IN-PERSON | Navigating Career Risks and Opportunities; Be Prepared! Connect with Past, Current and Future Emerging Leaders

• Are you an Emerging Leader alum who wants to connect with your cohort and find out where they are now?
• Are you a current Emerging Leader who wants to make connections with alumni and hear how the program has helped them in their careers and what you can look forward to?
• Are you interested in joining the Emerging Leaders Class of 2026, and want to learn more about what the course entails as well as make connections with other women who have gone through the program?
• Are you a CX Member or Emerging Leader supporter and are interested in hearing leadership insights from professional women within our community?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you are invited to join Central Exchange at UMKC's Bloch Executive Hall for an evening of networking, drinks, appetizers and a panel of graduates from the Emerging Leaders program!
 

This is a free event hosted by Central Exchange, however registration is required. Light appetizers and wine will be served.
More information about the Emerging Leaders program and applications for the class of 2026 can be found at centralexchange.org/emerging-leaders.

Carolyn Cohen is a content marketing speaker and leader, currently leading Global Content Strategy at Lockton. She has more than 13 years of social media and content  marketing experience including spending time at companies like H&R Block and Garmin as well as building up social media teams at agencies like Barkley. She specializes in bringing together teams cross-functionally and building strategies from the ground up that are tailored to reach the right audiences, at the right time in the right places. She’s a Brand Innovator 40 Under 40 as well as a WICMA Content Marketer of the Year and her work has won Webby’s, Clio’s, and Shorty’s.

As a Principal and Strategic Programs Director, Wendy Hageman has helped build and maintain Burns & McDonnell’s position as a leader in the aviation and Federal government industries. In her 18 years with the company, she’s managed multi-million-dollar projects for clients ranging from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to the Kansas City Aviation Department. Her skills and achievements stand out in a male-dominated market. Her areas of expertise include design-build, sustainable design, people management, client management, program management and project management.
 
She serves as a mentor for many young professionals and devotes much of her time to employee development, including mentoring project managers across the country, developing career opportunities for project assistants by creatively identifying opportunities for growth, and recruiting new project managers. She also co-developed a year-long, project manager onboarding training program.
 
Wendy is a co-executive sponsor of Burns & McDonnell’s NOW (Network of Women) ERG and provides guidance on professional development and career path direction. She is on the Board for the Kansas City Tomorrow Alumni Association. Wendy lives in Shawnee with her husband and son. Her hobbies are playing golf and spending time with her family.
 

Amy Abels Owen is the General Manager of Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KCRep), a role she has held since 2019. Her passion for theater began at age eight after attending a touring production of Annie in downtown Kansas City. Originally from St. Joseph, Missouri, Amy pursued her interest in theater by earning a bachelor's degree from Missouri Western State University and a Master of Fine Arts in stage management from the UMKC Conservatory. Her early career included over 12 years as a production stage manager at The Coterie Theatre, where she honed her skills in coordinating complex productions. At KCRep, she oversees various aspects of production, including securing rights, contracting artists, and ensuring union compliance. She played a pivotal role in developing KCRep's Safe Return Plan during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the theater to continue its mission safely. Amy believes in theater's power to share stories and cultures, stating, "The role of theater has always been to share stories and cultures... to make us think."

Sheryl Wagner is an accounting professional with over 38 years of experience in the engineering industry.  As a senior principal and vice president at Terracon Consultants, Inc., she was the Director of Accounting until moving to a new role last year as Director of ERP Modernization, being a leader in the transformation of their business processes and implementing a new cloud-based ERP solution.  Sheryl serves on the national board as President-Elect for Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance and on the investment sub-committee for Cornerstones of Care.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and spoiling her two granddaughters, Lillian and June.