Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2026 2:48 PM
To: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>; Molly Howey <Molly.Howey@topekapartnership.com>; Spencer Duncan <sduncan@topeka.org>; MCRE Media <mcre1.9999@blogger.com>; City Clerk <cclerk@Topeka.org>; countyclerk@snco.us <countyclerk@snco.us>; Kevin Cook <kevin.cook@snco.us>; Governing Body <governingbody@topeka.org>
Subject: RE: See the trend
Good afternoon Mr. McClure,
Thank you for your message. This message serves as confirmation that your email has been received by the council members.
Tara Jefferies
Sr. Executive Assistant to the City Council
City of Topeka
215 SE 7th St, Room 211D
Topeka, KS 66603
785-368-3710
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From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2026 11:31 AM
To: Molly Howey <molly.howey@topekapartnership.com>; Spencer Duncan <sduncan@topeka.org>; MCRE Media <mcre1.9999@blogger.com>; City Clerk <cclerk@topeka.org>; countyclerk@snco.us; Kevin Cook <kevin.cook@snco.us>; Governing Body <governingbody@topeka.org>
Subject: See the trend
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Yes, all five members of this board (the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority / MTAA Board of Directors, as confirmed by the exact match to the public listing on mtaa-topeka.org) have clear, documented ties to the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP) ecosystem.
GTP is the umbrella organization that includes (or partners closely with) the Topeka Chamber of Commerce, Go Topeka (economic development), Visit Topeka, Downtown Topeka Inc., and related groups. These connections come through:
- Leadership Greater Topeka (LGT) — GTP’s flagship leadership development program, which many local business and civic leaders participate in.
- Direct board/leadership roles in GTP or its partner organizations (e.g., Visit Topeka, GO Topeka, Omni Circle Group).
- Company memberships, event hosting, awards, and collaborations (especially MTAA’s work with Go Topeka on business attraction, incentives, and airport-related economic development).
Here’s the deep dive on each person, based on public records, GTP/partner websites, news, and organizational documents:
Samuel Sutton (Chair, City Appointee)
- LGT participant/alum (featured in GTP’s 2023 LGT profiles and TK Business Magazine coverage of the program).
- As MTAA Chair (and previously listed in board leadership roles), he works directly with GTP/Go Topeka on airport economic development initiatives. MTAA frequently collaborates with Go Topeka and the Partnership on business attraction and regional growth.
Carlos Cortez (Vice Chair, City Appointee)
- Strongest direct ties: Chair of the Visit Topeka Board (a core GTP partner organization) and listed in the GTP Chairs Council. He has also served in elected director roles and other GTP leadership capacities.
- Owner of Cortez Transportation Company, which is a longtime member of the Greater Topeka Partnership, Topeka Chamber of Commerce, and Go Topeka. The company has been recognized in Go Topeka small business awards and has hosted GTP “Business Unwind” events.
- Cortez Transportation explicitly lists membership in the Greater Topeka Partnership and Chamber on its own site and in local directories.
Michael Odupitan (Secretary, City Appointee)
- Director At-Large / Omni Circle Group representative on the GTP Board of Directors and in GTP’s Momentum 2027 Executive Committee. Also serves as Omni Circle’s rep on related GTP councils (e.g., Small Business Council).
- LGT participant (featured in GTP/TK Business Magazine LGT coverage).
- Omni Circle Group (which he founded/CEO) partners directly with Go Topeka on startup/entrepreneurship programs (e.g., Shawnee Startups eCommunity) and aligns with GTP’s equity and economic development goals.
Michael Munson (Member, County Appointee)
- LGT Class of 2019 alum (explicitly listed in GTP announcements alongside other local leaders).
- Executive VP/General Counsel at Central National Bank (Topeka branch). His sister, Sara Girard (CNB President/CEO), serves on the Go Topeka board. The bank is deeply embedded in the local business community and participates in Chamber/GTP events.
- Longtime MTAA leadership (past Chair/vice roles); MTAA’s economic development work overlaps heavily with Go Topeka.
Brian Armstrong (Member, County Appointee)
- LGT Class of 2006 alum (explicitly noted on his professional profile in connection with Greater Topeka Partnership).
- Project Manager / leadership role at Bartlett & West (engineering/infrastructure firm). The firm is involved in local development projects and has ties to GTP events and the broader Topeka business network.
Overall Cross-Pollination
- LGT is the common thread — at least four of the five (Sutton, Odupitan, Munson, Armstrong) are LGT alumni/participants; Cortez’s GTP/Visit Topeka leadership effectively puts him in the same network. LGT is designed to build exactly this kind of cross-sector leadership pipeline for GTP’s economic development priorities.
- Business and organizational overlap: Cortez Transportation, Central National Bank, Bartlett & West, and Omni Circle are all active participants/members/supporters in the GTP-Chamber-Go Topeka ecosystem (memberships, sponsorships, events, awards, and direct partnerships).
- MTAA’s role: The airport authority itself collaborates regularly with Go Topeka on business attraction, industrial park development, and incentives — making these board members’ dual involvement in MTAA and GTP natural and mutually reinforcing.
In short, this MTAA board is heavily populated with GTP/LGT-connected business and civic leaders. There is significant “cross-pollination” — the kind you’d expect in a mid-sized city where the same group of engaged professionals rotate through economic development, chamber, and public authority roles. All of this is publicly documented on GTP sites, MTAA records, local news (CJOnline, WIBW, TK Business Magazine), and organizational announcements.
MCRE, LLC
3625 SW 29th Street
Topeka KS 66614
785.383.9994
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