Board of Directors
President - Art Gangel
Art Gangel is a learning and leadership development professional with over two decades of professional experience. His passion is to help people grow and flourish in all aspects of life, which he does through his training development, delivery, and consultation. Art is certified to train VitalSmarts Influencer program and enjoys public speaking. Art is a member of the Performance Improvement department at Children’s Mercy Hospital, helping roll out Lean management principles to hospital leaders. When he’s not working, he enjoys homebrewing and heading to the mountains for some downhill skiing.
Contact me for more information. Secretary - Deb Lewis.jpg)
Deb Lewis, chapter secretary for ATDKC, has been in the corporate learning and development field for 2 years after spending 15 years as a middle and high school band teacher. She is currently working as an Instructional Designer at Terracon. She earned a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Education and an MBA, all from Kansas State University. Outside of work, Deb enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, reading, and baking. Contact me for more information. Past President - Amy Swaminathan
Amy Swaminathan, CPLP® loves helping others reach their full potential. She’s a champion for driving your own career through ongoing development, learning from others, and knows the value of member networking and development offered by ATD global and ATDKC membership. Over the past 19 years, Amy has grown her talent development career experience in Kansas City, working at Sprint, H&R Block, Payless and a start-up joint venture, backed by Sprint. She’s an experienced instructional designer, facilitator and consultant. In her current position at Terracon Consulting in Organizational Development, she is consulting with business line leaders to impact employee development and change adoption. Amy earned her B.S. in Communication Management from Missouri State University. She is a certified Development Dimensions International (DDI) leadership facilitator and recently earned the ATD Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP). She finds great joy serving as an advocate for protecting the elderly and making memories with her husband and son. Contact me for more information. |
Executive Team Coach - Shannon Swift
Shannon Swift has been in the field of training and development for over 25 years. Currently, she is an Organizational Development Consultant at Lockton Companies. Her role includes designing and delivering Lockton’s leadership programs, building talent acquisition tools and training, managing the assessments used for hiring and coaching, and competency identification and career development. What she enjoys most about her role at Lockton is not only helping Lockton’s associates grow, but also establishing the infrastructure necessary for Lockton to grow exponentially in the coming years. She has held training and development roles at Empower Retirement (formerly J.P. Morgan), Infinium, H&R Block Financial Advisors, and American Century Investments. Shannon earned a bachelor’s degree in music-vocal performance from Rice University and a Masters of Education degree with a focus on adult learning from Park University. She is an ATD National member and has been a member of ATDKC off and on throughout most of her career. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys spending time with her family, watching birds, collecting vintage clothing, reading, and dabbling in the arts. Contact me for more information. President-Elect - Kara Doak
Kara has been working to help people grow and maximize their potential for more than 20+ years. Her passion is helping develop cultures of continuous learning, and she's been honored to work with companies such as ExxonMobil, Facebook, and Hewlett Packard, as well as SMBs and nonprofits. In her current role as a Client Partner with FranklinCovey, she works with companies to develop leaders at all levels, build trust, increase productivity, execute strategy, achieve sales goals, and improve customer loyalty. She also serves on FranklinCovey's internal DEI Council. She's enjoyed being active in ATD for several years, both in Dallas and Kansas City, and currently serves as President-Elect, for ATDKC. Her greatest joy is being Mom to two brilliant and creative almost adult kids, wife to her best-friend of 20+ years, and treat-giver to two crazy dogs. A lover of hiking, kayaking, travel, and books, she welcomes your suggestions for trails, paddles, getaways, and good reads! Contact me for more information. Director of Volunteers - Tyler Dixon
Tyler is a Learning & Development Business Partner at the Kansas City National Security Campus managed by Honeywell. His focus is managing L&D projects for the manufacturing division. He always looking for a new show to binge watch, reach out to him with your recommendations! Contact me for more information. VP Marketing & Communications - Megan Galloway
Megan Galloway is a talent development and culture leader at nbkc bank. She believes all companies can unlock fulfillment and engagement for their people with the right tools and conversations. She specializes in learning and development growth at organizations that have not formally had talent development programs. Previously, she led a ground-up training program to rank #19 in the ATD Best Awards. Megan has her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and her MBA from the University of Colorado. Contact me for more information. Director of Social Media- Abby Walter
While she is not working, Abby enjoys traveling, spending time with her friends and family, and keeping up with her two pups. Contact me for more information. Director of Technology - Kelly Zamboni
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hunting for antiques and physical fitness. Contact me for more information. Director of Brand Strategy + Webmaster - Mike Stewart Mike is an Instructional Designer/Multimedia Developer at Terracon with over 15 years of experience. He earned a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Kansas and a MSEd in Instructional Design and Technology from Emporia State University. At Terracon he works on a collaborative team to design and develop engaging and innovative training to support the company's service lines. In his spare time, he enjoys adventuring with his family, exploring new foods and playing/coaching baseball. Contact me for more information. VP of Programs - Piper Stone
Piper Stone is a talent development professional with over 15 years of experience, specializing in onboarding, team coaching, and culture evolution. She currently serves as the AVP of Enrollment at MidAmerica Nazarene University leading teams who focus on program recruitment for working professionals planning to start, or finish a degree while working full-time and juggling their many other responsibilities. Piper has a BA in English and a BS in Education from Kansas State University, and an MA in Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution from Baker University. She was a nominee for the Kansas City Business Journal NextGen Leaders class of 2019. Becoming a local and national member of ATD has fed her hunger and personal drive for continued professional development. As the VP of Programs for the Kansas City chapter she is thrilled to provide development opportunities for the Kansas City community by securing programming for monthly chapter meetings and webinars. She also works alongside our Director of Events and Director of SIGs to plan special interest group meetings, EIP awards, and the Fall Conference. This year Piper will be working with our new Director of Geographical Interest Groups (GIGs) to help a few surrounding cities join the fun. When she is off the clock, Piper plays volleyball, reads, teaches fitness classes, and volunteers for a few animal shelters in the KC area. She and her husband have fostered over 160 dogs and puppies in the last two years, and have three personal dogs of their own. Contact me for more information. Director of Events - Emily Brown
In her role as Director of Events for TDKC, Emily is responsible for coordinating the Excellence in Practice Awards, Fall Conference and winter social event for the chapter. Emily serves on the executive board of the Construction Industry Resource and Training Network, as well as the Pittsburg State University School of Construction Advisory Council. She is scheduled to graduate from Kansas State University with a master’s degree in Adult Learning and Leadership in May 2021. Contact me for more information. Director of SIGs - Crystal Askew
Crystal has spent the past year developing and implementing the onboarding special interest group and has now stepped into this newly created role overseeing all of the special interest groups. She’s passionate about creating opportunities for people to connect and learn from one another. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with her husband, son and puppies. Contact me for more information. Director of GIGs - Jana Meyers
Jana Meyers is the Manager of Talent Development at H&R Block. Her passion is for growing courageous leaders and helping each person find the leader within themselves. Her team provides leadership and professional learning experiences for all levels of the organization. In her role as Director of Geographic Interest Groups, Jana is pursuing outreach to learning professionals outside of the Kansas City metro area who are not currently affiliated with a chapter and will benefit from opportunities to network and learn with our amazing group. A dedicated lifelong learner, she holds a B.A. in Business from Baker University, an MBA in Finance from Keller Graduate School of Management, and an MSEd in Adult Learning and Leadership from Kansas State University. She is an adjunct faculty member at Baker University, and teaches Management and Leadership. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, time with friends and family, and classic movies. Contact me for more information. Director of Virtual Production - Shelley Etzenhouser
1. Never steal the learning from the person who needs to know it. 2. You cannot give time back to someone. So make the moments you are with others matter. vp of membership - paul christianson
His past roles with SCI have included Funeral Director, Location Manager, Regional Vice President – Training, Area Vice President, and Field Training Manager. Paul has a B.A. in English from Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN) and a B.S in Mortuary Science from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN). When away from work, Paul enjoys attending live concerts with his wife, Lee Ann, learning to play guitar, reading and building his music collection (digital, vinyl, CD and cassette). Contact me for more information. Director of Member Outreach - Anastasia Caffrey.jpg) Earning her Master of Business Administration from Baker University and her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Kansas State University, Anastasia Caffrey has over 15 years of experience building strategic partnerships and leading enrollment teams within higher education. Currently, she is the Director of Community Engagement at Avila University where she partners with organizations around KC to build, strengthen, and create new educational opportunities for students, and talent development programs for professionals. Anastasia geeks out about being able to connect people to new opportunities. Anastasia lives with her husband, three year old son, and two dogs in the Kansas City area, and spends most of her free time dislodging small toys from under couches and looking for her keys. Contact me for more information. Director of Membership Data - Hannah Mathis
Hannah has a passion learning and helping other grow in their career. In her role at Blue KC she works to create resources and programs for all employees to develop and reach their full potential. As part of this work, she designs programs, cultivates resources, delivers training, and consults with the business to identify key development needs for employees. Outside of work Hannah enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and 2 dogs. Together they enjoy travelling, being outdoors, and just relaxing together. Contact me for more information. Director of University Outreach - Angela Buzard
Angela has a passion for teaching and learning! She fits right at home in her role at K-State Olathe as Manager of Training and Development. She is charged with developing and managing all campus continuing education programs and activities that enhance workforce development in Greater Kansas City. This work includes the delivery of targeted workshops, seminars, conferences and customized trainings, largely in the animal health, food science, agriculture, and engineering sectors. Prior to joining K-State Olathe, Angela served in a variety of training and development roles for over 10 years at Wichita State University. While there, she developed, managed and delivered self-supporting training programs to a variety of state and local government audiences on a technical and management topics. Angela earned her master's degree in public administration along with graduate certificates in economic development, city/county management and public finance from Wichita State University. She has a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas. Outside of work, Angela enjoys being outdoors, reading, and spending time with family. Contact me for more information. VP of Finance - Sally Koppy
As our chapter’s VP of Finance, Sally serves as the chapter’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The VP of Finance is a member of the executive board who manages the assets of the chapter and has the following responsibilities: * Keeps current and accurate financial records. * Has a thorough knowledge of ATD’s Chapter Affiliation Requirements (CARE). * Works with the VP of Membership, the VP of Programs, and other officers to ensure the chapter’s financial health. Sally says, "ATDKC has provided me with an incredible network of talent development professionals and learning opportunities. I am committed to the chapter. It intend to continue leading, energizing, and engaging the chapter’s members and board of directors." Sally is a Senior Instructional Designer at Optum Global, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. Sally married her childhood sweetheart and has three daughters and eight grandchildren. In her free time, Sally enjoys travel, hiking, camping, and motorcycling. Contact me for more information. |
As the Director of Volunteers, Tyler Dixon matches our amazing volunteers to volunteer opportunities. He serves as a contact for volunteers and works to ensure their needs are met. Tyler says, "I didn’t realize there were so many others in the field of People
Development until I joined ATDKC!".jpg)
Abby is an Instructional Designer at Terracon where she works collaboratively to design, create, and produce original and engaging training for the company. With a passion of helping others grow and develop, she has been pursuing her career in the learning and development field for four years. Abby is excited to continue to grow the chapter through its social platforms as the Director of Social Media. 
Kelly is a learning professional for a large bank in Kansas City. Kelly has more than 15 years of experience in the learning and development space. His professional background includes roles in media, instructional design, eLearning development, performance support and IT.
Emily Brown is a former construction project manager turned learning and development professional. In her role as Director, Talent Development at McCownGordon Construction, Emily oversees timely, applicable learning & development opportunities for all associates – from individual contributors to top executives. This role allows her to combine two of her passions - learning and construction!
Crystal Askew has been in the field of human resources for over 10 years. Currently, she is the Onboarding Program Coordinator for Kindred At Home. Crystal earned her master of science in organizational development from Avila University. She also completed a graduate certificate in leadership coaching. .jpg)
Shelley Etzenhouser, the chapter's director of virtual production, recently started a new job as a senior learning and development manager for JE Dunn Construction. Adult learning and training have been her heart and passion since she graduated from college (ask her about the professor who encouraged her to look into it--yes, choosing to mentor someone who doesn't see in themselves what you see makes a difference). She was given the opportunity in the L&D industry 18 years ago by "producing" online coaching sessions for a sales manager trainer coach in the yellow pages industry. Shelley has since had a blast in all kinds of blended learning opportunities for large corporate telecommunications, healthcare industry, and professional learning and development provider. Her passion is instructional design for live online training, with two thoughts:
Paul is a Senior Learning Manager for Service Corporation International, a funeral and cemetery management company, where he has worked for over 28 years. His present role focuses on the planning and development of training products aimed at improving the overall performance of the company’s associates. This includes training design, curriculum development, and project management.
Hannah has been in the learning and development field for 7 years. She is currently a Learning and Development Program Designer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. She earned her Master of Science in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University. 
Director of Finance Reports - Mikki Johnston
The greatest strength of ATD Kansas City is its membership, and Mikki has enjoyed forging friendships and collaborations with a variety of learning professionals from the area. The resources offered by ATD and ATD Kansas City have proven invaluable, and she is eager to give back to the organization. Currently working developing training for customer service professionals at H&R Block, the bulk of Mikki’s professional experience has been in the world of K-12 education. A yarn enthusiast – both knitting and crocheting – in her free time, she is married to her college sweetheart and acts as social director for three teenagers. Contact me for more information. Director Of Strategic Partnerships - Haley Grayless
Haley also consults with Perspective Consulting through a strategic partnership using the tool The Predictive Index. As a proud graduate of the University of Missouri, Haley earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication with minors in Leadership & Public Service and Religious Studies, and earned a master’s degree with honors in Organizational Development from Avila University. Contact me for more information. |
Mikki will be filling two roles on the ATD Kansas City BOD: Chapter Secretary and Director of Financial Reporting. As Chapter Secretary, she is responsible for accurately documenting the official business of the BOD. The role of Director of Financial Reporting is a support position designed to assist the VP of Finance.
Haley is the CEO & Founder of Växa Collective where she helps organizations create high-performing teams by improving workplace culture through leadership & talent development. She also hosts a Facebook group where she provides free trainings and resources called Millennials Advancing Leadership Skills. She leads a group coaching program called Millennial Leadership Lab for leaders who want to grow their skills, navigate tricky team dynamics, and create a healthy culture!