Class of 2026

Founded in 1984, Leadership Greater Topeka (LGT), a Greater Topeka Partnership program, identifies aspiring and established leaders from across the community to participate in a competitive annual leadership training course.

Class members attend a retreat and nine, day-long sessions that begin in January and continue through May. During these classes, participants will increase their capacity to lead as they learn about challenges facing Topeka and Shawnee County and how they can work to influence important community issues.

Congratulations to the following members of the LGT Class of 2026:

Kali Ahlin, Owner, Linked by AEA & Pink Karat
Ashley Biegert, Senior Assistant County Counselor, Shawnee County
Heather Braum, Senior Policy Advisor, Kansas Action for Children
Laura Burton, Sr Director of Marketing and Communications, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Michael Bush, Vice President & CoreXpress Banker, CoreFirst Bank & Trust
Dr. Alishia S. Birdwhistle-Bush, Co-developer and Education Consultant, Crossing Over Consulting Services
Jenae Deters, HR Business Partner, Newcomer Funeral Service Group
Angela Dick, School Improvement Specialist, Coordinator Instructional Coaching, AVID District Director, Topeka Public Schools
Lauren Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Kansas Common Sense Fund
Karly Goodyear, Client Services specialist, Jones advisory group
Angel Grey, Accounts Receivable Specialist, Greater Topeka Partnership
Yvonne Guy, Owner, Farmers Union Midwest Agency Yvonne Guy
John Haverty, Chief Information Officer, Washburn University
Carrie Higgins, Housing Services Division Director, City of Topeka
Sarah Jepson, Owner, Medical Director, The Refinery Medical Aesthetics
Jesse Johnson, Sr Recruiting Partner, Bartlett & West
Sasha Klaurens, Experience Manager, Oasis Mobile Bar
Brian Laird, Realtor, Owner, Stone and Story Real Estate Group, LLC
Jeremy Leithoff, Sergeant, Coordinator, Topeka Public Schools
Toby Leonard, AVP, Product Development, Security Benefit
Mallory McDaniel, Director of Client Account Management, Advisors Excel
Leslie Mondesir, VP, Member Solutions Manager, FHLBank Topeka
Benjamin Murphy, Vice President of Lending, Bennington State Bank
Erin Rodriguez, Regional Customer Experience Operations Director, Capitol Federal Savings Bank
Laurie Rueschhoff, System Director, Compensation, Benefits, Wellness & HRIS, Stormont Vail Health
Stephanie Sevatson, Commercial Underwriting Analyst, Envista Federal Credit Union
Margaret Shermoen, Attorney, Sloan, Eisenbarth, Glassman, McEntire & Jarboe LLC
Kelli Smith, Access Services Manager, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
Caleb Soliday, Membership Coordinator, Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center
Sarahy Soriano, Owner, Spotless Neat Co
Leland Spencer, Director, Product Dev. and Sales Systems, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
Kristin Stock, CCBHC Director, Valeo Behavioral Health Care
Tricia Sublet, Mental Health Director, SENT Topeka
Alicia VanWalleghem, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Topeka Community Foundation
Lane Wiens, Horticulture Extension Agent, K-State Extension
Melanie Worsley, Associate Provost and Professor, Washburn University