Equity Advisory Board

The EO Advisory Board has two related purposes:

(a) Provide counsel and advisory oversight to the Greater Topeka Partnership and all of its partners and entities. This includes: (i) advising the Partnership’s CEO and the Presidents and Executive Directors of the Partnership’s entities and their volunteer boards; (ii) helping the Partnership provide programming in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and opportunity; and (iii) helping keep equity at the center of the implementation of the Partnership’s holistic economic development strategies; and

(b) Oversee and ensure the fulfillment of Go Topeka’s obligation pursuant to the Agreement for Services between Go Topeka and the Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) dated April 4, 2014, as amended, to support economic development for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and/or business enterprises. The formation of this Advisory Board, and subsequent dissolution of the Minority and Women Business Advisory Board will be undertaken so as to ensure undisrupted fulfillment of the aforesaid obligation.

Current Chair
Lakeisha Williams

Chair Elect
TBD

Immediate Past Chair
Marquisha Paul

(Term Expires December 31, 2026)

Marie Pyko                            Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library

Sylvia Hopper                        SHopper’s Kitchen

Lonnie Walker Jr.                    Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas

Lakeisha Williams                   Bartlett & West

Mackenzi Mondesir                 U.S. Bank

Tyler Levier                             Shawnee Global, LLC

Marquisha Paul                       Hill’s Pet Nutrition/Subsidiary Colgate-Palmolive

 

(Term Expires December 31, 2027)

Linessa Frazier                        American Century Investments

Renee Franklin                       Moore

Susana Ortiz                          Ad Astra Per Aspera Counseling, LLC

Laura Burton                          Kansas Children’s Discovery Center

John “Bo” Turney                    Washburn University

Fatima Perez-Luthi                   The Grind Coaching & Consulting                   

Caitlyn Halsey                         Topeka Young Life  

 

Elected Directors
(Term Expires December 31, 2028)

Angela Lewis                       Shawnee County

Adrianne Ralston                 PARS

Chelsea Huston                    Community Member

Nancy Lopez                        King Auto Glass

Marisol Marcelo                   Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home

Amanda Chavez Thomson     Chavez Restoration & Cleaning

TBD                                     TBD

 

Stephanie Moran                  Greater Topeka Partnership

Molly Howey                        Greater Topeka Partnership