Kansas State Affairs Committee

Vaughn Burkholder is a member of Foulston’s litigation & employment practice group in the firm’s Kansas City office.  In practice for nearly four decades, Vaughn helps employers reduce their risk and defends clients in employment litigation. He represents employers involving ADA, FMLA, harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and other employment issues. He has been the lead defense counsel in numerous successful cases before the EEOC, KHRC and other administrative agencies, and has been the lead attorney for negotiations, settlement, and litigation of employee rights lawsuits. Vaughn also assists employers with employment policies and procedures, reductions-in-force, investigations, discipline, terminations, and all other workplace issues.

Jack Epps devotes his law practice to helping clients succeed in their real estate and business ventures in Kansas City and across the U.S. He is known for bringing valuable, creative, and practical solutions to the table for his clients. As a former college and professional athlete, he brings a relentless commitment to excellence and hard work – which typically translates into success for his clients.  Jack provides business counsel in the areas of planning, structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing all types of business deals, relationships and arrangements. He serves as a trusted “outside business counsel” to a variety of businesses large and small. Jack is frequently called on to represent clients in mergers and acquisitions through the acquisition or sale of existing businesses and/or assets.
 

Josh Hill handles mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate transactions, secured and unsecured financings, securities offerings, and antitrust filings in the firm’s Kansas City office. In addition to representing closely held companies, real estate investors, physicians, health systems, developers, and hotel chains, Josh also serves as outside corporate counsel to several clients in the health care, real estate development, and hospitality industries. Josh strives to provide practical and efficient legal advice to his clients, with an eye toward issues that affect the economics of each transaction. Clients appreciate Josh’s responsiveness, straightforward counsel, and dedication to making their deals a reality.

Sarah Otto is a member of the Kansas City Litigation & Employment practice group. Sarah’s practice includes both employment disputes and commercial litigation. She defends employers in litigation and administrative charges and helps employers review and develop employment policies with the goal of avoiding costly litigation. She has provided practical management training to local companies and assisted employers in writing and implementing employee handbooks. She is also a frequent contributor to the Kansas Employment Law Letter and the Kansas Employment Law Blog. Sarah serves a wide range of clients in contract disputes, including global, regional, and local businesses. She also represents businesses and employees in disputes involving breach of noncompete, nonsolicitation, and nondisclosure agreements.

Lea, Founder and CEO of MPower, is a graduate of the Personal Financial Planning Program at the University of Missouri and earned her MBA, with an emphasis in Finance, from Arizona State University. She worked for the Missouri Securities Division as an investigator before going on to work for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) as an examiner and then as an examiner within the  Anti-Money Laundering Investigative Unit. Through her work in regulation, she has audited and investigated a number of investment firms, and she has built cases that have resulted in over $1 million of restitution being returned to investors. She started MPower Co to empower individuals to the the CEO of their financial futures. 

Colby L. Rieke is an experienced domestic relations attorney focusing on family law and divorce with more than 16 years of experience in both Kansas and Missouri. Mr. Rieke focuses his practice on divorce, paternity, child custody, child support, and maintenance (alimony) cases, for both mother and father. Mr. Rieke represents business owners, C-suite executives, medical professionals, and their spouses in a variety of family law matters. He helps clients navigate complex business valuations, characterization of marital and non-marital assets, and child support and maintenance issues. 

He has been named to the Super Lawyers® list in the area of Family Law in Kansas and Missouri for 2019, and named to the Rising Star® list every year from 2014 through 2018. He is a member of the Firm’s Family Law & Divorce Practice Group, and the Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Practice Group.

Jenn Laird, is dedicated to discovering, empowering, and inspiring the unique authenticity of individuals, organizations, and communities. Through her role as the Urban Engagement Manager for NetWork Kansas, she strives to celebrate, support, and advocate for the growth of sustainable, equitable, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems in under-resourced urban communities. Jenn is passionate about cultivating collaborative and strategic partnerships across the region, taking a holistic approach to create meaningful and impactful change.
Email: jlaird@networkkansas.com
Phone: (623) 695-6058
Twitter: @JennLairdKS
 

Tricia Rojo Bushnell is the Executive Director of the Midwest Innocence Project, which works to free innocent people convicted of crimes they did not commit. She is responsible for managing all aspects of MIP and serves as its lead attorney. A California native of Mexican descent, Tricia is the first in her family to go to college, receiving her B.A. from Bucknell University and her J.D. from NYU School of Law. She approaches problems with the belief that representation matters and that the solutions to problems must come from those directly impacted. She has engaged this philosophy in her previous work at the University of Wisconsin School of Law, the Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama, and the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis. She has also served as the president of the ACLU of Missouri and on the GKCCCs Diverse Business Committee.

Brenda Sharpe is President and CEO of the REACH Healthcare Foundation, a $135 million health philanthropy established to create access to quality healthcare for the poor and underserved.   Brenda is a member of the Board of Directors of Grantmakers in Health, a national organization dedicated to helping foundations improve the health of all people.   She joined the Board of Directors of the Greater Kansas City Chamber in 2017, where she has been an active member of the Public Policy Council and Healthy KC Commission for several years. Brenda serves as co-chair of Forward OP, the city visioning process for Overland Park, Kansas.

Sue Fenske works with organizations to generate improved performance and desired outcomes by structuring effective operations, developing creative programming/partnerships, and delivering targeted messaging. She has devised business development strategies for companies in health care, engineering, entertainment, education, banking, and social services, including marketing strategy/action plans, organizational assessment/restructuring, and change management. Fenske’s experience as a business owner/executive allows her to identify growth and sustainability opportunities/challenges and to devise effective strategies to ensure success. Her work with nonprofit boards has helped them better understand their roles and responsibilities, leading to greater impact.
An alumna of Stephens College and Univ. of Louisville, Fenske holds an MBA and degrees in engineering science and communications. A native of Kansas City, she and her husband Thomas have two adult sons.

Hi! I'm a registered Professional Engineer and specialize in transportation engineering and design. Although originally from the Quad Cities, I love calling Kansas City my home. On any given weekend you'll find me on the golf course and I'm always willing to fill in for your golf group. 

Deborah Cygan Sheppard, MHA, FACHE, has been appointed as Vice President of Women’s and Pediatric Services for HCA MidAmerica Division. With more than 25 years of experience in hospital operations and business development, Deborah will be responsible for setting a strategic direction across the MidAmerica Division for 13 acute-care hospitals in Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi, including developing and implementing business plans to support the continued growth and success of the Division and establishing and leading a cohesive organizational and governance structure that supports the hospitals, among others.
 

Mildred Rand spent fifteen years as an Accounting Specialist, before starting at Poetry for Personal Power as a Peer Support Specialist. After her successful career in the finance industry, she is now a vital part of the organization as bookkeeper and program director for our peer support program. She has Peer Support certifications in both Missouri and Kansas, is trained in WRAP level 1, and is certified as a Writing Wrong Writing to Heal trainer and a CCAR Peer Coach Recovery trainer. In 2010, Mildred founded Daughters of Christ Ministry, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support women from all walks of life through spiritual friendships, peer support, networking, educating and encouraging one another to reach their full potential and fulfill purpose. After years of Christian counseling experience, in June 2016, she accepted her higher calling and was officially and legally ordained as a licensed Minister. She is a devoted wife, mother, and friend.
 

PCs for People is a nonprofit social enterprise that specializes in secure and environmentally friendly IT recycling. Our mission depends on sourcing computers to refurbish for the low-income community and other non-profits. We guarantee the destruction and protection of your sensitive data through our National Association of Information Destruction AAA certified process, and that no e-waste will wind up in a landfill through our R2 certification. Our service removes the headaches and liability from using a non-certified ITAD vendor.

Lenexa Little Leaguer, Kyler Russell, loved baseball, but hated wearing the mandatory hard protective cup.  He channeled his complaints into a solution--the Comfy Cup, a soft foam protective cup for boys.  Kyler and his family feel blessed to live a life where they get to leverage their life experiences, love for sports, and unique creative talents to materialize a product that helps kids live better and have more fun. "In this case, we just wanted to make sports safer and more enjoyable for boys one less distraction at a time," says owner and Co-CEO, Brandi Russell.

I defend clients in a variety of matters, concentrating my law practice on general civil litigation, including insurance defense in the areas of commercial, construction, employment, bad faith, and health care litigation. I also defend clients involved in personal injury and wrongful death claims. I have developed extensive experience involving complex legal issues, which give me unique insight on litigation and its effects on individuals and businesses.