m88体育

Lisa brings to the board her first hand experience and knowledge of the Fine Arts scene in Wichita. Her ability to collaborate, build community, and see the needs of those around her drew her to leadership at Wichita State.  Her deep understanding of cultural awareness along with her fearlessness allow her to navigate many different worlds. She has an innate ability to see potential connections and facilitate introductions between students, mentors, and businesses.

Lisa utilizes her skills in her job as a flight attendant for Alaska airlines daily; a blend of strong communication, customer service, and problem solving skills, as well as the ability to remain calm under pressure

Lisa鈥檚 involvement in fine arts in Wichita began when her children were active in Wichita Children鈥檚 Theater and Dance Center, the Kansas Dance Academy, and Amy Menas studio. She spent countless hours backstage and in the green room mentoring, encouraging and launching the stars of tomorrow. Her three (now young adults) are now each pursuing professional careers in Theater and Dance.

Raised in Wichita, Lisa received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas. She lived and worked in Seattle for 20 years promoting musicians and bands in the emerging grunge music scene in the Northwest.

In recent years, Lisa volunteers for Pittsburg Unifieds which conducts in-person auditions for students interested in pursuing a college degree in music theater and dance at colleges and universities world wide.

Always willing to learn, Lisa follows the "Feminization of Philanthropy and Finance鈥� podcast on Audible. She recently Took up tap dancing.

Lindsay Benacka is the Director of Arts and Cultural Services for the City of Wichita, where she oversees a dynamic roster of arts programs, facilities, and special projects and collaborates with many public and private partners. She re-joined the City of Wichita in December 2021, having previously served as the Artistic Director at CityArts from 2014-2016. Prior to returning to Wichita, she served in a comparative role with the City of Yuma, Arizona, where she oversaw the Yuma Art Center, Historic Yuma Theatre, 270 Black Box Theatre, the City鈥檚 public art collection. Benacka is passionate about arts education and is a former teaching artist for Chicago Public Schools and has been an adjunct at several colleges, including WSU鈥檚 College of Fine Arts. She currently serves on the boards of the Kansas Arts Commission, Kansas Arts Network, and several area non-profits. Benacka is a proud Returned Peace Corps Volunteer having served as a Youth Development Advisor in Cambodia. She holds a BA from Columbia College Chicago and an MA from New York University鈥檚 Tisch School of the Arts. 

Retired Founder of Stoutheart Financial Group after 40 years and a member of the Ameriprise Financial' "Hall of Fame". Still active as a part time financial advisor, "professional" traveler, and community volunteer. 

I have served as Presidents of both WSU Music Associates and Founder of WSU Performing Arts Angels.

I have also served as Chairman of the Wichita Orpheum Board and still active on their restoration campaign.(Construction starting June 1st!)  

I've also served as President of Wichita Estate Planning Council, past board member and officer with Wichita Downtown Rotary and am active on the WSU Planned Giving Committee and Financial Professionals Association (FPA). 

Longtime Wichita resident, WSU graduate, married to Deb Campbell, and we have two children, Maddy and Mason.

Shawn Chastain is in his 19th year as Executive Coordinator of Fine Arts for the Wichita Public Schools, supporting 275+ faculty members who instruct over 25,000 students enrolled in WPS Fine Arts Programs. Prior to this position, Shawn spent 15 years in the choral music classroom at Wichita鈥檚 Charles Curtis Middle School and Heights High School.  While at Curtis and Heights, Chastain鈥檚 choirs consistently received superior ratings at league, district and state festivals. His select ensembles were awarded exemplary/best-in-class at festivals in Dallas, San Antonio, Breckenridge, Branson, and Chicago. Chastain re颅ceived his degrees from m88体育, where he has also been a Presser Scholar, Senior Honor Man, guest lecturer and commencement speaker.

In addition to his educational responsibilities, Shawn is Music Coordinator/Adult & Youth Choir Director at Wich颅ita鈥檚 Calvary United Methodist Church, Director of the Wichita Choral Society, and ARISE (African Americans Renewing Interest in Spiritu颅als Ensemble). Shawn has also directed WSU鈥檚 Kodaly Certification Adult Choral Ensemble and the Sedgwick County Jail鈥檚 Men鈥檚 Ensemble.  He is past president of the Kansas Choral Directors Associa颅tion, WSU鈥檚 Fine Arts Advisory Board/Friends of Fine Arts, and past chair of NAfME鈥檚 Music Program Leaders Advisory Council. Shawn currently serves as an ex-officio board member of the Wichita Arts Council, Wichita Symphony, Ballet Wichita & Empty Bowls Wichita. 

In the summer of 2005, Chastain was selected as one of 15 educators in the United States to participate in the Ful颅bright German-American Teacher Linkage Program.  Shawn has received the Outstanding Administrator Award from the Kansas Art Educators Association, Kansas Music Educators Association and Midwest Kodaly Music Educators of America. He is also a 2020 m88体育 Fine Arts Hall of Fame inductee, 2022 Wichita Public Schools Good Apple award winner and the 2024 Outstanding Administrator by the Organization of American Kodaly Educators.

 Shawn resides in East Wichita with his wife Debbie, an NILD Educational Therapist.  They are proud parents of Lindsey, WPS Speech Pathologist; Eric, USPS Rural Carrier; and Elsie, BCC Headliner Show Choir member. 

Michael E. Downs is a career designer 鈥� a 3D storyteller of events, experiences and environments.  For over 44 years, he has filled roles as varied as Experiential Designer, Creative Director, Production & Scenic Designer, Environments Designer, Video Content Designer,Illustrator and Art Director, and he has over 1160 productions to his credit鈥�in 48 countries spanning 5 continents, & across 49 of the 50 United States.

Michael鈥檚 work has been seen from local Dinner Theatre to Regional Theatre, Tours and Broadway鈥� within nineteen North American Science and Historical Museums鈥� in connection with the last five National Presidential Elections鈥� as part of five NFL Super Bowls, and six Olympic Games鈥� on most major television networks鈥� throughout the Pop, County, Rock & Rap stadiums, clubs and concert halls鈥� and in association with countless Corporate Mobile Experiences, Trade Shows, Launches, Press Meetings and Events.

Concert Tours: DUA LIPA, AEROSMITH, SNOOP DOGG, THE KILLERS, ALICE COOPER, BOY EPIC, BERNER, MARY J BLIGE, CHER, FIFTH HARMONY, RIHANNA, HALSEY, ICE CUBE, KHALID & CYPRESS HILL

Big Public Spectacles: FOUNDING DAY (Saudi Arabia), DEMOCRACY PLAZA ELECTION NIGHT (NBC,  Emmy Award Nominee), ELECTRONIC MUSIC AWARDS, THE AMERICA鈥橲 CUP FAN EXPERIENCE, THE AMERICAN RODEO, CONCACAF鈥檚 MEDALS CEREMONY, OPENING CEREMONIES for the RYDER CUP, THE WHISTLER MEDAL鈥橲 PLAZA at the 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS IN VANCOUVER and has designed for five other Olympics (Sochi, Athens, Nagano, Salt Lake City and Atlanta) and has designed, art directed or participated as a member of the Creative Team on five NFL SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOWS & SEASON KICK-OFF CELEBRATIONS  & FAN EXPERIENCES.

Corporate Meetings, Events, Launches, Trade Show, Press: TOYOTA HSD, AWS, SALESFORCE DREAMFORCE, HASBRO, IBM, GOOGLE, INTEL, INTUIT, LENOVO, SAP, PANASONIC, BANK OF AMERICA, LG, MICROSOFT, SBER BANK, ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, McDONALD鈥橲, AMGEN, GENERAL MOTORS, YAHOO, CRUISE, NUANCE, SAMSUNG, VOLVO, WAL-MART, VICTORIA鈥橲 SECRET, BEST BUY, WENDY鈥橲, MERCEDES, KIA, DOMINO鈥橲, VEEAM & CARL鈥橲 JR.

Television & Live Event Broadcast: WONDERLAND (MTV), VIRGIN GALLACTIC鈥橲 UNITY 22 SPACE FLIGHT, BASSMASTERS CLASSIC & NFL GAME DAY (ESPN), US OPEN BROADCAST  CENTER (CBS), X GAMES ASPEN 2023, Broadcast Studios for KNBC, ASHARQ (Saudi Arabia), BCGTV, GSK LIVE, NINTENDO-TV & CNN @SxSW.

Retail, Pop-up & Store Design: WIRED MAGAZINE, HISTORY CHANNEL, LG COFFEE SHOP, LENOVO, APOLLO EDUCATION HOUSE, KANYE WEST鈥檚 GAP STORE, NINTENDO, INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS CUP, HOUSE OF SOCCER, FEINE COFFEE

Broadway Scenic Coordinator Credits: ROZA, PETER PAN, PLAY ON, OUR COUNTRY鈥橲 GOOD, STATE FAIR

In addition, he has also contributed to the illustrations of five books and collaborated with the US Military, developing theatrical tricks to help fool an enemy on the battlefield.

Michael is an Emmy Award Nominee for NBC鈥檚 Democracy Plaza in Rockefeller Center and a Reggie Award Nominee for his work on the History Channel Pop Shop. He is an Adrian Award winner (honored for the British Airways Concorde Fleet Retirement Events by the international Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association), and has received an After Dark Award, two Roxys Awards, two Mary Jane Teall Awards and  three Sarah Awards for  theatrical designs in the U.S.

Jane Gabbert, Professional Actor
B.A Theatre 1977 W.S.U./ M.F.A. Ohio University

After Jane completed her B.A. W.S.U. & M.F.A. in the Professional Actor Training Program at Ohio University she moved to New York City where she resides and works today.

Work includes numerous Off-Broadway plays, Founding member of The Actor & Director鈥檚 Workshop (a NYC work lab for actors, writers and directors) Regional Theatre at The Asolo Theatre, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, The Geva Theatre and resident guest artist and teacher at Cornell University & MidPac Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Actor work experience covers:  Theatre, Film & TV, countless commercials & business films, voice-overs, narration.  Sketch comedy:  Letterman, Seth Meyers, John Stewart鈥檚 The Daily Show.

Union rep for SAG-AFTRA contract negotiations and corporate executive coaching using all the acting tools that many other professionals can learn and apply to their own presentations and staff relations. 

She is represented by:
CESD Talent Agency, NYC
Headline Talent, NYC
See IMDB for more credits

As owner and president of Gardner Design, Bill has spearheaded impactful branding for industry giants like Kroger, the NFL, Cessna Citation, Cargill, Spirit AeroSystems, m88体育, and others. With a keen understanding of brand dynamics, he prioritizes business objectives in all design endeavors.

As founder of LogoLounge.com, Bill pioneered a renowned platform for logo design, reflected in his best-selling LogoLounge book series and annual Logo Trend Report. He authored Logo Creed, a foundational text, and presents branding courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Recognized with an AIGA Fellow Award in 2014, Bill actively contributes nationally and internationally to the creative community through judging, speaking engagements, and board service. Outside of design, he's completed a term as Vice President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Born and raised in Wichita, Kansas.  Performed as bass trombonist with the Wichita Symphony from 1970 through 1975.  Earned Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from m88体育 in 1974, and MBA from the University of Texas in Austin in 1977.  Moved to San Francisco after school, and worked for various firms in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, including Oracle Corporation, Arbor Software and Hyperion Solutions.  Continued a music career on the side, performing as solo pianist and trombone with San Francisco jazz bands for the last 45 years.  Currently reside in Hillsborough, CA - married to Cathy Chang Imbler, and have two children, Sabrina and Sophia. 

Jill D. Miller is passionate about helping people grow 鈥� professionally and personally. Her consulting company, Creative Solutions, has helped fledgling and seasoned entrepreneurs launch and grow out-of-the-ordinary and sometimes quirky ventures since 1998. Jill found her gift for teaching as a corporate trainer and loves influencing young minds as an adjunct professor at m88体育.

As Headmistress of the Finishing School for Modern Women, Jill has worked with thousands of women since 2015, inspiring them to overcome obstacles and move toward their goals. She founded the Badass Women of Wichita Alliance in 2021 with weekly gatherings to build

community, promote nonprofits, and develop 鈥渂adassery.鈥�

After writing a blog for the Finishing School for seven years, Jill was inspired to compile her favorites into her first book, 鈥淣ever Finished: Practical Advice for Modern Women to Inspire Your Fierce, Authentic Self,鈥� which she published in October 2022 and is currently working on an audio version.

Active in the Wichita community, Jill leads cultural and women organizations and is a zealous volunteer. In her spare time, she like to attend artistic events and relax at home with her miniature rescue poodle, Jack.