Joni Wickham, MA

Joni Wickham is a seasoned leader in government and politics and has directed public policy initiatives, communications strategies, and political campaigns for several organizations and elected officials, including most recently Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sly James, who was elected to a second term in 2015 with 88% percent of the vote. She led Mayor James' efforts to pass the largest infrastructure bond package in Kansas City’s history in April 2017, negotiated major economic development projects including a new single terminal, convention hotel, streetcar line, and Urban Youth Baseball Academy. Additionally, she created the first-of-its-kind local government women’s empowerment initiative, which led to 11 speaking engagements advising other cities on how they can replicate the program. She studied political science at Meredith College, an all-women's college in Raleigh, North Carolina and received her graduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.