Congressional Forum, featuring Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz

The Congressional Forum is a 54 year institution, and the Chamber's public policy series, which features local, state, and federal representatives to speak about issues relevant to the area's business community.

Representative Sharice Davids speaks to the group as often as she can, but other guest speakers are often featured at the monthly forums. 

This month's featured speaker is Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz.

About Lorenz:

Julie Lorenz was appointed by Gov. Laura Kelly in January 2019 to lead the Kansas Department of Transportation. With more than 25 years of experience, she is recognized as a national leader in the areas of policy development, collaboration and the use of economic analysis to communicate the value of transportation investment.

Previously, Lorenz led strategic consulting and public engagement services for the Transportation Global Practice at Burns & McDonnell, where she managed transportation projects at the local, regional and national levels. Lorenz led research for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program on topics such as long-term and emerging trends in transportation and how to create and sustain a culture of innovation for state departments of transportation. She is currently serving on the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board and is chairing the Council on Aviation for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Lorenz is a graduate of the University of Kansas, where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Psychology and Drury University, where she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Business Administration. Her role of secretary is her second tour of duty for KDOT, as she served as the Director of Public Affairs from 2003 to 2011.