Ingram's March 2023

Bonnie Rush Kansas State University, Manhattan

Jenifer Sanderson Entrepreneur, Goodland Plainville native Jenifer Sanderson’s elevator-pitch on her part of the state quickly closes the deal: “Western Kansas boasts wide-open spaces and vast land that is reasonably priced as compared to land-locked metro areas,” says the Goodland business figure. “Our technical colleges provide a source of

When we say Bonnie Rush wrote the book on respiratory diseases in horses, we’re not kidding: She co-authored the medical text “Equine Respiratory Diseases,” along with Tim Mair of the United Kingdom. So when K-State launched a national search for a new veterinary school dean in 2019,

skilled work force. Apprenticeship programs go a step further to assist businesses in cultivating strong and productive staff. We have well-maintained highways, rail, and airports for transporting materials and products. The recipe for success is present.” In a town of 4,500 people, Sanderson casts an oversize footprint in business and civic life; her career has covered community banking, financial management, oil interests and even restaurant franchise ownership. But she’s also a civic whirlwind who was Ken Selzer’s running mate in the 2018 governor’s race. Sanderson, who earned her degree at Fort Hays State University, has also served as chair of the Leadership Kansas Board of Trustees, the board of Sherman County Convention and Visitors Bureau president of the endowment foundation of Northwest Kansas Area Technical College. “We work hard, play hard, challenge one another, and support one another,” she says, adding to that pitch. “We are a remote worker’s dream; we have excellent connectivity!” And, if the message hasn’t been driven home yet: “Goodland is an excellent place to raise a family and succeed.”

it really didn’t have to look too far: The right fit for the role was right there all along. That would be Rush, who had been serving as interim dean of the college since 2017. Into her hands, the state’s land-grant university placed responsibility for research, service, and outreach programs that send highly skilled animal health professionals and researchers to locations around the world. The ones who stay in Kansas are key parts of the ranching and livestock sector, which accounts for a large part of the state’s $5.35 billion in annual agricultural products. Rush directs program development, faculty and student development, research, teaching and extension, program accreditation, diversity, and the 2025 plans for both the college and the university. An Ohio State graduate, she’s been on the faculty in Manhattan since 1993 and in 2014 won the President’s Award for Outstanding Department Head. She also has the 1996 and 2003 Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Awards in her trophy case, as well as the 2002 Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, the 2004 Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of the Year, and the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater.

Ben Schears Northwest Kansas Technical College, Goodland It’s truly “grow or die” in his part of the state, so Ben Schears is going with the first option. As president of Northwest Tech in Goodland—one of the largest employers in the county—he sees the potential to have a tremendous impact on the local economy and on his students.

Lindsay Schmidt STEMM FIRE, Shawnee

Living in a town with fewer than 200 residents, you often don’t know what you don’t know. Lindsay Schmidt felt that way growing up in the Pratt County burg of Luka. “Small-town life has many benefits,” she said. “However, I realize I did not get to see the vast range of career options that

are available … particularly in the STEMM arena.” She knew she wanted a career in the medical field, so after Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, she began working as a physician assistant and now works at The University of Kansas Health System in upper extremity orthopedic surgery. Yet, she never forgot the educational inequity between urban and rural areas, especially in STEMM careers. “I looked for an organization that was providing rural students with in-person events demonstrating a wide variety of possible careers in the STEMM fields. … There were some narrow-focused organizations and virtual offerings but nothing that went out and directly got in front of the kids with many careers.” So she started her own. Now as executive director and CEO of Shawnee-based STEMM FIRE, she works to connect STEMM professionals with schools and student organizations in rural areas and small towns across Kansas. “If we impact and change the course of even one student at every school,” she says, “that’s an impact that can affect their families and communities for generations.”

Not only is the school among the top 2 percent of U.S. public two-year colleges in graduation rates, but it’s also achieved a 95 percent job-placement rate. The college is also helping to advance the state’s boom in advanced manufacturing, adding a mechanical engineering program and an advanced manufacturing lab. “We have around 350 full-time students annually that we train and send into a very hungry workforce,” he says. “We could produce 10x that number and still not meet the demand we’re experiencing right now. That speaks a bit to our physical presence in the community.” Rural by choice, he says, Schears grew up on a small farm near Emporia and started his own education at Flint Hills Technical College. In his current role, he said he appreciates the “hand-in-glove” relationship between the college and the local community of Goodland. “Hard working, salt-of-the-earth, give-you-the-shirt-off-their-back kind of people live in this neck of the woods,” he said. “I believe there are a growing number of our community members who want to see growth and who see the necessity of doing something different to reverse population trends, and we’re starting to see people jump on board. That is truly exciting to watch and be a part of.”

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