Omahan who led Sister City trips receives Japanese honor
Steve Liewer
Source: Omaha World Herald
George Behringer visited Japan for the first time in 2009, only a few months before he was named that country’s honorary consul-general in Nebraska.
A dozen years and several trips later, the retired Omaha accountant has been recognized for a decade of volunteer service smoothing ties between the Beef State and the Land of the Rising Sun.
Kenichi Okada, Japan’s regional consul-general in Chicago, last week visited Omaha to confer Behringer membership in the country’s “Order of the Rising Sun,” signifying achievement in international relations and promotion of Japanese culture.
“He discharged his responsibilities exquisitely. He has made so many great things happen,” Okada said, speaking to a group of about 60 community leaders and Behringer family members at the Omaha Country Club. “In my eyes, he looks like a Japanese samurai.”
Behringer, who grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, worked 36 years as a certified public accountant, including 19 in Omaha and four in Saudi Arabia as a managing partner for PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers.
He and his wife, Nancy, had traveled extensively around the world before he was named honorary consul-general in 2010.
In that role, Behringer spearheaded the 2015 commemoration of the 50-year Sister City relationship between Omaha and Shizuoka, Japan, hosting several events here for Japanese visitors and leading a 60-member delegation on a friendship visit to Shizuoka, Kyoto and Tokyo.
He also accompanied Govs. Dave Heineman and Pete Ricketts on trade missions. Japan is the largest foreign direct investor in Nebraska, Behringer said, and it is the state’s top overseas export market. According to Ricketts’ office, Japan has invested more than $4.4 billion in Nebraska since 2010.
In his acceptance speech, Behringer also noted four pillars of cultural ties between Nebraska and Japan: the Omaha Sister Cities program, Japanese-American artist Jun Kaneko, Lauritzen Gardens (host of the annual Japanese Ambience Festival) and the Japanese Hall museum project in Scottsbluff.
“People are amazed at the amount of business and cultural connections with our city,” Behringer said.
He stepped down last year after his second five-year term as an honorary consul. He was replaced by Andrew Schilling, vice president of the Omaha Sister Cities Association.
