A New Year and a New Board for Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City

Author: Megan Sturges Stanfield
Community Involvement
Published: Wednesday, 21 Jul 2021

Sharing

Image caption: JA BizTown will host its first pilot sessions in August!

July marks the start of a new year at Junior Achievement and with that I am excited to welcome new and returning members to the Junior Achievement Board! The incredible leadership demonstrated by our board over the past year was key in helping Junior Achievement navigate 2020. Through every surprise, challenge, and success of the last twelve months, I have had the honor of working alongside a group of talented, compassionate, community-focused professionals to move the Junior Achievement mission forward.

Kathy Rhodes, Managing Director at CBIZ MHM led the board as Chair with grace and determination over the last two years. Kathy now passes the torch to a new Board Chairperson – Leroy McCarty, VP of Operations at Fidelity Security Life Insurance. Leroy has been an advocate for Junior Achievement young people for many years as a board member, donor, and volunteer. I look forward to collaborating with him and the rest of the board in the next chapter of Junior Achievement’s history in Kansas City.

In addition to changes in board leadership, I am proud to celebrate the arrival of eight brand new board members. Grant Gooding, Founder and CEO of Proof Positioning, Jason Grill, Founder of JGrill Consulting, Annie Hiatt, Business Development Officer at Nabholz Construction, Katie King, Partner at PwC, Audrey Masoner, Chief Financial Officer at United Health Group, Brian Mayfield, Financial Advisor at American Century Investments, Katie Ruiz, Director of Integration at T-Mobile, and Katya Siddall, VP of Product Development and Innovation at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. I cannot wait to see the impact this team will create for Junior Achievement kids in the coming year!

In just a few weeks, JA BizTown will host its first pilot sessions with kids from Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City (scroll down for more info on volunteering!). The annual Play4JA Golf Tournament is planned for August 9. Team sign-ups are open until July 30 so don’t miss out! Finally, Junior Achievement leadership is in the final stages of outlining a five-year plan that will guide the organization’s long-term growth.

Your role in the lives of Junior Achievement kids is crucial during this time of growth. They need your help to inspire their hopes for the future and to connect to tools and resources that can put them on a path to success in a rapidly changing economic environment. THANK YOU for continuing to enthusiastically engage in the mission of JA to prepare the next generation of Kansas City leaders, thinkers, and doers.