GROW KC - May 2014

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BUSINESS

KC C H A M B E R N E W S L E T T E R

KAREN DANIEL A Conversation

PUBLIC POLICY It’s Not A Spectator Sport

FORT LEAVENWORTH An Economic & Cerebral Powerhouse

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CO N T E N T S 5

KAREN DANIEL A Conversation

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PUBLIC POLICY It’s Not a Spectator Sport

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NEW MEMBERS Milestone Anniversaries, President's Circle and Leadership Circle

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FACES & PLACES

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MEMBER NEWS

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Cover photograph of the Buffalo Soldier Monument, dedicated in 1992, celebrating the accomplishments of the 9th and 10th Cavalry founded at Fort Leavenworth. US Army photo.

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FORT LEAVENWORTH An Economic & Cerebral Powerhouse

PRESIDENT & CEO'S

POINT OF VIEW It was a cold and wintry day when the community gathered to memorialize Kansas City entrepreneur and philanthropist Jim Stowers. He was a visionary, both in business as the founder of American Century, and in life sciences. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is the greatest legacy of Jim and his wife Virginia – a gift to Kansas City and to humankind.

Jim was born and raised in Kansas City, and his entrepreneurial story is a familiar one. He started his company in 1958 with 24 investors and just $100,000. In the early ‘70’s, recognizing the advantages computers would bring to his business, he wrote his own proprietary computer program, still in use. Today, American Century’s assets total more than $140 billion.

His memorial service that chilly March day brought to mind two prominent Kansas City civic leaders and philanthropists we’ve also lost recently: Crosby Kemper, Jr., and Adele Hall.

As with Jim Stowers, both had a deep love for and commitment to this home we share.

Crosby was an ardent patron of the arts, founding both the Kansas City Symphony and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. He also was the force behind the building of the American Royal and the arena that bears his name. He was a force to be reckoned with and passionate about his hometown.

In 1990, Adele was the first woman named the Chamber’s Kansas Citian of the Year, an honor she deserved then and in the decades following. (That recognition prompted a name change to the award, from Mr. Kansas City to the gender-neutral Kansas Citian of the Year.)

Adele was also the first woman president of the Heart of America United Way, board chair for both Childrens’ Mercy and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, one of the founders of the Central Exchange, and a remarkable woman.

(Jim Stowers and Crosby Kemper, Jr., were also recipients of our Kansas Citian of the Year Award, by the way.)

Remembering the three of them prompted these questions: who will be among our next generation of Kansas City philanthropists and entrepreneurs? Gazelles and game-changers?

How do we nurture that love for Kansas City and a commitment to community service?

Two of the KC Chamber’s answers to those questions include our Centurions Leadership and genKC programs, both of which target that young, creative class. Each includes community service, opportunities to connect with KC leadership and with one another, and to engage with Kansas City.

A question for you: What else needs to be done? Something to think about…

JAMES A. HEETER

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A CO N V E R S AT I O N W I T H …

KAREN DANIEL Chief Financial Officer, Black & Veatch

Engineering company Black & Veatch was founded in Kansas City in 1915 by E.B. Black and N.T. Veatch.

Today, the employee-owned company, headquartered in Overland Park, boasts 110 offices around the globe, a workforce of more than 10,000, and projects completed in more than 100 countries. Black & Veatch provides engineering, consulting and construction services for the energy, water, telecommunication, and security sectors.

Karen Daniel is Chief Financial Officer of Black & Veatch, a position she’s held since 1999. She was elected to the company’s Board of Directors in 2006. “Our mission is ‘Building a World of Difference,’” she says, “bringing critical human infrastructure to places we know about, but also places that do not have electricity, potable water or access to communications”.

As CFO, Daniel says, “My job is to be part of the solution that allows us to grow our business, provide challenging careers for our professionals, and ensure excellent service to our clients.” Her role, she adds, is that of a trusted business advisor, “to step outside the traditional role and deeply understand the strategies involved.”

In high school, Daniel thought she’d become a math teacher, until her guidance counselor suggested she major in business, to give herself more options. Math came easy to her, she says. “If you listen to my mother, there was an early inclination toward numbers – as evidenced by my ability to add up the grocery bill in my head before the cashier was done.” At the age of 6, she says, her

mother, gave her a little red plastic cash register.

“I started to understand the power of numbers to explain how things are,” Daniel says. Early in her career, working on a project with Marjorie Powell Allen, Daniel says Allen told her, “Yes, you’re going to do the budget, but you’re also going to help us understand the numbers.

They’re only numbers on a page - tell me the story about the numbers.”

Daniel says an unexpected – and deeply satisfying – role she plays at the company is that of teacher, developing and leading executive business acumen training.

Her grandmother had been a teacher, she said, adding, “There’s something magical about transferring knowledge and empowering people to be successful.”

It’s obvious she loves her job: “I haven’t had a day in my career here at this wonderful company when I have not been professionally engaged and challenged.”

Outside of her day job, Daniel is also engaged in her home community. As co-chair of the Education Impact Council for Heart of America United Way, she continues to work on her passion for education. “The most effective way to insure education is to start at the pre-school level, except we have kids in K-12 who have immediate needs, and we can’t overlook them. And then there’s post-high school.”

You can implement long-term strategy, “but we have immediate needs that require us to address all three levels.”

As a member of the KCMO Parks Board, Daniel led the campaign for the renovation of Liberty Memorial.

“Looking at the spirit, courage, honor, and patriotism, understanding and recognizing the sacrifice they made to give us freedom. It was overwhelming. “It was from the heart, a labor of love. I cannot drive by (Liberty Memorial) without goosebumps,” she says.

Daniel is active in the KC Chamber, too, serving on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Finance & Audit Committee. She’s also a strong supporter of the Chamber’s Big 5. “I think we have the opportunity to create not just economic and business opportunities, but also to make the community a better place to live.”

This year, she’s also co-chairing the Chamber’s Annual Dinner Committee. “It ’ll be a terrific night,” she says, and then adds, not surprisingly, “Of course, we have to meet our financial objectives…”

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PUBLIC POLICY IS NOT

A SPECTATOR SPORT GETTING INVOLVED CAN AFFECT OUTCOMES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STATE LINE On a cold, snowy afternoon just prior to a Board meeting in late February, we brought together four KC Chamber officers and board members to talk government and public policy. The state legislatures of both Kansas and Missouri were in session, and the Chamber was about to approve its 2014 Federal Affairs Agenda.

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED: Matt Condon, KC Chamber Board member, Chair of the Chamber’s Small, Diverse and Emerging Business Council, CEO of ARC Physical Therapy+, and, in 2010, the Chamber’s Mr. K Award winner as the small business of the year.

Roshann Parris, 2014 Chair of the KC Chamber, President & CEO of Parris Communications.

Russ Welsh, Immediate Past Chair of the KC Chamber, the person appointed by Roshann to oversee the KC Chamber’s public policy efforts, and Chairman & CEO of Polsinelli.

Clyde McQueen, KC Chamber Board member, Chair of the Chamber’s Federal Affairs Committee, and President & CEO of the Full Employment Council.

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Moderator: I'll begin by asking the four of you why it’s important, from your perspective, for the KC Chamber to play a role in public policy?

Russ Welsh: I think the whole business community has to be engaged with the elected leadership - locally, at the two states, and federal levels - because, unless we do, we'll cede that area to others. Understanding business and the approach that businesses take in looking at key issues is really critical. There's so much partisanship now among our elected officials, particularly at the state and federal level, that we need to bring a voice of reason to the process.

Moderator: As the head of the FEC, Clyde, what role do you see the Chamber playing and how does that help your agency?

Clyde McQueen: I think you need blended voices.

The Chamber is a good forum and, quite frankly, there aren’t many forums where you can interact with the business community and vice versa. You can ascertain the values and the goals of the business community and relate those, conversely, to the community at large. I don't think many people have the opportunity or some are intimidated and don't know how to interact with business people. And I don't think some businesspersons know how to interact with the community at large – there’s a gap in communication. So to the extent that we can increase the interaction between those two groups, not just businesses and the community, but community organizations and the quote unquote public advocacy groups, I think it enables us to have much better public policy and it enables the community and the country at large to be much more effective in the policies it does execute.

Moderator: Matt, as Chair of the group representing the majority of Chamber members – small businesses – why do you consider the Chamber’s involvement in public policy important?

Matt Condon: Well, I think we're all part of the same business community, regardless of our size, and I think that is where public policy, whether it be federal or state, intertwines with the community. We're kind of irreverent about partisanship - we know it's there, but we're not interested in it. We're just trying to get things done. I think that when the chamber brings those parties together - both small business and large business - when we go with one voice to our elected officials and demand outcomes, demand that things get done, I think it's a really powerful voice, and an important voice, and it's an honor to be a part of that.

Moderator: And Roshann, as Chair and someone who

has been involved with the Chamber for a long time, what role do you see the Chamber playing and why is it important?

Roshann Parris: You know, it's a little like what we said at Annual Dinner - this is not a spectator sport. This is a ground game and it’s something we all need to get engaged in, because sooner or later, as Matt said, getting engaged will measurably affect the byproduct of what happens on both sides of the state line. Beyond that, there's something about the political process that many of us forget as we sit with our armchair view of what's happening in Jefferson City or Topeka: at its core, public policy is a relationship business and we are obliged to build relationships with the people who are representing us. Our legislators count on us to do that; they count on us to bring our voice forward regarding the legislation they enact. So building those relationships is critical to ensure that we develop strong policy for the Kansas City region on both sides of the state line.

Moderator: On the subject of relationships, what about relationships with other organizations like the Civic Council, City of KCMO, etc.

Russ: I think the business community as a whole, through its organizational representatives, is far more aligned on public policy issues today than it was five years ago or more. We spend a fair amount of time meeting together with various organizations that are impacted by legislative decisions - or indecisions - and try to make sure that we understand each other's needs and that those needs are consistently conveyed. Thanks to that collaboration, we’ll continue to achieve results that make the environment of our community attractive for our existing businesses and those that we're trying to grow and attract.

Roshann: And the good news - to Russ's point that we’re locking arms together much more frequently - is that “Many of the the common message coming Chamber’s businesses do out of Kansas City has become have opportunities more compelling, more imto grow elsewhere pactful, and we can hope, over and we want them time, one that demonstrates to grow here.” positive results for the region.

- Russ Welsh

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Moderator: We’ve just seen the State of Kansas become the butt of late night talk show jokes because of legislation on a right to refuse service to gay people. In talking with a reporter the other day, she referred to the KC Chamber as “more progressive” than other, similar “To the extent that we organizations, specifically the weave these Kansas and U.S. Chambers. components Russ: Well, that’s not hard of a healthy to do… community Moderator: Would you together to agree? create a safe and secure Matt: People have to get and attractive involved, particularly the busiregion poised ness community. And you get for growth, that more and more frustrated with will define our the ridiculousness of some of success.” those things. You can get dis- Roshann Parris gusted with it and walk away, but I've had a lot of discussions with people lately who are saying, “We've really got to get involved, this can't continue to happen, we can't sit by and let this happen.”

So maybe, in some strange way, some of those things are a positive in that they're getting more and more people to stand up and say, “Okay, I'm going to get involved.”

Roshann: It’s inspiring people to say, “I can’t sit on the sidelines anymore.”

Clyde: I think people in the last 10 or 15 years have gotten quite complacent. When that happens, the more extremist elements are the ones that get in front of the cameras. People don't really read much anymore. They listen to what people say, they don't research it for themselves. That's very dangerous because people make up their own facts and, just because they see it, it's true.

Roshann: Clyde raises an interesting point: - the way in which we get our information suggests that, if you heard it on TV - any TV, any network, any reporter - it becomes fact or is in danger of becoming fact. So perhaps one of our highest and best purposes is education, at a ground level. If in fact we're brave enough to say to people, “This is not a spectator sport; it really does need you,” then perhaps it’s incumbent upon us to be better educators of that need, better educators of the issues.

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Moderator: Meanwhile, it’s been difficult to move the Chamber’s agenda forward in Jeff City and Topeka. For example, we haven't had an economic development bill for years in Missouri. Why do you keep going back?

Russ: Part of it is that none of what we’ve seen recently helps create jobs; none of it helps create an environment where people want to grow their businesses; none of it creates an environment where people stay in the region when they have opportunities to go elsewhere. Many of the Chamber’s businesses do have opportunities to grow elsewhere and we want them to grow here. There are lots of different ways we can grow businesses, but none of the kind of social policy agendas help advance the jobs-based legislative agenda which we've had for a long time. So, you just have to keep trying, you know? You just have to keep that word out there that this is not what you've been elected to do and we're going to call you out. And we should continue to do so.

Clyde: On the issue of constructive debate - I think the Chamber is a safe harbor for that. You can have constructive debate, not based on a partisan ideology, but on the principles. I, quite frankly, feel very comfortable here. In fact, I'll tell you a little secret. One time I went to one of my mentors in the Chamber - who shall remain anonymous - and I said, “I feel like I'm bringing up the same issue and I keep talking about this,” and he said, 'That's what you're there for.” That kinda made me feel better, otherwise, I might have felt constrained. I think people start talking in their choirs and don't seek out differences of opinion. They don't encourage divergent points of view. I think the Chamber encourages it. And we're civil about it, too, that's the other thing. You're not hari-karied because you disagree with someone. I think that's very important.

Roshann: Well, the very nature of taking another run up the mountain but finding a different path up is what we all do in our businesses. We all hit roadblocks along the way and we don't just completely retreat. We say, “let's find another way up the mountain.”

Matt: It's so valuable because it's like law school again. You get these different points of view and we debate about it and talk about it and respect each other, and I feel like I learn so much, whether it be local, state or federal policy. But I also think there's going to be an economic development bill someday. There's going to be meaningful legislation, and we're going to be a part of it,

because we've been slugging at it for ten years now. So it's going to happen...

Roshann: We've never walked away...

Matt: And when it happens, we're going to be there.

I'm not giving up on that. It's going to happen.

Russ: I think one of the big challenges in both states is that, yes, there's a partisan debate, but the bigger debate that impacts us is this urban versus rural dichotomy that the legislatures have. If you talk to Democrats or Republicans in our area, they're basically aligned with the Chamber's agenda, but if you go out to rural Missouri or western Kansas, they're not. And so that's where we have to keep our voice and support those legislators who have gone to the well for the issues that we support.

Whether they've been successful or not, we have to pat them on the back and thank them for their support.

You think it's hard for us to keep going back? What if you were one of those people supporting progressive business legislation and you kept getting pushed back?

So we have to support them.

Moderator: Would you call the KC Chamber a more progressive chamber?

Russ: I didn't mean to use ‘progressive’ in the terms of liberal versus conservative, because these terms take on a political meaning. I meant trying to have an agenda that moves this region forward. That's progressive.

I don't care about partisan - I care about moving the region forward.

Clyde: I would say inclusive. I would say we have more input. You've got all these different streams that feed into you that you really consider, where some groups traditionally don't have that. In fact, they strive to not have that.

Moderator: Changing the subject, name your top three issues facing KC. Roshann: Our top legislative issues include the angel tax credit, border war, transfer law, bond initiative, and economic development. (Laughing) And they've all been on our agenda for a very long time. But the transfer law has really risen up to heightened importance because of what's going on here in the school district.

Russ: We can't lose sight of the fact that we've got too many murders in this city. That's incredibly disruptive to people and families, but it is an economic development issue, too, because if you talk about this region and that murder rate comes up, that's an impediment to growth and for companies moving here and people growing,

particularly on the Kansas City, Missouri side of the state line. It just is. So a lot of these issues, you know, may appear to be more directed at individuals but they are economic development issues. The inclusiveness that Clyde talks about - that's an economic development issue as well as a social justice issue.

Clyde: I think economic competitiveness is a broad thing, because everything we do is to make our community more liveable and attractive, because if you don't have that, you can't get families to move in with their kids, entrepreneurs don't want to come there. I want this to be a better community for all, including my family, including all sectors, minority groups, whatever. Because if it is, it is an economic destination for businesses large and small. If everybody's benefiting, then everybody feels welcome. But as Russ mentioned, if it's crime-ridden, you don't want to walk down the street. Or if you don't feel you can put your kids in public school, nobody wants to pay $8000 a year for private school. So we've got to make sure all those things click. You can't afford to leave one out. You've got to have all of them. You can't not focus on streets because it'll screw up your equipment. You can't not focus on Downtown safety, because everybody wants to be safe.

Roshann: That's a key message - that there is a web.

And to the extent that we successfully weave that web to include the components of a healthy community, of an environment that is the best place to work, of an environment that can attract young people from other markets to fill our high-tech jobs vacuum – to the extent that we weave these together to create a safe and secure and attractive region poised for growth, that “We're kind of irreverent about will define our success. And partisanship - we you are right - we've got to be know it's there, operating on all cylinders. but we're not Matt: That's the beauty interested in it. of the Chamber - you're not We're just trying to allowed to just focus on one, get things done.”

- Matt Condon two, or three issues. I think

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if you're talking about the border war or the schools or the health of our community or how we attract young people to this community and how we support startup and small businesses ...they're all inter-related. And if you sit at home or in your office, it's easy to focus on one or two or three issues. But if you “We let people come and sit in the Board know that we room, you're hit over the head really want to with the fact that you can't. encourage you in And it's wrong to. And that the dialogue, that we have to really engage the it's okay, because entirety of our economic syssometimes people don't tem here in Kansas City and feel it's okay address all those things. to present a It'd be easier to go for one, different point of two, or three (Laughing) but view.” it's not realistic.

- Clyde McQueen Roshann: So then the simple answer is ‘all of the above.’ The hard part about executing against that answer is determining where we as a community put our emphasis, where we put our collective energy and passion and commitment. The good news is we are a small army, and we have some extraordinary champions in our business community. And we do weave together a message that's pretty impactful as we take it out to the legislatures.

Matt: Also, just to pat people on the back, what an honor for the Chamber to be led by Russ and now Roshann, two people who understand public policy maybe better than most people in the country. For those of us who are interested in public policy but have so much to learn, it's been a great experience to kind of marinate in that environment where you learn so much.

Clyde: Well, as a person who came here 27 years ago, I came here brand new, and my first meeting was with Jack Steadman, the Board Chair of the Chamber.

FEC, you know, came out of the Chamber. They bred us. But the whole thing about that meeting was I had no clue. I come from the great state of Texas, still have ties there, but I had no interaction with the corporate leadership there as I have had in this town. And I learn a lot from that. I think FEC’s success as an organization is tied to my individual exposure to those people.

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We take so much for granted that we do here as a norm that other people don’t, that we discount it. I think it’s a great asset but it's also our biggest liability because, quite frankly, we do understate the obvious because it's so frequent. But it is a real asset in this community.

Roshann: Clyde's message is an interesting one and I think it's one Russ, in particular, would agree with, as our resident “guru” on this front. Public policy teaches humility because you probably lose more than you win, but you celebrate the wins as though they're the best thing that ever happened.

Russ: I would agree. I was down in Jeff City with Chamber staff two weeks ago and I told the president of the Senate, “Hope springs eternal when there's snow on the ground in Jeff City; we want some results when the flowers are blooming.” Everybody's all, “Kumbaya, we're for you,” and then, pfffft.

Moderator: We’re almost out of time, but I had one final question for you, Clyde. The Chamber Board is set to vote on the Chamber’s 2014 Federal Public Policy Agenda. As Chair of the Federal Affairs Committee, describe the process you used to put it together.

Clyde: We have meetings and a lot of listening sessions. We let people know that we really want to encourage you in the dialogue, that it's okay, because sometimes people don't feel it's okay to present a different point of view in what's being discussed. I think that's the good part of our public policy effort, because we deal with some dicey issues - immigration, housing, finance, tax rates, the health care law. Let me tell you, those were some interesting discussions. The main thing was to try to ensure that people felt at ease to articulate their point of view without it being what I call individualism. People aren't bringing in their personal agendas. It's an agenda of something that reflects a broader view. And I think that's real important to people.

Roshann: Clyde does a great job of really letting people dialogue about really important issues, making people understand that it IS okay, as he said. He gives credit to the Chamber, but a lot of it has to do with his leadership. Definitely.

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(Note: The KC Chamber Board approved the Federal Agenda later that day. To see what’s on the legislative wish list, visit the Public Policy section at www.kcchamber.com. You’ll find the Chamber’s 2014 agendas for Missouri and Kansas there as well.)

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Hansa GCR. “Identity Theft Protection Market Segmentation”. March 2010

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2014

Small Business

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMMING SPONSOR

SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION SPONSORS CEO LEVEL SPONSOR

Celebration Top 10 CEO Panel Breakfast

CANDIDATE SHOWCASE PRESENTING SPONSOR

Presented by Missouri Bank Wednesday, May 7, 2014 7:30-9 a.m.

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Hilton President Hotel 1329 Baltimore $30 for KC Chamber members; $40 for non-members $40 for members; $50 non-members after May 6 $300 per table of 10; $400 per non-member table

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Meet the CEOs of the KC Chamber’s Top 10. Learn about the start and growth of their businesses, and hear advice and best practices that you can take back and put into use in your own company.

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FORT LEAVENWORTH

AN ECONOMIC & CEREBRAL POWERHOUSE

Though Fort Leavenworth was supposed to be built on the eastern banks of the Missouri, Col. Henry Leavenworth chose a site high on the bluffs overlooking the river from its western side. His reasoning: to avoid the risks of flooding and lowland disease.

US Army photo

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DID YOU KNOW… • Fort Leavenworth is nicknamed the “Intellectual center of the U.S. Army.”

• Its economic impact on the region is huge - $2.3 billion (direct & indirect) in FY13.

• It’s the #1 user of KCI Airport.

• And it’s the oldest continuously operated fort west of the Appalachians.

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espite those figures, “The civilian population doesn’t know about us,” says Jack Walker, deputy to the Fort Leavenworth Garrison Commander. About all they know, he says, is that “there’s a prison up there and it’s an Army prison.”

Walker is referring to Fort Leavenworth’s Disciplinary Barracks – the only maximum security prison for the Department of Defense, housing high profile inmates like the 2009 Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hassan and Private Chelsea (born Bradley) Manning, convicted of leaking a trove of classified documents to WikiLeaks.

But there’s so much more happening on this tree-shaded campus overlooking the Missouri River.

The center of Army strategy “We’ve got think tanks all over the place,” says tour guide and public affairs officer Jeffrey Wingo, as he drives a visitor around the grounds.

Those think tanks are busying carrying out Fort Leavenworth’s critical missions: to prepare for the global war on terrorism, and to transform the Army to meet future threats.

“We are always assessing what the future threats are going to be,” explains Colonel Monty Willoughby, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. “We write all the doctrine for the Army.”

They study lessons learned, he says, and develop the Army’s strategies for everything “from combat operations to supply to civilian relations.”

It was at Fort Leavenworth, for example, that General David Petraeus, Commanding General of the fort, oversaw the development of new counterinsurgency

strategies used in Iraq and Afghanistan. He did what they do at Fort Leavenworth - he brought together a diverse group of experts to study the situation, experts from the military, academia, journalism, and human rights organizations. The result was Field Manual 3-24 – Counter Insurgency, its lessons, strategies, and policies soon disseminated throughout Army operations and leadership.

Fort Leavenworth’s role, however, doesn’t end with the work of its think tanks.

Education and training “If we come up with a change, we have to educate and prepare the force,” Col. Willoughby says. “We’re continually training, educating and building leaders throughout their career…We oversee and synchronize leader education through multiple levels – noncommissioned, civilian, and officer cohorts. We make a huge investment in our future officers.”

1400 soldiers spend a year at Fort Leavenworth in intensive study. “99 percent of general officers have gone through Fort Leavenworth,” Col. Willoughby says.

The Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth is the Army’s senior operational school and well known to anyone in the Army. Tens of thousands of U.S. and international officers have attended the college during its 133 years of existence, including Generals Norman Schwarzkopf, Collin Powell, and David Petraeus.

The goal of the college throughout its history has been to educate and prepare officers for any duty they might be called upon to perform. “To do whatever the nation asks of us,” Col. Willoughby says.

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At Fort Leavenworth, history comes alive every spring! Friends of the Frontier Army Museum host the 37th annual Tour of Historic Homes at Fort Leavenworth, a fundraiser to help benefit the Fort Leavenworth Museum, on May 10, 2014. This year 10 historic homes will be opening their doors to the public. US Army photo

Fort Leavenworth – a city in itself Fort Leavenworth has its own school system, fire department, hospital, bank, credit union, PX and Commissary. It has the equivalent of its own public works and parks

departments. It houses a population of more than 7500 soldiers and their families on post, with many of the homes listed on the National Historic Register. In fact, Fort Leavenworth itself is the second largest National Historic District. (West Point is first.)

Fort Leavenworth Soldiers fire the ceremonial salute at the fort's July 4th celebration. The celebration is open to the public. US Army photo

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Jack Walker has been deputy to the Fort Leavenworth garrison commander for 28 years. “The garrison,” he says, “takes care of the facility and the programs for the people here.”

It’s home, he explains, with community amenities from a golf course to ballet lessons for the kids. Walker is quick to add, however, that those are paid for by “non-appropriated funds;” in other words, by fees, not taxpayer dollars.

“We are a solid economic engine for the area,” Walker says, with $851 million in direct, and $2.3 billion in indirect benefit in FY13. “This is a great business opportunity for people in Kansas City, not to mention those here in Leavenworth,” he says.

KC reaps much of that business, from companies like JE Dunn Construction to the City Market vendors supplying the Fort Leavenworth commissary.

Solar Experience Solar Comfort

History on display, and you’re invited Fort Leavenworth was founded in 1827 by Colonel Henry Leavenworth, who had been sent to the western frontier to build a “cantonment” at the confluence of the Missouri and Little Platte Rivers. It was supposed to be located on the Missouri side of the river, but Col. Leavenworth chose a location on the west side in Indian Territory, high on the bluffs and away from “lowland diseases” (primarily malaria) and potential flooding. He didn’t wait for approval from the War Department.

“What would strike us first if we went back to 1827,” says Kelvin Crow, Fort Leavenworth Command Historian, “would be no people, no trees, and tallgrass prairie down to the water’s edge.” Col. Leavenworth’s new Army outpost, he says, was one of a string of forts built along the western frontier, from Minnesota to New Orleans.

Fort Leavenworth, he says, “was the pivot point,” as thousands of soldiers, emigrants, traders, and explorers passed through during the

The Combined Arms Center Headquarters building, often referred to simply as the 'Clocktower.' The Headquarters building is composed of the historic buildings Grant Hall, Sheridan Hall and Sherman Hall and rests near the former enlisted Soldier burial grounds. US Army photo

nation’s westward expansion. The 10th Cavalry – to become known as the “Buffalo Soldiers” – was organized at the fort in 1866.

A monument to the Buffalo Soldiers – dedicated by General Colin Powell in 1992 - is one of the stops on the fort’s Wayside Tour, along with the National Cemetery, established in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln.

Fort Leavenworth is open for visitors and just a short daytrip from Kansas City. You just need to show a driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance at the fort entrance.

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Green Light Window Films www.greenlightwf.com 816-246-5335 The Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery is one of the original 12 National Cemeteries designated by President Abraham Lincoln. US Army photo

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NEW MEMBERS Welcome to these members who recently joined the KC Chamber.

Accountants Kennedy and Coe, LLC Marc Johnson (913) 643-5000 FAX (913) 643-5100 www.kcoe.com

Construction QTI, Inc. Jason Lofton (913) 764-7845 FAX (913) 254-7797 www.qti5.com

Air Cleaning & Purifying HEPACart Inc. Mark Farnsworth (913) 789-9590 FAX (913) 677-5772 www.hepacart.com

Contractors--Electrical Jason Wright Electric Jason Wright (816) 246-5826 jasonwrightelectric.com

Aircraft Sales & Service Kansas Aircraft Corporation Dianne White (913) 782-8212 www.kansasaircraft.com Architects Populous Joe Spear, FAIA (816) 221-1500 FAX (816) 221-1578 www.populous.com Architects & Engineers Generator Studio Tom Proebstle, AIA,NCARB (816) 333-6527 www.generatorstudio.com Attorneys Denker Law Firm Tim Denker (816) 434-6610 FAX (816) 246-8006 www.denkerlawfirm.com Commodity Brokers Lansing Trade Group Curt McConnell (913) 748-3000 FAX (913) 748-4356 www.lansingtradegroup.com Computer Services & Repair Digital Doc Vincent Hobbs (816) 584-0500 www.digitaldocrepair.com/kc Computers Sumner Group, dba Datamax of Kansas City Barb Kovacs (913) 752-2200 FAX (913) 492-4475 www.datamaxkc.com Construction Enerfab Kenny Hallacy (816) 923-3100 www.enerfab.com

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Graphic Design--Advertising Design Ranch Ingred Sidie (816) 472-8668 www,design-ranch.com

Media BicMedia Austin Bickford (816) 221-7021 www.bicmedia.com

Health Care Computer Systems RX Savings Solutions, LLC Michael Rea (913) 669-1226 www.rxsavingssolutions.com/

Museums Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Barbara O'Brien (816) 753-5784 FAX (816) 753-5806 www.kemperart.org

Dentists Oak Hills Family Dental Dr. Katie Williams (816) 429-6604 www.oakhillsfamilydental.com

Hotels/Motels Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference LaVonne Hamilton (309) 263-1334 FAX (309) 694-9303 stoneycreekhotels.com

Non-Profits & Small Businesses BoysGrow John Gordon, Jr. (773) 793-5056 www.boysgrow.com

Engineering Recruiters Technology Plus, Inc. Michell Hansen (816) 795-7720 FAX (816) 795-7752 www.tplusinc.com

Hotels/Motels Unity Village Conference & Events Kelly Hatch (816) 251-3533 FAX (816) 607-0517 www.unityonline.org

Non-Profits & Small Businesses Hope Network of Raytown Christie Hammond (816) 778-1148 FAX (816) 778-1134 www.hopenetworkraytown.org

Environmental Consultants & Services OCCU-TEC, Inc. Skuli Gudmundsson (816) 231-5580 FAX (816) 231-5641 www.occutec.com

Information Technology Codero Hosting Chris Branding (913) 890-8250 FAX (913) 890-7701 www.codero.com

Non-Profits & Small Businesses International Relations Council Anna Lambertson (816) 221-4204 www.irckc.org

Financial Services Merchantguy.com Patrick Barr (913) 526-9633

Janitorial Services & Supplies G&B Maintenance Services, Inc Gina Landry (816) 444-4866 FAX (816) 444-0605

Food Service Equipment & Supplies B&J Peerless Food Service Equipment, Inc. Kevin Herndon (913) 621-6165 www.bjpeerless.com Food--Wholesale Distributors Good Natured Family Farms Diana Endicott (913) 608-4633 goodnaturedfamilyfarms.com Fund Raising Your City Sampler Sid T. Shugart (816) 569-0135 FAX (816) 569-4701 www.yourcitysampler.com Golf Courses Orion Management Solutions, Inc. Matt Roberts (913) 238-3160 www.orion-mgmt.com

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Law Firm Kane Law Office, LLC Brandon Kane (816) 229-2708 FAX (816) 229-7278 www.bkanelaw.com Manufacturers AJ Manufacturing Rob Haake (816) 231-5522 FAX (816) 231-8437 www.ajmfg.com Manufacturers Pack Leader USA Carody Lavender (816) 581-4330 FAX (816) 581-4338 www.packleaderusa.com Manufacturers WELD Racing Chris Bovis (800) 788-9353 FAX (816) 421-6878 www.weldracing.com

Non-Profits & Small Businesses Region 7 Head Start Association Donna Veatch (816) 537-7801 FAX (816) 537-7802 www.r7hsa.com Non-Profits & Small Businesses Show Me KC Schools Tricia Johnson (816) 550-4298 www.showmekcschools.org Non-Profits & Small Businesses Thermo Interactive Tiffany Barrett (816) 994-1357 FAX (816) 994-1938 www.thermointeractive.com Non-Profits & Small Businesses Watershed Pastor Paul Bartel 7145 Summit St. (816) 769-4983 www.watershedkc.com Nurseries KAT Nurseries Jeff Snell (913) 856-8198 FAX (913) 856-8647 www.katnurseries.com

New members continued…

Office Equipment & Supplies ProServ Business Systems Ben Fitzpatrick (816) 233-6701 www.goproserv.com Physical Fitness FEWDM Fitness Tommy Saunders (816) 365-7171 www.getrock360.com Plumbing Service Roto Rooter Service Company Ben Demaline (816) 398-7573 www.rotorooter.com/kansascitymo/ Professional Services Bannockburn Global Forex Mehgan Flynn (816) 249-2151 FAX (816) 285-9001 www.bbgfx.com

Property Management Hughes Development Co., Inc./Universal Management, Inc. Robert L. Hughes, Jr. (913) 321-2262 FAX (913) 321-2937 www.umikc.com Real Estate Inspections Certified Radon Madison King (816) 587-3500 FAX (816) 587-3501 www.certifiedradonkc.com Retail 5B & Co. Candlemakers Lori Woods (816) 361-6393 www.freesniffs.com Signs Fastsigns Janet Galapo (816) 753-0500 FAX (816) 753-7027 www.fastsigns.com/61-westport-kansas-city-mo

Special Events The AZDEF Group Crystal Vaughn (631) 593-6224 www.azdef.com

Transportation Logistics The Logistics Store MartI Gooch (816) 781-0450 FAX (816) 781-0451 www.thelogisticsstore.com

Telecommunication Services PCS, Inc. Tamer Christo (913) 981-1100 FAX (866) 566-8757 www.pcsvoip.com

Uniforms Ace ImageWear Jackson Miller (816) 231-5737 www.aceimagewear.com

Telecommunication Services Selective Site Consultants David Saab (913) 438-7700 FAX (913) 438-7777 www.ssc.us.com

Web Design & Development Mobile.Earth, Inc. Kenn Yancy (816) 759-2877 www.mobileearth.net Wholesalers Sam's Club Nancy Bishop (816) 792-4778 www.samsclub.com

Transportation Logistics Red Hot Logistics Steve Redmond (913) 897-7771 FAX (866) 626-8301 www.redhotcorp.com

PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE & LEADERSHIP CIRCLE The following companies recently renewed their commitment to the KC Chamber’s President’s Circle.

American Century Investments Arvest Bank Ash Grove Cement Company Bank of America Bank of Blue Valley BNSF Railway Co. Coventry Health Care of Kansas

Grant Thornton LLP HCA MidAmerica Division Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City Kansas City Southern Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

KPMG LLP Lathrop & Gage LLP Mazuma Credit Union McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips Saint Luke's Health System Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. Tension Corporation

The University of Kansas The University of Kansas Hospital Truman Medical Centers Union Pacific Railroad University of Missouri-Kansas City

The following companies recently renewed their commitment to the KC Chamber’s Leadership Circle.

Avila University Blue Valley School District CRES Management DSI (Data Systems International) Farmland Foods, Inc. Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Company

GBA Grantham University IBM Corporation InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza KCPT Public Television/Channel 19

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Nueterra Holdings, LLC Park University Populous Retina Assocates, P.A. RF Fisher Electric Company

Sheraton Suites Country Club Plaza Soli Printing Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP T-Mobile Tnemec Company, Inc.

MILESTONES The following KC Chamber members have celebrated membership milestones in April and May 5 years Acendas Benefit Brokers, LLC Grand St. Cafe Grassmere Partners, LLC Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inn on Crescent Lake Lee & Associates Lee's Summit Nissan ORKIN Commercial Services Synetic Technologies Trinity Logistics, Inc.

10 years Brownmed, Inc. Kansas City CARE Clinic Kansas City Repertory Theatre "Spencer Theatre" Mitel, Inc. Object Technology Solutions, Inc. Premier Studios Staples Sunlighten Taylor Group, LLC 20 years Missouri Gas Energy Summit Litho, Inc.

25 years George's Imports, Ltd. Labconco Corporation 30 years Advantage Metals Recycling, LLC RCA Group, Inc. 50+ years H&R Block, Inc. (54) James B. Nutter & Company (54) Western Extralite Company (55) Holliday Sand & Gravel Co. (56) MKS Pipe & Valve Co. (57) Research Medical Center Brookside Campus (57)

Mid-States Supply Co. (62) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (62) Boyle's Famous K.C. Steaks (63) Arrow Truck Sales, Inc. (65) Crescent Electric Supply Company (68) Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (72) Starlight Theatre Association of Kansas City, Inc. (72) U.S. Engineering Company (72) Sosland Companies, Inc. (74) Massman Construction Co. (82) Nazarene Publishing House (87) Commerce Bank (106) The Kansas City Star (126)

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FACES & PLACES

Highlighting Chamber organizations and people making KC grow.

Mayors' Forum

Public Policy Speaker Series

Mayor Mark Holland, Unified Government of Wyandotte County;

Russ Welsh, Polsinelli; Ralph Reid, Sprint; Former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs

Rick Kahle, Lockton Companies; Denise Kruse, AdamsGabbert; and

of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen (Ret.); KC Chamber Chair Roshann Parris, Parris

Mayor Sly James, Kansas City, MO, talked about regional opportuni-

Communications; Dean Oskvig, Black & Veatch; and Colonel John Bircher, Fort

ties following a KC Chamber Public Policy Council breakfast exploring

Leavenworth, gather following the KC Chamber-Polsinelli Public Policy Up Close

needs and success stories in the two Kansas Cities. Both mayors agreed

Speaker Series event where Mullen spoke about the intersection of global economy

that the loss of local control over hand gun laws and the economic

and national security. Mullen talked to a full house about how the end of the Cold War

development/recruitment border war were challenges the two Cities

impacted Vladimir Putin and about his prognosis for extended strife in Syria and Libya.

share. Mayor Holland told the audience he thought redevelopment of

Mullen said Americans are tired of war and told the audience that “having extremists

KCI Airport was a good opportunity for bi-state collaboration as signifi-

running our country is the biggest challenge the U.S. faces.� He also talked extensively

cantly more than half of the airport traffic comes from Kansas.

about the need to engage more businesses in hiring and training military veterans.

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GOOD NEWS Highlighting the good news in KC

People

Betsy Vander Velde has announced her December 2014 retirement from The Family Conservancy. Under Vander Velde’s leadership, The Family Conservancy has grown from a budget of $4.9 million to $12.4 million and serves more than 48,000 children and families annually — in early education, mental health and anti-poverty programs. The Family Conservancy is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children and families achieve a lifetime of success. A United Way agency, The Family Conservancy has been serving Kansas and Missouri families since 1880.

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB) announced the appointment of Jane Lampo, Ed.D., CFRE, as vice president for advancement. She will lead KCUMB’s alumni relations, development and fundraising efforts as the University gears up for its centennial celebration in 2016.

Bruce Scott retired from United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Kansas City (UCP) on March 31, after 34 years. He led the organization through a major merger with Open Options, and he envisioned and established the first Prader Willi group home program in the state of Missouri. Vincent Bustamante is Bruce’s successor as CEO and president of UCP. Vincent had been the Vice President of Community Living at UCP for the past 3 years prior to his new appointment.

Blue Valley School District’s Harmony Middle seventh grader Hannah Thurlby was selected as Kansas’s top middle level youth volunteer in the 2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. The program recognizes young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Hannah led a seven-member team in launching a blanket-making initiative that has produced hundreds of hand sewn blankets for children in foster care. Hannah will receive an engraved silver medallion, $1,000 and an all-

expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Trabon’s Restaurant Services Group has promoted key members of management and added four new positions: Trish Balmos has been promoted from vice president of marketing to chief marketing and business development officer; Colleen Standefer and Jessica Jimenez were promoted from account manager to senior account manager/onboarding specialist positions; Meredith Bushatz has been promoted from client application specialist to client application/ onboarding specialist; Chad Beatty has been named director of business development; and Jenny Miller, Sara Scroggins, and Melissa Bahr are new account managers. Trabon’s Strategic Technology Group announced the following promotion and new hire: Kassandre Patten, who has been Trabon’s lead interactive developer for the past three years, was promoted to senior project manager for the interactive technology team, and Andy Peng joined Trabon as senior application developer.

THANK YOU TO THE KC CHAMBER’S TOP INVESTORS FOR 2014 BRONZE LEVEL

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GOOD NEWS CONTINUED MarksNelson, Kansas City’s largest locally-owned accounting firm, is pleased to announce the promotions of several tax professionals: Michael Herber, CPA, and Malissa Sartain, CPA, have been promoted to supervisor; while Tyler Jessup, CPA, Becca Martin, CPA, and Alexis Cannon, CPA, have been promoted to senior staff accountant. MarksNelson has also announced the promotions of several audit professionals. Amanda Kumma-Reeves, CPA, has been promoted to manager; Gerald Ostapko, CPA, has been promoted to supervisor; and Dan VanDyke and Maggie Bates, CPA, have been promoted to senior staff accountant.

EAG Advertising and Marketing (EAG) announces the addition of Beth Neely, Digital Project Manager, and Julianne Gross, Associate Art Director, to its team of marketing professionals.

Neely’s primary responsibilities will be to manage all website development and digital projects.

She also brings video editing and production experience to EAG. Gross will focus specifically on digital design and user experience.

Husch Blackwell welcomes Douglas S. Stone to its Kansas City, Mo., office, as a partner on the firm’s Real Estate, Development & Construction team, working largely to facilitate Public-Private Partnerships. Stone’s noteworthy work includes representing Kansas City, Mo., in the formation of Transportation Development Districts to fund the initial stages and expansion of Kansas City’s streetcar and bus-rapid-transit lines.

The College Basketball Experience has announced a new Director of Sales, Marketing and Events, Celeste Lupercio. The CBE houses the National Collegiate Hall of Fame, an interactive museum paying tribute to the contributors and players of men's college basketball. The CBE is also a turnkey rental facility for corporate, academic, organizational and private parties.

Harmon Construction, Inc. has hired Greg Boice as Sr. Project Manager. Greg is responsible for managing Harmon Construction projects from pre-construction through closeout.

Each year a committee of SportsBusiness Daily/ Global/Journal editors and writers identify and honor the most promising young executives in sports business under the age of 40. The 2014 class includes 360 Architecture principal, Nate Appleman, who is being recognized for his commitment and contributions to the world of collegiate athletics. For over 17 years, Appleman has specialized in the design of stadiums, arenas, practice facilities and athletics master plans for collegiate clients across the country.

Current notable projects include Notre Dame’s new Campus Crossroads project, Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium Expansion, Northwestern University’s new Lakefront Athletics Complex, and University of Louisiana Lafayette’s stadium expansion.

David Cacioppo, President/CEO of the Kansas City-based digital marketing firm and marketing technology provider emfluence, was named the 2014 Bob Stone Direct Marketer of the Year on March 12 at the AMBIT Awards Celebration. He is the first exclusively digital marketer to receive the award from Kansas City Direct Marketing Association. The Direct Mar-

THANK YOU TO THE KC CHAMBER’S TOP INVESTORS FOR 2014 S I LV E R L E V E L ®

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keter of the Year Award honors an exceptional individual who has contributed to the practice of direct marketing, supported direct marketing education, strengthened KCDMA and distinguished his or her company and community.

Miscellaneous

BicMedia, was nominated for 7 ADDYs from the Kansas City American Advertising Federation, taking home 2 Golds, 2 Silvers & 1 Best in Show for Original Music. Partner, Julian Bickford, is the company's composer & sound engineer, writing music for advertising, film, television and children's compilations.

Park University’s online Master of Public Affairs program has been ranked as a “best buy” by the national editorial review team at GetEducated.com, a consumer group that reviews and ranks online college/university degree programs for cost, quality and credibility.

Park’s online MPA program was ranked No. 15 in the “Best Affordable MPA Online” category.

The University of Kansas Hospital has been named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals, as measured by Healthgrades. The hospital is recognized by Healthgrades for achieving clinical outcomes that are better than expected across a majority of procedures and conditions performed, from 2010 to 2012 consistently, year after year, for a minimum of four years. It

is the only hospital in the metropolitan Kansas City area so honored.

Hunt Midwest Enterprises, Inc. announced that it sold its membership interest in Hunt Martin Materials, LLC, the region’s largest supplier of crushed limestone, to its joint venture partner, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.

REACH 20,000 CEOs & Decision Makers in Greater Kansas City.

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For advertising information, please contact Angie Riffel at 913-951-8446 or ariffel@metromediapublishers.com. We publish 6 times a year, the next issue publishes June 1st 2014 with a deadline for space of Tuesday, May 1st, 2014.

AD COPY DEADLINE IS MAY 8TH, 2014.

THANK YOU TO THE KC CHAMBER’S TOP INVESTORS FOR 2014 GOLD LEVEL

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THANK YOU TO THE KC CHAMBER’S

TOP INVESTORS FOR 2014 P L AT I N U M L E V E L

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Olathe: 13401 S. Mur-Len Rd Suite 100 Prairie State 26 Village: K C C H A M B E R7510 .COM M A Y 2 0 1 4 Line Rd Suite B

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Union Station 30 W Pershing Road Suite 301 Kansas City, Missouri 64108 For membership information, call (816) 221-2424 or email info@kcchamber.com GROW KC Business is produced by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Marketing Department for Chamber Management Services, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of the KC Chamber). Information in this publication is carefully compiled to ensure accuracy.

However, neither the KC Chamber nor CMS assume responsibility for accuracy. Contents are copyrighted by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Design solutions for GROW KC Business provided by KC Chamber member Ridpath Creative Partners, LLC, www.ridpathcreative.com.

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