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Gordon Lansford Headlines Newly Elected Chamber of Commerce Leadership

The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce has new leadership, as of Monday. The Board of Directors voted unanimously to elect Gordon Lansford as the chamber’s chair. Lansford, who is also CEO of JE Dunn, will begin his one-year term Nov. 1.

Lansford was not the only notable person elected to a position Monday. Listed below are the other individuals beginning a term with the Chamber of Commerce.

Officers elected with a one-year term –

  • Chair Elect – Carolyn Watley, President, CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services, Inc.
  • Vice Chair – Ramin Cherafat, CEO, McCownGordon Construction
  • Treasurer – Mark Garrett, Chief Diversity & Engagement Officer, Smithfield Foods
  • Immediate Past Chair – Matt Condon, CEO, Bardavon Health Innovations/ARC Physical Therapy+

Board members elected to a three-year term –

  • Debby Ballard, Director of Community Affairs for Sprint, President of Sprint Foundation
  • Steve Edwards, Chairman and CEO, Black & Veatch
  • Steve McDowell, Director of Design, BNIM
  • John Peterzalek, Chief Client Officer, Cerner
  • John Ricciardelli,  President, Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies
  • Brenda Sharpe, President & CEO, REACH Healthcare Foundation
  • Mark Thompson, Chairman, Country Club Trust Company, Vice Chairman Country Club Bank
  • Bridgette Williams, Executive Director, Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City

Six Board members representing educational and nonprofit institutions were also elected –

  • Mauli Agrawal, Chancellor, University of Missouri – Kansas City
  • Kimberly Beatty, Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College
  • Rev. Thomas Curran, S.J., President, Rockhurst University
  • Doug Girod, M.D., Chancellor, University of Kansas
  • Marc Hahn, D.O., President & CEO, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
  • Bridget McCandless, M.D., President & CEO, Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City
  • Representatives of other organizations elected as Board members:
  • Bill Gautreaux, Chair, Civic Council of Greater Kansas City
  • Jerry Riffel, Chair, Downtown Council
  • Beth Soukup, Chair, Kansas City Area Development Council

Eight public officials were elected to the board –

  • David Alvey, Mayor/CEO, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS
  • Kirby Brown, Deputy to the Commanding General, U.S. Army, Combined Arms Center
  • Peggy Dunn, Mayor, City of Leawood
  • Ed Eilert, Chair, Johnson County Commission
  • Sly James, Mayor, City of Kansas City, MO
  • Troy Schulte, City Manager, City of Kansas City, MO
  • Eileen Weir, Mayor, City of Independence
  • Frank White, County Executive, Jackson County

Special one-term board members include – 

  • Josh Rowland – (2018 Mr. K Award Winner), CEO, Lead Bank
  • Warren Erdman – (Chair’s Appointment), Executive Vice President, Administration and Corporate Affairs, Kansas City Southern
  • Mark Bedell – (Chair’s Appointment), Superintendent, Kansas City Public Schools
  • Greg Gunderson – (Chair’s Appointment), President, Park University
  • Shalea Walter – (Centurions Fall Cohort), Arvest Bank
  • Kate McKinney – (Centurions Spring Cohort), Martin Pringle
  • Dustin Wolfe (genKC), VisitKC