We are a group of non-partisan Lee’s Summit citizens who have devoted many decades of community service to our city. We, typically, meet on a monthly basis, but oftentimes meet more frequently when elections or topics of concern come forward.
A quick look at the experience and backgrounds of our committee members confirms over six decades of loyal, unwavering community leadership. We enthusiastically do our homework and conduct appropriate research before making decisions. Our members regularly meet to discuss, deliberate, and sometimes passionately debate important issues we care deeply about. We respectfully listen to each other and almost always reach a meaningful consensus because we “listen to understand, instead of listening to respond.”
Mike Atcheson, Chairman
Mike is the founder and co-owner of CEAH Realtors, a full-service real estate company. A 29-year Lee’s Summit resident, he is the managing partner in more than 50 real estate projects, with a specialization in acquiring and developing shopping centers, business parks, residential single family and multi-family developments, office, medical, flex and industrial projects.
Mike is also the founder and CEO of Atcheson Lawn & Landscape, Capital Construction Services and chairman of Major Saver Holdings.
Among his civic involvement, Mike is a member of the Lee’s Summit Board of Zoning Adjustments, chair of Water Utilities Advisory Board, board member of Premier Holdings (parent company of John Knox Village), past chairman of the Lee’s Summit TIF Commission, past chairman of the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, past vice-chair of the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council and chairman of the Strother Road Interchange Transportation Development District, the Park Ridge Community Improvement District and was a Commissioner out of District 3 for the 2016 City Charter Review Commission.
Mike, 55, is married to Mary, has two children and four grandchildren.
Dr. Fred Grogan, Vice Chairman
Dr. Fred Grogan was the president of Metropolitan Community College-Longview from 1998-2013. He also served in roles as the vice chancellor of student development and dean of student development and support services.
Grogan is the current chair of the board for the Lee’s Summit Historical Society and a member of the John Knox Village Premier Life and Foundation boards of directors. He is a past board member for the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, Lee’s Summit Symphony and an active member of the Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit.
Grogan and his wife, Julie, have lived and worked in Lee’s Summit for 34 years. They have two grown daughters, Sarah and Rachel, and are the proud grandparents of Ella, Addison and Fred.
Gary Hawkins, Treasurer
Gary Hawkins is the president and founder of HSMC Companies and HSMC Orizon, LLC, in Lee’s Summit. Hawkins is the partner in charge at the Lee’s Summit location, which has become one of the top 25 accounting firms as ranked in 2017 by the Kansas City Business Journal. The company was recognized in 2008 as a Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year. Gary is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants. He’s a board member of the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council and a past board member of the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce. He also sits on the St. Luke’s East Hospital Board and the John Knox Village Board and Finance Committee.
Robert Handley, Secretary
Attorney Robert Handley has lived in Lee’s Summit since 2001, when he served as the City Attorney until his retirement in 2008.
He has been civically engaged as general counsel to the Lee’s Summit Industrial Development Authority and serves on the board of directors of the LSIDA. A U.S. Army veteran, his professional career has been committed to advancing responsibility in local government.
His wife, Debora, is a retired R-7 teacher and they have four children and nine grandchildren.
Carl Chinnery
Carl is founder of Chinnery, Evans & Nail law firm in Lee’s Summit and a well-known community, philanthropy and education advocate in Lee’s Summit. He’s the past president of the board for the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce and Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council. He also has a daily passion for the Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit and Rotary District 6040 where he served as District Governor in 2002-03.
Recently, Carl was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from Lee’s Summit CARES.
In his spare time, Carl has built two sailboats and two canoes by hand and even has a nature trail at Unity Village World Headquarters named after him!
Brad Cox
Philanthropist and business owner Brad Cox and wife Sandy Langsford Cox have owned Langsford Funeral Home since 1999. They own and operate Five Petals Floral Design, Langsford Pre-Arrangement and Langsford Development and are involved in many facets of Lee’s Summit.
Brad serves as president of the Lee’s Summit Medical Center Board of Trustees and is a member of the John Knox Foundation Board. He also gives his time to the Lee’s Summit Rotary Club, is past chairman of the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, and served as president of the Lee’s Summit Missouri Municipal Building Authority.
And when he’s not in the office or in meetings, Brad relaxes with his grandchildren and still enjoys his “vice” of playing and singing in local bands.
Brad Culbertson
Brad Culbertson has been a downtown champion, business owner and building owner in Lee’s Summit for nearly 30 years.
Brad and his wife, Carole, purchased their first building in the downtown core in the early 1990s. As a skilled builder, Brad was able to renovate and rejuvenate many downtown Lee’s Summit buildings while also helping bring business back to the city’s core. He has been a member of the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce since 1988 and served on the board of directors in many capacities for Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street for 25 years. Brad is currently the chair of the Downtown Community Improvement District Board.
Vicky Cundiff
Vicky Cundiff founded Turf’s Up Lawn Service more than 30 years ago in Lee’s Summit with her husband, Jon. They now own operations here as well as Springfield, Des Moines, and Fort Worth.
A 33-year resident of Lee’s Summit, Vicky has been deeply involved around her community. She is a past chairman of the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce Board, and her other involvement includes the R-7 School District, Lee’s Summit EDC, Woods Chapel United Methodist Church and with the City of Lee’s Summit as part of the 360-visioning process. It was her work with LS 360 in 2010 that earned her Lee’s Summit Citizen of the Year honors. Vicky has also been honored with the Lee’s Summit Rotary’s “Service Above Self” award, the Missouri Municipal League’s Outstanding Leadership award for service to Lee’s Summit and Weed Man’s Community Service Award.
Vicky was named to the Kansas City Business Journal’s Class of 2015 “Women Who Mean Business” and The Examiner’s Class of 2016 “Women of Distinction.”
Will Gibson
Will is the founder of Down to Earth Services, a company that is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of native plant communities. The company designs, builds and maintains landscapes working with native plants and sustainable solutions. Will also co-owns Green Thumb Gardens, a retail nursery supplying native plants to the Kansas City region.
Will ‘s background and education are in environmental history and political science. After receiving a dual degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, he returned to the KC region and started his path as an entrepreneur.
Will serves on several committees around Lee’s Summit including the Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Relations, Legislative, Young Professionals and Oktoberfest committees.
Donna Gordon
Donna is a 30 year Lee’s Summit resident. She is the owner of Investment Resources and a graduate of the University of Central Missouri and UMKC.
Donna is a current member of the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority. She has served on various other boards and committees giving her time around Lee’s Summit, including the City’s Truly 150 steering committee and the 2015 Downtown Master Plan Task Force. She is also a graduate of the City’s Leadership Academy and worked on future visioning with the Lee’s Summit 360 and Ignite! initiatives.
She is married to Russ and has 2 children who graduated from Lee’s Summit North HIgh School.
Carl Grigsby
A lifelong educator, Carl Grigsby served 47 years in Missouri elementary, middle and high schools as a teacher, department chair, principal and administrator. He is formerly the director of the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Transportation Department.
Carl was a professor of education for 11 years at the University of Central Missouri, and for 17 years as a tenured, associate professor of education. He retired from UCM and lives in Lee’s Summit with his wife, Merilee, who also taught in R-7 schools for 24 years. Carl has two daughters and two granddaughters.
Julia E. Hampton
Businesswoman Julia Hampton has owned Julia E. Hampton, CPA, PC, in Lee’s Summit for more than 15 years. Her firm was named the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in 2014 for companies under 5 employees.
A 1988 University of Missouri graduate, Julia received her Certified Public Accountant license in 1991. She’s a member of the American Institute of CPA’s and the Missouri Society of CPA’s. Around Lee’s Summit, Julia is involved in the Chamber’s Ambassador Committee, Lee’s Summit Cares, Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street’s Piccadilly and Economic Enhancement committees, with the Truman Heartland Community Foundation Advisory Board, Lee’s Summit Rotary and with the Velocity entrepreneurial group.
Clint Haynes
Clint is the founder and president of NextGen Wealth and an active member of our community.
He has given his volunteer time in many areas of Lee’s Summit, including on the board of directors for the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council and the advisory board of the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation.
Clint is married to Christa and has a daughter named Harper. He has a side hobby that is growing in popularity – that of an amateur craft beer brewer.
Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes is the vice president of RBC Wealth Management and a 17-year Lee’s Summit resident.
Haynes has been active around Lee’s Summit for many years, most recently as a board member with the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, a board member for ReStart, Inc. Homeless Services Shelter and as membership co-chair of the Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit. He’s a proud Eagle Scout and member of the National Eagle Scouts Association.
An alumnus of the University of Missouri-Columbia and Baker University, Haynes is married to Lora Jane and has two children.
Robert "Bud" Hertzog
Bud is a Lee’s Summit High School graduate and a respected and longstanding member of Lee’s Summit who has had a hand in many areas of leadership for the betterment of our community. Bud is a four-term member of the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Board of Education and served four terms on the Jackson County, Missouri, Legislature.
A veterinarian of 62 years and owner of Lee’s Summit Animal Hospital, Bud has served the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce on its executive board, the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council as its chairman, co-chaired the City of Lee’s Summit Government 150-year celebration, has been honored as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Truman Heartland Community Foundation and is past president and a charter member of the Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit.
He’s served on countless veterinarian and animal medical association areas and boards and has been recognized as a distinguished faculty member at Mizzou.
Bud and Betty have been married 66 years, have five children, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Tom Lovell
Tom Lovell retired in the spring of 2017 after an illustrious 39-year career as administrator of the Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation Department.
He started his career, after graduation from the University of Montevallo, as a teacher and head basketball coach in the Russellville, Alabama, school system. His next assignment was to develop a park and recreation system for that community. Following that, he accepted a position as the Director of the Bristol Tennessee Park and Recreation Department and in 1978 moved to Lee’s Summit to assume the leadership position here. His master’s degree in Public Administration was completed in 1980 from Central Michigan University.
During his time in Lee’s Summit, the city park system grew from 150 acres to more than 1,300, while adding 26 parks, three community centers, a farm park, water park, 70 miles of trails, over 40 athletic fields and over 1 million participants a year.
Tom is past president of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and past president of the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association. Under his leadership, Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation was awarded the prestigious National Gold Medal Award for excellence in parks and recreation services, parks and administration.
Tom is a recognizable figure around Lee’s Summit for his work in Rotary, as a board member for the Missouri Central Credit Union and Powell Gardens, and is an avid cyclist and pickleball player.
Jane Monroe
Raised in Lake Lotawana, Jane has always considered Lee’s Summit home with her husband Russ and four children attending Lee’s Summit schools.
Jane has a business degree in Arts Administration and has worked most of her adult life in event planning, calling herself an “entrepreneur at heart.” Her company, Embrace the Grape, serves clientele around Kansas City from Cerner to St. Luke’s to Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation.
In her volunteer time, Jane works with the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, Rotary and Lakeland Community Church.
Tyler Morehead
Tyler is a lifelong resident of Lee’s Summit and a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University.
He’s worked in his family business, Morehad Agency LLC, since 2006 with his father, Tim.
Tyler is currently the president of the Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation Board of Directors and past chair of the Board for the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce. He also volunteers his time with the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, the St. Luke’s East Medical Center Advisory Committee and is active at Our Lady of the Presentation.
Tyler is married to Brooke and has a daughter, Paige.
Randy Rhoads
Randy is the 8-year former mayor of the City of Lee’s Summit Government and was also a District 2 Representative on the City Council for 12 years. Rhoads is a retired engineer and has been married to Mary Ann for 49 years. He sat on the original Charter Commission in 1996.
Rhoads has been active in many areas of Lee’s Summit and the Kansas City region, including Mid-America Regional Council and Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit. He is past president of the Missouri Municipal Leaue and co-chair of Estern Jackson County Betterment Council. He is currently on the board of directors for ReDiscover, St. Luke’s East Hospital, John Knox Village Foundation, and Crimestoppers.
In August, he and Mary Ann will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
Machelle Riffe
Machelle and her husband, Jim, co-own Riffe Communities, specializing in lifestyle custom home communities in Missouri and Kansas. Their projects include Woodland Shores, Lee’s Summit, and Woodland Trails in Greenwood. As a real estate agent, she specializes in homes, horse, farm and recreational properties, and commercial build sites.
Machelle served as director of development for Summit Christian Academy leading capital and annual funding campaigns for over 10 years and was a marketing rep for Proctor and Gamble.
She is founder of Fundspring Consulting serving area non-profits including Saint Luke’s East Hospital in support of oncology services and breast care prevention.
Machelle is past chair for Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council and is a member of Lee’s Summit Rotary and the Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Municipal Building Authority. She is a past advisory board member for Truman Heartland Community Foundation.
Jim and Machelle have two grown daughters and one granddaughter. Machelle enjoys family, horses and time on the lake.
Kent Ruehter
Kent works at Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., and has lived in Lee’s Summit with his wife, Jeanna, for 15 years. They have two sons attending Highland Park Elementary.
Kent has worked on various local political campaigns and is on the board of directors for Pro Deo Youth Center. Kent has also given his time at area Lee’s Summit R-7 District schools providing guidance to students on building resumes, interviewing and landing their first jobs.
Ken Stremming
Ken spent more than 30 years working in the pharmaceutical industry in clinical research, marketing and government affairs. A 1965 graduate of Purdue University, Ken formed and operated an engineering support business, which was sold in 2007.
Around the community, Ken served two terms with the community advisory committee of the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City and two terms on the board of directors for the Healthcare Foundation, chairing the finance and investment committees. In Lee’s Summit, Ken has been a 21-year member of the Board of Aeronautical Commissioners, active in Lee’s Summit 360 and several committees with the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce. He was also an active member of the Lee’s Summit Planning Commission.
Ken is a 40-year pilot, and he and his wife are active members of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church.
Rick Viar
Rick Viar is executive vice president of Citizens Bank & Trust. A longtime Lee’s Summit resident, Rick is vice chairman of the John Knox Village board of directors and chairman of both the Executive Committee and Investment Subcommittee.
He currently serves as president of the Lee’s Summit Industrial Development Authority and is a past-chairman of the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council. Rick is civically involved in the Lee’s Summit Education Foundation, United Way of Greater Kansas City, and Rotary Club. In 2015, he was appointed by Mayor Randy Rhoads to serve as facilitator of the Downtown Lee’s Summit Master Plan Task Force.