Doranne Hudson, Board Chair
Hudson’s corporate experience includes 23 years of marketing and general management at The Gillette Company and at Hallmark Cards. At Hallmark, she was a senior vice president and a corporate officer, and she served on the corporate executive council and Hallmark U. K. board of directors before retiring in 2001. She has been active in a variety of Kansas City organizations and currently serves on the executive committee of the UMKC Board of Trustees and on the board of directors for Kansas City Public Television and for Midwest Research Institute. Sherri Becker, Vice Chair, Membership
She began her career as a business development officer in an Iowa bank, and later owned and operated a gourmet food and catering business in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Before beginning The Marketing Department she owned and operated a distributorship that retailed men's shirts and ties in Overland Park. Becker is a graduate of the Kauffman FastTrac program, a Central Exchange Board Member, and serves on the marketing committee of National Association of Remodeling Industry. Becker holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Liberal Arts, both from Baker University. Essie Eisenfeld Davis, Vice Chair, Finance
Prior to this assignment, Eisenfeld served as Vice President - Finance supporting a number of business units at Sprint from 2000-2005. From 1992-2000, she led a variety of finance functions at Sprint. Prior to working for Sprint, Eisenfeld worked at General Dynamics in San Diego for six years. Eisenfeld holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Kim Jones, Vice Chair, Products and Services
She earned her law degree from the University of Kansas and her bachelor's degree from Kansas State University. Jones is past chair of the UMKC Heartland Labor and Employment Institute and is a member of the United Way Young Leaders Society. She has been a member of The Central Exchange since 2002. Denise Kruse, Chair WIN/WIN Ad Hoc Committee
Among her awards and recognitions, she was selected to the 2008 President’s Club at Right, honored in Kansas City as a Woman Who Means Business in 2006, and a Woman of Influence in 2007. She is the Chairman of the Board of YouthFriends, Vice Chairman of the Board of The Central Exchange where she serves as Chair of the Membership Council, and is a member of the advisory board at the Henry W. Bloch School of Business at UMKC. Her civic involvement includes board member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Joni Lindquist, Vice Chair, Strategic Initiatives
Joni brings over 25 years of management experience in public and private companies. Previously, she was Chief Marketing Officer at the biotech firm SCD. Prior to that, in 21 years at Sprint she held executive roles in strategic planning, marketing, sales management and product management & development. Joni currently serves as a mentor for MENTTIUM, a global program pairing female executives at sponsoring Fortune 100 companies with volunteer mentors. She is a member in the Career Management Alliance, the International Coach Federation, the Heartland Coaches Association, and the Society of Human Resource Management - KC. Joni serves on the board of the Women’s Christian Association, a non-profit providing retirement living for the low income elderly and on the board of Bishop Sullivan, the largest single site provider of emergency assistance in Kansas City. She is a graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and earned her M.B.A. from The Ohio State University. Scott Wesley, Vice Chair, Resource Connections
Prior to joining Mariner, Wesley was second vice president of wealth management and financial advisor for The Plaza Group at Smith Barney. He has earned the designation of financial planning specialist and served as the financial planning coordinator for Smith Barney’s Kansas City branch. Wesley received Smith Barney’s Rainmaker Award in 2004 and Smith Barney’s Blue Chip Award in 2004 and 2005. He is a graduate of Baker University’s School of Business. Becky Blades, Board Director
A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Becky worked as a reporter, political writer and publicist before launching two public relations departments and founding Blades & Associates in 1990. She has acquired specialized knowledge in aviation, insurance, financial services, politics and professional services. She also owns and operates two start-up businesses, Travels With Lola and Ze Jolie. Among Becky’s honors are the Silver Anvil, the industry’s highest national award for public relations results, and a Presidential Citation from the Public Relations Society of America. Becky serves on the boards of the Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri and The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City. Valerie Bonebrake, Board Director
She obtained her Master’s of Science in International Logistics at The Georgia Institute of Technology. Bonebrake serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Helzberg School of Management, Rockhurst University, and on the EMIL advisory board at Georgia Tech. She has been recognized by Ingram Magazine as one of the Top Ten Female Executives in Kansas. Valerie served as chair of The Central Exchange Board of Directors from 2006 – 2008. Anne Bowman, Board Director
Bowman is also a member of the board of Marillac, an organization providing mental health care for children. She is also on the board of Cornerstones of Care, an organization of agencies providing therapeutic treatment services to children and families. Anne has been a member of The Central Exchange since May 1996 and served as Vice Chair, Programming from 2006 – 2008. Yijing Brentano, Board Director
Prior to this position, Brentano served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility at Sprint including Finance Director and Director of Staff Operations for the CFO. Prior to joining Sprint in 1997, Brentano spent several years with Ernst & Young’s cash management consulting practice. Brentano is a certified treasury professional and a member of the Association for Financial Professionals. In 2008, Ms. Brentano was recognized by Kansas City Business magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Kansas City. She was a winner of 2000 Women of Color Technology Award. Brentano serves on the Johnson County operating board of United Way of Greater Kansas City. She is also a board member of the Kansas City Asian Chamber of Commerce. In addition, she is a past president and current advisory board member of the Kansas City Chinese Association. Brentano holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business with highest distinction from the University of Kansas and a Master of Business Administration with high honors from the University of Chicago. Joan Cohen, Board Director
Cohen was previously President of H&R Block Financial Advisors (and the successor firm Ameriprise Advisor Services) from January 2005 to March 2009. She was instrumental in the firm’s sale and successful transition in November 2008. Prior to joining H&R Block in 2002, Cohen was Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Staff at ING Advisors Network, which consisted of 10,000 financial planners. She also served as Senior Vice President and Controller at ING Americas, part of one of the largest integrated financial services organizations in the world. Cohen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Adrian College in Michigan and is a certified public accountant. Carleane Ellsworth, Board Director
Ellsworth has been in HR management for close to 13 years including positions with Argosy Casino, Cornerstone Health Services and Health Midwest. Ellsworth received her MA in Human Resources Management from Webster University and BS from Northwest Missouri State University. She is active in the Lincoln High School/R.T. Coles Alumni Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Human Resources Management Association, and American Business Woman’s Association. Kay Julian, Board Director
Julian attained a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Avila University and a MBA degree with a concentration in Marketing from Rockhurst University. Julian is a graduate of the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring program and currently serves as a Fellow. She is a also an alumni of the Kansas City Civic Council’s Kansas City Tomorrow leadership development program and The Central Exchange’s Women on the Leading Edge leadership develop program. Lisa Macpherson, Board Director
Marga Spangler, Board Director
Spangler serves on the boards of several organizations including the Johnson County Community College Foundation, Overland Park Chamber Foundation, Menorah Medical Center Board of Trustees and University of Kansas Hospital Women's Heart Health Community Advisory Council. Marga was selected as one of the “2008 Women of Influence” by Kansas City magazine. Karen Stelling, Board Director
Stelling is the co–chair of the Industry Council for Project Lead the Way, and has served in various roles for the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers. She serves on the Board of the Full Employment Council Workforce Investment Board, the University of Nebraska College of Engineering Alumni Board and the UMKC Bloch School Executive Education Advisory Council. Stelling holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Nebraska, and an executive MBA from the UMKC Bloch School of Business. Grisel Wiley, Board Director
Wiley has over 25 years of sales and management experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to joining Equity Payment, she was Vice President of North America/Sales for London–based Marconi Wireless, a leading provider of software applications to all major wireless carriers worldwide. Wiley was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey. She graduated with honors from the University of Missouri–Kansas City with a BLA degree. She is an active member of The Central Exchange, Lyric Opera Circle, Board Member of NAWBO, an Angel Investor and a Youth Friend. Karen Zecy, , Board Director
Karen is actively involved in the Kansas City community as a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce serving as Vice Chair of the Small Business. In addition to the Chamber, Karen is currently serving on the Advisory Board of St. Mary’s Reconciliation Services. Other community organizations include the Central Exchange, Women’s Inter-sport Network, the Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City, Women’s Employment Network, and the American Heart Association. Corinne McCanse, AHEAD Liaison
McCanse serves on the board of the Women’s Employment Network; and was the 2009 co-chair for Truman Medical Center’s Fashion for a Cause. She is also an active volunteer for the Child Protection Center. |
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Doranne Hudson is an Executive-in- Residence at The Bloch School at UMKC. She teaches undergraduate, MBA, and executive MBA courses in Leadership as well as non-degree executive education courses and workshops to a wide variety of businesses and organizations. Her research and teaching interests include organizational influence and political agility, leader self-awareness and development, networks and social capital, leading change, and leader values. As a full-time Bloch faculty member, she is also active in curriculum development, strategic marketing, and faculty selection.
Sherri A. Becker is president and founder of The Marketing Department and has been in marketing for more than 20+ years. In addition to providing in-house marketing services, Becker provides marketing consulting and training for entrepreneurs, business owners and new businesses. Becker is also a First Step Fund and Kauffman Foundation FastTrac facilitator and coach.
Essie recently left EMBARQ, where she served as the Vice President – Shared Services and Talent Management. She was responsible for HR Shared Services such as strategy, IT, budget/finance, program management support, and the employee resource center which serves all EMBARQ employees and retirees. Additionally, she was responsible for the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, recruitment, culture/change management, executive and leadership development, performance management, and succession planning.
Kim Jones is a partner at Husch Blackwell Sanders, where she defends employers nationwide against class, multi-plaintiff, and individual employment claims ranging from systemic wage and hour violations to allegations of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Jones has been consistently recognized as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyer. In 2009, Kim was recognized by Ingram's as one of 40 Under 40.
Denise Kruse is executive vice president with Right Management, Inc. the global leader in career and talent management overseeing a ten state region. Her background includes consulting, business development, and general management within a multi-billion dollar corporation. She began her career in the Kansas City area and relocated to Ft. Lauderdale joining Spherion, a global recruiting, consulting, outsourcing and technology provider before returning to Kansas City and joining Right Management.
Joni is co-founder and President of KHC Executive Coaching, a division of KHC Wealth Management Services. As a Certified Career Management Coach, she has coached corporate leaders from various industries, including companies such as AIG, Black & Veatch, Nortel, Quest Diagnostics, Sprint and Waddell & Reed.
Scott Wesley is a senior wealth manager and financial planner for Mariner Wealth Advisors, a Kansas City-based financial services firm serving business owners, executives, corporations, and foundations. He has an extensive background in the business community, and his entrepreneurial experience allows him to serve on the boards of several local organizations. Wesley is a member of the Centurions Leadership Group with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, a member of the American Royal governorship committee, and a member of the advisory board at the Henry W. Bloch School of Business at UMKC. He also sits on the board of Angel Flights Central, a medical and charity air transportation service.
Becky Blades is chairwoman of Trozzolo Communications Group, an integrated marketing communications firm formed by the 2003 merger of two “Top Ten Small Businesses,” Blades & Associates and Trozzolo Creative Resources.
Valerie Bonebrake is senior vice president, global supply chain services, for Tompkins Associates, a leading provider of global supply chain services, distribution operations consulting, technology implementation, material handling integration, and benchmarking and best practices. Bonebrake has more than 25 years experience in the transportation and logistics industry with expertise in global business development, operations, sales and marketing and general management. Prior to joining Tompkins Associates Valerie served in leadership roles at YRC Logistics, Yellow Freight and Ryder Integrated Logistics.
Anne Bowman is senior vice president, UMB Bank, providing commercial banking services to businesses throughout the metropolitan area. She has been with UMB since 1992.
Yijing Brentano is the Vice President of Investor Relations at Sprint Nextel Corporation, where she manages Sprint’s relationship with the investment community and advises senior management on investor sentiment on strategy and corporate initiatives.
Joan Cohen is H&R Block’s SVP and Chief of Staff. As a member of H&R Block’s senior management team, Cohen is responsible for overseeing H&R Block’s strategic business initiatives related to international tax preparation, RedGear, Express Tax, Tax and Business Services, and multi-cultural market development.
Carleane Ellsworth has worked for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce for over nine years in Human Resources, where she currently serves as director. Her major responsibilities focus on Chamber employee recruitment and retention, compensation and benefit management, employee relations and the interpretation of policy and procedures, and diversity recruitment and retention program management.
Kay Julian is President of the Mid America Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In this position she is responsible for strategic and operational planning and oversees all operational areas including marketing and fundraising campaigns, program and service delivery to people with MS, professional and community education, state and local advocacy, public relations and community outreach, and Board and volunteer development. Prior to joining the MS Society in 1992, she worked in the for–profit healthcare Marketing field for ten years.
Lisa Macpherson is senior vice president, marketing at Hallmark Cards, Inc. She is responsible for product development, product merchandising, product buying and allocation, visual presentation, retail operations, and retail strategy and planning for Hallmark Gold Crown stores. Prior to Hallmark, Macpherson worked for The Timberland Company and Fisher-Price, a division of Mattel.
Marga Spangler is the President of the Private Banking Group at First National Bank of Kansas. Marga is responsible for oversight and management of private client financial and advisory services tailored to the needs of high net worth individuals. A Kansas City banker for over 20 years, her background includes extensive experience in business development, strategic planning and relationship management.
Karen Stelling is an associate vice president with Burns & McDonnell, a consulting engineering and architecture firm, where she has worked in the Aviation & Facilities practice for over 20 years. She is responsible for leadership of project managers and administrative staff, advancing sustainable design, and other practice operations functions.
Grisel Wiley is a partner in Equity Payment Inc., an electronic payment processing service with clients throughout the U.S. Focused on building long term relationships based on trust and value-added services, Equity Payment invests the time to understand a client’s business practices to ensure credit card and check transactions are managed in the most secure and cost efficient manner. Equity Payment has been recognized for providing outstanding customer service and doing business with the highest integrity.
Karen Zecy is a 17 year expert in document management and President of American Micro. Her computer science degree from Baylor University and her prior experience with companies like Arthur Andersen and Management Science America have prepared Karen well for her leadership role with American Micro.
Corinne McCanse is the founder and president of corinne mccanse events, inc, a boutique corporate event marketing firm. Before launching her company in 2007, Corinne’s experience in event marketing began with her post as hotel liaison for Swiss-based Globus and Cosmos Tours. She spent three years as a travel director operating corporate events for various companies including Lexis Nexis, John Deere and Everen Securities. Corinne later joined Sprint Corporation where she spent nearly nine years designing and managing their most high-profile and business-critical events.