Speakers

Our own Plaza Rotarian!

In the run up to the 2003 Iraq war many knowledgeable people told Army leadership about the insurgency that would follow the deposing of Saddam. The Army failed to heed any of the warnings. As a consequence, after the insurgency materialized the Army developed tools and methods to listen better, identify bias and think more divergently. Steve Rotkoff was at the center of the decisions made during the war and was instrumental in the educational remedies adopted afterwards. His presentation will be around both events.

http://redteamthinking.com/about-us/our-team/

 

Jessica Vandivort de Montiel is the U.S. Peace Corps Recruiter for Western Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. A graduate of Truman State University, Jessica worked in employee benefit sales in Kansas City prior to serving in the Peace Corps. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala, Jessica partnered with local Education and Health Ministries to develop rural youth development programs, empowering youth to lead healthy lives and to commit to positive roles in their communities. Following her volunteer service, she remained in Guatemala and continued to support Volunteers and Guatemalan partners as the Peace Corps Youth Program and Training Specialist. A strong believer that every American should be given the opportunity to serve, she returned to Kansas City as a Program Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service, overseeing federal Senior Corps and AmeriCorps grant programs in Kansas and Missouri. Recently returning to Peace Corps as a Recruiter, she is thrilled to support the agency from her hometown.

 

Kareem Richardson enters his sixth season at the helm of the UMKC program in 2018-19 and has led the Roos to unprecedented success during his tenure. He was named the head coach at UMKC on March 19, 2013, becoming the sixth in the Division I era at UMKC.

During the 2017-18 campaign, Richardson's fifth at UMKC, the Roos finished with a quarterfinal appearance in the WAC tournament and a 10-22 overall record.

Richardson guided the 2016-17 UMKC squad to the second-most victories in a season (18) in school history. The Roos were selected for a postseason tournament for the first time in the program's 30-year Division I history, which included a victory over Green Bay in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational. In 2016-17, UMKC set program records for points (2,691), field goals (911), rebounds (1,213), defensive rebounds (860), 3-pointers (315) and free throws (554). The Roos finished second in team history in assists (451) and third in steals (236). UMKC posted the longest winning streak for the program in 12 years from Jan. 31 – Feb. 18, 2017. The Roos got off to the program's best start in 15 years and advanced to the semifinals of the WAC Tournament for the third straight year.

Click here to read more.

Entering 2018-19, Jacie Hoyt is in her second season as the UMKC women's basketball head coach. During her first season at the helm in 2017-18, Hoyt compiled a 11-17 record, including tying for the best Western Athletic Conference (WAC) finish (fifth) in program history. The 7-7 league slate was the program's first .500-or-better record in seven seasons. Her squad swept a pair of games against Grand Canyon and UTRGV for the first time in Roo annals. Statistically, Hoyt mentored a team to lead the conference in steals (9.2) and the club ranked second in scoring offense (67.8), assists (13.5) and 3-point field goals made per game (6.8).

Click here to read more.