Leadership exchange - Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Transcription

Leadership
exchange
Meet the delegates
Presented By
The Honorable Jim Allen is Johnson County commissioner, representing the second
district. He was born and reared in the city of Shawnee where he continues to work and
live. His district covers the upper north-central sector of Johnson County, including
Shawnee, Lake Quivira, the northern half of Lenexa, and a small southeast portion of
Bonner Springs. Mr. Allen has been a State Farm Insurance agent for 33 years. He
served as mayor of Shawnee from 1993-2004, and represented Ward 1 on the Shawnee
City Council from 1989-1993, and Ward 4 from 1983-1987. Allen has been a member of
the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce for 33 years and served as the Chamber’s chairman
from 2007-2008. He attended elementary and secondary school at Saint Joseph Catholic
Church, where he has been a lifelong member. Allen received degrees from Johnson
County Community College (AA degree in 1971), Emporia State University (B.A. degree in
1973), and Rockhurst University (MBA degree in 1978).
Email: [email protected]; Phone: (913) 715-0432
Terry Bassham is chairman, president and CEO of Great Plains Energy and Kansas City
Power and Light. As chairman, he is the only management representative on the board.
Prior to being named to his current position, Mr. Bassham served as president and CEO,
where he focused on achieving Tier 1 performance in safety, operations and customer
service. Mr. Bassham originally served as KCP&L's executive vice president of finance &
strategic development and chief financial officer, and more recently as executive vice
president - utility operations. Active in the Kansas City community, Mr. Bassham serves
on several boards, including Commerce Bancshares Inc., the Kansas City Symphony,
Guadalupe Center Inc., the United Way of Greater Kansas City, the Greater Kansas City
Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, and Linda Hall Library.
E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: (816) 556-2200
Irvin (Irv) Belzer is a member of Bryan Cave LLP’s Management Committee and leads its
litigation section. His litigation work involves mortgage lending disputes including
securitized lending, corporate litigation involving mergers and acquisitions, and major
contract disputes in the banking, healthcare, real estate, and telecommunications
industries. Mr. Belzer is repeatedly named in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers
for Business as one of Missouri’s top commercial litigators. He has been named to “Best
Lawyers in America” for Missouri and to “SuperLawyers,” which recently listed him as one
of the top 50 lawyers in Kansas City. Mr. Belzer is counsel to the Greater Kansas City
Chamber of Commerce, vice chair of the board of the Jewish Community Foundation of
Greater Kansas City, and vice chair of the board of the Jewish Community Relations
Bureau/American Jewish Committee. He served two terms as chairman of the board of
The Learning Exchange, Inc. He is past board chair of the Jewish Family Services.
Laura Berger is the director of development for the Kansas City Zoo. In this position she
is responsible for capital campaign fundraising, general donations, sponsorships,
commission; acts as the liaison for the Friends of the Zoo Board of Directors as well as
overseeing the FOTZ development committee, fundraising committee, and the
governmental affairs committee. Ms. Berger has worked for the zoo for 10 years.
The Honorable Michael Boehm has served as mayor of Lenexa, Kansas since 2003. He
has operated in various positions for the city since 1992, and served as city councilman
for eight years before being elected mayor. Mr. Boehm also acts as senior vice president
of Commerce Bank, a position that he has held since 1985. He sits on the board of
directors for the Johnson County Research Triangle, Johnson County Community College
Foundation Advisory, Lenexa Chamber of Commerce, Kansas League of Municipalities,
Kansas Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations, Regional Transit Alliance,
Kansas Chamber, and KU Alumni Association.
The Honorable Michael Brooks represents the 5th district on the Kansas City,
Missouri City Council. He took office in May 2011. Councilman Brooks has served as the
senior pastor at Zion Grove Baptist Church for more than 10 years and as president of the
Concerned Clergy Coalition, in addition to serving in other ministry positions. Councilman
Brooks is the founder and former president of Hope Academy Charter School and
H.O.P.E. Ministries.
Harlan Brownlee, president and CEO of ArtsKC – Regional Arts Council, possesses a
passion for the arts guided by a disciplined approach to change. Brownlee has worked for
29 years in the arts field as a performing artist, arts educator, and arts administrator. Mr.
Brownlee received his B.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he was
educated as a dancer and choreographer. His performance background includes 13 years
as one of the artistic co-directors with City in Motion Dance Theater in Kansas City,
Missouri. Mr. Brownlee serves as the regional vice-president for Missouri Citizens for the
Arts, past board member for Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies, the
Missouri Alliance for Arts Education, and is on the Kennedy Center’s national touring
roster for the Partners in Education program and Changing Education through the Arts.
Frank Byrne was named executive director of the Kansas City Symphony (KCS) in June
of 2002. Under his leadership, the Kansas City Symphony has grown its audience, earned
and contributed revenue, and has made a transformational move into the new Kauffman
Center for the Performing Arts. The KCS has also increased its outreach to the
community and the region with a number of new initiatives, and has embarked on a very
successful series of commercial recordings for Reference Recordings, the most recent of
which won a Grammy award.
Dr. Timothy Caboni serves as vice chancellor at the University of Kansas and is KU’s
principal spokesperson. He directs KU’s public affairs strategy and oversees the
communications, marketing, and advocacy efforts of the University. Besides leading
public affairs for KU’s four campuses and the KU Medical Center, Dr. Caboni also
coordinates the communication strategies of the KU Alumni Association, Kansas Athletics
Inc., and KU Endowment with those of the University. He also is responsible for the
operations of Kansas Public Radio and is associate professor of educational leadership
and policy in the school of education.
Dr. Wayne Carter is president and CEO at Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute,
which serves to advance human and animal health through translational research,
collaboration, and commercialization. Dr. Carter is a life science executive with human
and veterinary expertise. In 2007, Dr. Carter was hired as vice president of research by
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, where he led nutrigenomics research and applied gene expression for
products in development. Dr. Carter is Chairman of KansasBio and is a member of the
Missouri Biotechnology Association Board of Directors, the KU Center for Research Inc.
Board of Trustees, the University of Missouri Research and Discovery Advisory Board,
and the K-State Olathe Advisory Board.
Ramin Cherafat is chief operating officer and partner of McCownGordon Construction
and has been with the firm since its early inception. He has played an integral role in
establishing the firm as one of the region’s largest general contractors. Mr. Cherafat’s
experience includes more than 17 years as a project manager, project executive, and vice
president for some of the largest commercial construction companies in the nation. With a
strong leadership role in the Kansas City community, Mr. Cherafat is actively involved in
numerous organizations. He currently serves as Board Chairman for the Olathe Chamber
of Commerce and on the Advisory Board for the Olathe Economic Development Council.
Additionally he serves on the Board of Directors for the Associated General Contractors,
KC Symphony Business Council, the Construction Science and Management Advisory
Council and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Architecture at Kansas State
University.
The Honorable Cindy Circo’s leadership role in some of Kansas City’s biggest recent
successful endeavors led Mayor Sly James to appoint her mayor pro tem in 2011. A small
business owner and Kansas City resident for 25 years, Councilwoman Circo has
promoted growth and opportunity throughout her career. As an advocate for both stronger
neighborhoods and sustainability, Councilwoman Circo has found innovative ways to
integrate both priorities to establish and maintain green Kansas City
neighborhoods. Councilwoman Circo is credited with spearheading the effort to bring the
Google Ultra High-Speed Fiber Optics project to Kansas City, a success story she says
ranks among her most significant accomplishments in business and in government.
Dianne Cleaver is executive director of the Urban Neighborhood Initiative, an
organization formed to implement the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Big 5
idea of revitalization of neighborhoods in the urban core. Previously, Ms. Cleaver held the
positions of president of Symmetry Consulting LLC, chief administrative officer for the
Kansas City Missouri School District, coordinator of Governor Bob Holden’s state-wide
initiative for families and children, director of community development for Truman Medical
Center, and mental health director at Swope Parkway Health Center, managing
comprehensive outpatient programs for children and adults and residential programs for
substance abusers and mentally ill clients.
Dr. David J. Cook, PhD, is the vice chancellor for the KU Edwards Campus in Overland
Park, Kansas. Dr. Cook is also a professor at both the Lawrence Campus and the KU
School of Medicine in Kansas City. Prior to his appointment at the Edwards Campus, Dr.
Cook was the associate vice chancellor for community engagement at the University of
Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Cook also served as the associate director of the Institute for
Community and Public Health. Dr. Cook’s research interests focus on health
communication, the health of underserved populations, health technology applications,
workforce development, and emergency preparedness. He has been funded by 28
different federal, state and private grants, acquiring more than $11 million in extramural
funding as a principal or co-principal investigator. Dr. Cook is committed to fostering
entrepreneurship through academic and business partnerships.
Jon Copaken is a principal at Copaken Brooks, LLC. Mr. Copaken is active in the entire
development process, including major tenant office and retail leasing, financing, land
acquisition, zoning, and construction. He is also instrumental in the firm’s leadership and
strategic planning initiatives. Mr. Copaken’s civic and economic development focus lies
primarily on the future of downtown Kansas City and issues affecting the urban core. He is
currently serving on the Downtown Council of Kansas City (past chair), The Civic Council
of Greater Kansas City and the Art in the Loop Board of Directors. He also served on the
Kansas City Municipal Arts Commission (1999-2008), the Kansas City Municipal Parking
Authority (1999-2007), the Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors (20042005), and the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce (2004-2006). In addition, he is a
member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and an alumnus of the KC
Chamber’s Centurions Leadership Program.
Bill Crandall acts as managing principal for CBC Real Estate Group. His career spans 30
years in architecture, project management and real estate development. Mr. Crandall’s
project oversight portfolio includes Logistics Park Kansas City, Village West Tourism
Destination, Sprint’s world headquarters campus, and several other development projects
including corporate headquarters for Applebee’s International, Inc. and Andrews McMeel
Universal. Mr. Crandall has extensive experience in working with municipalities on publicly
incentivized public/private partnerships. Mr. Crandall serves as the chairman of the board
for Friends of the Zoo, First Tee of Kansas City, and the co-chair of Day-For-Kids
fundraiser.
Jason Stuart Dalen serves as the associate director of The Civic Council of Greater
Kansas City. Since joining in 2006, he has been responsible for directing the Civic
Council’s legislative and advocacy activities at the local, state, and federal levels. Mr.
Dalen also oversees the Civic Council’s work and initiatives relating to life sciences and
higher education. In addition, Mr. Dalen provides legal counsel to the Civic Council’s
board and senior management. Prior to joining the Civic Council, Mr. Dalen was an
attorney with the Polsinelli law firm where he concentrated in the areas of commercial
litigation, products liability, and education law. Before this, he was a litigation associate
with the Bryan Cave law firm.
Elizabeth Danforth is senior manager of public affairs for Kansas City Power & Light
(KCP&L), an investor-owned electric utility headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. She
joined KCP&L in 2002 and leads the community relations & customer insight departments.
Her team at KCP&L is responsible for corporate citizenship and responsibility, issues
management, stakeholder outreach, SmartGrid education, and customer research and
insight. Prior to KCP&L she worked for 13 years in the non-profit sector directing fund
development, marketing, and media relations for several organizations. She has also held
leadership roles in more than a dozen local and national nonprofit organizations. As a
development professional, Ms. Danforth managed multi-million dollar capital, endowment,
and operational campaigns, as well as comprehensive marketing communications
initiatives.
Paty Daves is the regional partner and president of Willis of Greater Kansas, with 25
years of risk management and insurance experience. Willis is a global risk advisor,
insurance broker and human capital consultant and Mr. Daves is responsible for leading
and executing on the firm’s client-focused strategy in the heartland. He is a graduate of
the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, with a degree in English and holds
the designations of CPCU – Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter; AMIM –
Associate in Marine Insurance Management, and ARM – Associate in Risk Management.
He is active in a number of civic and charitable pursuits.
Mary Larson Diaz joined Baker University in 2013 as the chief external relations officer.
Mary’s background includes government relations, community relations, and
development. Previously, she served as assistant to the president for external relations at
The University of Alabama, associate vice president of external relations and strategic
initiatives for Texas Tech University, and deputy chancellor for external relations at the
University of Missouri Kansas City. Mary has been involved with the KC Chamber for
many years as an active member on the Missouri and Kansas State Affairs Committees.
She serves on the government affairs committee of the Overland Park Chamber and is
also active with the Leawood Chamber. Mary is a graduate of the Governor’s Executive
Development Program in Texas, Kansas City Tomorrow, and Centurions. Professionally,
Mary has been involved with the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, Urban
Serving Universities, and the Scandinavian American Economic Development Alliance.
Steve Doyal is senior vice president of public affairs and communications at Hallmark
Cards, Inc. where he leads the company's communications, public relations, government
affairs, and community involvement programs. He is responsible for the Hallmark Visitors
Center, Kaleidoscope - a children's creative art experience at Crown Center - and the
philanthropic activities of the Hallmark Corporate Foundation. Mr. Doyal serves on the
board of directors of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., a public company that operates both
the Hallmark and Hallmark Movie Channels. He is co-chair of the Kansas City Area
Development Council, and chairman of the EPIC Entertainment Board of Directors.
W. Thomas (Tom) Dugard is founder and principal owner of Affirmational Leadership
Consulting, LLC. After a 31-year career with five nationally recognized United Ways, Mr.
Dugard has worked for the last four years to assist people to create an enriched self
image and understanding of others. His course and training topics include: time
management, stress management, bringing your best self, speaking and communications
coaching, trust training, employee makeover, selling skills training, detoxification of the
workplace, and more.
The Honorable Peggy J. Dunn is a lifelong resident of the Greater Kansas City area, a
graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has served as mayor of Leawood,
Kansas since 1997. In addition to Ms. Dunn’s role as mayor, she is currently involved
with a number of civic and nonprofit organizations. She serves as board chairman of
Truman Medical Centers and on the boards of Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts,
Union Station Kansas City, Hall Family Foundation, Youth Volunteer Corps, Saint Luke’s
South Hospital, Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas, Country Club Bank,
and as an Advisory Board Member of the Leawood Chamber of Commerce.
Terry Dunn joined J. E. Dunn Construction Company in 1974 as contracts officer and was
made vice president and treasurer in 1978. He was promoted to senior vice president in
1979, executive vice president in 1980, president in 1986, and chief executive officer from
1989 to 2005. He is currently the president and chief executive officer of J. E. Dunn
Construction Group, Inc., the holding company for J. E. Dunn Construction Company and
other affiliates across the nation. He has been active in all facets of the business with
extensive experience in construction operations. Mr. Dunn is also very active in civic and
community volunteer work.
Bill Ebel was appointed city manager of Overland Park in January of 2011, having
previously served as director of planning and development services and city
engineer/deputy director of public works. He is the fifth city manager of Overland Park
since its incorporation as a first-class city in 1960. In 2000, Mr. Ebel retired from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers after 22 years as an active duty army engineer officer. Mr. Ebel
has a BS in applied mathematics from the United States Military Academy at West Point;
a MS in civil engineering from Stanford University; and an MPA from the University of
Kansas.
Warren Erdman is executive vice president of administration and corporate affairs for
Kansas City Southern (KCS). Prior to joining KCS in 1997, Mr. Erdman served as chief of
staff to United States Senator Christopher S. Bond of Missouri. He also served former
Missouri Governor John Ashcroft in the governor’s office in 1985, and served former
Missouri Governor Bond in the governor’s office between 1981 and 1984. Mr. Erdman is
on the board of directors of Dickinson Financial of Kansas City, Missouri chairing its
compensation committee. He serves on the executive committee and board of directors of
the KC Chamber, the Kansas City, Missouri Downtown Council, the board of directors of
the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and is a former director of the Starlight
Theater in Kansas City. Mr. Erdman was appointed by Kansas City Mayor Sly James as
chair of the Mayor’s Streetcar Governance Committee in 2012.
Todd Feeback is a multimedia reporter/producer for KCPT’s journalism center. Mr.
Feeback specializes in health reporting, providing coverage across KCPT’s news
products. Prior to joining KCPT’s news operation in April of 2013, Todd spent 10 years as
a journalist with The Kansas City Star. Starting in 2006, he helped build out the Star’s
video efforts and covered a wide range of stories for both the print and online products of
the newspaper.
E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (816) 756-3580
David M. Fowler is the retired office managing partner of KPMG LLP in Kansas City. Mr.
Fowler is a licensed certified public accountant in Missouri. He is actively involved in
various charitable and civic organizations including: the American Royal; Boy Scouts,
Heart of America Council; Civic Council of Greater Kansas City; Greater Kansas City
Chamber of Commerce; and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Mr. Fowler is currently cochair of the mayor’s KCI Terminal Advisory Group.
Nicholas Franano, M.D. is founder and CEO of Novita Therapeutics, a life-sciences
incubator company. Dr. Franano previously founded Proteon Therapeutics, where he
served as CEO and Chief Scientific Officer and invented PRT-201, Proteon’s lead drug
candidate which acts as a “biological stent” for patients with vascular diseases. Dr.
Franano helped raise $84 million for Proteon and secure an agreement granting Novartis
the option to acquire Proteon for $550 million, after which Franano was named an Ernst &
Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Central Midwest. Dr. Franano is a graduate of the
University of Kansas and received an MA in biomedical research and an MD from
Washington University, St. Louis. He completed a residency in diagnostic radiology and a
fellowship in interventional radiology at Johns Hopkins, and practiced medicine for six
years as an interventional radiologist.
Burdette (Pete) Fullerton is the president/CEO of the Economic Development
Corporation of Kansas City. The EDC of Kansas City serves as a clearing house of
economic development services to the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to his position
with the EDC, Mr. Fullerton served for 22 years as the executive director of the Platte
County Economic Development Council in Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, Mr.
Fullerton served as a senior project manager with the Missouri Department of Economic
Development. Mr. Fullerton’s professional endeavors currently include board
memberships on the Kansas City Area Workforce Investment Board and the Park
University Civic Advisory Council. He has also served as an adjunct professor in the
Graduate School of Public Affairs at Park University. In addition, Mr. Fullerton is a past
president/chairman for the Southern Economic Development Council, the Missouri
Economic Development Council, and the Northland Board of the United Way of Greater
Kansas City.
The Honorable Carl Gerlach was elected mayor of Overland Park in April 2005 and reelected in 2009 and 2013. He served on the city council from 1995 to 2005 as a
representative of Ward 3. While on the council, Mayor Gerlach served as president in
2003-2004, and as chair of the Community Development and Finance, Administration,
and Economic Development Committees. He has maintained his community involvement,
currently serving on the Board of Shawnee Mission Medical Center, on the Johnson
County Education Research Triangle (JCERT) Authority Board of Directors, and as a
board member of Mid-America Technology, Inc. He is the chairman of the Kansas Lottery
Commission and a Johnson County Community College Foundation board member. In
the past, Mayor Gerlach has served on the Friends of Johnson County Developmental
Supports Board, along with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors.
Carol Gonzales has served as city manager for the City of Shawnee, Kansas since 2005.
She holds a B.A. from Drake University and a M.P.A. from the University of Kansas. Her
career in local government includes work for the cities of Olathe, Kansas, Emporia,
Kansas, Seal Beach, California, and Lenexa, Kansas. She is a member of the
International City Managers Association, has served as the chairperson of the Kansas
Eastern Regional Insurance Trust, chair of the KU MPA alumni organization, and currently
serves as a member of the Creating Sustainable Places Steering Committee. Ms.
Gonzales has served on the Board of United Community Services of Johnson County
since 2007, serving as chairman in 2011 and 2012. She currently serves on the Johnson
County Civil Service Board. Carol was named Shawnee Citizen of the Year in 2010 by the
Shawnee Chamber of Commerce and in 2012 was awarded the KUCIMAT Edwin O.
Stene Award for Managerial Excellence.
R. Stephen Green, Ed.D., was named the superintendent of the Kansas City Public
Schools in April 2012 after serving as interim superintendent since August of 2011. He is
the former president and CEO of Kauffman Scholars, Inc. Previously, Dr. Green was the
superintendent of Community School District #28 and a local instructional superintendent
in Region 3 for the New York City Board of Education. Dr. Green served as the president
and executive director of the New Jersey Teaching and Learning Collaborative. He has
served as the national executive director of school-level services and as associate
director for Pacesetter Planning and Development for the College Board. Green currently
serves on the Independence, Missouri Alumni of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., the
Christian Education Board, and the Usher Board for Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist
Church; the National Institute for Construction Excellence Board of Directors; and KCPT
Public Television Board of Directors.
Dr. Marc Hahn became the 14th president and is chief executive officer of Kansas City
University of Medicine and Biosciences in July 2013, after serving as KCUMB’s provost
and executive vice president for academic and medical affairs since October 2012. In his
current capacity, he leads the largest medical school in the midwest. Dr. Hahn’s career in
anesthesiology began at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.,
where he received his internship and residency training. While in the military, he served
as anesthesiologist for two U.S. presidents, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Over
the years, Dr. Hahn has served on numerous committees for various commissions,
agencies and organizations, including the American Academy of Pain Medicine, American
Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, and the notable Blue Ribbon
Commission for the Advancement of Osteopathic Medical Education.
Linda Hanson is regional market president in Kansas City for Enterprise Bank & Trust, a
company with more than $3 billion in assets. Enterprise focuses on fueling growth for
closely-held or family owned businesses. It provides a range of innovative products and
services that smaller banks can’t match with a level of personalized service larger banks
can’t rival. Ms. Hanson has more than 25 years of industry leadership and a passion for
intentionally connecting her clients to help them reach their goals and objectives.
James A. “Jim” Heeter is president and chief executive officer of the KC Chamber. He
joined the KC Chamber staff in 2010 following a distinguished career as an attorney. In
1995 he became a partner with Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, LLP (now Dentons), and
served as the managing partner of that firm’s Kansas City office and a member of the
firm’s executive committee from 2000 until 2010. Mr. Heeter is the past president of the
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. He served on the Kansas City, Missouri City
Council from 1983 – 1987, representing the city’s 4th District at-large.
Jeremy Hegle is the senior project manager for KCSourceLink. He has helped establish a
resource network which connects entrepreneurs with more than 200 business-building
organizations throughout the 18-county Kansas City region. The KCSourceLink program,
funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, served as a pilot which has been
adopted by communities stretching from Virginia to Alaska. Jeremy currently assists
communities in implementing their U.S.SourceLink programs. U.S.SourceLink is the
winner of the Excellence in Economic Development Award for Enhancing Regional
Competitiveness from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development
Administration.
Larry Jacob’s diverse skills include political campaign strategy, public policy
development, communications, and foundation expertise - all of which combine to make
him a highly sought-after resource. Prior to the Dover Group, Jacob served as the senior
vice president for the Greater Kansas City community foundation, the sixth largest
community foundation in the nation, where he was responsible for assets of over $1
billion. Mr. Jacob began his career with Senator Bill Bradley and has worked with political
candidates across the country at all levels of government, from municipal to federal. He
was named a NextGen Leader by the Kansas City Business journal in 2013.
The Honorable Sly James was elected mayor of Kansas City on March 22, 2011, and
sworn in on May 1, 2011. Mayor James served as a military police officer for four years
and received an honorable discharge in 1975. When his service ended, Mayor James
returned home to Kansas City and graduated Cum Laude from Rockhurst College before
earning his law degree, also Cum Laude, from the University of Minnesota in 1983.
Throughout his successful 26-year legal career, Mayor James has earned extensive
professional accolades including being appointed to the Missouri Board of Law
Examiners, leading the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Kansas City
Bar Foundation, and serving as vice president of the Public Interest Litigation Clinic and
of the board of directors of Legal Aid of Western Missouri. In 2002, Mayor James started
his own successful small business, The Sly James Firm, where he works with victims to
seek justice and positive outcomes to disputes.
Dr. Roy A. Jensen, MD, combines exceptional experience in the laboratory and
international leadership in pathology to lead The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
Since becoming director, he has recruited a world-class leadership team responsible for
the Cancer Center achieving National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation in 2012.
Following his fellowship training at the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Jensen joined the
faculty of Vanderbilt in 1991 in the departments of pathology and cell biology. Dr. Jensen
was named director of the cancer center in 2004. He also serves as director of the
Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute and is a professor of pathology and laboratory
medicine, anatomy and cell biology at The University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Brian Kaberline is editor of the Kansas City Business journal, responsible for all news
operations in print and online. He also is a member of the publication's editorial board.
Kaberline has been with the Kansas City Business journal for 25 years and has been
editor since 1999.
Rick Kahle has more than 20 years’ experience in the employee benefits field. He came
to Lockton Companies in May 2001 as a producer and was promoted to president in
December 2005. Rick serves on the Kansas City and National Employee Benefit
Executive Committees. Prior to coming to Lockton, he was the area president of the
Kansas City division at Gallagher Benefit Services. He also serves on the board of
directors for United Way, Young Leaders Society, Phoenix Family Housing, the Greater
Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City Civic Council, and the Mid America
Coalition on Healthcare. Mr. Kahle was named one of Ingram’s “40 under 40” in 2006, and
his other accolades include the Clifton R. Cohn Distinguished Community Leader Award
and the Bernard Powell Centurions Award.
Robert A. “Bob” Kipp began his career in the United States Air Force and transitioned
into local government. Mr. Kipp has served as city manager for Kansas City, Missouri as
well as the cities of Fairborn and Vandalia in Ohio. After his time as city manager, Mr.
Kipp served as the president of Crown Center for 14 years, and was the vice president of
Hallmark for 17 years. He currently acts as chairman for Crown Center and sits on the
board of directors for the Hall Family Foundation. Mr. Kipp has earned more than a dozen
awards and recognitions, including the Kansas Citian of the Year Award from Greater
Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Urban Land Institute Lifetime Achievement
Award, and the MRIGlobal Life Trustee Award. He also sits on boards for a number of
organizations, including University of Kansas Medical Center and The Kansas City
Symphony.
The Honorable Steve Klika is partner with Keystone Futures, LLC, a management
consulting business focused on organizational change and strategic planning. Mr. Klika
has more than 30 years of transportation experience in both the public and private
sectors. He previously served as president of the International Motor Coach Group, senior
vice president for Laidlaw and Mayflower Contract Services, and administrator for the
Oklahoma City Parking and Transportation Authority. In addition to his business
responsibilities, Mr. Klika is the third district representative on the Johnson County Board
of Commissioners, vice chairman of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
(KCATA), and serves on the Kansas City Convention and Visitor’s Association Board of
Directors. He recently completed almost eight years on the Blue Valley Board of
Education, serving four of those years as board vice president and president. Mr. Klika is
a graduate of Leadership Overland Park and Leadership Oklahoma City.
Jared Konczal provides insight and consultative support as a senior analyst in research
and policy at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He oversees the Kauffman
Foundation’s blog, Growthology.org, works on a number of research projects, and assists
in monitoring the Foundation’s research grants. Prior to his current position, Konczal was
an analyst and intern at the Foundation. Konczal graduated summa cum laude from
Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and a minor in
leadership studies.
Denise Kruse is owner and CEO of AdamsGabbert (AG); headquartered in Overland
Park, KS with an office in St. Louis, MO. It specializes in improving business strategy and
operations of its clients in the areas of people, process and systems. It consults and staffs
in business process improvement, project management, and systems. At AG, they thrive
on delivering on their promises: to their clients, their employees, and their communities.
The company was just named “Community Steward of 2013” by the KC Business
magazine. Ms. Kruse serves on numerous business and philanthropic boards, including
the KC Chamber board where she is co-chair of the annual dinner, and chairs both
Central Exchange and Bloch School of UMKC boards.
Michael Lally is a vice-president with Olsson Associates, a 650 plus person full service
engineering consulting firm with 23 offices in seven states. He is a professional engineer
and professional geologist and has been in the engineering or contracting fields for over
27 years. Mr. Lally has also been deeply involved civically in the Kansas City area for
almost 25 years. From 1992-2001, he was a city councilman for the city of Overland
Park, Kansas. He has served as chairman of the Overland Park Economic Development
Council; chairman of the Downtown Overland Park Partnership; and president of the Holy
Cross Catholic School Advisory Council. Currently, Mr. Lally serves on the boards for the
Olathe Economic Development Council, KC Smartport, Johnson County Developmental
Supports, Team Kansas, Kansas City District Council, and Design Build Institute of
America.
Mark Larrabee is a Kansas City native currently serving as president and CEO for Arvest
Bank in Kansas City. He assumed this position in November 2009. He has held numerous
leadership positions in various community and regional banks in the Kansas City area
dating back to 1984. Mr. Larrabee has been active in various community organizations
throughout his career, holding board and leadership positions with the American Red
Cross of Greater Kansas City, The Children’s Center Campus, Children’s TLC, Boys &
Girls Clubs, University of Kansas Advancement Board, Kansas City Area Development
Council, Kansas Bankers Association, the Prosperity Committee of the Urban
Neighborhood Initiative, and the CORO Foundation. He is also a graduate of the
Centurions leadership program.
Todd LaSala is a partner in Stinson Morrison Hecker’s Real Estate Division and
concentrates his practice on representing commercial real estate owners, brokers and
developers. Mr. LaSala had a key role in the firm’s representation of the Unified
Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas in its development of Village
West, the retail and entertainment district adjacent to the Kansas Speedway. Mr. LaSala
served as lead counsel to the Unified Government and the Board of Public Utilities in its
efforts to be selected by Google from more than 1,100 other municipal applicants to
become the first U.S. city to have “Google Fiber.” Mr. LaSala was the co-author of the
State of Illinois' STAR Bond Financing Act, which was signed into law by Governor Pat
Quinn in 2010. Mr. LaSala represents the Allen Group, an industrial developer who, in
concert with the BNSF Railway, is developing an intermodal facility.
Email: [email protected] ; Phone: (816) 691-3410
Linda Leeper is president and CEO of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce, a position
she has held since January 2001. She is responsible for the strategic direction of the
Chamber Corporation including the Chamber’s programming and membership and the
Economic Development Council and Tourism divisions. The Shawnee Chamber is a 4Star Accredited Chamber by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Prior to her current
position she owned and operated her own business for seven years and served on the
Shawnee Chamber Board of Directors. Previously she had worked in retail, manufacturing
and design for several local companies. Ms. Leeper serves on various local Boards
including the Committee for Excellence, Downtown Partnership, Rotary Club, and is
president of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Kansas association. Ms. Leeper
has been honored as the citizen of the year by the Knights of Columbus.
Pete Levi has been a shareholder and Leader of the KC Region Public Policy Group of
Polsinelli since January 2010. Before that he served as president of the KC Chamber for
20 years and executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council for 13 years. He
serves on the boards of Truman Medical Center and Kansas City Symphony, and the
board of Trustees of UMKC; Mr. Levi is a member of the board of advisors of the Bloch
School, KU Advancement Board, and both the Jewish Federation and Community
Foundation. Mr. Levi is a member of the Civic Council. Mr. Levi was recently named as
the UMKC School of Law alumni of the year for 2011.
Ronald Lindsay is the founder and senior pastor of Concord Fortress of Hope Church in
South Kansas City, MO. It is considered to be one of the fastest growing churches in the
metro, with an active membership of about 4,500. A native of Kansas City, and graduate
of Bishop College, Dallas, TX, he is pursuing completion of his Master’s Degree in
Divinity. He attended Central Theological Seminary, and completed further studies at
Oxford University. He has been heralded by local media as one of the principal
community leaders and clergy. He recently celebrated the opening of the new Concord
Cultural Center, which offers multiple services to the community, with an emphasis on
youth, and young adult spiritual, social, emotional, and physical needs. He has achieved
collaboration with local community businesses, educators and statewide government
sectors.
Julie Lorenz leads Burns & McDonnell’s strategic consulting and public engagement
services for the transportation practice, based on more than 20 years of experience in
communication, public affairs, and policy development in the transportation industry. Most
recently, she served as director of public affairs at the Kansas Department of
Transportation (KDOT), where she led strategic planning and integrated
collaboration/communication efforts. Notably, KDOT secured an $8.2 billion 10-year
funding program in spring 2010 through a sales tax increase, resulting largely from
stakeholder collaboration and a focus on economic impact analysis. She is recognized as
a national leader in areas of facilitation, collaboration, and in the use of economic
analysis.
Maria Maffry holds the position of vice president of business development at BNIM
Architects. Her role in the firm is focused on broadening BNIM’s exposure in key markets
where the firm offers architectural design and planning services. She works to connect
people with the value of architecture by exposing and promoting the firm’s key strengths
as they align with goals for future growth. Ms. Maffry is a 2000 Graduate of the Greater
Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program.
Bob Marcusse is president and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Area
Development Council, a position he has held since 1991. Mr. Marcusse has spearheaded
major growth initiatives in the region such as the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute,
KC Animal Health Corridor, and KC SmartPort and KCnext – The Technology Council of
Greater Kansas City. He serves on the executive committees of KC SmartPort, KCnext
and Missouri BIO. He is a member of the University of Kansas Edwards Campus Advisory
Board, and University of Missouri Economic Development Cabinet. He is past chair of the
University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute. Mr. Marcusse has also held
leadership positions with the Columbus (Ohio) Area Chamber of Commerce, the
Economic Development Council for the Peoria Area, Battle Creek (Mich.) Unlimited, and
the Inland Port Authority of South Central Michigan and Foreign Trade Zone #43.
Jane McAtee began her career with Southwest Airlines in 1983. During her 30 years with
the company, Jane has held leadership positions in the areas of Customer Service
Operations, Human Resources, Field Support and Marketing. In her current role as
Regional Leader of Community Affairs and Grassroots, Jane is responsible for strategic
community outreach to nonprofit, business and political organizations which positively
impact communities served by Southwest Airlines. Jane is an active board member for the
Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serves on the Connections to Success
Kansas City Regional Executive Committee and the National Civic League All-America
City Awards Host Committee.
The Honorable Laura McConwell has served as the Mayor of Mission, Kansas since
March 2002. Through her leadership, Mission developed great relationships with
neighboring cities as well as with county, state and regional interests. These efforts
afforded Mission the opportunity to take great strides in realizing its community vision and
restoring Mission to the walkable, livable city that the residents, businesses and visitors
desire. Mission has maintained its high quality of services and healthy fund balances as it
has improved its infrastructure systems to allow for redevelopment. As a result, Mission is
a vibrant and busy place. Outside of public office, Mayor McConwell practices law,
representing a number of small businesses and individuals. Since becoming mayor, her
practice has primarily been focused on general civil litigation, transactional matters, estate
planning/probate, and domestic litigation.
Pat McCown is chief executive officer and co-founder of McCownGordon Construction,
one of the largest general contractors in the region. McCownGordon has been named one
of the Best Places to Work in Kansas City for the past eight consecutive years by the
Kansas City Business journal. Mr. McCown currently serves on the boards of UMB Bank
N.A., Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Area Development
Council, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Kansas City Art Institute, Starlight Theatre,
UMKC Conservatory’s Advisory Committee, Metropolitan Arts Council, Kansas City Art
Institute, KU Endowment Advancement Board, Missouri Biotechnology Association, and
serves on the Leadership Committee for United Way, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society. He is co-chair of the Business Council for the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and
a member of The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City. McCownGordon was recently
named Business Philanthropist of the Year by Nonprofit Connect.
Clyde R. McQueen serves as president and chief executive officer of the Midwest
region’s premier job training and placement enterprise, the Full Employment Council
(FEC) - Missouri Career Center. He currently serves as president of the U.S. Conference
of Mayors and Workforce Development Council, as well as the chairman of the Economic
Development Corporation of Kansas City. He is also a member of the Clay County
Economic Development Corporation, Research Medical Center Board, Greater Kansas
City Chamber of Commerce Board, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Advisory Board,
United Way Income Impact Council, Federal Reserve Bank Community Development
Council and Alliance for Economic Inclusion, and the United Services Community Action
Agency Board. He was appointed to the Missouri Automobile Task Force by Governor Jay
Nixon. He has served on the Missouri Community Service Commission and as president
of the National Association of Counties - Training and Employment Professionals. Mr.
McQueen has received numerous awards from a variety of institutions.
David Mendez is a native of Kansas City living and working in the community virtually his
entire career. Mr. Mendez joined Hoefer Wysocki Architecture in January 2011. As senior
business development associate, Mr. Mendez is responsible for providing leadership
within the firm's public safety and civic design groups, identifying opportunities for new
federal, state, county, and municipal building and planning projects. Prior to joining Hoefer
Wysocki, Mr. Mendez spent more than 20 years of his career in telecommunications,
commercial transportation and alternative / renewable energy industries where he was
responsible for domestic and international business development, strategic planning and
partnerships. Mr. Mendez has served as a board director for a number of publically and
privately held companies.
Christopher Migneron is the AIA office leader, AIA is HNTB’s Central Division
Architecture office leader responsible for the practice’s overall design, business and
management results. Based in Kansas City, Mr. Migneron directs a staff of 67 design and
related management professionals working on a diverse array of projects regionally and
nationally. He has more than 15 years of architectural experience encompassing various
project types and delivery methods. His expertise includes sports, aviation, federal, and
transit projects. Prior to his role as office leader, Mr. Migneron served as assistant project
director on one of HNTB’s most prominent federal projects in Kansas City, the National
Security Campus for the NNSA. Before returning to HNTB, Mr. Migneron was a small
business owner and principal of a design-build firm focused on commercial and custom
residential projects in the Kansas City area. Mr. Migneron is a registered architect with a
Bachelor’s degree in architecture from Syracuse University.
Eric M. Morgenstern is president and CEO of Morningstar Communications, a strategic
integrated communications firm that helps industry and community leaders clarify their
message, connect with the people who matter most, and change attitudes and behaviors.
For more than 30 years, Mr. Morgenstern has helped companies achieve their growth,
sales, marketing, and communications goals. He volunteers on the KC Chamber of
Commerce Board of Directors, and was a strategic advisor during its rebranding process
in 2012. He also helps lead the University of Kansas J-School Generations initiative and
serves on the marketing team for the Kansas City Area Development Council.
Bob Morton joined Hoefer Wysocki Architecture with the responsibility for business
development within the commercial market. Mr. Morton leads the identification,
development and acquisition of new business opportunities nationally for the firm. Prior to
joining Hoefer Wysocki, his career advanced through various technology industries
focused on helping companies align IT to their business strategy. Mr. Morton has
participated on multiple leadership committees and advisory panels within the industries
he managed for more than 25 years.
Leo E. Morton was named chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City on
December 15, 2008. Prior to assuming the chancellorship, Morton had been senior vice
president and chief administrative officer for Aquila, Inc. Mr. Morton has been a University
of Missouri-Kansas City trustee since 2000 and was in his third year as Chairman of the
Trustees Board when he stepped down to become interim chancellor and then permanent
chancellor. He is chairman of the Advisory Board of Prep-KC, a major regional youth
educational development organization. Mr. Morton is also co-chair of the Kansas City
Area Development Council. In addition, he is on the board of directors for MRIGlobal, the
KC Economic Development Corporation, Starlight Theatre, the independent advisory
commission on racial profiling for the Overland Park Police Department, and the advisory
committee for the National Association of Corporate Directors, Heartland Chapter.
Tracey Osborne, CCE, is the president of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce.
She is responsible for the strategic direction of the Chamber’s membership, legislative,
and economic development activities. With 25 years of experience in the chamber
profession, Ms. Osborne previously served chambers in Missouri and Oklahoma, joining
Overland Park in 2004. Ms. Osborne recently served on the Johnson County Charter
Commission and the executive committee and board of the American Chamber of
Commerce Executives, as well as the boards of the Kansas Chamber and Johnson
County United Way. She served as chair of ACCE’s Certified Chamber Executive
Commission, president of the Kansas Chamber Executives, and was co-chair of the first
Missouri/Arkansas/Kansas/Oklahoma Chamber Executives Conference. She is a Summa
Cum Laude graduate of William Jewell College with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English
and communication. She is a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management,
Southern Methodist University, and Leadership Kansas.
Roshann Parris is president and CEO of Parris Communications Inc., a Kansas Citybased public relations and strategic communications firm. Now in its 25th year, the firm
maintains a vigorous focus on strategic corporate communications, media relations and
crisis communications. Ms. Parris is the recipient of the 1999 Kansas City Spirit Award,
the 2003 Central Exchange Woman of the Year Award, and the 2005 KC Chamber
ATHENA Award. Her firm was named as the 2003 Kansas City Small Business
Philanthropist of the Year, and has been recognized annually since 2007 as a small
business “Best Place to Work” by the Kansas City Business Journal. She is a native of
Louisville, Kentucky, and an honors graduate of Indiana University and the University of
Kansas.
Timothy T. Petty is executive vice president, Kansas City, of U.S. Bank. He has been
with the bank for more than 13 years and currently is the line of business head and team
leader for U.S. Bank Commercial Banking – Kansas City and Oklahoma. Mr. Petty has
been recognized for his top performance within the company as a repeat Vanguard
winner, representing the top five percent of all commercial bankers. Mr. Petty has been
involved in numerous community organizations, including: U.S. Bank team captain for
March for Babies, board member of the Kansas State University Innovation Campus,
board member of the Olathe Economic Council board, board member of the Association
for Corporate Growth, Kansas City Tomorrow, and Millcreek Community Church.
Todd Pleimann is the managing partner of RubinBrown’s Kansas City office and serves
as a partner in the Assurance Services Group. He has diverse audit, accounting, and
income tax experience. Mr. Pleimann’s consulting expertise includes the analysis of
operation systems, procedures and development, and individual and business tax
planning.
Wayne Powell, vice president of executive services and chief of staff at Blue KC, serves
as the liaison between business functional areas and the CEO to whom he reports
directly. As chief of staff, he is accountable for engaging executives on various levels as
they have major initiatives across functional lines. Mr. Powell also oversees the Corporate
Communications, Health Promotions, and Community Relations departments. Prior to
joining Blue KC in 2010, Mr. Powell served as an executive at the Federal Reserve Bank
of Kansas City, where he held a variety of positions during his 15-year tenure. Currently,
Mr. Powell serves as board president for the Hope Leadership Academy Charter School.
Additionally, he is a board member of Nonprofit Connect and a KC Chamber Centurions
alumnus. Email: [email protected]; Phone: (816) 395-3844
Jeanette Prenger is founder, CEO, and president of ECCO Select, an information
technology consulting company, and one of the top 500 hispanic owned businesses in the
U.S. Ms. Prenger holds various board positions serving education, business, and the arts.
Ms. Prenger is an appointee of the governor to the Missouri Workforce Investment Board
and to the Mayor’s Early Education Commission. She and ECCO Select are recipients of
numerous business and philanthropic awards.
Joe Reagan was named president and chief executive officer of the St. Louis Regional
Chamber in December 2011. The Regional Chamber is the Chamber of Commerce and
leading private sector economic development organization serving the 16-county, bi-state
region. The chamber is leading the way to building a greater St. Louis region by
supporting public policy and infrastructure initiatives, attracting new jobs, capital and
talent, and other important economic development issues that will help to make St. Louis
a more attractive place for people to live, work, and invest. Mr. Reagan has more than 20
years of experience in public and private sector initiatives in community and economic
development, public policy, regional strategy, and community problem-solving. Before his
recruitment to St. Louis to head the Regional Chamber, Mr. Reagan served as president
and CEO of the Greater Louisville Inc. Metro Chamber of Commerce since 2005.
Joe Reardon recently concluded eight years as Mayor and CEO of the Unified
Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. During this time, he led both
organizations in a continued economic renaissance. His economic development work
ranged from local redevelopment to the $414 million dollar Sporting Park Soccer
Stadium/Cerner office project, named one of the top 10 economic development deals in
North America in 2010 by Site Selection Magazine. Mr. Reardon negotiated the first
Google Fiber development agreement in the country, making Kansas City, Kansas the
first city to obtain Google Fiber’s ultra-high speed FTTH network. The City successfully
competed against more than1,100 municipalities that submitted proposals to Google. Mr.
Reardon, an attorney, now practices development, land use, corporate, and technology
law with the Kansas City, Kan., law firm of McAnany, Van Cleave and Phillips P.A.
Bob Regnier is a native Kansas citian and is a graduate of Kansas State University and
the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has resided in the Kansas City area his entire
adult life. Bob has been in the banking profession for more than 40 years. For the last 23
years he has been the president of Bank of Blue Valley, which has grown to more than
$650 million in total assets with five branch locations since he organized it in 1989. Bob
was a former chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and is
currently active on the board of directors of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City,
Union Station Kansas City, Kansas Venture Capital, Inc., Greater Kansas City Community
Foundation, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the University of Kansas Hospital
Authority.
Ralph Reid is vice president of corporate social responsibility for Sprint. In this role, he
leads Sprint’s overall social responsibility and environmental efforts while managing
Sprint’s community relations, employee volunteerism, and corporate diversity and
inclusion efforts. He also directs Sprint’s philanthropic activities as president of the Sprint
Foundation. During his 27-year career with Sprint, he has held a wide range of financial
and operations management positions with the company. Mr. Reid is currently president
of the board of directors for the Kansas City Downtown Minority Development
Corporation, and vice chairman of the Greater Kansas City Urban League. He also serves
on the boards of Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Boys and Girls Club of Greater
Kansas City, Kansas City Repertory Theater, Heart of America United Way, Salvation
Army, KC Chamber, Oakwood University, and Park University and is vice president of the
Kansas City United Community Action Agency.
Robbin Reynolds is chairman and president of Sound Products, Inc., now celebrating its
22nd year anniversary. A woman-owned business, Sound Products designs, installs, and
services audio, video and security systems for the commercial market. In other words, it
engineers “vibe,” designing environments where success comes alive with sight, sound,
and security. Recent projects include access control, CCTV, and conference room A/V for
the new Country Club Bank building, A/V systems for the newly renovated Woodside
Racquet Club, A/V systems for MRI Global’s conference center, sound masking for
Capitol Federal’s headquarters and Lockton Insurance’s offices, intercom systems for the
Topeka 501 School District, and Avigilon security cameras for Blue Cross and Blue Shield
in Topeka.
Jim Rine joined UMB in 1994. He became president of the Kansas City region in 2011.
He is the advisory director for UMB Bank, n.a. and member of the UMB Financial Services
board of directors. He also is on the following UMB advisory boards: Metro, South,
Johnson County and St. Joseph. Mr. Rine is on the board of the Kansas City Zoo, and
was the corporate fundraising chair for the zoo’s largest fundraiser, Jazzoo, in 2011 and
2012. He is the vice president of the Brush Creek Community Partners board. He is a
membership committee co‑chair of the Hallbrook Country Club board of directors. He sits
on the advisory boards for Drumm Farm Center for Children, and Charlie’s House. In
2004, he was recognized by Ingram’s Magazine as a “40 Under 40” honoree.
Clinton O. Robinson is the director of state and local government affairs and an
associate vice president of Black & Veatch Corporation. He has attended all of the
Leadership Exchanges except the first one. He has worked for Black & Veatch
Corporation for 29 years. He is an active member of the US Conference of Mayors, the
National League of Cities, and the American Council of Engineering Companies. He
retired in 2011 from serving eight years on the Blue Valley School board. He also serves
on the Saint Luke’s South Hospital board of directors, and the KC Chamber’s Johnson
County and KCMO Business Leadership Councils. Black & Veatch is a leading global
engineering, consulting, and construction company specializing in infrastructure
development in water, energy, telecommunications, management consulting, and
environmental markets.
CiCi Rojas was named president and CEO of the Central Exchange in February 2013. In
her role she provides vision, voice, and operational oversight for the 900 plus members
representing a cross-section of women and men from throughout the Kansas City area.
With more than 400 programs annually, the CX offers a wide variety of personal and
professional opportunities at both the downtown Kansas City and Overland Park
locations. Ms. Rojas most recently, served as vice president of Community Engagement
for Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to joining TMC, Ms. Rojas
served various communities in the business, political advocacy arenas. Her executive
roles include serving as president and chief executive officer of the Greater Dallas
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as well as vice president of Strategic Alliance with the
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
David Rowe is the director for policy in the Office of Mayor Sly James. He is responsible
for working with the mayor and his chief of staff to implement, track, and manage the
administration’s policy initiatives. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University in North
Carolina and received his law degree from the University of Kansas.
The Honorable Mike Sanders has served as the Jackson County executive since 2007.
Prior to that, he was elected Jackson County prosecutor from 2002-2006. Since taking
office as county executive in January 2007, he has worked to fundamentally change the
way Jackson County Government operates on a daily basis. His accomplishments include
opening a Regional Correctional Center, implementing a newly revised County Charter,
recreating a Jackson County Economic Development Department, and developing the
“Constructing Futures” program to address homelessness and the blight of vacant homes.
The Aspen Institute, an international non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.
selected Mr. Sanders as a fellow in its national Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership
program in 2008.
Dirk Schafer began his career with JE Dunn in 1987. He has been in charge of some of
the company's largest projects, including the center downtown development, Federal
Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and the United
States Postal Service Philadelphia Distribution Center and Vehicle Maintenance Facility.
Mr. Schafer was named President of JE Dunn Construction Midwest Region in 2012 and
currently has overall responsibility for all aspects of the company, which has more than $1
billion in yearly revenue and offices in Kansas City, Topeka, Springfield, Des Moines,
Omaha, and Minneapolis. He has served on the Iowa State University Industry Advisory
Council, reStart Homeless Shelter board of directors, and The Prairie Village Planning
Commission.
Jewel D. Scott is the executive director of The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.
Previously, she served as city manager of Delaware, OH, in the city manager’s office in
Kansas City, MO, and as a newspaper reporter. She is a fellow of the National Academy
of Public Administration. Ms. Scott is a past member of the board of directors and the
executive committee of the Missouri Bioscience Association. She serves on the board of
directors of the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association and is a member of the
University of Kansas Advancement Board.
The Honorable Ron Shaffer is serving his fourth term as mayor of Prairie Village,
Kansas. Shaffer is principal of his firm, RLS Architects, which he founded in 1979. He is
currently serving on the board of directors of the Mid-America Regional Council as a past
chair, the National Association of Regional Councils, and United Community Services of
Johnson County. He has also been involved with many other community oriented boards
and activities in the metropolitan area. He is a member of Kiwanis International, joining in
1975, where he has served in various leadership positions including president of the
Plaza Club and the Downtown KC Club, lieutenant governor of division four, and governor
of the Missouri/Arkansas District.
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]; Phone: (913) 384-0134
Doug Silvius has been actively engaged in litigation and commercial law practice since
his graduation from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law in 1987. He
has held several positions with the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, including
chairman of the Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court program and chairman of the Computer Law
Committee. He has presented at various seminars on real estate, leasing, municipal
contracting, construction disputes, and commercial transactions, and has also been a
regular speaker at the Missouri Rural Water Association meetings. Mr. Silvius is a partner
with Martin, Pringle, Oliver, Wallace & Bauer, L.L.P. Mr. Silvius is currently in his second
term as a board member for the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce and serves as chairman.
Brad Smith joined M&I, a part of BMO Financial Group as regional president, Kansas
City in April 2012. He is responsible for driving financial and operational performance for
the retail branch network and business banking team. He also leads collaborative
partnerships with both the wealth and commercial banking teams for Kansas and
Missouri. A career banker, Mr. Smith has a wealth of experience in transformational
improvement of expense ratios, revenue generation, and profitability as well as extensive
change management experience. Recently, Mr. Smith has served in banking roles which
included executive vice president of enterprise sales and executive vice president of
consumer & small business. He is a member of the Kansas City Area Development
Council Board of Directors, and has been actively involved with United Way for several
years to help create alternative banking solutions for the under-served.
Brad Sprong has 27 years with KPMG LLP, serving clients and addressing their tax
needs around the world. He operates in a variety of industries including diversified
conglomerates, real estate, and banking. Mr. Sprong has experience and knowledge
related to complex organizational structures, tax compliance systems, and global tax
department operational efficiencies. Mr. Sprong is also well connected across KPMG and
leads several multi-country engagements, identifying tax and business opportunities and
building qualified teams based on the client’s specific needs. In addition to his lead
partner responsibilities Mr. Sprong advises on tax department transformation and system
implementations providing advice with respect to tax department efficiencies, best
practices, project management assistance, and tax operational improvement.
Jon Stephens is currently serving as the Interim President & CEO of the Kansas City
Convention & Visitors Association. Mr. Stephens’s mission is to ignite global passion for
visiting Kansas City. A career brand marketing and communications executive, Mr.
Stephens is also President of Rockhill Strategic, an executive and innovation marketing
firm. He is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, branding, and consumer trends. He
has led a multi-million dollar mixed-use entertainment district, as well as directed a
national advertising agency. He proudly serves on several non-profit boards committed to
education, health and children.
Brent A. Stewart is president of United Way of Greater Kansas City. Serving the Kansas
City metropolitan area, Mr. Stewart uses innovative, collaborative approaches to develop
financial resources and create value-added community building opportunities. He works
with donors, community partner agencies, staff, and volunteers to strengthen United
Way’s effectiveness as a change agent and promoter of long-term solutions for
community problems. Mr. Stewart has more than 25 years of experience in the United
Way system, previously serving as president of the United Way of Columbia-Willamette,
serving the United Way of Snohomish County, and as president of United Way of Greater
Battle Creek. He also served as vice president for resource development for the United
Way of Westchester and Putnam Counties in White Plains, New York.
Douglas S. Stone is a senior partner with Polsinelli, where he practices in the firm’s
economic development and land use group. Mr. Stone applies his specialized knowledge
of real estate law and Missouri development incentives to advise and counsel developers
and local governments on the structure, negotiation, and documentation of public/private
partnerships. He has assisted clients with the adoption and implementation of tax
increment financing, transportation development districts, urban redevelopment
corporations, community improvement districts, and other state and local redevelopment
tools. Mr. Stone helps clients find innovative ways to achieve the construction and
financing of shopping centers, warehouse and distribution facilities, roads, interchanges,
sewers and other infrastructure, office and mixed use developments, and many other
challenging projects. Mr. Stone is a past president of the Missouri Economic Development
Financing Association, and presently serves on its board of directors and as chair of its
legislative affairs committee.
Paul Strohm has spent his entire life in Kansas City. After graduating with an engineering
degree from the University of Missouri in 1978, Paul went to work for HNTB. He then
completed his MBA at Rockhurst University after making a move to the local Siemens
office. He spent 14 years with Siemens and is currently in his 20th year with the C&C
Group. He is one of two owners of the C&C Group and serves as president and chief
operating officer. His love for Kansas City continually inspires him to ensure C&C Group,
maintains its spot as the premier building services and systems integrator in the Midwest.
Mr. Strohm serves on the board of directors for a national organization called InsideIQ
and also serves on the board of directors for DeLaSalle, a local charter school located
near the area in which he grew up.
Brenda Tinnen is credited with the most successful venue launch outside of New York
City or Los Angeles when she opened Sprint Center, Kansas City’s anchor to more than
$6 billion in downtown redevelopment. In her storied career, Ms. Tinnen has previously
held similar development and operational roles with other AEG owned or controlled
venues including STAPLES Center, Home Depot Center, the Colosseum at Caesar’s
Palace, and Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards. Since joining AEG in 1999,
Ms. Tinnen and her staff have overseen the overall day-to-day support for award winning
arena’s tenants, clients and partners. A veteran of live industry, Ms. Tinnen is recognized
as an energetic and committed leader.
Jay Tomlinson is a founder of Kansas City-based Helix Architecture + Design. He has
led more than 40 renovation projects, several of them combining LEED-certification
criteria with both federal and state historic tax credits. Mr. Tomlinson has served as
president and board member of the Charlotte Street Foundation and president of the
Friends of Art of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. He also co-founded the Urban Society
of Kansas City and is past president of the American Institute of Architects- Kansas City
Chapter. He has held numerous civic board memberships and currently serves on the
Kansas City Mayor’s Economic Development committee, AdvanceKC and the mayor’s
Task Force for the Arts. Mr. Tomlinson’s design work has been published nationally and
recognized with local and regional design awards. He has collaborated with artists of
different disciplines to produce integrated works of art and architecture, and this work, too,
has received numerous accolades.
Oscar Tshibanda is the founder and managing partner of Tshibanda & Associates LLC, a
management consulting and project management services firm. His firm specializes in
managing large and complex Information Technology projects for clients including
National Marrow Donor Program; ICW Group; City of Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City
Water Services Department; Federal Reserve System; and University of Missouri System.
Mr. Tshibanda’s 26-year consulting career focus is to enable his clients to develop
strategies and implement measures to improve operations, performance, and
management controls through the use of information technology. Mr. Tshibanda is a
former consulting practice leader from Deloitte & Touche LLP and IBM Global Services.
Michael Viazzoli is chief executive officer and president of Bank of Kansas City, a
division of BOK Financial, a top 25 US-based bank. In these roles, he has direct
responsibility for coordinating delivery of all banking services provided through Bank of
Kansas City’s commercial, wealth management and consumer business units. Viazzoli
has more than 20 years experience in the banking industry including roles at Credit
Suisse in Los Angeles, New York, Zurich and Chicago prior to moving to Kansas City in
1998. Prior to joining Bank of Kansas City in 2011, he served as senior vice president in
corporate and investment banking at Bank of America for 12 years. Viazzoli now has
direct responsibility for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the bank and
its 140 employees who provide a variety of products and services including commercial
and consumer banking, investment services, and mortgage origination and servicing.
The Honorable Scott Wagner represents the 1st District At-Large. He began his
professional career in marketing and public relations as marketing director of the City
Market in 1995. For the next four years, Councilman Wagner worked diligently to bring
attention to the market and the surrounding area. His efforts resulted in hundreds of
events and millions of visitors to the area throughout the year. Councilman Wagner
founded Wagner Marketing, a small marketing and public relations firm. He then went to
work for a local marketing and advertising agency in 2007, and returned to private
practice in 2010. Through Councilman Wagner's work in the public sector and as a small
business owner and neighborhood leader, he understands that improvement can only
happen when businesses can grow and residents feel safe and secure in their own
neighborhood.
David Warm has served as executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council
(MARC) since July 1990. As the chief executive of the Metropolitan Council of
Governments serving Greater Kansas City, Mr. Warm leads key regional planning and
community development initiatives in areas that include transportation, environmental
protection, emergency management, aging services, early education, and local
government cooperative services. He is an associate of the Citistates Group and a board
member for the Alliance for Regional Stewardship. In 2006, he was inducted as a Fellow
into the National Academy of Public Administration, and he received the Walter Scheiber
Leadership Award from the National Association of Regional. In May 2012, he was
honored by Nonprofit Connect as the professional of the year.
Carolyn Watley is president of CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services of Kansas City.
Business Insurance Magazine named CBIZ the number one benefits specialists in the
nation in 2013. Ms. Watley and the rest of her team are experts on health care reform. All
CBIZ consultants combine national resources with personal attention to provide superior
employee and financial services that make businesses better.
E-mail: [email protected]; Phone (913) 234-1715
W. Russell Welsh has served as chairman and CEO of Polsinelli since 1998, during
which time has guided the firm through strategic growth that has positioned the 675attorney firm to become a leading national business and litigation law firm with national
practices in financial services, real estate, business litigation, life sciences, intellectual
property, and health care. Mr. Welsh has extensive trial experience in business and
commercial litigation. Early in his career, he was a trial attorney with the Department of
Justice in Washington, D.C. He is listed in Chambers USA and other rankings of leading
attorneys in the nation. Current KC Chamber chairman, Mr. Welsh has also served on the
boards of directors of the Civic Council, KCADC and Starlight Theatre, among others.
Richard Wetzel is founder and partner with Centric Projects, the next generation builder
in Kansas City. Since 2010, the firm has grown rapidly by focusing accountability,
leveraging technology and fostering collaboration. A registered architect and a LEED
accredited professional, Mr. Wetzel is a graduate of the KU School of Architecture and the
UMKC Bloch School of Management, and has served as adjunct faculty at both
institutions. Mr. Wetzel currently serves on several nonprofit boards, has led numerous
community fundraisers, is a past president of Impact KC and AIA Kansas City, and served
on the steering committee of Centurions.
J. Michael Wilkes began his local government career in 1984 as an administrative intern
in the county manager's office in Jackson County, Oregon. Since January 1999, Mr.
Wilkes has served as the city manager of Olathe, Kansas. The recent census revealed
that Olathe is the 33rd fastest-growing community in America, and it was also recognized
by Money Magazine as the 11th Best Place to live in the country. Mr. Wilkes is active in
community service, holding memberships in the Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club, the executive
committee of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce board, the Olathe Economic
Development Council, and the Olathe Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Council.
He also serves on the national board for the Alliance for Innovation, and is a past board
member of Johnson County United Way and the Olathe Region United Way.
Karlyn Wilkins, recently named the executive director of the Truman Medical Center
Charitable Foundation, has more than 25 years of professional experience in consumer
product marketing and fundraising in for profit and nonprofit organizations. A Chicago
area native, Ms. Wilkins has worked for companies such as General Foods in New York,
Helene Curtis in Chicago, and Hallmark, where she managed the launch of the Maya
Angelou Life Mosaic Line. Her lifelong passion for the performing arts led her to join
Chicago’s Goodman Theatre to build its corporate fundraising program. As the former
director of major and leadership gifts for the UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of
Management, Ms. Wilkins successfully worked to secure major gifts to support the
school’s strategic initiatives and significantly broadened outreach to Bloch’s alumni locally
and nationally.
John Wood serves as assistant city manager of Kansas City and director of
neighborhoods and housing services department (NHSD). In these capacities, he
oversees an operation of approximately 200 staff and a $36 million budget covering a
broad range of programs and services affecting the quality of life of all Kansas City
residents and neighborhood conditions. NHSD administers the City’s community
development block grant and housing rehabilitation programs and redevelopment
projects; enforces neighborhood preservation and code inspections; provides animal
control and abatement of dangerous buildings; assists neighborhood block watch and
crime prevention activities; and funds weatherization and emergency repair programs for
residents. Formerly, Mr. Wood was community affairs officer with the Federal Reserve
Bank of Kansas City. He was actively involved with the Urban Financial Services
Coalition, former board chairman of Truman Medical Center and served on the
Community Advisory Committee of the Health Care Foundation.
Hannes Zacharias has been Johnson County manager since August 2009. He joined the
management team in 2001 as assistant county manager and was promoted to deputy
county manager in 2005. Mr. Zacharias is accountable for organizational performance,
achievement and service delivery in the daily operations of Johnson County. He also
oversees the implementation of policies and directives established by the Johnson County
Board of Commissioners. Throughout his professional career, Mr. Zacharias has served
on the board of directors for the Missouri City/County Management Association, The
Kansas Municipal League, the United Community Services, the Greater Kansas City
United Way, the Heart of America Council Boy Scouts of America, and the Kansas
City/County Management Association, where he served as president.
Michael Zeller serves as chief development officer for KCPT, Kansas City Public
Television. As chief development officer, Mr. Zeller also leads the station’s major giving,
membership and corporate support and education initiatives. Noted accomplishments
since coming to KCPT in 1997 include the creation of KC REACHE, a distance learning
consortium composed of seven area universities and colleges; the development of several
Emmy Award winning programs and documentaries, contributions to a new development
strategy emphasizing greater service to the Kansas City community, and development of
the series Imagine KC, which focuses on metro growth strategies in partnership with the
Mid-America Regional Council. He serves as vice president of the board of directors for
Academie Lafayette French Immersion Charter School.
thank you sponsors
Presenting Sponsor:
Nicholas Franano and Lorie Whitaker
Special thanks to these Chamber partners for their valued support
of the 2013 Leadership Exchange

Leadership exchange - Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Transcription

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