Inspiring Women in Public Administration (IWPA)

Register for IWPA 2025!

This year's IWPA Conference will take place on Friday, August 22, 2025 at the Overland Park Convention Center. Registration is now open - Please see below for the agenda for the day.

The Inspiring Women in Public Administration Conference is a one-day annual conference that brings Kansas and Metro Kansas City women together for a day of inspiration, rejuvenation, and camaraderie. While this day is not limited to women, the issues it addresses focus on unique challenges facing women in the public sector.

2025 Conference Schedule - Explore this year's speakers here

Program Agenda 

Time	Introductions and Speaker	Topic
8:15 a.m.-   8:30 a.m.	Kristi Northcutt, Director, Public Management Center, University of Kansas	Welcome
8:30 a.m.-  9:30a.m.	Introduction – Marilu Goodyear, Associate Professor and HOPE Program Director, University of Kansas     Keynote Speaker – DeAngela Burns-Wallace, President, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation	Keynote Speaker
9:30 a.m.-  9:50 a.m.	Break
9:50 a.m.-  11:20 a.m.	Panel  Meg McCollister, Moderator. COO, The Midland Group and former Region 7 Administrator EPA  Kimberly DeWitt, Chief Data Officer, State of Kansas  Carol Gonzales, Director of Finance and Administration, MARC  Kim Freese, former Region 7 Director, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration  Lauren Krutty, Planning and Operations Manager, Kansas City Streetcar Authority	A panel of accomplished women will explore how their values have influenced their career choices.
11:20 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.	Lunch
12:30 p.m.-   1:00 p.m.	Speed Coaching Round 1	Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in four different speed coaching rounds, choosing from 20+ topics led by outstanding women in the industry.
1:00 p.m.-   1:30 p.m.	Speed Coaching Round 2
1:30 p.m.-  2:00 p.m.	Speed Coaching Round 3
2:00 p.m.-  2:30 p.m.	Speed Coaching Round 4
2:30 p.m.-  2:45 p.m.	Break
2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.	Introduction – Donna Gomez, Security Risk & Compliance Analyst, Johnson County Park & Recreation District    Misty Heggeness, Associate Professor and Associate Research Scientist, KU	Moving Forward in a World of Uncertainty: What Would Taylor Swift Do?
3:45 p.m.	Maja Holmes, Director, School of Public Affairs and Administration, University of Kansas	Closing Remarks
4:00 p.m.	Reception	Stay for some snacks and drinks while you network.