Leaders of W
2024 Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees oversees the overall development, strategy and long-term goals of W. The board meets monthly to help ensure quality communication between all facets of the organization, assist in setting goals and ground-level program planning.
Are you interested in joining our Board of Trustees? As the premier young professionals organization in the Wichita region, we desire to continue advancing access and opportunities for emerging talent and young professionals. If you are a young professional who is passionate and cares about our Wichita region start by getting involved in one of our Action Teams. Board applications will open up fall of 2024.
- Gentry Thiesen
ChairREALTORS of South Central Kansas - Madison Lachenmaier
Chair-electCredit Union of America - Alex Hamel
Past ChairSpirit AeroSystems - Alyssa York
Volunteer CoordinatorMeritrust Credit Union - Preston Todd
Membership RepresentativeFriends University - Christyn Gunter
Member at LargeRock Christian Fellowship Church - Diana Le
Member at LargeWichita Public Schools - Jared Neidert
Member at LargeCessna | Beechcraft by Textron Aviation - Kyle Ellison
Talent Vice Chair - Wichita Regional Chamber of CommerceKhan Lab School - Andy Buessing
Community AdvisorHutton - Whitney Belshe
Investor RepresentativeFidelity Bank
Community Advisors serve on the Board of Trustees and are community leaders with diverse ethnic, professional, and demographic backgrounds, but share a common passion for the health and prosperity of Wichita. They provide direction, guidance, mentoring, and leadership development.
Advisory Council
The Advisory Council convenes representatives from each of W’s corporate investors quarterly to help define expectations, evaluate outcomes and assist with corporate marketing and YP recruitment. The Advisory Council Chair serves on the Board of Trustees.
W’s corporate investors are an essential part of W’s past and future successes. These businesses believe that attracting, engaging and retaining young talent is vital to Wichita’s future. They invest in W to ensure that their employees and others in the business community have access to high quality events and programs that are designed specifically for young professionals.