/About/MLC/Committees/Energy/Roster.htm |date=February 12, 2010 }}, accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> Committees within the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments, as well as, the Budgets & Revenue<ref>[http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabID=773&tabs=855,20,616#616 National Conference of State Legislators], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> and Labor & Economic Development Committees<ref>[http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabID=773&tabs=855,26,662#662 National Conference of State Legislators], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> within the National Conference of State Legislators. Mello is also a member of CLEAN (Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action Now),<ref>[http://www.energyactioncoalition.org/ Energy Action Coalition], accessed on March 10, 2010.</ref> the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators<ref>[http://www.ncel.net/ National Caucus of Environmental Legislators], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> and the Specialty Equipment Market Association State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus.<ref>[http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=61681 Specialty Equipment Market Association State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302223006/http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=61681 |date=March 2, 2010 }}, accessed March 10, 2010.</ref>
On July 11, 2023, Greater Omaha Chamber announce Heath Mello as organization's new CEO after in past CEO resign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://omaha.com/news/local/business/heath-mello-named-ceo-and-president-of-greater-omaha-chamber/article_9e0a2822-1ff8-11ee-a914-8fd283186627.html|title=Heath Mello named CEO and president of Greater Omaha Chamber|date=July 11, 2023|website=Omaha World-Herald}}</ref>
==Personal life==
=== Community organizations === As of March 10, 2010 Mello served on the Board of Directors for One World Health Center,<ref>[http://www.oneworldomaha.org/ One World Health Center], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> Bellevue Community Police Foundation,<ref>[http://www.bpcfoundation.org/ Bellevue Community Police Foundation], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> South Omaha Business Association,<ref>[http://www.southomaha.biz/ South Omaha Business Association] accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance<ref>[http://www.sonaomaha.org/ South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance], accessed March 10, 2010.</ref> and the Q Street Merchants Association. He also served as a member of South Omaha Optimists, South Omaha Development Project, South Omaha Environmental Task Force, South Omaha Weed & Seed, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce, and Omaha Chamber of Commerce.<ref>[https://district5-uio.blogspot.com/search/label/bio District 05 Blog]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, accessed March 10, 2010.</ref>
=== Religion === Mello, a Catholic, is a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Omaha, and a member of the Knights of Columbus. Mello and his wife, Catherine, were married on May 22, 2010.<ref>[http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist05/biography/ District 05 Blog], accessed July 8, 2010.</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} * Nebraska Legislature
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * Campaign Contributions: [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=98185 2008], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=114293 2010]
{{Nebraska State Legislature}}
{{S-start}} {{S-bef |before=Don Preister}} {{S-ttl |title=Nebraska Legislature District 5 |years=2009–2017}} {{S-aft |after=Mike McDonnell}} {{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mello, Heath}} Category:Living people Category:1979 births Category:Democratic Party Nebraska state senators Category:Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska Category:University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni Category:University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty Category:20th-century American people Category:20th-century Roman Catholics Category:21st-century Roman Catholics Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Candidates in the 2017 United States elections Category:21st-century members of the Nebraska Legislature