2020 National Advisory Board Nominees
RICK AUSTIN Rick Austin is Chairman and CEO of Austin Wealth Strategies, LLC. Rick is widely regarded as one of the top financial advisors in the country with 43 years of experience in designing integrated wealth strategies. He offers a proven process to achieve clients’ financial goals; a resource team of legal, accounting, taxation and risk management analysts; and access to the top insurance companies. Rick was chosen for select membership into The Nautilus Group, an exclusive, advanced planning team, and is a past member of its Board of Directors. His long-term affiliation with New York Life Insurance Company culminated in 2003 when he was named New York Life’s Council President. Rick serves as a member of New York Life’s Advisory Board, was elected to the Agent’s Advisory Council (AAC) and served as AAC’s past president. Rick’s industry recognitions include being a Life Member of the Million Dollar Roundtable, Top of the Table and member of the MPI Study Group. Prior to his career as a wealth advisor, Rick played professional baseball for nine years with the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers. A native of Tacoma, Washington, Rick is an alumnus of Washington State University. Rick’s son, Luke, joined Austin Wealth Strategies in 2005. He also has two daughters, Renee and Angie, as well as seven grandchildren.
TODD DOWNEY Todd Downey is a Founding Member of The National and served on the Advisory Board in the past. He has been a Parkville resident for 24 years and lives at The National. Todd and his wife, Laurel, celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary this past summer. Todd is currently Vice President of Compensation and Benefits for Cerner Corporation where he has worked for 34 years. He has held various positions in finance and human resources throughout his career. An avid golfer and member of The National’s Kansas City Cup Team, Todd and his family participate in many events at the Club.
JERRY FELKER Jerry Felker has served on The National Advisory Board in five different years, most recently in 2019. As one of the Club’s first members (and the very first homeowner on the south side), Jerry brought to the Board a great deal of experience and continuity. Originally from Nebraska, Jerry has lived in Parkville since 1991 and has seen huge growth in our area. He was a pharmacist for 35 years before retiring and proudly served 30 years in the Navy, in active and reserve duty, as a Combat Corpsman with the Marines. He served combat tours in both Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Jerry was one of the three original organizers of The National’s Veterans Day Golf Tournament which began in 2003. He chaired the event the last several years. Jerry was also the Fundraising Chairman for the Folds of Honor event held at The National the past five years. He is one of the founding committee members, representing the VFW, for the Platte County Veterans’ Memorial, to be located in English Landing Park. He is a long-time member of the City of Parkville Ethics Committee (since 2009) and a five-year member of the Industrial Development Authority. Jerry currently serves as an officer at VFW Post 7356, is Past Exalted Ruler of the Elks and is the new director for Kansas City Seniors Golf for The National in 2020.
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2020 National Advisory Board Nominees (continued) JOE MANDACINA Joe Mandacina is the Chief Communications Officer at Cerner Corporation. After spending 27 years at Sprint Corporation working in various executive positions, Joe joined Cerner in January 2019, to lead internal and external communications, public relations, reputation management, CEO communications, social media and crisis communications. Joe has had the opportunity to play more than 30 of the top 100 golf courses in the US including Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Muirfield Village, Oakmont, Medina, Pinehurst and many more of this nation’s most prestigious country clubs. He was a member of The National Advisory Board in 2019 and continues to be civically active. He graduated with honors from Rockhurst University and successfully completed the Duke University Executive Leadership Program. Joe lives in Briarcliff West with his wife, Roseann, and children, Sophia and Joseph.
REED MARTENS Reed Martens, born and raised in Platte County, has been a member of The National with his wife, Elle, for three years. Both Reed and his wife grew up around the Club — Reed working as golf attendant, and Elle as a member with her family. Through his experience, both as an employee and member of The National, he has a strong understanding of how to maximize the member experience. Reed works as an attorney at Monsees & Mayer, P.C., a Kansas City plaintiffs law firm. Since joining the firm in 2014, he has successfully tried multiple jury trials as both co- and lead counsel. In 2019, Reed was named a Rising Star Attorney, a recognition designated to the top 2.5% of attorneys under the age of 40 practicing in Kansas and Missouri. Reed is an active member of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association and Kansas Bar Association. He is also an officer of the Platte County Bar Association. Reed received his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri and attended law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Outside of work, Reed spends time volunteering for organizations dedicated to helping victims of sexual abuse, including the Children’s Advocacy Center and Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault. An avid golfer and athlete, he can be found on the golf course or at the practice facility most weekends. Reed looks forward to the opportunity to represent The National’s members, continue enhancing the Club experience and attracting new members.
GAIL MICHELS Gail Michaels has been a member and resident of The National since 2005 and was elected to serve on the 2018 National Advisory Board. She worked in business development with the Cerner Corporation for 23 years in a variety of capacities. During her last several years with the company, Gail handled corporate relations for the organization’s largest, most complex clientele. Gail retired in 2009 so that she would have more time to spend with family, to travel and to volunteer within the community. Retirement also allowed Gail more time for golf — one of her true passions. Gail is very active in The National’s Ladies’ Golf Association, serving as both past Treasurer and President as well as playing for The National’s Ladies’ Golf Team in intercity Team Play.
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2020 National Advisory Board Nominees (continued) BRYAN RISLEY Bryan Risley has been a member of The National since he moved to Kansas City in 2007. Shortly after building their house at The National, Bryan and Shelley welcomed their daughter, Sydney. Bryan has been a five-time Captain for The National’s KC Cup team and has also organized The National’s North/South tournament since its inception in 2010. Bryan is the President and Owner of a rep agency specializing in medical and surgical sales focused in the Women’s Health Care space. Prior to starting his own business, Bryan held multiple senior management positions at Philips Medical and GE Healthcare. He is a 1994 graduate of Tulane University with a Bachelors in Political Science and Economics.
MICHAEL ROYLE As a founding member in 1998, Michael Royle has been an advisor to the Club since its inception. In fact, he negotiated the contracts with Tom Watson when the course was developed. Michael has practiced law for 36 years and is a partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP which employs 1300+ lawyers from all over the world. Based at the firm’s downtown Kansas City location, Michael represents regional, national and international clientele in a wide spectrum of negotiations, acquisitions and transactions. Professional affiliations include membership in the American Bar Association, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Missouri Bar. Michael was recognized by peer review as one of The Best Lawyers in America. Selection is based on a peer-review survey in which leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Michael and his wife, Gwen, have lived at The National (and enjoyed it ) for 18 years. Michael and Gwen celebrated 29 years of marriage in 2019. They have three children: Michelle, Zack and Adele.
STEVE SHORT Steve Short is Vice President, Chairman and Owner of A D Demolition & Recycling, LLC and is highly regarded as the leading expert in the Kansas City region in demolition, having been in the business for 35 years. Steve has served locally as the MO/KS Chapter President of Associated Builders and Contractors, after a term on the Board of Directors for five years. He has also served as a Board Member of the National Demolition Association for 10 years with the distinction of being the only local demolition contractor to serve on the national level. Steve was a pole vaulter on the University of Missouri track team, where he obtained a BS degree in Agricultural Economics. Following graduation, he went to work for Mid-South Milling in Memphis as a commodity merchandiser, before starting his first demolition business in Kansas City at 26 years of age. Steve has started and owned several businesses in the Kansas City area including businesses in demolition, commercial roll-off services, real estate development, three landfills and excavation contracting. In his professional career, Steve has been responsible for demolishing thousands of buildings, including 18 blocks of buildings downtown for the Power & Light District, 13 buildings and two parking garages for the Federal Reserve Bank building, eight blocks of buildings for the IRS Center and The Mission Mall, to highlight a few projects. Steve and his wife, Diana, have been members of The National since 2000, when the Club opened. They have been married for 37 years, have three children, and five grandchildren (with the newest addition, Theodore Steven Short). An avid golfer who claims he’s “not good enough to play in the KC Cup,” Steve continues to participate in Club events in an attempt to “win something and get on the KC Cup team!”
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2020 National Advisory Board Nominees (continued) RAY SILVEY Ray Silvey has been a member of The National Golf Club since 2000. He and his wife, Arlyn, were named National Ambassadors in the early stages of the Club’s opening and have remained steadfast supporters of the Club. After 30 years with Dairy Farmers of America as Senior Vice President in Human Resources and Labor Relations, Ray started a consulting firm (Ray Silvey & Associates, Inc.) to assist organizations with labor relations, employee benefits and management training/development as well as compliance issues with regulatory agencies. Ray then took on the role of Vice President in Labor Relations and Human Resources with Prairie Farms Dairy where he has been since 2006. Although Ray is retiring, he will continue to serve Prairie Farms in an advisory capacity. Ray’s background also includes teaching business courses for several years at both Missouri State University and Drury College in Springfield, Missouri.
MIKE SOBBA Mike Sobba is President of Strunk, LLC, an Atlanta based consulting company that does business with community banks and credit unions across the country. Prior to going to work at Strunk in 2000, Mike worked at Commerce Bank in Kansas City. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. Mike later graduated from National Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma and the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. Mike and his wife, Debbie, have two sons (Chris and Nick) and have lived in Parkville since 1992. They have been members of The National Golf Club since March 2000, before the course was open for play. The couple served as Volunteer Chairs for The Watson Challenge at The National in 2013 and have stepped up to co-chair the 2020 event as well. Mike has been elected to serve on The National Advisory Board for the past four years.
RYAN SPRINGER Ryan Springer, born and raised in Independence, Kansas, learned the game of golf at an early age from his grandfather. Ryan played two years of golf at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas and went on to get his BS Degree in Business Administration/Finance and Marketing from Kansas State University. After graduation in May 1997, Ryan worked at Bartlett and Company, a grain merchandising firm in the Kansas City Board of Trade. From there, he pursued his interest in investments and became a Financial Advisor. As a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones since 1998, with his office in Briarcliff, Ryan works to develop tailored financial strategies and oversee the finances and investments for clients throughout the United States. Ryan has established himself as a financial advisor who genuinely strives to understand what is most important to his clients. He uses an established process to build personalized strategies to help his clients achieve their goals and partners together throughout their lives to help keep them on track. Ryan has lived in Parkville since 2005. He and his son, Nick, live in the Monticello neighborhood and have been members of The National since 2012.
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2020 National Advisory Board Nominees (continued) LYLE WEAVER Lyle Weaver was born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas. He has played golf his entire life as his family belonged to Indian Hills Country Club where he was a caddy, cart boy and lifeguard. Lyle attended and acquired his Associates Business degree at Johnson County Community College, where he also played golf and qualified each year for the National Junior College Championship. Lyle then attended Kansas University where he received his Bachelors Degree in Business. Lyle has established himself as a local business owner as he has owned and operated two franchises (Chem-Aqua and Taco Bell). Currently Lyle is the Director of Ops for DRG in Kansas City. Lyle has been a member of The National since September of 2018. He is currently serving on the Tournament Committee and in 2019 co-captained The National KC Cup team. Lyle was also a member at The Deuce from 2007 to 2010 where he served on numerous committees. Lyle has served on multiple steering committees in the past and will bring a fresh, forward-thinking perspective if he has the opportunity to serve the members of The Na-
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