Dr. George Pagels    Chairman Saint Luke's East - Lee's Summit   816-347-5000 George A. Pagels, M.D. joined Saint Luke’s Health System in 1998, bringing more than 20 years of experience to his position. He serves as Chief Medical Officer for Saint Luke’s Health System and the Chief Executive Officer for Saint Luke’s East Lee’s Summit. Dr. Pagels holds a bachelor of science and medical degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s in business administration from the University of Minnesota. He did his internship and residency at Case Western Reserve. Dr. Pagels is also a member of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Physician Executives.

Roger Meyer    Immediate Past Chairman Meyer Brothers Construction   816-246-4800 Roger Meyer has been associated with the construction industry since 1973, the last 28 years as President of Meyer Brothers Building Company. His areas of concentration are administration, as well as sales and marketing of commercial, institutional and industrial construction projects. In 1971, he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Central Missouri State University.

Kurt Pycior    Vice Chairman Pycior + Co   816-554-0735 Kurt Pycior is President of Pycior + Co, formerly FPC, a residential and commercial building and development company.  FPC serves as developer, builder and manager of several commercial projects in Lee’s Summit including Main Street Centre, Grand Street Quarters, Ward Road Place, the Hartley Block Redevelopment and the Vogue Condominiums.  FPC was the honored recipient of the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award in 2004 and Business in Motion Award in 2007, the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street Business of the Year in 2005 and recently named one of the 25 Under 25 Small Businesses in Kansas City. Kurt is an appointed member of the Planning Commission in Lee’s Summit, serves on the Board of Directors for the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce and Summit Bank, an Advisory Board member for St. Luke’s Hospital and is an active member of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street.  In addition, Kurt serves as President of the Hope House Board of Directors and on both the Facilities and Executive committees for Hope House.  Kurt graduated from William Jewel College with a degree in public relations.

Daren Fristoe    Secretary The Fristoe Group   816-392-7298 Daren Fristoe is President of The Fristoe Group, Inc. (TFG), a solutions provider of human resource products and services for small to mid-sized businesses. During his professional career, Daren has had responsibilities for the overall management of varied disciplines, including human resources, training and education, benefits and salary administration, general office management, franchise services, communication, corporate marketing and event management, as well as community service outreach programs.    Prior to forming TFG, Daren worked in the industries of collision repair franchising, e-commerce procurement, telecommunications, staffing, international manufacturing, and property and casualty insurance.  Daren serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Lee's Summit, as well as a KPA Co-Chairman for the Lee's Summit 360 Strategic Planning Committee. In addition, Daren is a member of the Rotary International, the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, and the Advisory Board of Directors for Hope House. Daren received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri - Columbia, and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

Rick Viar    Treasurer Summit Bank of Kansas City    Rick Viar, President of Summit Bank of Kansas City, has more than 25 years of commercial banking experience, which includes the successful strategic development of Summit Bank of Kansas City. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Drury University and a Bachelors of Science Degree from Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. Viar attended the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wis., and the American Banker's Association Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Viar has held board positions with the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce, Bi-County United Way of Cass and Jackson Counties, Lee's Summit Educational Foundation, and is a member of the Industrial Development Authority of the City of Lee's Summit, the East Independence Rotary and is active in the Independence Chamber of Commerce.

Karen Messerli    Executive Committee City of Lee’s Summit   816-969-1010 Karen became the first woman Mayor of Lee’s Summit on April 4, 1994. In her more than 14 years as Mayor and 5 years as a City Council member, Mayor Messerli has presided over one of the state’s most high-growth, quality communities. She was a founding member of the Tri City Mayors Coalition and the Eastern Jackson County Betterment Council, President of the Missouri Municipal League and an active supporter of the Eastern Jackson County United Way and Hope House for Battered Women. She has been named Woman of the Year for the State of Missouri Business and Professional Women’s Organization in 1998. In 2002 she was one of 60 women featured in the book, “A Power of Her Own.” In 2004 she received the 2004 Missouri Parks and Recreation Association Public Official Achievement Award. Mayor Messerli is employed as Director, Auxiliary and Volunteer Services at Lee’s Summit Medical Center.

Stephen Arbo    Executive Committee City of Lee's Summit   816-969-1013 Steve Arbo has served as the Deputy City Manager since early 2001. Prior to Lee’s Summit, he was the City Manager of Liberty, MO and several smaller suburbs in west St. Louis County, MO. Currently, Steve is serving as the Interim City Manager while the City Council is conducting their search for a new City Manager. The appointment of the new City Manager is scheduled for late 2008. Steve has a Bachelor of Arts from William Jewell College, Liberty, MO and a Masters in Public Administration, from the Stene Urban Management Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence.

Dr. David McGehee    Executive Committee Lee's Summit R-7 School District   816-986-1008 Dr. David McGehee began serving as R-7 School District superintendent in July 2006. He previously served as superintendent of the Raymore-Peculiar School District, as superintendent of the Sparta R-III School District, as high school principal in Sparta, as a middle-school science teacher and coach in Logan-Rogersville School District and as a science/physical-education teacher and coach in the Drexel R-IV School District. In 2000, he was named New Superintendent of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Administrators. He is currently serving as president of the Kansas City Missouri Association of School Administrators, was selected to serve on the Missouri Commissioner’s Task Force on High Schools and is a member of the Kansas City Area Superintendent’s Leadership Institute. Dr. McGehee has a total of 19 years in education and 11 years in public education administration. He earned his doctorate in education leadership from St. Louis University, his specialist’s degree in superintendent leadership from Missouri State University, his master’s degree in secondary administration from Missouri State University and his bachelor’s degree in physical education and science education from Missouri Valley College.

Jim Devine    President and CEO Lee's Summit Economic Development Council    Jim Devine joined LSEDC in 1999. With over 30 years of experience as a consultant or chief executive, Jim has worked for cities, counties, states, chambers of commerce, management consulting and real estate firms in 22 states in the U.S.A. He has managed multimillion dollar marketing and public relations campaigns in the United States and Europe; industrial parks; labor force studies; foreign trade zones; enterprise zones; downtown and redevelopment programs, and strategic plans for communities throughout the west. He served as the chairman of Washington, DC based International Economic Development Council (IEDC), representing over 4,000 economic development professionals. Jim is a Ford Foundation Scholar, holds a Masters in Public Administration from Syracuse University and a BA cum laude from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He is a graduate of the Japan Business Institute, Tokyo, Japan; the Economic Development Institute, Norman Oklahoma; and the Institute for Participatory Management and Planning, Monterey, California. Jim’s wife Elayne, graduated from Lee’s Summit High School, is an ordained Unity minister and clinical psychological counselor.