Inspiring Women in Public Administration (IWPA)

Stay tuned for IWPA 2026 details!

This year's IWPA Conference will took place on Friday, August 22, 2025 at the Overland Park Convention Center. Registration is now closed - the agenda from the day is below.

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

Program Agenda   - Explore Speakers Here

Time	Introductions and Speakers	Topic
8:15 a.m.-    8:25 a.m.	Kristi Northcutt, Director, Public Management Center, University of Kansas	Welcome
8:25 a.m.-   9:30 a.m.	Marilu Goodyear, Associate Professor and HOPE Program Director, University of Kansas DeAngela Burns-Wallace, President, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation	Introduction  Keynote
9:30 a.m.-   9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45 a.m.-9:55 a.m.	Bianca Boyd	Wellness & Intentions
9:55 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 (Followed by Speed Coaching instructions 12:25 p.m.-12:30 p.m.)
12:40 p.m.-    1:10 p.m.	Speed Coaching Round 1	Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in three different speed coaching topics.
1:10 p.m.-1:20 p.m.	Break; transition to next Speed Coaching Round
1:20 p.m.-    1:50 p.m.	Speed Coaching Round 2
1:50 p.m.-2:00 p.m.	Break; transition to next Speed Coaching Round
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.	Speed Coaching Round 3
2:30 p.m.-   2:40 p.m.	Break
2:40 p.m.-2:45 p.m.	Bianca Boyd	Wellness & Centering
2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.	Donna Gomez, Security Risk and Compliance Analyst, Johnson County Park & Recreation District  Misty Heggeness, Associate Professor and Associate Research Scientist, University of Kansas	Introduction       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 snacks and drinks while you network.