Leadership Springfield Announces 2025-2026 Signature Class Participants
Springfield, MO—Leadership Springfield announces the selection of Signature Class 49 and Signature Class 50 for its 2025-2026 program year.
As Leadership Springfield’s flagship program, the Signature Class has equipped local leaders for nearly four decades with in-depth leadership development and community engagement opportunities. Participants take part in a robust curriculum that includes extensive personal and professional development through monthly, day-long deep-dive explorations of major industries and areas of the community through the lens of the Community Focus Report and strengths-based leadership training.
Signature Class participants are selected through an annual Board of Directors anonymous review process, and each application is evaluated using a scoring rubric. Each Leadership Springfield class is carefully selected to be inclusive of professional background, leadership experience, race, gender, and industry. Classes are representative of the community and include participants who represent large and small businesses, self-employed individuals, non-profits, and community volunteers. Participation is open to all individuals who live or work in the Springfield metropolitan area.
Carrie Richardson, Executive Director, stated, “We are excited to welcome this outstanding group of leaders to our Signature Class program this fall. We were inspired by another very strong year of applicants. We appreciate the many local employers who partner with us to invest in leadership development and recognize the value of talent retention and community engagement in building a stronger Springfield!”
Applications for the 2026-2027 Signature Class will open in January 2026. Those interested in applying for the Signature Class next year can complete this interest form to receive updates when the application goes live. Individuals interested in a non-competitive community leadership program can learn more about the two-day Leadership Springfield Access Class, offered several times a year to anyone in the community, at https://leadershipspringfield.org/programs/access-class/.
The class members for the fall of 2025 include:
Signature Class 49
- Nick Banner – BRP Architects
- Evan Bergmann – City of Springfield
- Jenn Brown – Lost & Found Grief Center
- Jeff Butler – City of Springfield Fire Department
- Sebra Butler – Travel and Leisure Co
- Paden L. Chambers – N·FORM Architecture, LLC
- Ashley Cossins – CONDUCIVE CONSTRUCTION LLC
- Joe Dull – The Moxie Cinema
- Keith Finke – Abacus!
- Dr. Carol Francka – Cox College/The Alliance for Healthcare Education
- Ashley Gregory – Jack Henry
- Kaleigh Gross – OakStar Bank
- Rob Guiler – City Utilities
- Melisa Hamilton – Missouri State University – efactory
- Joe Hamp – City of Springfield
- Dr. Brittney Hendrickson – Southwest Baptist University
- Leia Huffman – Forvis Mazars Private Client
- Greg Johnson – Kinetic Design + Development
- Lauren Joslyn – Brightli
- Breauna Krider – OakStar Bank
- Anna Larriu – Forvis Mazars
- Will Marrs – Governmental Services Group
- Tori Mercado – Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
- Kyle Miller – Forvis Mazars
- Nadia Molloy – Carnahan Evans PC
- Flo Montgomery – Convoy of Hope
- Kendall Nakato – Amprod LLC
- James Nevins – Nevont Benefit Advisors
- Chris Nuccio – Springfield Police Department
- Brandon Penrose – City of Springfield
- Justin Rahn – Commerce Bank
- Travis Rubelee – Ozark Trails Council, Scouting America
- Dr. Marjorie Shavers – Missouri State University
- Lilly Sweeney – Neale & Newman, L.L.P.
- Kyle Tolbert – City of Springfield
- Rachel Tripp – Community Foundation of the Ozarks
- Dustin Turner – Mid Missouri Bank
- Matt Wallace – KPM CPAs
- Megan Wasilewski – Olsson
- Kristen White – Springfield Dream Center
- Jeni Wirth – Central Trust Company
- Dr. Jaime Wright – Nixa Public Schools
- Dr. Drew Young – Mattax Neu Prater Eye Center
Signature Class 50
- Michael Baldus – Central Bank of the Ozarks
- Bridget Bechtel – Sculpture Walk Springfield
- Shelby Blankenship – Myers Industries | Buckhorn
- Carlee Brown – CoxHealth
- Kyle Brown – CoxHealth
- Wes Buchholz – Crosslines Community Outreach
- Jessica Crocker – City Utilities
- Kirk Dillon – Dake Wells Architecture
- Brian Doubrava – City of Springfield
- Melanie Earl-Replogle – Drury University
- Whitney Grieshaber – Ozarks Tech
- Ben Haines – Springfield Police Department
- Brent Johnson – Greene County Missouri Assessor’s Office
- Katie Johnson – CASA of Southwest Missouri
- Adam Kreher – Kinetic Design + Development
- Penny Lacy – Arvest
- Dr. Gary Lee – Amprod LLC
- Dr. Kalyn Marino – Parkcrest Dental Group
- Tim Matthews – Cadence Bank
- Michael McNamer – KCI Construction
- Ashley Meredith Marks
- Janelle Mitchell – United Way of the Ozarks
- Josh Nixon – Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance
- Deb O’Neal – Drury University
- Allison Pope – La Petite Academy
- Krista Pyle – Springfield Public Schools
- Kathy Qu – Guaranty Bank
- Cristian Rath – Abacus!
- Rhett Roberson – Rush Truck Centers
- Karen Ruff – The Arc of the Ozarks
- Jennifer Russell – Great Southern Bank
- Melody Shuck – Community Partnership of the Ozarks
- Lauren Smith – Discovery Center of Springfield
- Brydget Snook – Higginbotham Insurance
- Jordan Summers – Positronic Industries
- Keylee Tesar – Brightli (Burrell & Preferred Family Healthcare)
- Nate Thiry – Forvis Mazars
- Andrew Walker – TransLand
- Blaine Wallace – Mercy Springfield Communities
- Carly S. Walton, MS ED – Peapod Learning Center LLC
- Jacinda Warren – Springfield Regional Arts Council
- Trey Watson – Keller Williams Realty
- Ben Whitlock – Great Southern Bank
- Samantha Whittaker – Nixa Public Schools
