Gala Luncheon

THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 FIORELLA’S + ONLINE

Gala LuncheonGala Luncheon

https://centralexchange.org

The naic and nipr are honored to be presenting sponsors of this year’s stemmy awards. We are proud to help raise awareness of the leadership and success the women of Kansas City bring to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers. Founded in 1871, the U.S. standard-setting organization is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories to coordinate regulation of multistate insurers.

naic.org

National Insurance Producer Registry provides the insurance industry with a data warehouse of producer licensing information from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories. nipr’s products and services eliminate paperwork and data entry, allowing for increased productivity, and faster turnaround time for the producer licensing process. Incorporated in October 1996, nipr is a not-for-profit affiliate of the naic.

nipr.com

Congratulationsto this year’s STEMMy Nominees

Welcome to the

Gala Luncheon

Thank you for being here in support of all the incredible Kansas City women in STEMM who are trailblazers, game changers, and innovators.

Today, we recognize ten women and one corporate hero who are changing the Kansas City area and beyond through STEMM. Their influence on a global and local level makes a difference, not just for our community, but around the world and for the next generation of STEMM leaders.

Our honorees break barriers for a better today and brighter tomorrow. They have perserved in a male-dominated field to prove the value women bring to leadership, innovation and the future successful breakthroughs in STEMM.

Currently, women make up only 24% of the STEMM workforce. Together we can change that statistic and commit to giving women more support, growth opportunities and recognition to keep them connected in the STEMM industry and blazing new paths for our future.

We invite you to continue the celebration of these women on LinkedIn & Facebook using #CXSTEMMYS2021 and tagging @CentralExchange.

April Boyd-Noronha and Pooja ShahEVENT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS

#CXSTEMMYS2021 | 1

https://content.naic.org/

https://nipr.com/

2 | 8TH ANNUAL STEMMy AWARDS #CXSTEMMYS2021 | 3

Agenda

WELCOME

LUNCH

VIRTUAL AUDIENCE JOINS US

CX MESSAGE

HONORARY CHAIRS MESSAGE

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

WiSTEMM MESSAGE

AWARDS CEREMONY

ADJOURN

THYME + PEPPERCORN-BRINED CHICKEN (GF)Hickory grilled chicken breast served with herb roasted pepper orzo and seasonal vegetables.

CHOICE OF DESSERTFlourless Chocolate Cake (GF)Mom’s Carrot Cake

Menu

KEYNOTE SPEAKER DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Ed.D.

Secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration and Executive Branch Chief Information Technology Officer

EVENT EMCEE Michelle Bogowith

Fox4 WDAF-TVMeteorologist

Thank you to our honorary co-chairs and event committee co-chairs.

HONORARY CO-CHAIRJenny L. Housley, ECBS

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

SVP, Chief Marketing Officer

HONORARY CO-CHAIR M. Gayle Packer

TerraconCEO + President

EVENT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR April Boyd-NoronhaXR Safety Initiative

Global D&I Advisor + Board Member

EVENT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR Pooja Shah

CELI National FellowKCBJ NextGen Leader 2021

PRESENTING SPONSORS

PREMIUM SPONSORS

ROUNDTABLE SPONSORS

TABLE SPONSORS

Thank You

BioKansas

Black & Veatch

Burns & McDonnell

Cerner

Commerce Bank

CommunityAmerica

CRB

Hallmark

HNTB

Honeywell

Kansas Office of Information Technology Services

KU Medical Center/ KU Edwards Campus

McCownGordon

ProActive Solutions

University of Saint Mary

*Please accept our apologies for any errors or omissions. Sponsors reflect commitments received as of September 10, 2021.

Responsive | ResourcefulReliable.Responsive | ResourcefulReliable.

O F F I C E S N A T I O N W I D E(800) 593 7777 | terracon.com

Across the country and with many partner organizations, we encourage women and girls to explore careers in STEMM. We celebrate the engineers and scientists of Terracon who are advancing the careers of women, current and future, in these roles.

Congratulations to the 2021 STEMMY Award nominees and winners.

WEARE HERE FOR

THIS PLACE WEALL CALL HOME

© 2021 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

WEARE HERE FOR GOOD

HereForGoodKC.com

4 | 8TH ANNUAL STEMMy AWARDS

https://www.bluekc.com/

https://www.terracon.com/

https://www.hendersonengineers.com/

https://www.kiewit.com/

https://www.terracon.com/

https://www.bluekc.com/

https://content.naic.org/

https://nipr.com/


Categories + Honorees

WISTEMM STUDENT ACHIEVERRuby Rios, UMKC and VMwareRosalyn Zimmermann, University of Kansas Medical Center

The Student Achiever Award recognizes a female college student currently enrolled in a Kansas or Missouri college

or university who has Professional Aspirations in a STEMM field. She has demonstrated academic achievements, shows exemplary Student Involvement in the campus / community organizations and is a leader amongst her peers at her college or university.

WISTEMM EDUCATORDr. Sandra Billinger, University of Kansas Medical CenterTanya M. Smith, Educator and Girli Brand Apparel

The WiSTEMM Educator Award recognizes a full-time faculty member in a STEMM field. She is recognized by her

institution/community as an Excellent Educator based upon student or faculty assessments and community accolades.

ENTERPRISING INNOVATORDr. Shelley Cooper, Diversity Telehealth

The Enterprising Innovator Award recognizes a woman business owner in a STEMM field. She demonstrates

Exemplary Leadership in her business by establishing a strong vision and achieving great success. She demonstrates Industry Excellence by influencing others in her STEMM field and is viewed as a key contributor in her industry.

CORPORATE HEROFishtech Group

The Corporate HERO Award recognizes a company (large or small) or a non-profit that promotes women in STEMM. The

company/non-profit is actively Engaged in KC Metro STEMM related activities / organizations. The company/non-profit is Highly Supportive of women working in STEMM fields and provides benefits in the form of education, growth opportunities, flexibility and camaraderie.

RISING TRENDSETTERMariah Schroeder, Burns & McDonnellKrina Snider, T-Mobile

The Rising Trendsetter Award recognizes a woman in STEMM who has demonstrated significant achievement early in her

career. She is an Influencer of women in STEMM, showing peer recognition and peer support. She is an Emerging Leader for women in STEMM and is involved in STEMM activities in her company/the community.

GROUNDBREAKING LEADERSHIPJasmine Simmons, Hallmark

The Groundbreaking Leadership Award recognizes a woman in STEMM who has made significant contributions to the

STEMM community. She is a Champion of women in STEMM, promoting gender equity in leadership roles, supporting women entering or growing STEMM careers and celebrating achievements by women in STEMM. She is a 360 Degree Leader who casts a vision, sets and attains goals, learns from other leaders, mentors others, influences peers and propels innovation and change.

WISTEMM CHAMPIONKisa Caruthers, Burns & McDonnellUna Nowling, Black & Veatch

The WiSTEMM Champion Award recognizes a leader working in a STEMM field or in association with a STEMM

field or organization. They are Bridge Builders who cast a vision for gender equality and act on that vision. They advocate for women in STEMM, supporting them as they enter or grow in their STEMM and diversity careers and promote them in their workplace or in the community.


2021 WISTEMM STUDENT ACHIEVER

Ruby Rios2021 WISTEMM STUDENT ACHIEVER

Rosalyn Zimmermann

Ruby Rios is a 2021 graduate of UMKC with a Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science and minors in Business Administration and Mathematics. As a

UMKC Trustee’s Scholar, she completed her degree in three years and was named the Outstanding Senior in Computer Science.

Ruby has worked to create STEM-related educational opportunities for girls, including establishing local Girls Who Code clubs and co-founding KC STEMinists. She’s a volunteer with FIRST Robotics, mentoring a FIRST Lego League team and serving as Master of Ceremonies at robotics competitions.

Ruby has also been a featured conference speaker at KCDC, BSidesKC, the PLTW Summit, SXSW EDU, and other events, and she has given three TEDx talks about her experiences as a student in STEM. Ruby is a national winner of the “Aspirations in Computing” award sponsored by NCWIT, and in 2017 she was featured by Ink Magazine as one of Kansas City’s “30 Under 30”.

In August 2021, Ruby began her professional career as Specialist Solutions Engineer with Carbon Black at VMware.

Rosalyn “Roz” Zimmermann is currently a PhD candidate in Cancer Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Prior to starting graduate school, she graduated in 2015 from Truman State University with a degree in Biology. After working at Cerner Corporation for two years, she realized she wanted to pursue her interest in cancer biology and informatic analysis in hopes of improving patient care.

Her current dissertation research combines informatics and biology while looking at the function of a protein involved in metastasis suppression.

Her goal after graduation is to continue to combine her skillsets gained in both informatics and cancer biology to promote personalized medicine, in hopes of improving patient outcomes.


2021 WiSTEMM EDUCATOR

Dr. Sandra Billinger2021 WiSTEMM EDUCATOR

Tanya M. Smith

Dr. Sandra Billinger, PT, PhD, is Professor at the University of Kansas (KU) Medical Center and leads the Neurovascular Division of the KU

Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Dr. Billinger is internationally renowned for her research in exercise, vascular health and brain aging and has received continuous grant funding from the NIH and the American Heart Association (AHA). She has over 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals and was the lead author for the AHA Scientific Statement, Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors.

Dr. Billinger received the Stata Norton Teaching Award and the KU Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2016 and served as the president of KU Medical Center’s Women in Medicine and Science group. Dr. Billinger loves outdoor activities such as biking, gardening, and hiking and serves on her community’s Parks and Trees committee. In 2013, she and her son walked 570 miles across Kansas following the Sante Fe Trail.

Tanya M. Smith is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas

at Pine Bluff, Master of Business degree from Baker University, and completed graduate level coursework in Mathematics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Emporia State University.

She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Community College Leadership at Morgan State University. Tanya’s love for mathematics has endured for nearly 25 years as a public-school math teacher, visiting professor opportunities, tenured professor, department coordinator, and department chair.

In 2017, Tanya became an author and wrote “Math for Nurses: Dosage Calculations and Skill Builders.” Tanya has presented and served as a panelist in several math and science related workshops.

In 2020, Tanya became an entrepreneur starting a clothing brand, Girli Brand Apparel where 5% of sales goes toward the Girli Brand Apparel STEM scholarship for females attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).


2021 ENTERPRISING INNOVATOR

Dr. Shelley Cooper2021 CORPORATE HERO

Fishtech Group

Dr. Shelley Cooper is an entrepreneur and 25-year veteran educator who continued her dedication to community service by studying

telemedicine and earning her Doctorate degree in 2014. Her dissertation, “Opinion Leaders’ Perspective of the Benefits and Barriers in Telemedicine: A Grounded Theory Study of Telehealth in the Midwest” laid the foundation for the 2014 establishment of the parent company, Diversity Telehealth.

The SureShow platform was founded in 2019. It replaces no-show medical appointments and late cancellations with billable telehealth appointments. Providers recoup lost revenue; patients receive more frequent care and clinics achieve higher quality measures.

Dr. Cooper also provides no-cost telehealth services for underserved families through her charitable organization, Diversity Telehealth Community Network, Inc. (501c3).

Fishtech Group is a cybersecurity solutions provider for all computing platforms. Focused on advisory, technology, and operations, they are

Cloud-era security experts navigating their customers through secure digital transformation. Their advisory approach emphasizes consulting from an educated and experienced perspective. With each engagement, they identify gaps and then identify solutions to minimize risk, maintain compliance, and increase efficiency.

Started in late 2015 by Gary Fish, Fishtech was built to address a huge gap in cybersecurity between traditional on-premise solutions and the cloud.

Their industry experts provide customized solutions that deliver operational efficiencies and improved security posture for your organization. They take a consultative approach to identify gaps and introduce next-generation solutions that help you minimize risk, maintain compliance, and increase efficiency.


2021 RISING TRENDSETTER

Mariah Schroeder2021 RISING TRENDSETTER

Krina Snider

Mariah Schroeder is a civil engineer at Burns & McDonnell focused on municipal wastewater and drinking water treatment design. Mariah’s

passion for solving complex water problems has led her to work for many municipalities throughout the United States.

Mariah grew up in Michigan City, Indiana and attended Purdue University for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees before relocating to the Kansas City area.

Mariah currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Kansas City Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and as the President of the Kansas City ASCE Younger Member Group. She shares her passion for STEMM through her leadership in several professional and community organizations, and volunteers frequently for Kansas City K-12 STEMM initiatives.

Krina Snider is a cybersecurity awareness professional with over 25 years of experience in strategic marketing, communications, and

promotions. She puts her creativity in action through interactive training, informational events, and webinars.

Currently, Krina is the Sr. Program Manager for T-Mobile’s Cybersecurity Awareness & Training program where she’s the corporate lead for communications initiatives within the area of cybersecurity, building promotional strategies to heighten user awareness and delivering educational resources that reduce risk across the company.

Krina is a charter member of the International Association of Security Awareness Professionals and was part of the development team and Advisory Board for the premier Certified Security Awareness and Culture Professional (SACP) certification. She’s a 30-year member of the American Business Women’s Association and a 13-year award winning Girl Scout Leader.


2021 GROUNDBREAKING LEADERSHIP

Jasmine Simmons2021 WISTEMM CHAMPION

Kisa Caruthers

Jasmine Simmons is a wife, mother and professional with 15 years at Hallmark Cards coupled with twenty years of professional experience. As an IT

Business Service Director, Jasmine and her team play a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of Hallmark’s technology portfolio, specifically for the Global Supply Chain organization. Jasmine’s team serves as the interface between the Business and IT organizations ensuring alignment between Business strategies and IT capabilities.

Jasmine holds a Computer Engineering degree from Iowa State University. She continues to be a constant advocate and role model for women in IT roles and always MAKES time to embrace the younger talent, ultimately promoting positivity in their lives and careers at Hallmark.

Jasmine wears many hats and has championed and established an organization for women in technology, HWiT (Hallmark Women In Technology). HWiT focuses on awareness, development and fostering women in the IT space; thereby creating and promoting change and greater opportunities.

Kisa Caruthers is a senior electrical engineer at Burns & McDonnell and licensed professional engineer in Kansas and Missouri. With more than

20 years of design experience, she has led the design

of electrical building systems for new construction and

renovation projects across the U.S.

Kisa earned a Bachelor of Science in architectural

engineering from Tennessee State University and Master

of Business Administration and academic certification

in project management from Webster University.

Kisa serves on the board of Jackson County CASA

and is an advisory board member of Missouri State

University for Women in Leadership. She is a member of

the National Society of Black Engineers, Black Women

in Science and Engineering and Delta Sigma Theta

Sorority, Incorporated. Kisa devotes her time serving

as the youth choir director at Grace Baptist Church of

Greater Kansas City, Mo, tutoring students and adults

in math, and mentoring upcoming engineers in STEM

professions.


2021 WISTEMM CHAMPION

Una Nowling

Una Nowling is a passionate advocate, educator, and professional. As a Technology Leader and Project Manager of Fuels, Efficiency, and

Reliability at Black & Veatch, her work focuses on

projects around the world to clean up fossil fuel power

plants, foster renewable energy use, and provide

environmental, engineering, operations, health and

safety, and other training.

Born an intersex individual with passing privilege in

either gender, Una has the unique experience of walking

both sides of the gender divide in STEMM. This rare first-

hand experience motivates Una to call out the problems

of discrimination, marginalization, sexual harassment

and sexual assault towards female-identifying persons

in STEMM – as well as similar discrimination faced by

male-identifying and non-binary persons. To address

the divide, Una works passionately and tirelessly to

advance gender equity in STEMM through advocacy,

education, and policy initiatives.

KIEWIT.COMThank you for the difference you make in the STEMM industries, both in our community and beyond.

CONGRATULATIONS STEMMy AWARD HONOREES

Women in STEMM is a Central Exchange movement designed to put a well-deserved

spotlight on women in Kansas City working in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math

and medicine (STEMM).

By focusing on successful STEMM leaders, WiSTEMM hopes to draw attention to the resource shortfall in these careers and provide inspiration

for others to pursue careers in these areas.

CENTRALEXCHANGE.ORG/WISTEMM

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https://centralexchange.org/wistemm


EMBRACE EXCELLENCE + BROADEN YOUR LEADERSHIP

SKILL SET WITH

CENTRAL EXCHANGE’S YEAR-LONG LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

DESIGNED TO ACCELERATE THE CAREERS OF WOMEN PROFESSIONALS

CENTRALEXCHANGE.ORG/EMERGING-LEADERS

Take your leadership skil ls to the next level and Take your leadership skil ls to the next level and apply by September 30!apply by September 30!

YOU BELONG AT CENTRAL EXCHANGE

A CX MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES

You deserve opportunities to CONNECT with the largest cross-section of business-minded women throughout

Kansas City and beyond.

Connection

You are EMPOWERED to continue learning and exchanging ideas with dozens of leadership programs,

exchange circles + social events every month.

Empowerment

You are able to seek GROWTH in your career with WiSTEMM focused programs, discounts to the annual STEMMy Awards, Midwest Leadership Summit & free access to UMKC Bloch School’s executive seminars.

Growth

SIGN UP FOR CX’S BI-WEEKLY ENEWS TODAY AND ENTER

TO WIN A FREE YEAR-LONG CX MEMBERSHIP!

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Documents

Gala Luncheon