Meet the 11th Annual STEMMy Award Honorees

Student Achiever

MYA THOMAS
University of Missouri – Kansas City

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Mya will be going into her 4th year at UMKC this fall majoring in Earth and Environmental Science with a geology emphasis. She is also minoring in astronomy and physics as well as obtaining a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. She has a passion that is infectious for making STEM more accessible and success in it more achievable. She is an outstanding student leader in STEM at UMKC”

MYA IN THREE WORDS:
Passionate, Dedicated, and Empathetic

WiSTEMM Educator

DR. JANET PIERCE
University of Kansas, School of Nursing

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Dr. Pierce is an outstanding educator who is dedicated to educate and train the next generation of nurses, advanced practice nurses, and nurse scientists with most of them are women in the nursing profession. She is the most devoted champion for her students and mentees at all levels and does whatever she can to maximize their full potential and help them become the best person they can be. Dr. Pierce works closely with students in their research projects and always goes above and beyond to mentor them to disseminate their research findings via publications and presentations at research conferences.”

JANET IN THREE WORDS:
Exceptional, Dedicated, Inspirational

Enterprising Innovator

JULIE WELLNER
Wellner Architects + Engineers

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Julie Wellner has been the principal owner of Wellner Architects since 1987, and recently, in the fall of 2023, the company expanded markets to become Wellner Architects + Engineers welcoming full scope of services including Architecture, Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical engineering. The decision to focus solely on projects within Kansas City and the surrounding region gave her the ability to become an expert in creating spaces and designing buildings that function to their purpose and cater to the health, safety, and welfare of the people who inhabit them. Her portfolio includes projects within education, office, healthcare, hospitality and retail, government, science and technology, sports, housing, and finally aviation.”

JULIE IN THREE WORDS:
Committed, Dependable, Resilient

Corporate HERO

GFIBER

FROM THEIR NOMINATORS:
“Among other leading technology companies, GFiber stands apart because of how it invests in its people – particularly its women leaders. GFiber prioritizes recruiting and retaining exceptional talent and is committed to a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Currently, four of the seven leadership roles in its Central Region (which includes Kansas City) are held by women, including a Technical Operations leader, who is particularly unique in the industry.”

Rising Trendsetters

EMILY MEYER
Union Station Kansas City

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Kansas City is a hub of research, engineering, and technical institutes and Emily is directly affecting their workforce replenishment and community enrichment through her work building STEM learning experiences for youth in the Greater Kansas City area. This year, she will run three events to get girls and young women involved in STEM, in which the girls hand-pick 2 STEM workshops put on by local women in STEM professions. They also receive playtime in Science City, a gift, and a stage show or keynote speaker. One event is for junior Girl Scouts, one is for middle school girls, and one is for 6th-12th grade girls.”

EMILY IN THREE WORDS:
Dedicated, Fun, Supportive

DR. JACKIE RANKIN
KCNSC managed by Honeywell FM&T

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Jackie is a strong advocate for women in STEMM fields. She serves as a prominent STEMM role model within our company, both internally as a high-performing contributor and externally, by representing our business at community activities and recruiting events. She frequently arranges and leads technology and R&D-focused workshops, and delivers speeches to large groups of technical staff on creating technology development plans. Her technical expertise and ability to connect with our staff consistently result in positive feedback and increased participation in sessions. Jackie also represents our division in the KCNSC Technology Council, which is primarily comprised of male technical experts. Additionally, she maintains valuable mentoring and empowering relationships with women throughout KCNSC.”

JACKIE IN THREE WORDS:
Intelligent, Driven, Collaborative

DR. EMILY TUMMONS
Black & Veatch

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Emily champions women in STEMM fields through her devotion to mentoring. Her mentoring ranges from inspiring grade-schoolers who are just getting excited about STEMM courses and sharing with them the opportunities in the community for students to learn more, like at the Black & Veatch Makers Space at a local library. Her mentoring also includes helping high school girls at St. Teresa’s Academy understand the plethora of options that are available for a career that utilizes their STEMM skills. Last but not least, Emily mentors young engineers at Black & Veatch to continue to expand their capabilities and encourage their efforts to excite the next generation of future engineers.”

EMILY IN THREE WORDS:
Impactful, Focused, Passionate

Groundbreaking Leadership

DR. CHERYL COOPER
Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS)

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Cheryl is the epitome of the Groundbreaking Leadership Award qualifications. Throughout her 20+ years in the technology field, she has advocated for women, especially women of color, to have a voice and a road to success. She encourages women to pursue careers in the technology field and uses her own influence to help them meet the right mentors and advocates. Using this influence, Cheryl serves as the President for the nonprofit organization she started, Women in Cybersecurity. WiCyS recruits, retains, and advances women in cybersecurity.”

CHERYL IN THREE WORDS:
Encouraging, Passionate, Brilliant

CHRISTINE LARA
Black & Veatch

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Christine is a groundbreaking leader because she has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and expertise in various fields, not just engineering. She has been responsible for creating tangible value and driving profitable growth through the development and implementation of global strategies and go-to-market plans. She has also played a crucial role in transforming the Black & Veatch Power business and managing change and integration. Additionally, she has managed teams of up to 17 professionals and mentored and developed emerging leaders. Her experience in civil/structural engineering, project management, and process improvement techniques, such as Six Sigma and Lean, has enabled her to consult with senior business leaders and deliver critical business improvements. Overall, her varied skills and experience demonstrate her ability to lead and drive success in diverse areas of the business.”

CHRISTINE IN THREE WORDS:
Passionate, Inspiring, Grounded

WiSTEMM Champion

JONNAE HILL
BARR Advisory

FROM HER NOMINATORS:
“Since joining the BARR Advisory team as culture and community engagement manager in April 2021, Jonnae Hill has made it her mission to foster a work environment where employees at all levels and from all walks of life can thrive both personally and professionally. Now, as vice president of people and culture, Jonnae is continuing to work toward that goal by spearheading a number of initiatives aimed at cementing BARR’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging while creating opportunities for women to start and grow in their tech careers at BARR and beyond.”

JONNAE IN THREE WORDS:
Inclusive, Growth-Orientated, Leader