2026 Heartland Certified Public Manager Annual Conference Speakers

Diana Knapp is the Director of the Department of Community Safety for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and has more than 30 years of experience in the criminal justice field, working across adult and juvenile systems at the state, federal, and municipal levels. She currently serves as President -Elect of the American Jail Association’s Board of Directors and holds certifications as a Jail Manager (AJA), Corrections Executive (ACA), Certified Correctional Health Professional (NCCHC) and is a 2022 graduate of the Jail Executive Institute, in addition to her Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration.

Michelle (Sheli) Sweeney became Public Affairs Officer for the Kansas Office of Veterans Services (KOVS) in December 2024.  

As Public Affairs Director, she manages the communications, outreach and public relations efforts for the agency. 

Prior to joining KOVS, Sweeney retired from VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System as the Outreach Coordinator. She has experience in the fields of public administration, funeral services, community mental health, aging services, mediation and advocacy for Veterans and their Families. 

Sweeney served in the Kansas Air National Guard, 190th Air Refueling Wing, retiring after 20 years as a Major.  Her major deployments include Operations Desert Shield and Storm, Operation Deny Flight, NATO missions to Europe, and Global War on Terror.  

Sheli is married to Mark Sweeney, a retired Kansas Air National Guardsman, and their daughter, Katherine Sweeney, is an attorney in the Kansas City area.   

Tami Robison has 25 years of cumulative experience in accounting, auditing, tax, and finance. She currently serves as the first Finance Director for Geary County, where she manages budget and finance matters and serves as a financial resource for the Board of County Commissioners, the Public Building Commission, and department heads. In this role, she collaborates with her team to provide quality public services that preserve the past, protect the present, and enhance the health, safety, and general well-being of citizens today and into the future. In September 2021, Tami was appointed to a three-year term on the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Committee on Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting. In 2024, she served as President of the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association (KSGFOA). In 2025, she was recognized by GFOA for outstanding public service, and in June 2026 she completed the Heartland Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program. Her professional service reflects a continued commitment to transparent financial reporting, sound public stewardship, and collaboration across local government.

Hannes Zacharias recently retired as the “Robert A. Kipp, Professor of Practice in Public Administration” at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. Hannes has over 35 years of experience in City and County Government in jurisdictions both small and large including: City Manager, Boonville, MO; City Manager, Hays KS; and Assistant, Deputy, and County Manager in Johnson County, KS. As County Manager, Hannes helped reinforce a High-Performance Organization (HPO) culture focused on constant improvement and the Athenian Oath.   

Noel Rasor joined the Public Management Center in 2009 and has found it to be a perfect professional home due to the PMC’s focus on leadership and organizational development in the public sector. In her time with the PMC, Noel has led the Emerging Leaders Academy and the Heartland Certified Public Manager® Program (CPM). In her current role she develops research-based curriculum that serves across the Center’s programs and provides instruction and facilitation in customized training and consulting projects. She is passionate about creating engaging, practical learning experiences and building strong networks among public service leaders. 

Noel has held previous roles with the University of Kansas and at the chapter and national levels for the American Red Cross. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American Culture from the University of Michigan, a master's in urban planning from KU, and she completed doctoral work at KU in American Studies.

Tim is the Director of Johnson County Mental Health Center. The Mental Health Center is a department of Johnson County (KS) Government and employs more than 400 staff who provide behavioral health services to nearly 12,000 county residents annually. Tim possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Missouri Southern State University and a Master of Social Work Administration degree from the University of Kansas. He is a Licensed Mental Health Professional in Kansas and has over 30 years of experience in community mental health, where he has worked in various capacities. He possesses extensive knowledge and experience in the public mental health delivery system, client-centered leadership, and program design/development. Tim also served more than 10 years as a commissioned officer in the Army Reserve and National Guard. 

Stephanie Hall, CPM, is an executive administrator with over seven years of experience supporting higher education and nonprofit initiatives. As Executive Assistant at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus, she partners with leadership in the School of Professional Studies to foster collaboration, streamline operations, and move campus-wide priorities forward. Her background includes nonprofit leadership, grant writing, budgeting, and service in board and volunteer leadership roles, and she is driven by a commitment to building trust and strengthening communities through education. A Georgia native turned Kansas City transplant (Go Dawgs), she enjoys time outside—camping, gardening, and keeping up with life at home. 

Sara Taliaferro is a community-centered engagement specialist who runs CSC Engagement Services, LLC, and teaches civic engagement through the University of Kansas Public Management Center. Sara holds a Masters of Public Administration with certification in public policy, particularly housing and environmental sustainability, through the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration. Sara trained and continues to learn from the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), Mid America Regional Council, Kansas Leadership Center, the Pepperdine School of Public Policy/Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership, and through Facilitating Power.   

Job Title: Director of Organizational Health & Development 

Organization: Kansas Department for Children and Families 

Email: rondal.fisher@ks.gov 

Justin is a Kansas City native, proud husband to Brooke for 23 years, and father to five: Kamden, Adalee, Rowan, Silas, and Henley. 

He is the founder of Guild Collective, a Human-First Brand Building agency that helps brands discover their heartbeat. Before launching Guild, Justin spent eight years in the front office of the Kansas City Chiefs as Director of Partnership Development, where he learned firsthand that growth follows when relationships come first. 

An entrepreneur with a love for his family, the outdoors, and a vision for what brands and leaders become when they give a damn, Justin left the corporate world in 2017 to start Guild Collective. What began as a solo operation has grown into a strategic consultancy generating transformative results for businesses and their leaders by defining who they are, enhancing their customer experience, and creating the kind of internal connectivity that drives growth.  

His personal mission is to be fully alive and help others do the same. That mission is now a book. Give a Damn: The Catalyst for Caring Companies launched February 18th, 2026, introducing the Fire Starter Framework, a practical model built on Effort and Attitude that ignites four catalysts: Curiosity, Compassion, Clarity, and Consistency. It's both a manifesto for leaders who want to build companies that care and a field guide for making it real. 

Doug Nolte is a Deputy Police Chief with nearly 28 years of law enforcement experience serving communities in Wichita and Maize, Kansas. In addition to his public safety leadership career, he previously served as CEO of one of Kansas’ largest faith-based homeless shelters, leading organizational restructuring, strategic planning, and operational response during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Doug is the founder of Waypoint Consultants, where he works with municipalities, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations to improve organizational effectiveness through his Policy–Process–People Alignment Model™. His work focuses on helping leaders identify communication gaps, operational friction, and organizational misalignment that impact culture, accountability, and mission success. 
 
Doug has presented and trained at the local and national level on leadership, organizational communication, and operational alignment. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have been foster parents for 17 years and are parents of seven children, including four adopted from foster care. The Nolte family lives in the Wichita, Kansas area. 

Dylan Riedel currently serves as the Fire Chief for the City of Russell and is a graduate from the Heartland CPM program class of 2024. Dylan has worked in public service his whole life, joining the volunteer fire department when he was 18 years old and attending Russell High School. Dylan graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2014 with a bachelors in Criminal Justice and is currently in the process of enrolling at Wichita State University where he will be pursing his Masters in Public Administration. Dylan plans to pursue a career of City Manager or Administrator once he retires from the fire service.

BS Information Systems and Management  
MS Management Information Systems and Homeland Security Management  
CPM 2026  
CMFF, CCO, Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst

Marty Augustine has more than 25 years of experience in public safety, leadership, and professional education. He also has a background in the entertainment industry, including music production and comedy. This unique combination of education and experience allows Marty to present a different perspective related to topics related to leadership, communication, resilience, and wellness. 
Throughout his career, Marty has led teams through organizational change, operational challenges, and uncertainty while emphasizing trust, accountability, and team stability, as well as personal wellness. As an educator and instructor, he is passionate about helping professionals develop practical leadership skills that strengthen organizational culture and personal growth. 
Marty holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from MidAmerica Nazarene University, a Law Enforcement Leadership Certificate from Fort Hays State University, and multiple certifications related to emergency preparedness and disaster management. Marty is a 2026 Certified Public Manager (CPM) graduate. He is also a published author, music artist, and producer.

As partnership developer at the Kansas Leadership Center, Racquel Thiesen supports current partners and cultivates new national partnerships with community leadership programs, community foundations, and municipalities. Her focus on guiding partners through their leadership journey ensures greater value for the communities and organizations served by KLC. Racquel draws on more than 25 years of experience in consulting with local leadership programs, community organizations, and local government, helping individuals and leadership developers utilize the KLC framework to tackle their toughest challenges. 
In addition to her partnership development work, Racquel was an elected official for 12 years and has served on numerous boards and advisory councils. This firsthand experience in public service strengthens her understanding of leadership in the context of authority. Racquel also serves as a KLC teacher and facilitator, traveling widely as a speaker and presenter, sharing insights on leadership development and community engagement.

Cody Kennedy and Adrienne Lund are chief storytellers and brand champions for the City of Olathe. This award-winning duo passionately care about the Olathe community and the "why" behind their service. Their decades-plus service to the public communications sector provides an understanding of past and present communication and media trends. 

Kent Bauman is the program manager for Kansas Department for Children and Families Human Trafficking Prevention and Initiatives program. He spent thirty-four years in law enforcement with the Wichita Police Department and was assigned to the Exploited and Missing Child Unit for fifteen years where he investigated missing children and child sex trafficking using the multidisciplinary approach working with child welfare, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and community partners. He retired in 2018 and went to work for DCF to develop the agency’s response to human trafficking within the child welfare population. His responsibilities include leading the department’s initiative to develop and implement a comprehensive response for youth in DCF custody who are victims or at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking and to develop cross systems/agency collaboration to address this issue. He also supervises the Special Response Team whose primary goal is the safe recovery of youth missing from placement and serves as the department’s liaison with local, state, and federal law enforcement.  He has spent his career advocating for high-risk youth who were missing or exploited. He is a graduate from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, was an adjunct instructor at Butler County Community College in the Criminal Justice Program for twenty years, and a national speaker on child sex trafficking and missing children. 

Jessie Stonebraker is a dedicated advocate for vulnerable youth, specializing in missing and trafficked children. Her career began at the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center, where listening to runaway youth ignited her passion for this population. She later became a Child Protection Investigator with DCF before stepping into a specialized statewide role as a Response Team Specialist, helping lead a program that has significantly reduced the number of children missing from foster care. 
Jessie partners with law enforcement, courts, and community organizations to advocate for youth and implement trauma-informed practices. She serves on several anti-human trafficking coalitions and subcommittees, volunteers annually with LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center, and serves on the board of The Jones Project. 
 
Outside of work, Jessie coaches high school girls wrestling and trains in Jiu Jitsu. As a mother, coach, and advocate, she’s committed to creating a community where children are safe, heard, and empowered. Ensuring no child slips through the cracks.” 

Marcus Cole is the Program Consultant for Kansas Department for Children and Families Special Response Team. Marcus is a dedicated public service professional with more than ten years of experience in law enforcement and child social services. Throughout his career, he has served in several law enforcement capacities gaining extensive experience in community safety, crisis response, team building and public service. 
His work in social services has further strengthened his commitment to protecting and supporting vulnerable youth and families. Marcus is especially passionate about advocating for the well-being and development of young people across Kansas.  He believes that strong communities are built through compassion, accountability and meaningful support systems for families. His professional background reflects a balanced approach to both enforcement and social advocacy by combining practical field experience with a heart for service, Marcus continues to work towards positive outcomes for individuals and all communities. His dedication to helping and empowering Kansas youth remains a central focus of his work.

Christina Bolen serves as the Program Manager for Kansas' Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Frail Elderly Waiver, where she leads statewide initiatives supporting older adults and individuals who wish to remain in their homes and communities.  
 
Christina has a bachelor's in English with an emphasis on writing and a minor in history. She stepped into public service nearly a decade ago, first as a para-educator for a speech pathologist. Most recently, she led stakeholder engagement efforts related to Kansas' first HCBS Frail Elderly waitlist, facilitating collaborative discussions that informed mitigation strategies, policy development, and implementation planning. Her work focuses on organizational listening, community engagement, and building trust through transparent communication and partnership. 
 
In addition to her public service career, Christina is an award winning and best-selling published author. She is also a speaker who is passionate about the power of storytelling, communication, and relationship-building to create meaningful change.

Keri O'Brien is the Senior Graphic Designer for Johnson County, Kansas Government's Communications and Engagement Department. With more than a decade of graphic design experience, she is the designer and editor of the county's award-winning resident publication, JoCo Magazine. She also serves on the county's AI Committee and enjoys making design principles accessible to non-designers.

John Darling is Division Chief of EMS for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM), a jointly funded fire and EMS agency serving Lawrence and Douglas County, Kansas. A 21-year fire service veteran, he spent 16 years in frontline operations, advancing from Firefighter/EMT to Lieutenant/Paramedic before serving as Captain in the Training Division, where he led department-wide training and professional development. Since 2024, he has served on LDCFM's executive team, overseeing emergency medical services, logistics, revenue generation, and budget development while collaborating with regional healthcare partners, local government agencies, and City / County leadership. 
John holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas and is a Certified Public Manager, a CPSE-accredited Fire Officer and Chief Training Officer, and a graduate student in the University of Kansas Master of Public Administration program.

Stacey Weidemann joined the City of Columbia, MO in 2018. She started as a City Management Fellow after receiving her MPA from Indiana University in Bloomington. After her fellowship, she stayed with the City, joining the Finance Department as a Sr. Budget Analyst until November 2023. She currently serves as the Assistant to the City Manager.  
 
She enjoys working in local government because of the positive impact she can have on her community. In her free time, Stacey enjoys reading, gardening, and strolling Columbia's trails with her husband and their two dogs.  
 

Shawna Johnson joined the City of Columbia as its first engagement coordinator in January 2024. Prior to that, Shawna served as executive director of the local nonprofit Access Arts, a position she held for eleven years. The mission at Access Arts is to provide inclusive learning in visual arts, and her passion for inclusion is what drew her to this new role. Shawna understands that all people have unique viewpoints, talents and needs, and she is actively working to remove barriers and create safe spaces for those to be shared. Shawna works together with the Community Connectors to develop community-led projects, pursuing objectives residents have identified as priorities. 
 
Shawna holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Missouri and has an extensive background in community organizing, both here and in New York City. She also enjoys cooking for friends and playing fetch with her dog, Sundae.

Don Jarrett has a long career in public service and local government, serving as the Chief Legal Counsel for Johnson County, Kansas Government for 35 years, before retiring in 2020. At Johnson County, he led the development and implementation of the County’s long-standing High-Performance Organization (HPO) and Leadership Empowers All People (LEAP) programs. Don has taught classes at the Johnson County Community College, has assisted in teaching classes as a guest lecturer at the University of Kansas, has presented CLE programs for the Kansas Association of Counties and the Kansas Bar Association, and has been a member of the faculty for Leadership Programs at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and at the Riley Center at the College of Charleston. He has been an instructor with the KU Public Management Center in the Emerging Leaders, Certified Public Manager, and Leading EDGE programs, and was the primary author of the six-article series, High Performance in Local Government, published in PM Magazine, June through November, 2021. Don is a graduate of the University of Kansas and its School of Law, where he served on the Law Review. He is also a current Fellow with the International Municipal Lawyers Association, having first received that distinction in 2009. 

Mark Terry MPA NRP helps teams at the intersection of operations and education. He served in Kansas City area emergency medical services systems in clinical, professional development, and executive leadership roles. Mark has worked on various local, state, and national EMS projects. He is currently a graduate assistant with the Human and Organizational Performance Effectiveness program and the School of Public Affairs and Administration.

Joey Heideman, CPM, is the Division Chief of Logistics and Support Services for the Olathe Fire Department. His leadership journey began as a firefighter/paramedic and has included service as a company officer, accreditation manager, division chief, CPSE peer assessor & team leader, and national NERIS Ambassador. Joey completed the Emerging Leaders Academy and Certified Public Manager program at the University of Kansas and is a student in the Human and Organizational Performance Effectiveness (H.O.P.E.) program.