(KANSAS CITY, Kan.) — Three members of the newly elected board of directors
for the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) were sworn-in at a ceremony held at
the BPU Administration Building on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024.
One incumbent member, Rose Mulvany Henry (At-Large - Position #3) and
newcomers Stevie Wakes (First District) and Brett Parker (Third District) took the oath
of office at a ceremony prior to this week’s Board meeting. The oaths of office were
administered, and each elected board member was given an opportunity to make brief
remarks following their official swearing-in.
About the recently appointed members:
Rose Mulvany Henry, At Large – Position #3
Ms. Mulvany Henry has served on the BPU Board for four years,
having been first elected in 2019. Mulvany Henry is a native of
Kansas City, Kansas, where she attended Bishop Ward High
School. She furthered her education and received her B.A. in
English from the University of Kansas, and then her J.D. from
Washburn University School of Law. Rose is currently admitted
to practice in Kansas.
Rose is currently the Vice President of Regulatory & Legislative Affairs for Metronet,
the largest privately held fiber to the premise company in the United States. Prior to
joining Metronet in 2021, Rose enjoyed a long and diverse career in the
communications utility industry ranging from a wireless industry entrepreneur, to
regulating the telephone industry with the Kansas Corporation Commission, to the Vice
President of Regulatory Affairs for Birch Telecom, Inc., to in-house counsel for Sprint
Corporation to the representation of various clients as outside counsel with Bradley
Arant Boult Cummings LLP and then with her own private practice in Kansas City,
Kansas.
Rose has lived nearly her entire life in Kansas City, Kansas and is very proud of her
“Dotte” roots. In her spare time, Rose enjoys lending a helping hand to worthy
nonprofits with their development initiatives. She also has a passion for criminal
justice reform and workforce development programs.
Rose and her husband, John Henry, live in Kansas City, Kansas. Their son, Justin, his
wife Sophia, and two grandchildren also live in the metro area.
Stevie Anthony Wakes, Sr. First District
Stevie Anthony Wakes was born in Topeka, Kansas and
moved to Kansas City, Kansas in 1985. After obtaining his
first bachelor’s degree in religion in 1984 from Bishop
College in Dallas, Texas, Stevie also earned a Master of
Divinity degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary
in Shawnee, Kansas, a second bachelor’s degree in Spanish
Education from the University of Missouri in Kansas City
and a Master of Business Administration degree from Baker
University in Baldwin City, Kansas.
Stevie is the Senior Pastor of the Olivet Institutional
Baptist Church, where he has now served for over 35 years.
He has worked for the HLJ Management Company in
Lenexa, Kansas and later for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in Kansas City,
Missouri. Stevie is fluent in Spanish and taught Spanish language and culture in Kansas
City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri public schools.
In his service to the community, Stevie has been a community organizer, former
president of the Kansas City, Kansas NAACP, former president of Turtle Hill
Neighborhood Association, former Vice-President of Tremont Neighborhood Association,
and former Community Liaison for the Unified Government’s Northeast Development
Plan. In addition to his role as Pastor, he also works for the Unified Government’s
Office of the District Attorney as an Administrative Support Specialist and was selected
to be a participant in the first cohort of the Dotte Leads leadership initiative.
Stevie and his wife, Stefanie, have five children. They married in Kansas City, Kansas
and are proud to have become “Dottes”.
Brett Parker, Third District
Brett Parker graduated from UMKC with a B.A. in
Secondary Education. Brett taught non-native English
speakers for five years in the Olathe school district.
While teaching, Brett was active in the Olathe
National Education Association serving on the
Executive Board, as a member of the Negotiations
Team, and as Vice President.
His advocacy for his students and fellow teachers led
Brett to run for and win a seat in the Kansas House in
2016.
After serving in the legislature in 2021, Brett joined
the board of directors for Jewish Family Services of
Kansas City and joined the staff of the Kansas National Education Association where he
works supporting teachers in the greater Kansas City area.