Park Points – August 31, 2026

Jack Gaines is a rising senior at the University of Kansas, studying finance. A passionate learner, he plans to pursue an MBA after graduating. During the school year, he is the manager of the Scholars Club on Mass. Jack describes himself as a hard worker and, most importantly, as someone who always stays driven to achieve impactful things.

Aimee Cummings is a rising senior pursuing degrees in political science, global and international studies, and East Asian languages and cultures at the University of Kansas. She is the president and founder of the KU Chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society. In her free time, she enjoys reading, oil painting, and hiking.

Carson will be a senior at the University of Kansas this fall, finishing his last year in finance and economics. When he's not in the office or diving into books, you can find Carson outdoors in the garden, staying active, or working on his latest painting.

Sarah Plinsky was hired as the County Administrator in September 2019 after serving in the interim position for nine months. She is currently a member of the board for KU Innovation Park. Before becoming the administrator, she had served as the Assistant County Administrator since December 2010. Previously, Sarah was the Assistant to the County Manager in Johnson County, Kansas. In Johnson County, she also served as the Interim Assistant County Manager for the Community Services Team and Interim Director of Public Health. Sarah is a graduate of Leadership ICMA (International City and County Management Association) and the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia. She holds a B.A. in political science and a Master’s in public administration from the University of Kansas.

Bonnie Lowe has been the president and chief executive officer of The Chamber of Lawrence since January 2019. In that role, she is responsible for leadership, strategic planning, and management functions. She had earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance from Fort Hays State University. Before her current position, Bonnie was the chief operations officer for the Chamber. For four years before working with the Chamber, Bonnie was a senior civil investigator for the US Attorney’s Office. In Lawrence, from 1998 to 2008, Bonnie worked as the Community Bank President. She also served on the Lawrence City Commission.

Dr. Steve Stites joined the hospital’s leadership team as senior vice president of clinical affairs in February 2012 and became executive vice president and chief medical officer for the health system in July 2018. He serves a dual role as vice chancellor for clinical affairs at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Stites received his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He completed his residency and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of Rochester and a fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Dr. Mark Shiflett is a Distinguished Foundation Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas (KU), where his research focuses on developing environmentally friendly, energy-efficient processes and products for the chemical industry. He retired from the DuPont Company after 28 years in 2016 as a Technical Fellow in the Central Research and Development Organization at DuPont’s Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware. Mark is an inventor on 46 U.S. patents and has published over 130 articles on his research at DuPont. He is also the co-founder and chief science officer of Icorium Engineering Company, a KU spin-out company revolutionizing refrigerant reclamation with efficient, complete separation of even the most complex mixes.

Derek Kwan serves as the Lawrence Chamber Board Chair and secretary of KU Innovation Park’s Board of Directors. He has served as the Executive Director of the Lied Center of Kansas since January 2014. Derek previously worked for Interlochen Center for the Arts as the Executive Director of Interlochen Presents. At the Lincoln Center in New York City, Derek served as the Vice President of Concerts and Touring for Jazz and the Associate Director of Programming & Concert Operations for Jazz. A voting member of the Recording Academy, he has production credits on over 60 albums. Derek also serves as a board member for the LMH Health Foundation.