Our WIBA Luncheon is a great opportunity to network with like-minded business leaders, enjoy a buffet lunch, and hear from local speakers.

Panel: What Data Centers Mean for Wichita Business

This panel features five speakers, three question blocks, and one moderator who also serves as the policy and infrastructure strategy voice. This structure ensures each panelist has meaningful airtime while keeping the conversation focused and conversational rather than lecture-style. The moderator will provide the SB98, Freestate Middle Mile, and CBA framing throughout—integrating it into transitions between blocks and question setups, rather than assigning it to a dedicated policy panelist.

Moderator:

Tonya Witherspoon, MindScapes (also covering SB98, Freestate Middle Mile, and CBA framework as subject matter expert during moderation)

Panel Speakers:

Steve Castro-Miller - Intrust Bank (WIBA member)
Enterprise data center perspective: “Wichita banks already operate data centers.” Opens Block 1 by making the facility spectrum concrete for a business audience — from the server room they know to the hyperscale campus they’ve read about

Ebony Clemons - Evergy
Power and grid: capacity, rate protections, transmission upgrades. Addresses the #1 community concern with authoritative data. Block 1 primary, Block 3 contributor

Gary Janzen - Director of Public Works and Utilities, City of Wichita
Water resources: aquifer planning, air-cooled technology, comparison to existing Sedgwick County industrial users. Addresses the #2 community concern with science. Block 1 primary

Mayor Zac Doyle - City of Pryor, Oklahoma
Centerpiece voice: 15 years hosting Google’s data center. School district $80M → $1B assessed value. 800+ jobs. $5M+ in community giving. What worked, what he’d negotiate differently. Anchors Block 2, major contributor to Block 3

Ryan Burke - President, Netability (WIBA member)
Peer voice: fellow WIBA member in IT/cybersecurity. What better connectivity and a growing tech ecosystem means for small business owners in this room. Block 2 contributor, anchors Block 3