2024 Economic Issues Summit

Senator Lauren Arthur was elected to represent the constituents of the 17th Senatorial District in the Missouri Senate during a special election on June 5, 2018. She was reelected in 2020.

Prior to her time in the Missouri Senate, Sen. Arthur served four years in the Missouri House of Representatives, where she served as the ranking minority member on the Health and Mental Health Policy Committee, while also serving on the Administration and Accounts and General Laws Committees. During her tenure, Sen. Arthur also served on the Interim Committee on Stabilizing Missouri’s Health Insurance Markets as well as the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia.

Senator Arthur grew up in the Northland. After graduating from North Kansas City High School’s Baccalaureate program, Sen. Arthur received a scholarship to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. During her time at Smith, Sen. Arthur interned at the Smithsonian's American History Museum and the Scottish Parliament. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history and as a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Senator Arthur returned home to Kansas City to join Teach for America. She worked as a middle school teacher. She taught English and Language Arts at Urban Community Leadership Academy, a charter school in the urban core. During that time, Sen. Arthur earned her Masters in Education from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She also worked as a Project Manager at VML, a global advertising agency headquartered in Kansas City. Sen. Arthur has also previously served as the Regional Director for Urban Leaders Fellowship, a program designed for early to mid-career level professionals who are looking to accelerate their leadership abilities through a seven-week fellowship with a focus on policy and practice.

Currently, she serves on the governing board of University Health (formerly Truman Medical Centers), which provides quality health care to the Kansas City community.

Senator Arthur currently lives in Kansas City, MO. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Russell, and their dog, Odie.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Jay Ashcroft is an engineer, not a politician. A graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology with a master’s degree in engineering management, he worked as a defense industry engineer and professor of engineering at St. Louis Community College, preparing the next generation of autoworkers in Missouri.

As Missouri’s 40th Secretary of State, Secretary Ashcroft made the state third in the nation for election integrity. He ran on a voter integrity platform and made it the law by requiring photo ID for the first time in history, banning private money from election operations, and requiring paper ballots.

With oversight over the state’s libraries and archives, Jay implemented new rules to protect children from obscene content. He also oversees the securities industry and established new rules requiring banks to notify customers when they invest in ESG products as part of their political agenda.

Jay led the fight to end the practice of allowing China and Russia to buy Missouri agricultural land and blocked the federal government from sending agents to monitor our elections.

Jay’s leadership has been rewarded at the ballot box, earning 60 percent of the vote in 2020 – the state’s top vote-getter and leading every poll for Governor in 2024.

Service is the hallmark of the Ashcroft family and Jay continues his family’s legacy, visiting all 114 Missouri counties each year. Jay is a licensed attorney, earning his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law, attending with his wife, Katie, who is also an attorney and passionate about education reform. They are raising their four children and a husky named Friday at their home in Jefferson City, where Jay was born and raised.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Steven Benne graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Community and Regional Planning.

Steven works as the Vice President of Development Finance for the Iowa Area Development Group (IADG). IADG was established in 1985 with a mission of increasing investment, employment opportunities and the utilization of electric energy and other services for Iowa’s consumer-owned rural and municipal electric companies. Steven provides financial assistance to USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program (REDLG), revolving loan funds (RLFs), and other financial tools.

Previously, Steven was employed with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) where he managed the State of Iowa’s Workforce Housing Tax Incentive Program, as well as the CDBG Housing Rehabilitation, Housing Enterprise Zone, and CDBG Employment Transportation programs. He also served on the Iowa Council of Homelessness.

Prior to settling in Iowa, Steven spent time in Washington, DC with the commercial real estate data and analytic firm, CoStar Group. CoStar is the parent company to LoopNet, Apartments.com, and several other digital real estate platforms.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Allie Bennett is the Manager of Economic Development and Member Services at Northeast Power, a transmission electric cooperative serving member-distribution cooperatives in northeast Missouri and southeast Iowa. Allie was born and raised in Monroe City, Missouri. She attended college at the University of Missouri and achieved her bachelor’s degree in agriculture. She has also earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in administration. In 2016, Allie began her electric cooperative career at Macon Electric Cooperative as the Marketing and Communications Manager. In 2020, Allie joined Northeast Power in her current position, providing value-added services to the member-distribution cooperatives served by Northeast Power and working in coordination with local, statewide and national economic development organizations to collaborate on a number of efforts.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Dr. Chrisman owns and operates Chrisman Consulting, LLC, which is a strategic consulting firm focused on economic development planning and research, target industry analysis, marketing, and other facets to help communities, utilities, municipalities, and all entities working on economic development.

Recently, Carolyn worked 11 years as the Executive Director for Kirksville Regional Economic Development, Inc., a 501c3 public private partnership. Her main job entailed working on business retention and expansion and business attraction. She worked with the major industries in town and was also a leader for workforce development, which included training, housing, childcare, and all facets affecting the workforce. Additionally, she served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Rural Enterprise and Innovation Center, and was the Center Director for the Small Business Development Center. Her works included small businesses, stage 2, start-ups, and tech related companies.

Carolyn has received numerous awards for her work in economic development including: MEDC Business Retention and Expansion of the Year, MEDC Professional Economic Developer of the Year, Ingram’s 50 Missourians You Should Know, DCI’s Top 40 Under 40 for Economic Development, plus OBP’s Rural Spirit Award, to name a few.

Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Truman State University; a Master of Arts in Education from Truman State University; a Master in History from UMSL; and a Doctorate of Education from William Woods University. She is an Economic Development Finance Professional as well. Carolyn is the President Elect of MEDC, the Past President of the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation, a statewide women’s leadership organization, and has also been President of the Kirksville Kiwanis Club, was a member of the Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce Board, and serves in her local church. Most recently, she graduated from the Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (A LOT) Class XIX.

Carolyn is married to Jason Chrisman and they reside in Kirksville. They have four children, boys ages 10 and 8, girls ages 6 and 4.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Bradley Clark, a native of Southeast Missouri, graduated from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, MO with a degree in Marketing.

Bradley currently serves as the Director of New Programs with the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s (DED’s) Federal Initiatives team. In his role, he is responsible for navigating, developing, and deploying federal funding opportunities that aid the Department in its mission to help Missouri communities. Bradley also manages a number of grants and special projects.

Bradley previously served as a Senior Project Manager at DED, assisting with development and deployment of the Community Revitalization and Local Tourism Asset Development Grant programs. Prior to his work at DED, Bradley worked at a Regional Planning Commission in Southeast Missouri as a grant writer and administrator for HUD, DRA, EDA, and DOT grant programs in its six-county footprint.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Wendy Doyle fearlessly advocates for women’s economic and civic advancement by amplifying women’s voices and producing results. Wendy is at the forefront of all economic policies that impact women and their families. She regularly educates and informs decision-makers and community leaders about policy solutions for women at local, county, and state levels. Translating information into action, she testifies frequently to state legislatures, publishes op-eds in state newspapers, serves as a dynamic and informative presenter, and champions systemic policy change for governments and corporations through her thought leadership.

During her ten-year tenure at United WE, Wendy has led the organization to invest in research, advocacy, and policy solutions to remove economic barriers for women, including conducting 26 meaningful research studies, advocating for issues resulting in 54 policy actions, and supporting more than 190+ women in securing civic appointments. Wendy is committed to impacting hundreds of thousands of women and families through transformative research, scaling United WE’s fast-growing Appointments Project®, advocating for reforms that honor the legacies of women, and contributing to policy solutions that advance equal pay, paid family leave, affordable childcare and occupational licensing, among others.

Since 2013, Wendy has expanded United WE’s focus from serving Kansas City to all of Kansas and Missouri, and her success in the Heartland is spreading nationwide to cities including St. Louis, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh and South San Francisco. Wendy’s previous experience as an executive and strategic consultant for large nonprofits provides a unique systems approach to accelerating the pace of change through partnerships.

After releasing research on women’s issues in Missouri, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe invited Wendy to be a part of the Early Childhood Steering Committee, which is tasked with improving childcare opportunities for Missouri women and families. In 2023, Wendy was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Women of Achievement award, which recognizes and honors the diverse accomplishments of Missouri women in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

Wendy currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Command and General Staff College Foundation at Fort Leavenworth, KS.

In 2022, Wendy was recognized for her achievements by receiving the Women Who Mean Business award by The Kansas City Business Journal. This award honors outstanding professional women who have made significant contributions to their business or industry, as well as their community.

Wendy earned a B.A. from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, and received the 2020 Rockhurst University Rashford-Lyon Award for Leadership and Ethics. She was recognized in 2021 as an Idealist of the Year by City Year and also inducted into the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame in October 2021.

Steve Etcher has spent 35 years in community and economic development helping rural communities grow and improve opportunities for economic growth. Steve has worked on critical infrastructure projects, business attraction projects, housing development initiatives, disaster recovery, and community planning, with an entrepreneurial and innovative approach.

Steve led a regional development organization for 20 years before devoting his efforts to economic development. Steve is the manager of the Location Strategies practice at MarksNelson Advisors, LLC, which is headquartered in Overland Park, KS. Steve works with communities and economic development professionals across the Midwest. Prior to joining MarksNelson, Steve was Vice President of the economic development consulting firm Community EDGE.

A recognized leader in community and economic development, Steve has been called on to testify before the United States House of Representatives and Missouri General Assembly and to speak at the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Columbia College.

Steve and his wife are residents of Warren County, Missouri where they raised their two adult children and enjoy time with their four grandchildren.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Kim Gerlt joined Missouri Partnership in 2021. She currently serves as Director, Business Recruitment and Capacity Building. In this role, she leads impactful business attraction projects throughout the state of Missouri. She is the day-to-day contact for companies, site location consultants, state and local economic development partners, and other various influencers involved in the site selection process. In addition, she leads Missouri Partnership's robust capacity-building program which is designed to help communities prepare for business attraction projects.

Prior to joining Missouri Partnership, Kim worked at the Missouri Bar, although she spent most of her career in state government. Her experience includes roles within the Department of Insurance, Boards and Commissions in the Office of the Missouri Governor, Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and the Department of Social Services.

Kim holds a bachelor's degree in the Administration of Criminal Justice from Columbia College.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Brian began working in Missouri politics at the age of 19. He worked for a Jefferson City lobbying firm for three years while attending the University of Missouri. Upon graduation, he went to work for Matt Blunt’s gubernatorial campaign. He then served Governor Blunt as Policy Director at the Department of Economic Development. He left the Blunt Administration at the end of 2007 to begin his lobbying career. He served as a Principal for ten years at the global law firm, Dentons.

In 2018 Brian co-founded Nexus Group – a full-service government affairs firm headquartered in Jefferson City.

Brian is one of the most sought after and accomplished lobbyists in Missouri. He specializes in quarterbacking large, complex lobbying initiatives that span all facets of the Legislative and Executive branches. He also has an expertise in the creation and implementation of tax incentives for business development, job creation, and infrastructure development.

Recognitions
“Legislative Session Winners,” The Missouri Times, 2020, 2022
"The 100+ List," The Missouri Times, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
"40 Under 40," St. Louis Business Journal, 2014
"St. Louis Character," St. Louis Business Journal, 2013
"Pro Bono Challenge," The Missouri Times, 2013
"30 Under 30," St. Louis Business Journal, 2008

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe is Missouri’s 48th Lieutenant Governor, appointed to the position by Governor Mike Parson in 2018, and re-elected by Missourians in 2020. Prior to being appointed to this position, then-Senator Kehoe served as both Assistant Majority Leader and Majority Leader of the Missouri Senate.

Mike was born and raised in North St. Louis City by a single mother of six children. From very humble beginnings – through hard work, determination, and the influence of his mother and the help of his mentor – Mike went on to become a successful businessman, a husband, and father, before running for office.

Lieutenant Governor Kehoe and his wife, Claudia, have called mid-Missouri home for more than 30 years and are the proud parents of four children. Mike and Claudia are first-generation farmers with a beef cattle production business on the family farm in Phelps and Pulaski Counties. Lieutenant Governor Kehoe remains a small businessman at heart, never forgetting the lessons learned from years of hard work at Osage industries and Mike Kehoe Ford-Lincoln.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Morgan Mutert is responsible for developing business opportunities and expanding Hunt Midwest’s industrial footprint in the Southeast U.S. including South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. She is focused on the marketing and leasing of industrial properties and works closely with brokers, site consultants and economic development agencies during the site selection process.

Prior to joining Hunt Midwest, Morgan led business development efforts for a civil engineering firm in Kansas City. She was also a member of MarksNelson’s Location Strategies team where she focused on economic development strategy for rural communities and site selection. During her time at the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, Morgan managed the city’s new business recruitment and existing business retention efforts in manufacturing, distribution and technology industries helping grow Kansas City’s economy.

She is an alumnus of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Program (2020) and is a past board member of the Missouri Economic Development Council.

Morgan graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing. She also earned an Economic Development Certification from the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. She lives in Lee’s Summit with her family.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.

Representative Brenda Kay Shields, a Republican, represents part of Buchanan County (District 11) in the Missouri House of Representatives. She was elected to her first two-year term in November 2018.

Prior to serving in the legislature, Shields worked for Quaker Oats Company in St. Joseph for more than 17 years, culminating in the role of logistics specialist. After closure of the St. Joseph Quaker Oats facility, she followed her passion for service and entered Missouri’s Alternative Teacher Certification program teaching business education in the St. Joseph School District. In 2006, she was selected by the community board to serve as the president and CEO of the United Way of Greater St. Joseph.

Shields’ commitment to community and service shows through her service on several boards and commissions, including board chair for the United Cerebral Palsy, board member for the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, board member for the Allied Arts Council and board member of the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. She served as Mid-Buchanan PTA president, on the Commerce Bank CRA Advisory Board, Girl Scouts Leadership Circle and Boy Scouts Troop 216 committee. Her service to Missouri includes serving on the Governor’s Complete Counts Census Committee and Missouri’s Coordination Board for Early Childhood Education.

Shields is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia and lives in rural Buchanan County with her husband, Charlie. They have two sons.

*All bios are submitted by speakers.