Prior to his current position, Samuel served as the State of Kansas Director of Critical Infrastructure and Operational Technology. During his time with the state, he was instrumental in developing the States First Operational Technology program for Water/Wastewater, winning multiple awards across the US.

Dr. Chris Kuehl is a Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. He provides forecasts and strategic guidance for a wide variety of corporate clients around the world. He is the chief economist for several national and international organizations: Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, National Association of Credit Management, Finance,

Martin Compton joined BG Automation LLC over three and a half years ago to expand the robotics division and position BG Automation LLC to be the local source in the Wichita area for robotic integration.

Dr. Sheree Utash, Ed.D., serves as President of Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), formerly known as Wichita Area Technical College (WATC). Since assuming the presidency in 2015, Dr. Utash has led WSU Tech through a period of significant transformation, including the pivotal 2018 affiliation with Wichita State University and the transition from WATC to WSU Tech.

Mike was raised on a family farm five miles south of Wilson, Kansas.  Following graduation from Wilson High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism with a minor in economics along with a master’s degree in higher education administration from Kansas State University.

Eric leads the Chamber’s government affairs team and its policy and advocacy efforts on pro–business legislation. Eric’s primary focus has included worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, immigration, health care and tort reform. In addition, Eric is responsible for the Chamber’s advocacy on tax policy, government efficiency, state budget and legal reform.

Dr. Katie Ervin is the Founder and CEO of Catalyst Development, a company she launched after 26 years in corporate HR, higher education administration, and leadership coaching. With 14 years in human resources, 12 years in operations, and now years leading her own business, Dr. Ervin has dedicated her career to helping organizations strengthen leadership, build high-performing teams, and create intentional workplace cultures where people want to work.

Paula Landoll-Smith, a proud Kansan and Marketing Director for the Landoll Company in Marysville, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of her home state. A Kansas State University graduate, she has dedicated her career to her family’s business while actively engaging in her church, school, and local and state communities. Paula is married to Kerry “Cujo” Smith, and together they have two sons who are currently attending Kansas State University.

Erica Kruckenberg currently serves as Community Liaison and Training Coordinator for SFC Global Supply Chain, Inc. “Schwan’s” and has a background in education in both higher ed and K-12 as well as international business. A native Texan, Erica and her family relocated to Lindsborg in 2015. She is married to Eric, and they have two grown children.

Derek Hickey leads the supply chain activities at the World’s Largest Pizza Factory, located in Salina, KS and home to iconic brands Red Baron and Tony’s. With experience in multiple Fortune 500 companies and across Agriculture, Pharmaceutical, Mining, and Food industries, Derek’s focus has centered on meeting customer’s needs through exceptional customer service and high fulfillment rates. He’s passionate about continuous improvement & value creation, and enjoys initiatives centered around improving production efficiency & strategic inventory management.

Ms. Toreelyn (Toree) Murphy serves as a Cybersecurity Advisor for the state of Kansas which is part of Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, and NE) for the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Integrated Operations Division. Based in Wichita, Kansas she supports the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) mission of strengthening the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure.  

Mike is a managing director in the Forvis Mazars Washington National Tax office. He has more than 40 years of experience in federal taxation, including 37 years in international taxation. During this time, Mike has worked with several major law firms and the national offices of two international accounting firms. He was a special counsel to the associate chief counsel (international), where he advised on regulations, revenue rulings, and PLRs.

As CEO of Kansas Manufacturing Solutions (KMS), Tiffany Stovall leads a team of trusted advisors in their continued achievement of KMS’s mission of creating measurable growth for Kansas manufacturers. Tiffany is also looking to the future, ensuring that KMS is focusing on the evolving needs of the Kansas manufacturing industry with additional concentration on workforce development, cybersecurity, and continuous improvement to enhance domestic and global competitiveness.