select group of area CEOs to give us their take on the state of the region.
Greg Graves is now in his fifth year as president and CEO of Burns & McDonnell, a consulting engineering powerhouse headquartered in south Kansas City, Missouri with offices and operations throughout the United States. Prior to taking over the employeeowned company in 2003, Graves served as president and chief operating officer and before that as general manager of the company’s energy division.
What is greater KC’s best asset as a place
to do business?
Graves contends that the area has
“the hardest working people in America.”
What is the area’s greatest liability that
can realistically be corrected?
Here, Graves cites the schools in the
Kansas City Missouri School District.
Those interested in learning more about
how this district came to be a liability
would do well to read the new book
by Joshua Dunn, Complex Litigation.
Do you expect to expand your local
workforce in the next 12 months?
The answer to this is a simple and
encouraging, “Yes.”
What do you see as the next great opportunity
in your industry?
Graves sees great opportunity in
“healthcare.”
Is there any one regulation—local or
national—that you find particularly needless
or onerous?
“Fiduciary regulations,” says Graves,
“have now gone over the top and become
burdensome.”
What industry or industries do you think
the KC area should actively try to cultivate?
Graves is bullish on the “Life Sciences.”
Is there a city whose economic development
would serve as a useful model for
Kansas City?
Graves did not think he had the background
to answer this question.
Is there an American entrepreneur of
note that has inspired you?
Graves gives a qualified nod to Lee
Iacocca, best known for his revival of
Chrysler’s fortunes in the 1980s.
Rick Miles serves as president and CEO of GEHA, the Government Employees Health Association. Headquartered in Lee’s Summit, GEHA began life as the Railway Mail Hospital Association in 1937, an informal collaboration to help pay hospital expenses for ailing co-workers. Since then, GEHA has emerged as the third-largest carrier in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, covering more than 400,000 lives and with a provider network of more than 4,000 hospitals.
What is greater KC’s best asset as a place
to do business?
Here, Miles cuts right to the chase:
“Midwestern Values.”
What is the area’s greatest liability that
can realistically be corrected?
“Today,” Miles contends, “the region’s
biggest liability is the KCMO School District.”
He adds, “In the not too distant
future the greatest liability will be the
lack of mass transit (i.e. light rail).”
Do you expect to expand your local
workforce in the next 12 months?
GEHA has no plans to add new workers
locally at least in the next year.
What do you see as the next great opportunity
in your industry?
Miles sees opportunity in “managing the
chronic diseases of the aging population.”
Is there any one regulation—local or
national—that you find particularly needless
or onerous?
Miles cites the Family Medical Leave
Act. Ask just about any HR executive,
and you will get the same answer.
What industry or industries do you think
the KC area should actively try to cultivate?
Miles believes the focus should be on
“Bio-tech.”
Is there a city whose economic development
would serve as a useful model for
Kansas City?
Although not overly familiar with economic
development issues, he observes,
“Indianapolis has impressed me as a
progressive city.”
Is there an American entrepreneur of
note that has inspired you?
“Not really,” says Miles, “although I
think the founders of Garmin [Gary Burrell
and Min Kao, thus Gar Min] are admirable.”
Terry Dunn serves as president and CEO of the JE Dunn Construction Group. This 84 year-old Kansas City institution is one of the top general building contractors in the country with revenues of $2.6 billion and 16 office locations nationally. The grandson of founder, J.E. Dunn, Terry Dunn has been CEO since 1996.
What is greater KC’s best asset as a place
to do business?
Dunn believes that “the friendliness of its people” is its best asset.
What is the area’s greatest liability that
can realistically be corrected?
In a recurrent theme, Dunn cites
the failure of the Kansas City, Missouri
School District to provide disadvantaged
children with “a quality education.”
Do you expect to expand your local
workforce in the next 12 months?
“Should remain flat,” says Dunn of
the local workforce.
What do you see as the next great opportunity
in your industry?
“No comment."
Is there any one regulation—local or
national—that you find particularly needless
or onerous?
In a word, Dunn says “SOX,” which is
shorthand for Sarbanes-Oxley, the unloved
offspring of the corporate accounting
scandals early in the decade.
What industry or industries do you think
the KC area should actively try to cultivate?
Dunn would like to see a cultivation of
companies involved in “engineering, life
science, agribusiness, and transportation.”
Is there a city whose economic development
would serve as a useful model for
Kansas City?
Dunn looks to “the major cities in
Texas—Houston, Austin, San Antonio,
and Dallas/Fort Worth.”
Is there an American entrepreneur of
note that has inspired you?
Dunn finds inspiration close to home,
very close in fact: “Ewing Kauffman,
Henry Bloch, Jim Stowers, Don Hall,
and Bill Dunn.”
Since 2001, Tom Bowser has served as president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the area’s largest health benefits provider, serving more than 880,000 members in 32 counties in greater Kansas City. Before assuming his current post, Bowser was the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. A KU grad, he has more than 30 years of healthcare management experience.
What is greater KC’s best asset as a place
to do business?
Bowser is keen on “our culture,”
particularly its “strong work ethic, respect
and appreciation for employment
opportunities and a friendly, art-filled
community in which to live.”
What is the area’s greatest liability that
can realistically be corrected?
Here, Bowser cites “bi-state cooperation”
or lack of the same. He believes
the problem can be corrected “if everyone
puts down their own agendas.”
Do you expect to expand your local
workforce in the next 12 months?
“No,” says Bowser, “we’re able to
continue to expand our business without
adding new employees.”
What do you see as the next great opportunity
in your industry?
“We expect legislation to emerge to address
America’s uninsured,” says Bowser.
“We are well positioned for that possibility.”
Is there any one regulation—local or
national—that you find particularly needless
or onerous?
“No comment.”
What industry or industries do you think
the KC area should actively try to cultivate?
Bowser would like to see the effort
directed towards “human science and
animal science.”
Is there a city whose economic development
would serve as a useful model for
Kansas City?
Bowser looks to the Research Triangle
area of North Carolina as a model.
Is there an American entrepreneur of
note that has inspired you?
Bowser points to KU basketball coach,
Bill Self. Did we mention that Tom was
a KU grad?
Chairman, President, and CEO of engineering dynamo, Black & Veatch, Len Rodman joined Black & Veatch in 1971 after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. Moving from executive partner, and later managing partner, he became CEO and President in 1998 and assumed the role of Chairman of the Board in 2000.
What is greater KC’s best asset as a place
to do business?
Rodman cites the region’s “availability
and strength of talented professionals
in a myriad of industries and businesses.”
He adds add the region “has much to
offer in the way of services, economic
development and quality of life.”
What is the area’s greatest liability that
can realistically be corrected?
“The complexities of doing business
across the Missouri and Kansas state
lines, along with the complexities within
the various cities and counties within
both states.”
Do you expect to expand your local
workforce in the next 12 months?
“Yes,” says Rodman, “we are continuing
to look for the best and brightest
talent to serve our clients.”
What do you see as the next great opportunity
in your industry?
Rodman points to a “nexus of issues in
the areas of sustainability, climate change,
energy assurance, safety and security.”
Is there any one regulation—local or
national—that you find particularly needless
or onerous?
Rodman acknowledges a lack of
legislative certainty regarding “regulations
covering climate change and the
issues associated with energy assurance
and water scarcity.”
What industry or industries do you think
the KC area should actively try to cultivate?
Rodman would like to see KC pursue
“companies that require technical
talent.”
Is there a city whose economic development
would serve as a useful model for
Kansas City?
Rodman sees Minneapolis as a likely
model as they are able "to attract technical
talent and an engaged populace."
Is there an American entrepreneur of
note that has inspired you?
Rodman did not have to look far
to find inspiration in N.T. Veatch—
the co-founder of Black & Veatch. 
Return to April 2008 Edition