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wendy hills If you ask Wendy Hills the secret of her professional success, she can answer the question with one word: “Mentoring.” “Mentoring is a key to success, both professionally and personally,” says Hills. “I benefited early in my career from influential mentors.” The 38-year-old vice president, secretary and associate general counsel for Waddell & Reed Financial has certainly enjoyed a meteoric rise at the company. Barely five years after joining Waddell & Reed, Hills was named vice president for the company, which she’d joined in 1998, fresh out of law school. In her role at Waddell & Reed, Hills oversees everything from public company work and securities law counseling to securities filings—it’s a varied collection of duties, but Hills thrives on digging deep into complex details to master a task.Hills also takes her own responsibilities as a mentor to younger professionals seriously, setting an example for philanthropic commitment. Four years ago, she helped establish Ginger’s Tomorrow, a Lupus research foundation, in honor of her friend Ginger Launey DeSalvo who lost her battle with the disease. Today, Hills serves as the organization’s secretary and treasurer. She is also an advisory committee member for Operation Breakthrough. |
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todd jones How does a local business cope with national competition? Ask Todd Jones. The 36-year-old vice president of First American Title Insurance Company and the manager of operations for Missouri and Kansas has seen plenty of competition come his way, but the commercial title business he oversees has 23 employees and growing revenues. “My office has successfully competed against national competitors in major capital markets,” Jones says. Part of his secret to success might be the intense community ties Jones has built in Kansas City. Jones, father of three, is a member of the young lawyers section of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, where he has served in a variety of capacities, including committee chair, treasurer and executive board member. Jones has also served as a committee member for the Robert J. Downs Scholarship Tournament for 10 years, helping the organization to raise more than $10,000 each year. Jones is also on the board of directors for Mission Adelante. “Building a successful office, advancing the public’s perception of my profession and helping a Hispanic immigrant earn his citizenship are my most valued achievements,” Jones says. |
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kimberly jones Opportunity is the benchmark Kim Jones uses to measure her success. Jones, who’s spent the past 15 years focusing on workplace equality, defends companies who strive proactively toward creating workplace equality. The 39-year-old partner at Husch Blackwell Sanders (and chair of the company’s diversity committee) knew early in her career that she wanted to improve opportunity for people who historically have had limited opportunities, and she has seen success doing just that. A 2006 decision she obtained has been partially cited by the Department of Labor and other courts across the country, a triumph for which Jones is justifiably proud. But she’s not resting on her laurels. “Equally rewarding [to the 2006 decision] is the opportunity to counsel and conduct equal employment opportunity training for employers with facilities nationwide,” says Jones, whose Corporate Equality Index event in 2006 for the Kansas City Human Rights Campaign was such a success that it now serves as a model for communities across the United States. Jones also is active with the UMKC Heartland Labor and Employment Institute and on the board of directors for The Central Exchange. |
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