Leadership Greater Topeka Class Graduates

Thirty-six individuals from Topeka and Shawnee County will graduate from the 2009 Leadership Greater Topeka program on Wednesday, May 6. A luncheon honoring their participation will be at noon at the Ramada in downtown Topeka.

Leadership Greater Topeka, a program of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce since 1984, identifies outstanding potential leaders from various components of the community. There are 740 alumni of the program.

Class members attended a retreat and seven day-long sessions between February 5-6 and May 1 to learn about challenges facing the City of Topeka and Shawnee County and how they, as individuals, can work to influence community issues and problems. The 2009 class was chosen from more than 300 nominees representing a variety of backgrounds and a cross section of the community. Members of the 2009 class are: Barbara Barnard, vice president, Community National Bank; Matthew Bevens, student, Topeka High School; Paul Bossert, marketing manager, Premier Executive Recruiting; Diane Burton, administrative director of laboratories, Stormont-Vail HealthCare; Irene Caballero, community mobilizer, Safe Streets; Braxton Copley, deputy city attorney, City of Topeka; Randy Edwards, chief actuary, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas; Sarah Fizell, senior director, marketing and public relations, Strategic Communications of Kansas; Carl Frazier, auditor, Kansas Health Policy Authority; Natalie Garcia, student, Highland Park High School; Andrew Gerstner, front desk staff, Topeka Rescue Mission; Gwen Gigous, project architect, Schwerdt Design Group; Becky Greer, curriculum director, USD 450 Shawnee Heights Schools; Carrie Jo Gross, national advertising, WIBW-TV; David Heit, associate/senior project manager, Schwerdt Design Group; Kevin Kongs, assistant controller, Westar Energy, Inc.; Miriam Krehbiel, president & CEO, United Way of Greater Topeka; Tim Krueger, vice president of commercial lending, VisionBank; Camille Lafleur, YDP-psychosocial team leader, Family Service & Guidance Center; Quentin Martin, desktop manager, Jostens Printing and Publishing; Gina Ochsner, president & CEO, Century Health Solutions, Inc.; Miranda Owens, associate attorney, Goodell Stratton Edmonds & Palmer, LLP; Ronnie Padilla, community volunteer; Jay Phillips, commanding officer, U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center; Marie Pyko, public services manager, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library; Dan Schemm, director, existing business, Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce/GO Topeka; Ed Serrano, economic development representative, Kansas Department of Commerce; Angela Sharp, senior project manager, Bartlett & West; Ehren Sherrod, executive director, Community First, Inc.; Steve Siler, assistant vice president, human resources, Security Benefit; Sarah Strydom, account executive, Midwest Single Source; Travis Stryker, vice president, CAS Construction, LLC; Deborah Swank, realtor, Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair; Drew Switzer, meteorologist, WIBW Channels; Renee Wiggins, first vice president, Topeka Branch NAACP; and Kathleen Williams, financial advisor, Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.