MELANIE FORSEE BELL | VICE PRESIDENT
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, AMC THEATRES

For Melanie Forsee Bell, head of communications for AMC Theatres, an early lesson on the road to success was to treat coworkers—peers and upper management alike—the same. “When I began my career, I was told by my then-boss and now mentor that titles don’t matter.

"This erased all barriers and reminded me daily to work just as hard for my peers and to treat them with as much respect as I would the CEO. Now that I am in a leadership position, that advice stays with me and allows me to see and help foster skills and talents of team members that go far beyond their present titles.”

Bell believes a key to her success has been paying close attention to the calibre of people she hires, training them well and then trusting them to do their best. She also credits her parents for teaching her the values of integrity and hard work at a very young age. “I apply those values to everything in my life—from relations to work to social responsibility, she says. “One of my guiding principles is to lead by example. I find that people I rely on are only going to be as dedicated and work as hard as I do, so I try to set the bar high.”

BARBARA CURRY | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN
RESOURCES, CORPORATE SECRETARY, GREAT PLAINS ENERGY

Barbara Curry is a relative newcomer to her role as Corporate Secretary and head of Human Resources as Great Plains energy, but her list of accomplishments prior to her arrival is lengthy. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science in business and science in management and a 25-year track record of outstanding leadership at TXU, a Dallas, Texas-based energy company, Curry was able to hit the ground running at Great Plains.

In her mind, success is the result of a strong work ethic—a value taught to her early in life by her father and reinforced by many mentors who helped her on her journey to the top. Today, she pays that mentoring and counsel forward, and advises people starting their careers to make good use of the mentors they discover on their own paths to success.

When it comes to leadership, Curry believes character is a key component to being effective and motivational. “A leader has to be someone people can trust and put their faith in when times are tough. I’ve found that a good leader also has a sense of humility as well as a sense of humor.”

BETTY DREES | DEAN, UMKC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

The number of women attending medical school has increased steadily since the 1960s, but the percentages of women representing senior faculty isn’t increasing as quickly. In 1990, there was just one female dean, and currently, only 11 percent of medical school deans are women. One component of that 11 percent is Kansas City’s own Dr. Betty Drees, Dean of the University of Missouri—Kansas City’s School of Medicine.

“What we’re discovering is that there are institutional cultural issues that must be addressed, so that all students, faculty and staff have equal opportunities for success,” says Drees. “It is a benefit to society to have high-performing organizations that take advantage of the skills of all.

As dean, Drees believes the welfare of the students, residents, faculty, staff and patients must be the driving forces of the school. “I hold altruism as the highest value,” explains Drees. “I also find motivation where I perceive the mission of my work has a high value to society. I am fortunate to work in a medical school, where the collective mission is a combination of education and health care,” says Drees. “That is a mission of critical importance to our community.”

SANDRA A.J. LAWRENCE | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, CHILDREN’S MERCY HOSPITAL

In the highly educated mind of Sandra A. J. Lawrence, executive vice president and CFO of Children’s Mercy Hospital, leadership is about providing structure and support to a team that is propelled by a common dream. “The best leaders create nurturing and stimulating environments and give people safe and ample room to grow,” says Lawrence, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vassar, a master of arts in architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Lawrence’s academic diversity rivals her not-so-typical career path. Previous positions include Chief Financial Officer of Midwest Research Institute, Chief Executive Officer of Global Packaging Solutions, and various management positions at Gateway, Inc. in San Diego and Kansas City.
Lawrence says that one particular piece of advice given to her by the Rev. Emanuel Cleaver is with her daily. “He said, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ I have been blessed over much with a loving family, a strong education and the benefits that can result from both of them. These gifts have been bestowed so that I can make a true difference in our world. I have a lot of work to do to be worthy.”