Carolyn Watley of CBIZ Elected Chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Category:

KC Chamber

Carolyn Watley, Vice President of Community Engagement of CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services, Inc., was unanimously elected Chair of the KC Chamber’s Board of Directors at the Board’s October meeting.

Watley has long been involved in both the Chamber and the community, serving as Board President for Starlight Theatre, Chair of the fundraising committee for the Royals’ Urban Youth Academy, and one of The Kansas City Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business. 

Watley and the other officers and board members elected at the meeting will serve in their positions beginning November 1, 2019. 

Officers elected include:

  • Chair-Elect: Ramin Cherafat, McCownGordon Construction
  • Vice Chair: Mark Garrett, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
  • Treasurer: Lisa Ginter, CommunityAmerica Credit Union
  • Immediate Past Chair: Gordon Lansford, JE Dunn Construction Company

New Chamber Board members elected include:

  • Mark Bedell, Kansas City Public Schools
  • Ron Coker, Burns & McDonnell
  • Warren Erdman, Kansas City Southern
  • Diane Gallagher, American Century
  • David Hall, Hallmark
  • Sam Huenergardt, AdventHealth
  • Paul Kempinski, Children’s Mercy Hospitals
  • Robbie Makinen, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
  • Kathy Nelson, Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation
  • Erin Stucky, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
  • Elizabeth MacLeod Walls, William Jewell College

Educational & Nonprofit Institution Board members include:

  • Mauli Agrawal, University of Missouri – Kansas City
  • Kimberly Beatty, Metropolitan Community College
  • Mark Bedell, Kansas City Public Schools
  • Doug Girod, University of Kansas
  • Marc Hahn, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
  • Bridget McCandless, Health Forward Foundation

Public Official Board members elected include:

  • Mayor/CEO David Alvey, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
  • Mayor Mike Boehm, City of Lenexa
  • Mayor Peggy Dunn, City of Leawood
  • Chair Ed Eilert, Johnson County Commission
  • Mayor Quinton Lucas, City of Kansas City, MO
  • City Manager Troy Schulte, City of Kansas City, MO
  • Mayor Eileen Weir, City of Independence
  • County Executive Frank White, Jackson County

Special one-year Board appointments include:

  • Kimberly Robinett, Mr. K Award Winner, TREKK Design Group, LLC
  • Rick Armstrong, Chair’s Appointment, KC Crime Commission
  • Greg Gunderson, Chair’s Appointment, Park University
  • Kenny Southwick, Chair’s Appointment, Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City
  • Jennifer Vitela, Chair, Centurions Fall Cohort Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
  • Robert Kelly, Chair, genKC, BKD

Board members serving as representative of another organization:

  • Bill Gautreaux, Chair, Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, MLP Holdings

New Chamber Chair Carolyn Watley and outgoing Chair Gordon Lansford will be honored at the Chamber’s upcoming Annual Dinner on November 26 at the KC Convention Center Kay Barnes Ballroom.