Board of directors
Robin Wolgast, Board Chair moved to Topeka with her family in 2009 after living and working in New York City for over 20 years. She has an extensive background in media and marketing, having served in various organizations as Vice President for Marketing, Senior Creative Director, and Managing Director. Most recently, after transitioning to the non-profit sector, she was responsible for securing gifts of $1M and above as Senior Major and Planned Giving Officer for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She is a graduate of Vassar College, studied architecture at Cornell University, and continues to be an active volunteer for both schools. Robin also serves on the boards of Topeka Collegiate School and Friends of the Topeka Zoo.
Bill Tregemba, Vice-Chair/Treasurer, is currently the Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending at Capital City Bank. Mr. Tregemba graduated from Baker University with a degree in Business Administration as well as Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin. He has worked for several Topeka banks since moving to the city in 1983. Additionally, he has served as Treasurer of the non-profit 501c3 MBT and is a member of the Topeka West Rotary.
Angela Smith, Secretary, is currently the Manager of Financial Accounting at Westar Energy. She has also served as the Financial Advisor for Sigma Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha at Baker University in Baldwin City, as the Treasurer of the Lawrence Area alumni chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha and as a board member for the non-profit 501c3 MBT. Additionally Ms. Smith studied classical ballet for several years of intensive training from the age of 9 through high school.
Kevin Doel is a native Topekan and serves as the Director of Communications for the Kansas Department of Commerce. For 19 years, he also owned and operated his own public relations practice specializing in serving mobile application developers. In 2006, he founded TK Magazine, Topeka's business magazine. He published TK for its first three years until he sold it to e2 Communications. Kevin's wife, Donna, operates her own piano teaching studio. They are the parents of Caroline, who danced with Topeka Ballet and Kansas Ballet from six years old through graduation, and Connor, a student at Washburn Rural High School. Kevin earned his BS Degree in Management & Ethics from Dallas Christian College and completed a graduate program offered through The Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State University. As a certified "Ballet Dad" to Caroline, Kevin'has enjoyed helping in six productions of The Nutcracker as a "party scene parent."
Jennifer Goetz graduated from the University of Kansas in 2003 with a degree in graphic design and went on to receive her MBA from Baker University in 2013. A native Kansan, Jennifer is an active and ardent supporter of arts, small business and community betterment. Jennifer has regularly found herself in the honorable position of assisting small business with graphic design, social media engagement and business growth. After the birth of her daughter, Jillian, in 2010, ballet quickly came on the radar as something that her daughter naturally gravitated towards and the match between Kansas Ballet and the Goetz family was born. Jennifer also serves on the ARTSConnect marketing board, KU Alumni Marching Band Board President, SilverThumbs team leader and was the Event Director for Discover the Edge, a benefit for Kansas Children’s Discovery Center.
Deborah Sturgeon grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and has lived in Texas, Colorado and Hawaii. She has been involved with Kansas Ballet since 2012 and has been the Fundraising Chair for Kansas Ballet for the past three years. Her volunteer work for children has involved several organizations over the years. Some include Realities for Children, The Harmony house, Beta Sigma Phi, and People to People Ambassadors. She spent over a decade in the marketing and sales division for Verizon Wireless. In 2005, her career brought her family to Topeka, where she worked with corporate accounts in N.E Kansas. She returned to her love of teaching and is currently employed by the Seaman School District. Mrs. Sturgeon has a bachelor’s degree from Washburn University and a Masters from Friends University, Wichita.
Stephanie Heston & Alexander Smirnov, Artistic Directors, have over 35 years combined experience as professional ballet dancers,instructors, choreographers and directors and have performed in over 20 states and 15 countries. Please click here to view their full professional biographies.
Past Chairs
Joe Pennington graduated from Washburn Tech with a specialty in Engineering and began working at Stevenson Company in 1991 in the engineering department. He is currently on the board of the sheet metal apprenticeship school in Kansas City, Missouri.
Clark W. Trammell has 45+ years of successful experience in business, banking, transportation and economic development. He has a BSBA degree from Sacred Heart College (Kansas Neuman University) with under graduate work done at Wichita State University.
Bill Tregemba, Vice-Chair/Treasurer, is currently the Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending at Capital City Bank. Mr. Tregemba graduated from Baker University with a degree in Business Administration as well as Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin. He has worked for several Topeka banks since moving to the city in 1983. Additionally, he has served as Treasurer of the non-profit 501c3 MBT and is a member of the Topeka West Rotary.
Angela Smith, Secretary, is currently the Manager of Financial Accounting at Westar Energy. She has also served as the Financial Advisor for Sigma Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha at Baker University in Baldwin City, as the Treasurer of the Lawrence Area alumni chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha and as a board member for the non-profit 501c3 MBT. Additionally Ms. Smith studied classical ballet for several years of intensive training from the age of 9 through high school.
Kevin Doel is a native Topekan and serves as the Director of Communications for the Kansas Department of Commerce. For 19 years, he also owned and operated his own public relations practice specializing in serving mobile application developers. In 2006, he founded TK Magazine, Topeka's business magazine. He published TK for its first three years until he sold it to e2 Communications. Kevin's wife, Donna, operates her own piano teaching studio. They are the parents of Caroline, who danced with Topeka Ballet and Kansas Ballet from six years old through graduation, and Connor, a student at Washburn Rural High School. Kevin earned his BS Degree in Management & Ethics from Dallas Christian College and completed a graduate program offered through The Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State University. As a certified "Ballet Dad" to Caroline, Kevin'has enjoyed helping in six productions of The Nutcracker as a "party scene parent."
Jennifer Goetz graduated from the University of Kansas in 2003 with a degree in graphic design and went on to receive her MBA from Baker University in 2013. A native Kansan, Jennifer is an active and ardent supporter of arts, small business and community betterment. Jennifer has regularly found herself in the honorable position of assisting small business with graphic design, social media engagement and business growth. After the birth of her daughter, Jillian, in 2010, ballet quickly came on the radar as something that her daughter naturally gravitated towards and the match between Kansas Ballet and the Goetz family was born. Jennifer also serves on the ARTSConnect marketing board, KU Alumni Marching Band Board President, SilverThumbs team leader and was the Event Director for Discover the Edge, a benefit for Kansas Children’s Discovery Center.
Deborah Sturgeon grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and has lived in Texas, Colorado and Hawaii. She has been involved with Kansas Ballet since 2012 and has been the Fundraising Chair for Kansas Ballet for the past three years. Her volunteer work for children has involved several organizations over the years. Some include Realities for Children, The Harmony house, Beta Sigma Phi, and People to People Ambassadors. She spent over a decade in the marketing and sales division for Verizon Wireless. In 2005, her career brought her family to Topeka, where she worked with corporate accounts in N.E Kansas. She returned to her love of teaching and is currently employed by the Seaman School District. Mrs. Sturgeon has a bachelor’s degree from Washburn University and a Masters from Friends University, Wichita.
Stephanie Heston & Alexander Smirnov, Artistic Directors, have over 35 years combined experience as professional ballet dancers,instructors, choreographers and directors and have performed in over 20 states and 15 countries. Please click here to view their full professional biographies.
Past Chairs
Joe Pennington graduated from Washburn Tech with a specialty in Engineering and began working at Stevenson Company in 1991 in the engineering department. He is currently on the board of the sheet metal apprenticeship school in Kansas City, Missouri.
Clark W. Trammell has 45+ years of successful experience in business, banking, transportation and economic development. He has a BSBA degree from Sacred Heart College (Kansas Neuman University) with under graduate work done at Wichita State University.