Speaker Date Topic
Jake Fesi, Project Manager Mar 20, 2024
Rock Island Bridge: Project Update
Rock Island Bridge: Project Update

Jake Fesi is the engagement manager for the Rock Island Bridge. He was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and began his migration to the west side of the state in 2019 when I began college at the University of Central Missouri. His grandparents both attended what was at that time called CMSU. In 2022, his fiance and Jake decided Kansas City is where we'd like to plant our roots. Two years later, they could not be happier with the decision. He began work on the Rock Island Bridge last October and oversee's the events as well as their corporate sponsorships.

Curt Skoog, Mayor of Overland Park Mar 27, 2024
What's Up In OP?
What's Up In OP?

Curt Skoog was elected mayor of Overland Park in November 2021. Prior to that, Skoog was elected to the City Council in 2005, and was reelected in April 2009, 2013 and 2017. Skoog served as City Council president in January 2021. Skoog’s focus has been the implementation of policies and the approval of projects that support strong neighborhoods, which are the bedrock of Overland Park. This focus is demonstrated by the passage of Vision Metcalf, 95th and Antioch redevelopment, and the resurgence of downtown Overland Park.

No Regular Meeting Apr 03, 2024
Wine Tasting Event
CAPS Program Apr 10, 2024
CAPS Presentations

2 local students will make a presentation to the club.

Stu Stram and Greg Jackson Apr 17, 2024
What's Going on at BluHawk and Advent Sports Complex

Price Brothers development at 159th and Antioch is taking shape. Stu and Greg will update the Club on what's going on, anad what the future has in store for the area.

Katie Ervin, CEO, Catalyst Development Apr 24, 2024
The Professional Workplace Environment in Overland Park. What do the next 5 years look like?
The Professional Workplace Environment in Overland Park. What do the next 5 years look like?

Dr. Ervin is the founder and CEO of Catalyst Development.  Throughout her career, she has established a reputation as a transformational leader driven by challenge, undeterred by obstacles, and committed to furthering standards of excellence. In her work, she has saved organizations millions of dollars by focusing on building a strong culture and investing in your people.  Dr. Ervin believes that her work is all about the people!  Her work in developing strong leaders and teams focused on critical career skill building to develop strong cultures and grow organizations.  

​Dr. Ervin’s area of research is workplace motivation based on self-determination theory and the impact of an employee’s perception of their organization’s support.  Her first book “You Might Be an Asshole but It Might Not Be Your Fault” was released April 21, 2023 and was the #1 New Release Best Seller in Human Resources as well as Educational Leadership on Amazon.    

No Meeting May 01, 2024
Crawfish Festival Week!
Lindsay Hicks May 22, 2024
Update on Habitat for Humanity in JOCO

Lindsay Hicks is the President and CEO at Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City and brings more than fifteen years of nonprofit experience. Prior to her appointment as CEO in 2022, Lindsay served as the Vice President of Development for Habitat KC and has been with the organization for nearly eleven years. She collaborates with key staff members, board members, residents, and municipalities to create and execute Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization efforts. She is a board member of the Kansas City NARI chapter, a Blue Valley Education Foundation board member, a Kansas City Centurion, a member of the Healthy Equity committee at United Community Services of Johnson County, and serves on the MARC Regional Housing Partnership Strategy Committee. Additionally, Lindsay is the chair of the Home Modification Coalition of Greater Kansas City. 1423 E Linwood Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64109 tel (816) 924-1096 habitatkc.org | info@habitatkc.org | @habitatk

StartUp Rewind Jun 05, 2024
Dion Dodson from Deluxe Transportation Group LLC; and Catina Taylor from Dreams KC

Deluxe Transportation Group LLC – Dion Dodson (ddodson@deluxetransports.com)

  • BIO & OVERVIEW: Deluxe Transportation Group is a luxury chauffeur service that was founded by Dion Dodson in Kansas City, Missouri in 2019. After owning and operating Turf Tiger (a commercial landscaping company) for 9 years, Mr. Dodson decided it was time for a change. In an effort to combine some of his passions for networking, luxury vehicles and formal wear, Mr. Dodson decided to enter the luxury chauffeur industry. After selling his landscaping company for profit, he purchased his first fleet vehicle and set out to start what is now known as one of the best transportation companies in the area.  Deluxe Transportation offers full scale transportation service to the entire KC Metro and surrounding suburbs. With the national and local decline in private passenger vehicle use, Deluxe Transportation Group wanted to provide a livery option for the distinguished customer. With the rising use of on demand transportation or "transportation for hire" service in Kansas City, Mr. Dodson noticed scarcity as it pertained to the luxury vehicle options for hire. Deluxe Transportation Group was founded with a goal to provide additional concierge services to customers that traditional rideshare companies like Uber/Lyft did not. Since 2019, Deluxe Transportation Group has grown by leaps and bounds with more than 11 staff members and 6 fleet vehicles. Every reservation with Deluxe Transportation Group is designed to give customers a memorable experience.

Dreams KC – Catina Taylor (ctaylor@dreamskc.org)

  • BIO: Catina K. Taylor, JD founder of DREAMS KC is an entrepreneurial nonprofit leader working to significantly improve child literacy rates in the United States.  Catina has lent her voice, gifts, skills and talents to assist in reshaping education as a teacher, speaker, workshop facilitator, consultant, edprenuer, community organizer and volunteer. Trusted by her community and those within the education ecosystem, Catina is called upon to source talent for the profession, assist parents in advocating for the needs of their children, coach educators, tutor students, and aiding institutions as they evolve for the future.  When she speaks, people listen, and change happens.
  • OVERVIEW: At DREAMS KC, our journey is a beacon of hope and empowerment, dedicated to liberating  young minds and Restoring Hopes and Dreams to an entire generation. With the guiding philosophy that Literacy is Liberation, we are committed to equipping parents and caregivers with the tools to shape the futures of kindergarten through 3rd-grade students.  Our mission at DREAMS KC is profound and impactful: to empower parents as the fundamental and most influential educators in their children's literacy development. We offer comprehensive training, essential resources, and unwavering support, enabling parents to cultivate the essential literacy skills within the nurturing embrace of their homes. By fortifying the parent-child bond and providing parents with the expertise to impart these vital skills, we expand children's horizons, fostering cognitive, emotional, and social growth that lays the foundation for an empowered future.  Through the lens of Literacy is Liberation, we envision a world where literacy isn't just a skill—it's a pathway to breaking barriers, enabling individuals to forge their own destinies and grasp the boundless potential that awaits.
Stan Weber, KSU Athletics Jun 12, 2024
What's New With The Cats!

Stan Weber was a quarterback for the Kansas State Wildcats football team from 1980 through 1984. He is the current color analyst for the K-State radio network. Now in his 36th year in the booth (as of the start of the 2022 season), Weber holds the longest tenure for a Kansas State radio broadcaster. In addition to his duties with the Wildcat football broadcasts, Weber also provides color commentary for K-State men's basketball games for both radio and television. He originally hails from Goddard, Kansas and was named Male Athlete of the Year and MVP of the 1980 Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Game by the Wichita Eagle.

At Kansas State, Weber served as captain of the 1984 team and led the Wildcats in rushing while earning academic All-America honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Weber also held many of the K-State quarterback rushing records until the Michael Bishop and Ell Roberson eras and was once named Big Eight Player of the Week after rushing for 113 yards against number 1 Nebraska.

 

Chad Whitman, Special Agent, DEA Jun 19, 2024
Fentanyl Use In Johnson County
Fentanyl Use In Johnson County

Chad Whiteman currently serves as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) for the St. Louis Field Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA) in the Kansas City District Office. In this capacity, he oversees operational, enforcement, and administrative matters for the DEA in the State of Kansas. In 2015, ASAC Whiteman was appointed as the DEA Country Attaché to the country of Chile, where he served as DEA’s representative for the country, and the U.S. Ambassador’s primary advisor on all counter narcotics activities occurring within the country. Once again, he led a team of DEA Special Agents and foreign police counterparts in conducting criminal investigations targeting high level
transnational criminals. In 2019, ASAC Whiteman was promoted to the position of Chief of International Affairs for the Office of Foreign Operations at DEA’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. In this capacity, he was responsible for preparing DEA’s executive leadership for interactions with foreign police and government diplomats, as well as maintaining good relationships with the DEA’s foreign police partnerships in 69 countries. ASAC Whiteman graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts. He has received numerous professional awards throughout his career. He is married with two wonderful children.

No Meeting Jul 03, 2024
Pre-Independence Day
Start Up Rewind Aug 07, 2024
Corey McCartney from AGA Productions; and Jeff Pelaccio from Pelaccio & Partners

AGA Productions – Corey McCartney (coreytmccartney@gmail.com)

  • BIO: Corey McCartney has more than 10 years’ experience as both a producer and actor. He got his start in 2010 producing music videos and later transitioned into producing short films, trailers, and proof of concepts. He graduated with a B.A. from the University of Missouri, studied at the Peter Wise Actors studio, as well as the Sanford Meisner Center in North Hollywood. McCartney has since gone on to start a film production company in Kansas City called AGA Productions. He produced notable shorts “Affection of a Tiger” for BET.com and viral sensation “Bel-Air” which has over 1 billion views on all streaming platforms and lead to a 2 season order on Peacock TV. McCartney recently served as creative producer on the science fiction short “Sapiens”, as well as a groundbreaking musical short titled “DISARMED” with the Kansas City Police Department. McCartney teamed with recording artist Suli4Q to produce/executive produce the musical short “Skin Deep” on the album SCARlet R3D reaching the top 10 on iTunes album charts. In 2021, McCartney produced and was the production manager for “The Unexpected” film written and directed by Remi Adeleke to bring awareness to global human trafficking, now a feature length film in development with G-Base (Gerard Butler & Alan Siegle) In addition to producing and production management, McCartney is an actor, voice actor, and the co-founder of the nonprofit organization FACEKC.
  • OVERVIEW: AGA combines film & music production with a goal of producing high quality content through inspiration, voice, storytelling & emotion.

Pelaccio & Partners – Jeff Pelaccio (jeffpelaccio@gmail.com)

  • BIO: Yet to come...
Start Up Rewind Sep 04, 2024
Haley Prophet from Haley Prophet Consulting; and TBD

Haley Prophet Consulting – Haley Prophet (haley@haleyprophet.com)

  • BIO: With nearly two decades of corporate well-being expertise, Haley brings a holistic and authentic approach to fostering thriving environments for individuals, organizations, and communities.  Guided by the mantra “live will to thrive,” Haley employs creative strategies to assess and implement comprehensive well-being initiatives, and interventions that are innovative and meaningfully aligning with company goals, values, and culture.  Emphasizing energy management as a key to resilience, she advocates for happier, healthier, and more productive and engaged workplaces for long-term sustainability.  As a dynamic speaker, and facilitator, Haley advocates for workplaces to thrive when their employees thrive.  She has earned numerous awards and recognitions for her impactful contributions to workplace well-being, positively influencing countless lives throughout her career.  By nurturing personal and professional flourishing, Haley envisions sustained well-being for individuals which translates across teams and entire workplaces, creating a harmonious atmosphere where thriving is not just a goal but a way of life.
  • OVERVIEW: Haley Prophet Consulting focuses on building individuals, teams, organizations and communities that thrive.  The solutions she offers include:
    • Developing leaders as coaches, not just as a manager
    • Leveraging team members strengths and values
    • Promoting the expectations of a “Culture that Cares”
    • Instilling a mindful approach to the culture through leadership
    • Building both team and organizational resilience
    • Supporting a work ethos where everyone can thrive
    • Incorporating well-being into performance management