A Toast to Becoming the Best Communicator You Can Be!



GBA Architect Suzanne Berkey recently received a
'Competent Communicator' designation from Toast-
masters. Suzanne is Vice President of Education for
Lenexa Toastmasters.

Suzanne Berkey just received her CC – Competent Communicator – designation from Toastmasters (congratulations Suzanne!) – and it reminded me that this resource is available right here in our office! GBA headquarters is home to Lenexa Toastmasters meetings so as you might expect, we have our share of competent communicators. To earn the designation, participants make ten formal presentations, master the art of extemporaneous speaking with “table topics,” and provide one another with support and constructive criticism. Suzanne currently serves as Vice President of Education for Lenexa Toastmasters.

But the club is not exclusive to GBA! Anyone interested in becoming a better communicator or improving leadership skills can attend Lenexa Toastmaster meetings. It’s an "open club," which means that guests and new members are always welcome. It doesn’t matter what time of the year you join. Your membership is prorated based on the month you turn in your membership application.

Meetings are held from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month in the lower level training room at GBA, 9801 Renner Boulevard in Lenexa. The cost is just $46 every six months. You can learn more about Lenexa Toastmasters here, or tour the Toastmasters International website!

If you’d like to become a more confident and effective communicator, visit one of the meetings and see if the program is right for you!



New Broadway Bridge to Provide Access to Kauffman Center for Performing Arts

Congratulations to Tawn Nugent, a New GBA Associate!

GBA's Tawn Nugent has been promoted to Associate and we couldn't be more pleased. As a member of the firm's Transportation Group, Tawn has taken a leadership role on some of the firm's most high-profile projects.

Tawn is modest about her accomplishments and cites teamwork and the dedication and hard work of members of the team in getting these jobs done and done right! Absolutely true, but she's still a leader extraordinaire!

Several projects come to mind immediately, including big improvements to eight miles Missouri Route 150 in Jackson County that encompass the recently completed interchange of Rt. 150 with US-71 Highway; replacement of the Broadway Bridge over I-670 in downtown Kansas City, Mo., an important link to the very exciting, soon-to-open Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts; and improvements to the US-50/Route 179/Missouri Boulevard (Business Route 50) Interchange in Jefferson City, Mo.

Tawn is a proud Iowa native and earned her undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Iowa State. She has a Master’s degree in engineering management from KU. Tawn is fully involved in the engineering community with very active memberships in ACEC, APWA, NSPE, and KSPE. She's also an alum of the 2010 Leadership Overland Park program.

So what are Tawn's guilty spare-time pleasures?  For one, she serves on the Advisory Board of Heartland SPCA, a "comprehensive animal welfare solution for the Kansas City community" formed by the recent merger of Animal Haven and No More Homeless Pets KC. If not exactly a guilty pleasure, it's an extremely important commitment for this dog lover and parent of black labs Zoey and Libby. Other favorite things include travel, golf, football...and a good glass of wine!

Congratulations to Tawn on this well deserved promotion!