Mayor Sly James announced today the appointment of Joni Wickham as Director of Public Affairs. Wickham previously served as Deputy Communications Director for Mayor James and has held public policy and communications positions at the Missouri Department of Transportation, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s Office, and the American Federation of Teachers.
As Director of Public Affairs, Wickham will oversee all communications and public affairs functions for the Mayor, including constituent services, grant writing, special events, and outreach for the Mayor’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement. She will also become the primary media contact for Mayor James after returning from maternity leave in June. In the interim, members of the media should continue to contact Danny Rotert at or .
“After working with Joni for almost two years, I know she shares my commitment to consistently providing Kansas Citians and media outlets with interactive and complete information,” said Mayor James. “I’m confident that this appointment will strengthen our office’s already dynamic reputation for communications excellence.”
Wickham moved to Kansas City from Jefferson City immediately after Mayor James’ election and resides in Waldo. She holds a B.A. in political studies from Meredith College and a M.A. in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
In addition, Mayor James also announced Kelly Lynch-Stange as Special Assistant for Creative Communications. Stange most recently provided freelance social media, marketing, and event planning services to a wide variety of agencies and businesses. She also managed fundraising and special event efforts nationwide for the PKD Foundation in addition to working for Event 360 and ESPN. She received her B.S. in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University.
Lynch-Stange, a Brookside resident, is responsible for implementing creative communications projects and ensuring that Mayor James’ website and social media presence remains both engaging and informative. “City government has come a long way in a short time with regard to infusing creativity into its daily work. I am committed to taking that further and look forward to using Kelly’s expertise to do just that,” said Mayor James.
Both appointees have already assumed their new positions.
