Executive Members
Cheryl Harrison- Lee
Spark Executive Director
Cheryl Harrison-Lee started her career in municipal government with the City of Gainesville, Florida. Ms. Harrison-Lee holds a graduate degree from the University of Florida, a Bachelors Degree from the University of South Carolina and completed the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.
Ms. Harrison-Lee’s experience includes employment in statewide, regional, and local government sector as well as private consulting firms. She was a municipal administrator in Florida for almost three decades. Her municipal experience includes the City of Orlando, City of Daytona Beach, and City of Titusville.
Tom Bell
Tom Bell became President and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association in January 2005. He began his career at KHA in 1986 as vice president and legal counsel after working as a health care attorney for the firm of Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds and Palmer. Prior to becoming President and CEO, he also held the positions of senior vice president/legal counsel and executive vice president for both KHA and the Kansas Health Service Corporation.
Lyle Butler
Lyle Butler recently retired in February 2019 as the President/CEO of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, a position he held since July 2000. Butler has also served as Chamber Presidents/CEO in Dodge City, Kansas and Greeley, Colorado. Lyle has other Kansas and Colorado career management experiences in banking and radio broadcasting prior to joining the Chamber of Commerce profession in 1990. Butler is a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Institute program at the University of Colorado and a graduate of the Economic Development Institute from the University of Oklahoma.
Jim Denning
In 1993, Jim returned to Kansas to join Discover Vision Centers as their CEO. Jim retired as CEO of Discover Vision Centers in 2011 to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives. He has served in the Kansas Senate since 2013 and was elected Majority Leader in 2017.
Jim has been involved in the local community as well as the national and international community. He has served on many local boards including Independence Chamber of Commerce, Commerce Bank Advisory Board, State Ambulatory Surgery Society Association, Metropolitan Medical Society Legislative Committee, and Regional Specialty Providers. Jim was also a finalist for the 2001 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year program.
Jill Docking
Jill is the Senior Vice President of The Docking Group, a Wichita-based Baird financial services firm. Jill has over 28 years of industry experience after beginning her career with A.G. Edwards. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and an MBA from the University of Kansas.
Jill is very active in her community. She founded and serves
as President of the Financial Fitness Foundation, along with being one of the
co-chairs of the University of Kansas’ capital campaign. Jill is also a member
on the University’s endowment and medical boards.
Alise Martiny
Alise Martiny has worked in the construction industry for over
40 years. After graduating from a pre-apprenticeship
program, she was accepted into the Kansas City Cement Masons’ Apprenticeship
Program in 1980. She began utilizing her knowledge and skill in the trades and obtained the position of Apprenticeship Coordinator in 1993 and Business Agent for the Kansas City Cement Masons’ and Plasterers’ Local Union 518 in 1999. Alise has served as an officer in her local for six terms and currently as President. She was elected to serve as the Business Manager/Financial Secretary for the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council in 2012 and is the first woman to hold that position. The Council represents 16 construction trades in the Kansas City area.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee consists of three subcommittees that will focus on communication and engagement, finance and policy development, and implementation and accountability.
