Looking back on our region over the last quarter-century it is undeniable women leaders have delivered the most significant economic impact in our bi-state region.  For much of the 1980’s and 90’s our urban core suffered serious neglect and the inner-ring suburbs were surviving but far from thriving.  The year 2000 loomed large, and turning the century felt like a good time to turn the page on our regional prosperity and civic pride. 

Standing at the intersection of the centuries were four mayors who transformed our region with projects like the Power & Light District, Town Center Plaza, the Kansas Speedway and Village West, and the revitalization of downtown Lee’s Summit. All women.

Led by mayors Kay Barnes (Kansas City, MO), Peggy Dunn (Leawood), Carol Marinovich  (Kansas City, KS) and Karen Messerli (Lee’s Summit), nearly every current development in our region can be credited to the work done by these four mayors. Their terms coincided from 1999-2002 and collectively they held their city’s highest office from 1994-2024.

Here is what is even more impressive.  Kay Barnes and Karen Messerli were the first, and only, female mayors of their cities.  Carol Marinovich was the first woman ever elected to the city council in Kansas City, KS, the first female mayor of the city, and the first CEO, male or female, of the Unified Government.  Peggy Dunn, although not the first female mayor of Leawood, served for an incredible 26 years.

When I chose to run for office in Independence, it was driven by the foundation these four remarkable women had laid. While I may not have consciously reflected on their historical impact at the time, I could feel the incredible momentum in our region—new opportunities emerging in unexpected places. I wanted Independence to be in on the action and at the heart of this progress. Their bold, forward-thinking economic policies inspired me. When skeptics claimed, “women can’t do development,” they didn’t just challenge the notion—they proved it wrong.