Elected 2021-2025

Mr. Haley has served the community in several capacities having being first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives beginning in 1994 and then the Kansas Senate since 2000 where he was reelected to a 6th term in the Kansas Senate in 2020.

He is the longest tenured African-American in state history to have been elected to the Kansas Senate and is currently the longest serving member in the state senate.

Mr. Haley serves as the Ranking Minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and also served on the Senate’s Ethics; Elections & Local Government; Public Health & Welfare; Federal & State Affairs; Assessment & Taxation and Redistricting Committees among other leadership positions.

A native of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, he attended and graduated from Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA) and Howard University Law School (Washington, D.C.).

After law school, Mr. Haley returned to Kansas City, Kansas, where he clerked for a local law firm; served as assistant District Attorney (Wyandotte County) and worked for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).

An active member of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) for over 25 years, he has been elected to the Caucus’ Executive Committee At-Large and served as Regional Chair of District 9 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma).

David is a public affairs counselor and real estate developer and proud father of four adult children.

Elected 1991-1995

Re-elected 1995-1999

Re-elected 1999-2003

Re-elected 2003-2007

Re-elected 2007-2011

Re-elected 2011-2015

Re-elected 2015-2019

Re-elected 2019-2023

Mr. Milan has served on the BPU Board for over 30 years, having been first elected in 1991. In 2007, BPU recognized Mr. Milan’s dedication to the utility by naming a new Water Division facility in his honor, the Robert L. Milan, Sr. Pump Station and Reservoir.

Bob worked at the U.S. Department of Labor for 32 years, retiring as a Federal Representative. He is active in the Northeast Optimist Club and NAACP. In 2001, he served as State President of AARP. In 2010, the Directors of the Heritage Registry of Who’s Who announced the inclusion of Mr. Milan. He has received many awards, including being selected by the Kansas City Globe as one of the 100 most influential people in 1998.

A native of Kansas City, Kansas, he owned Milan’s Roller Arena and Bowling establishment for many years. Mr. Milan is a Sumner High School graduate and attended Kansas City Kansas Community College, the University of Kansas extension, Donnelly College, the University of Colorado, Temple University and Pioneer College.

Elected 2001-2005

Re-elected 2005-2009

Re-elected 2009-2013

Re-elected 2013-2017

Re-elected 2017-2021

Re-elected 2021-2025

Ms. Gonzales retired from teaching school in 2006 after a 33-year career. For many of those years she was an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Piper Middle School.

Besides her BPU Board and other community activities, she is a member of the American Public Power Association and the American Water Works Association.

A graduate of Leadership 2000, she serves on the board for the Rosedale Development Association and also on the advisory board for the Civic Leadership Academy for Olathe, Kansas schools. Mary was also District 5 Coordinator in the successful effort to consolidate the Wyandotte County/city governments, and served on the advisory board of the Wyandotte County Library. In addition, she is past President of Delta Kappa Gamma International Educational Society and is a former board member for both El Centro and City Vision Ministries.

Ms. Gonzales has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama, and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Emporia State University.

Mary is married to John Mendez and has three sons and two step daughters.

Elected 2019-2023

Re-elected 2023-2027

Ms. 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.

Elected 2011

Re-elected 2011-2015

Re-elected 2015-2019

Re-elected 2019-2023

Mr. Bryant is the Lead Estimator/Job Cost Analyst for Plastic Packaging Technologies in Kansas City, Kansas. He has been with the company for over 40 years serving in a variety of roles.

He is a graduate of Turner High School and attended Donnelly College.  He and his wife Crystal are lifelong Wyandotte County residents. They raised their three children: Amanda, Jeffrey and Derek in the Turner School District. He is a Leadership 2000 Class XX graduate and represents Plastic Packaging at many KCK Chamber of Commerce activities.

Elected 2013-2017

Re-elected 2017-2021

Re-elected 2021-2025

Mr. Groneman is a lifelong Wyandotte County resident, graduating from Wyandotte High School in 1965. In 1969, he graduated from Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas with a Bachelor's Degree in Business/Economics. Following college he entered the United States Navy and was trained as a Vietnamese linguist. Groneman was stationed for 15 months at the Naval Communications Station, Philippines, where he was assigned to temporary active duty with the Commander of Carrier Division 5/Task Force 77 aboard the USS Enterprise, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Constellation. He finished his tour at the National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland.

After the military, he returned to Wyandotte County and worked briefly as a probation officer for the 29th Judicial District. In 1975, he was appointed Register of Deeds to fill out the unexpired term of Jack Reardon who had been elected mayor. Groneman was subsequently elected to seven consecutive four-year terms as Register of Deeds.

In 2003, newly elected Governor Kathleen Sebelius asked Tom to join her staff in Topeka as Director of Alcoholic Beverage Control for the State of Kansas. Tom commuted for nearly eight years between Kansas City and Topeka until the change in administrations in 2011. During his time in public service, Tom has served in numerous positions on various state and national organizations.

Tom and his wife, Kay, have two children, Brooke and Jared and four grandchildren.

Elected 2023-2027

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.”

Elected 2023-2027

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.

Elected 1991-1995

Re-elected 1995-1999

Re-elected 1999-2003

Re-elected 2003-2007

Re-elected 2007-2011

Re-elected 2011-2015

Re-elected 2015-2019

Re-elected 2019-2023

Mr. Milan has served on the BPU Board for over 30 years, having been first elected in 1991. In 2007, BPU recognized Mr. Milan’s dedication to the utility by naming a new Water Division facility in his honor, the Robert L. Milan, Sr. Pump Station and Reservoir.

Bob worked at the U.S. Department of Labor for 32 years, retiring as a Federal Representative. He is active in the Northeast Optimist Club and NAACP. In 2001, he served as State President of AARP. In 2010, the Directors of the Heritage Registry of Who’s Who announced the inclusion of Mr. Milan. He has received many awards, including being selected by the Kansas City Globe as one of the 100 most influential people in 1998.

A native of Kansas City, Kansas, he owned Milan’s Roller Arena and Bowling establishment for many years. Mr. Milan is a Sumner High School graduate and attended Kansas City Kansas Community College, the University of Kansas extension, Donnelly College, the University of Colorado, Temple University and Pioneer College.