CEDBR

WAOT

Wichita Area Outlook Team

Our Wichita Area Outlook Team (WAOT) membership provides a unique opportunity for Kansas leaders to network, learn, and guide local area research efforts. Additionally, these members serve as CEDBR’s primary industry advisory group for the Wichita Metro Area.

Membership includes:

  • Five premium seats at the Kansas Economic Outlook Conference
  • Quarterly networking and collaboration luncheons
  • Industry updates and special reports by CEDBR

Membership fee: $800 per year

Join WAOT

Current Members

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Mark Schmelzle
Senior Vice President

AGH

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Richard Basore
Retired

Agriculture

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David Gartner
Head of Engineering

Airbus

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Sandra Jessop
Sr. VP Engineering & Operations

Airxcel

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Treena Mason
Executive VP, Chief Sales Officer

Blue Cross – Blue
Shield of Kansas

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Walter Berry
Executive
Chairman

Berry Companies

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Troy 
Anderson
Assistant City
Manager

City of
Wichita

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Chris
Blasdel
VP Material
Sales

Cornejo

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Kurt
Grier
Chairman
and CEO

Eby
Corporation

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Sarah
Hoefgen
Executive
Director

El Dorado,
Inc.

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Chad
McDaniel
Senior VP

Emprise
Bank

Don
Sherman
Executive,
Community Affairs

Evergy

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Jacob
Siegrist
Chief Credit
Officer

Fidelity
Bank

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AJ
Worthington
Managing
Director

Forvis
Mazars

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Jeff
Fluhr
President

Greater Wichita
Partnership

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Jeff
Jamison
President

IMA

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Gary
Schmitt
Executive
VP

Intrust
Bank

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Lauren
Clary
Sr. Market
Development Rep

Kansas Gas
Service

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Steve
Hewitt
CEO

Kansas Turnpike
Authority

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Tom
Johnson
President

NAI
Martens

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John
Toothaker
Partner

Nox
Numis

Sheila
Rumsey
CEO

Realtors of South
Central Kansas

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Stacy
Hall
VP of
Finance

Spirit
AeroSystems

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Christopher
Goebel
Area VP –
Aggregate Sales

Star
Lumber

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Lynn
Preheim
Managing
Partner

Stinson

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Jeffrey
Weiford
Executive
VP

Tessere

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Bradley
White
Operations Sr. Vice President

Textron

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Addi
Lowell
CFO

Wichita Public Schools

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Susie
Santo
President
and CEO

Visit
Wichita

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Kevin
Dreiling
President

Weigand

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Valerie
Wise
Air Service/
Bus. Dev. Mgr.

Wichita Airport
Authority

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Tyler
York
President
and CEO

Wichita Area Builders
Association

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John
Rolfe
President
and CEO

Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce

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Amanda
Duncan
VP and
Chief Bus. Dev. Off.

Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas

Updated June 3, 2025

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