Wichita State University

Board of Trustees

Tom Winters, Chair
Term: 2012-2015
Tom is a management professional with a strong background in private sector business management and has a record of improviing community processes and building consensus.  Tom served on the Sedgwick County Commission and served on may community boards including the Board of Directors of the Information Network of Kansas, chairman of the Regional Economic Area Partnership and past member of the Wichita Area Technical College Advisory Board.

 

Denny Senseney, Vice Chair
Term: 2010-2013
Denny served as president of the National Association of School Music Dealers and the Retail Print Music Dealers Association and as a board member of NAMM (The International Music Products Industry Association), the Kansas Music Educators Association, the Midwest Clinic, and as chair of NAMM's Music Education and Public Policy Committee.  He currently serves on the boards of the United Way of the Plains, the Wichita Community Children's Choir, and the grant selection committee of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation.

 

Jane McHugh, Treasurer
Term: 2011-2014
Jane retired as a partner in BKD LLP in May 2008.  She is currently providing tax and planning services for a private individual.  Jane's professional affiliations include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants (KSCPA).  She is a past president of the Petroleum Accountants Society of Kansas and Wichita Estate Planning Council.  Jane serves on the Planned Giving Council and the National Advisory Council for the WSU Foundation.  In July 2005, she was a member of the Capital Campaign Committee for the "We Are Wichita State" scholarship campaign.  In 2003, she was selected as one of the initial recipients of the Women in Business award by the Wichita Business Journal.  Jane also serves on the board of Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Cynthia Schwan, Secretary
Term: 2010-2013
Cindy serves on several boards including The Wichita Children's Home, Senior Services, Inc. of Wichita and Larksfield Place.  Cindy is also on the WSU College of Education Advisory Council and she is actively involved in our community.  Cindy and her husband have set up an Endowed Scholarship in the College of Education.


 

David Coleal
Term: 2012-2013
David is the Senior Vice President/General Manager of the Fuselage Segment for Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., with responsibility for Wichita, Oklahoma and North Carolina. His previous experiences include positions at Bombardier-Learjet, Cirrus Design Corporation, McKinsey & Company, Toyota and Catepillar.  David graduated from California State University in Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, and then earned his master’s of Business Administration (MBA) in Management Science from California State University-Hayward in 1997.
 

J. Eric Engstrom
Term: 2012-2015
Eric is a senior attorney and partner with Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch, L.L.C.,  and a shocker alumnus, receiving his master’s degree in history at Wichita State in 1966, prior to earning his juris doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School.  Eric was a longtime counsel to the WSU Board of Trustees and the Endowment Board of Governors (now the National Advisory Council).  He now serves on the Fine Arts Advisory Board and Art Committee and is chair of Library Associates.

Vernell Jackson
Term: 2012-2015
Vernell retired from Spirit Aerosystems in September 2007 after 32 years of service at Boeing/Spirit Wichita.  He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Wichita State University and a master's degree from Webster University in business management.  Vernell has served on many boards including the WSU Alumni Association, Wichita Community Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and the Kansas Minority Business Development Council.



Joe Norton
Term: 2011-2014
Joe is a shareholder and director of Gilmore & Bell, P.C., one of the leading public finance law firms in the United States.  The firm has 50 attorneys practicing in the area of public finance with offices located in Wichita, Kansas City, St. Louis, MO and Lincoln, NE.  Joe received his bachelor's degree from WSU in 1973 and his J.D. (with honors) from Washburn University of Topeka in 1976, where he was a member of the Washburn Law Journal.  Joe is a member of the Kansas and American Bar Associations and the National Association of Bond Lawyers and is an accociate member of the Government Finance Officers Association and City Attorney's Association of Kansas.  Joe served as chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2011 and is past president of the WSU Alumni Association and Shocker Athletic Scholarship Organization (SASO).

Sheryl Wohlford
Term: 2011-2014
Sheryl is the President and co-owner of Automation Plus, Inc., and past chair of the Wichita Metro Chamber.  As a community activist, Sheryl has dedicated numerous hours to many organizations.  She currently serves as the 2011-12 President of the Rotary Club of Wichita and on the boards of the Greater Wichita Economic Development Council, Young Professionals of Wichita, the Wichita Community Foundation and the Sedgwick County Zoo.  Sheryl has served on a host of university committees and boards.