This is who runs Topeka -

 According to the Greater Topeka Partnership’s 2026 Governance & Leadership Guide / Board Book (versions from early-to-mid 2026), here is the current GO Topeka (Growth Organization of Topeka/Shawnee County) Board of Directors structure.

Executive Committee

• President: Rhiannon Friedman (staff)
• Chair: Joe Caldwell (Bartlett & West)
• Chair-Elect: Kevin Hahn (Ivaoes / Ivaoes Animal Health)
• Immediate Past Chair: Neal Spencer (Ernest-Spencer Metal Fabrication)
• Treasurer: Travis Morris
• Non-officer Directors: Daina Williams (GrayBeard Construction & Maintenance LLC); Philip Bacchus (FHLBank Topeka)

Elected Directors

Term expires December 31, 2026

• Michelle Whitehead (Capitol Federal)
• Joe Caldwell (Bartlett & West)
• Calla Haggard (Community Bank)
• Shane Hillmer (Moore Digital Print & Mail Center)
• Kurt Kuta (CoreFirst Bank & Trust)
• Scott Campbell (The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus)
• Daina Williams (GrayBeard Construction & Maintenance LLC)
• Sam Al-Murrani (LifeTech Sciences LLC)

Term expires December 31, 2027

• Neal Spencer (Ernest-Spencer Metals)
• Chris Faulk (McElroy Electric)
• Marvin Spees (Capital City Oil)
• Cassandra Taylor (HTK Architects)
• Jacob Wamego (Prairie Band, LLC)
• Sherry Hunsicker (S Hunsicker Investments)
• Josh Gorrell (Electronic Life)
• Marc Welsh (Evergy)

Term expires December 31, 2028

• Dan Chavez (Chavez Restoration & Cleaning)
• Joe Hishmeh (Fellowship Bible Church)
• Chris Quintanar (Kansas Gas Service)
• Manny Herron (IPG Building Co, LLC)
• Darin Stephens (Stone & Story Real Estate Group, LLC)
• Kevin Hahn (Ivaoes Animal Health)
• Dawn McWilliams (The Boys and Girls Club of Topeka)
• Michael Odupitan (Omni Circle Group)

Directors Appointed At-Large (term expires December 31, 2026)

• Philip Bacchus (FHLBank Topeka)
• Travis Morris
• Matt McGivern (Senne & Company, Inc.)
• Tony Emerson (Emcon, Inc.)
• Savannah Moore (Hoyt’s Truck Center)
• Mark Slyter (Stormont Vail Health/Cotton O’Neil Clinic)
• Brett Klausman (Midwest Health)
• Braden Dimick (TK Business Magazine)

GO Topeka also includes Directors by Virtue of Position Held (ex-officio-style seats). These typically include the Mayor of Topeka (currently Spencer Duncan), designated Shawnee County Commissioners, the Shawnee County Counselor, a City Council member, the City Manager, MTAA representation, Washburn University representation, and others. Exact current holders of these seats can shift with elections/appointments.

This reflects the most recent publicly available Board Book materials from the Greater Topeka Partnership (mid-2026). Board composition can change with mid-year appointments, resignations, or updates, so checking the latest materials on topekapartnership.com or contacting GO Topeka/GTP staff is recommended for the absolute latest roster.

Fw: Important Topeka Datacenter Info

Friends – As everyone knows, Kansas Commercial makes a living in real estate leasing, sales, and management. Our team is involved with the Compass Data Center Project in South Topeka and we want to share some of our knowledge on Compass and the overall Potential Community Impact. Consider Hyper-Scale (Large) Data Centers like the Railroad in the 1800’s.Towns that had the railroad thrived. Towns that did not struggled and many are no longer around. Data Centers are the same. The amount of tax revenue a town can receive from a large Data Center will positively separate that town from its peers for generations.  Below is a link to a website for the project that will answer questions about Compass and Data Centers. Topeka Compass Datacenter Information Economic Impact – This project, when completed, will be the single largest real estate project in Shawnee County. The construction project is 3 BILLION Dollars. The assessed value of the property will be at least 3 BILLION Dollars. Compass is asking for and receiving ZERO tax benefits from Shawnee County. For comparison, we will need to construct Thirty-Five (35) Mars Plants to generate the same economic tax benefit to our community. Below is a chart that details the estimated amount of property tax Compass will be paying PER YEAR and how much increased income our community will receive. Perfect Timing – The City of Topeka is in financial difficulty and is operating at a large deficit. Below is a list of positions that are being eliminated by the City. Top of the list is Police – Fire – Infrastructure Maintenance. (The City Budget is attached below). The City will raise our taxes to pay for this deficit. Now refer to the income generated to the city by Compass in the chart when the project is completed. Deficit eliminated. Kansas Commercial Real Estate Services is now thirty years old and we have had the opportunity to work on many projects. The Compass project is the only time that we can tell anyone who owns real estate in the community that your property taxes Will Go Down when the project is completed.  Call to Action – Please email every Council Member and tell them that you want your taxes lowered and Police and Fire fully funded. Tell them to remove the moratorium and get a deal negotiated that will benefit all of our Citizens. Please email the three County Commissioners and thank them for treating this like a business that provides services and lowers expenses. Tell them to lower your taxes and get the Compass deal negotiated and executed. (Copy and paste the email addresses into your email software to send one email to all of the Council and then to the Commissioners). City Council Members: khiller@topeka.org cvaldivia-alcala@topeka.org sortiz@topeka.org dbanks@topeka.org bkell@topeka.org marcusm@topeka.org mabradberry@topeka.org mrmcgee@topeka.org mahoferer@topeka.org sduncan@topeka.org SN CO Commissioners: Bill.Riphahn@snco.us Kevin.Cook@snco.us Aaron.Mays@snco.us Mike Morse

Kansas Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc. | 435 S Kansas Ave Suite 200 | Topeka, KS 66603 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

Fw: Back-to-School Safety & Brave Talk

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From: Kelly Durkin <kdurkin@lhcac.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 1:27 PM
To: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Subject: Back-to-School Safety & Brave Talk

 

Hi Henry,

 

As kids head back into classrooms this month, it's a good time to reopen a conversation that matters all year long: body safety.  Simple, age-appropriate talks about safe and unsafe touches, and about who counts as a safe adult, give children the tools to speak up if something feels wrong.

 

That's the heart of BraveTalk, our prevention education program for elementary students from PreK through 6th grade. One lesson kids come away with is learning that they are "the boss of their body," a phrase that gives even our youngest students language to set boundaries with confidence. We're excited to share that we're expanding BraveTalk's reach into private schools across Topeka and into Wabaunsee County, bringing this education to more classrooms than ever before.

 

If you're a school or community partner interested in bringing BraveTalk to your students, or you'd like to support the campaign that makes this growth possible, we'd love to hear from you.

 

Warmly,

 

Kelly Durkin

LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center

785-232-5433

If you'd prefer not to hear from me by email, please reply back and let me know and I'll update my records accordingly.

At this point the only way this gets more conflicted is if the family dog starts reviewing the drainage studies.

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City Manager Robert Perez has achieved peak Topeka conflict-of-interest form.

He’s on the GO Topeka board. GO Topeka holds title to the land the data center wants. His wife is the county’s planning & zoning administrator — the very office that reviews land use, zoning, and development for that same project.

So the man who runs the city sits on the economic-development board that owns the dirt, while his spouse works in the county office that will decide what can be built on that dirt… and the whole thing is the single hottest political potato in Shawnee County right now.

And we’re all supposed to believe the line will be: “I will remain neutral and continue to run the city appropriately.”

At this point the only way this gets more conflicted is if the family dog starts reviewing the drainage studies.

Transparency isn’t just requested at this point. It’s the only thing left that isn’t already in the same household.

Fw: Tax Incentives and Evil in our Government Schools

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From: Charlotte O'Hara <charlotte@oharaforkansas.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 6:05 AM
To: mcre13@gmail.com <mcre13@gmail.com>
Subject: Tax Incentives and Evil in our Government Schools

 

Tax Incentives and Evil in our Government Schools

͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

By: Charlotte O’Hara, Former JoCo Commissioner and former 27th District State Representative 913-304-4148 The days following the primary election have been busy!  Obviously, I had hoped for a better showing, but God in His Infinite Wisdom has a plan, who am I to voice sorrow over an incredible opportunity traveling 48,000 miles crisscrossing Kansas for 18 months, visiting with folks and educating them on the ins and outs of the failures of our Republican Super Majority on property taxes, schools failing our children and our ultimate failure at the ballot box, failing to protect the unborn. Yes, Kansas continues to be Planned Parenthood’s Killing Fields in the heart of America. There is much work to be done and it will take all of us to make a difference. Avenues have opened for me to continue to both inform you and make suggestions as to what you can do to make a difference by being engaged in the process. So, let’s begin!! On 7/16/2026 De Soto approved a 100% Tax Increment Finance District (TIF) for a 53 unit assisted living facility on Commerce Street. For 20 years the property tax from this project (except for the 8 mills school capital outlay) will go back to the owner to reimburse horizonal construction costs. How would you like to use 20 years of your property taxes to pay for the construction costs of your home?? This development will impact county services especially ambulance services increasing the county’s costs over the 20-year term of the TIF. Commissioner Michael Ashcraft asked that an agenda item be added to the 8/13/2026 agenda for the Johnson County Commission to consider a veto of the project. Under the TIF District state statues, the county and school district have the right to veto a TIF if it adversely impacts the budget of either jurisdiction. Obviously every TIF District adversely impacts both the county and school districts because it diverts property taxes from the city, county, school district, county library and parks and rec.  A TIF District has NEVER been vetoed in Johnson County. Seems the fix is in, which increases our property taxes. Please remember that EVERY tax incentive costs you. Call your Johnson County Commissioners - Chairman Mike Kelly, Jeff Meyers, Shirley Allenbrand, Michael Ashcraft, Janee’ Hanzlick, Becky Fast and Julie Brewer to demand that they veto this TIF Thursday, August 13th. Their main number is 913-715-0430.  Your silence is complicity. Oh, this is a dozy: Spring Hill’s yearbook uses they/them (non-binary) to describe all students.  See links below to the Sentinel July 30th article and the clip of Christina Bilyeu speaking to the Spring Hill School Board. Her daughter was misgendered in their 2026 yearbook. If you live in the Spring Hill School District and remain silent, the school district will assume that you do not care. The district’s number is 913-592-7200. I have also sent this information to AG Kris Kobach, Senators Klemp, Thompson and Tyson, all of whom are outraged.  Hopefully a lawsuit against Spring Hill School District will ensue and the Senators will add language to the new school finance bill prohibiting such evil, contemptible policies to continue in ANY of our government schools in Kansas. Our children: endangered in the womb and in our government schools. https://sentinelksmo.org/spring-hill-they-them-misgender/ https://www.youtube.com/live/_sh1hfGlNHU?is=jATIeLbK9t4tCPug (Youtube video at 6:03 Spring Hill parent pronoun discourse of 3 minutes) God Bless and Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!! Charlotte Share Share Share Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe