Inspiring Women in Public Administration (IWPA)

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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 - come back to this page to see our growing list of tentative topics. See our evolving list of speakers for this year's event here.

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.

The format usually follows a keynote presentation, table discussion, lunch, and a networking event following the day's programming.  

Tentative Conference Schedule - Explore this year's speakers here!

Friday August 22, 2025Activity  
8:00-8:30 am Registration/Check-in  
8:30 am-9:30 am

Keynote

  • DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Ed.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
  
9:30 amBreak  
9:50 am-11:20 am

A panel of accomplished women will explore how their values have influenced their career choices.

  • 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
  • Dr. Catherine Satterwhite, Executive Director, Center for Population Health and Equity, Kansas City University
  
11:20 am-12:30 pmLunch  
12:30 pm-2:45 pm

Speed Coaching (list of topics forthcoming)

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in four different speed coaching topics

135 minutes; 4 rounds of 25 minutes each

  
2:45 pmBreak  
3:00 pm-3:45 pm

Final Session (title forthcoming)

  • Misty Heggeness, Associate Professor and Associate Research Scientist, KU
  
3:45 pmReception