Our 2023 WPC board features some familiar faces. We are excited to announce the slate of nominees for next year’s board, which members will vote on during our November meeting.
Naomi Shapiro, president:
Naomi is a communications specialist for the City of Wichita- Government Division of Arts and Cultural Services, providing support CityArts, Mid-America All-Indian Museum, Old Cowtown Museum and The Arts Council. She is also a member of the city’s core communications team and recently launched forum.wichita.gov, the city’s new public engagement platform.
Naomi holds a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and a BFA in graphic design from the University of Memphis in Tennessee. She grew up mainly in Hawaii, moving to Texas for her last two years of high school, and has lived in Wichita since 2001. She previously helmed creative communications for The Anchor, Yoder Smokers, and Baseline Creative, Inc..
Naomi is a co-founder of Digital Wichita and a sustaining member of Junior League of Wichita and AIGA Wichita. She also serves on the board for the Wichita Orpheum Theatre. She lives in east Wichita with her artist husband, two surly teens, two dogs and five cats.
Kristin Bogner, president-elect:
Kristin is the social media strategist for the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which includes National Honor Society and National Student Council. She was previously in charge of digital media at United Way of the Plains.
Kristin is a board member of Music Theatre Wichita and Center City Academy, a sustaining member of Junior League of Wichita, and a proud 316 Gymnastics Academy and Kansas Dance Academy mom. Kristin grew up in El Dorado and loves storytelling, books, chocolate, her dogs, her family and Wichita.
Brittany Sweeney, treasurer:
Brittany is a wife, mom, and business owner. She has an extensive background in public and private bookkeeping, having worked in the field since 2010. Over the years, she has worked with various businesses with a range of revenues from $30 million to $12,000 annually. Brittany decided to open Sweeney Bookkeeping LLC after seeing a need for affordable bookkeeping services for small businesses. She recently celebrated her fifth business anniversary and welcomed her first baby – it’s been a big year!
When she is not crunching numbers for her clients, you can find her hanging out with her family, friends, and two rescue dogs, attending a networking event, enjoying a nice meal or volunteering for causes she believes in. She is a member of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and Rotary International. She also loves to travel and is always dreaming of her next destination.
Ben Redington, secretary:
Ben is a Wichita native and Wichita State University alumnus with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. Currently, he is a designer at Howerton+White, where he has
had the pleasure of working three times. The H+W team brings their ‘A’ game to every project and every client. Not only has Ben been able to hone his craft as part of their team, he has also gained valuable leadership experience and enjoyed opportunities to meet other industry professionals and learn the ins and outs of their clients’ marketing strategies.
Previously, Ben was a part of the Koch Industries Creative Group and Unified teams. At KCG, he spent a lot of time on graphic design and print projects. He gained immense knowledge about how the work they did fit into the big picture and overall strategy of such a large organization. At Unified, he pushed himself outside of his professional comfort zone as the chief operating officer of an esports company. While the position challenged him to grow as a senior leader, it offered him the opportunity to pull from his various professional experiences over the last 20 years.
When he’s not sliding down the slide at H+W, you’ll definitely find Ben running his kids around Wichita for their various activities. He spends most of his time going to and from practice or games for all kinds of things – sports, music lessons, etc. When he’s lucky enough to get some time away, you can find him exploring a new hiking or biking trail, planning his next national park adventure, or enjoying a nice bourbon or craft beer while daydreaming about travel.