Meet Our Panelists: Women Leading with Purpose
As we prepare for an engaging and inspiring panel conversation, we are proud to introduce four remarkable women who are making a lasting impact in our community and beyond. Get to know the panelists who will be sharing their stories, experiences, and wisdom.
Commissioner Vicki Schmidt
Kansas Insurance Commissioner
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt has spent her life serving others—as a pharmacist, legislator, and now as a statewide elected official. Born and raised in Wichita, Vicki attended the University of Kansas where she earned her pharmacy degree. She spent more than 40 years helping Kansas families as a local pharmacist, where she uncovered and helped reform costly errors in the Medicaid drug rebate program—recovering over $391 million for the state.
Elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2005, she served for 14 years before becoming the first pharmacist elected Kansas Insurance Commissioner in 2018—and again in 2022 with the highest statewide vote total. She currently serves in national leadership roles through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Vicki and her husband Mike live in Topeka and are the proud parents of two sons and grandparents to four grandchildren.
Marsha Pope
President, Topeka Community Foundation
Marsha Pope has served the Topeka Community Foundation since 2003 and was named President in 2016. Under her leadership, the Foundation’s assets have grown from $50 million to $114 million, benefiting over 400 donor-advised funds. Marsha has played a pivotal role in launching impactful community programs such as:
The Women’s Fund, a giving circle of over 300 women
ARTSConnect, now an independent nonprofit supporting the arts
Topeka Gives, a one-day giving event benefiting local nonprofits
Better Together, an initiative focused on social determinants of health
Impact Investing, a strategy for investing locally for social and financial returns
She also serves on the Momentum 2027 Executive Committee and the Greater Topeka Partnership’s Chairs Council. Marsha and her husband, Kent, have been married for 39 years and enjoy spending time with their two grown sons and three grandchildren.
Tammy Dishman
President, Capitol Federal Foundation
Tammy Dishman serves as President of the Capitol Federal Foundation, where she leads grantmaking strategies in partnership with the Board of Trustees. Focused on improving the quality of life across the seven communities Capitol Federal serves, Tammy is passionate about community impact. She also dedicates her time to mentoring youth through Junior Achievement and the Junior Leader Program. Outside of work, you’ll likely find her golfing with friends or enjoying time with her family—including her five-year-old grandson.
Dr. Beryl A. New
Member, Kansas State Board of Education – District Six
Dr. Beryl New retired in 2023 after a 35-year career in public education, most recently as Director of Certified Personnel and Equity for Topeka Public Schools. Her community leadership continues through appointments to the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and the Kansas Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice. She serves as Chair of SENT, Co-Chair of Mosaic Partnership, and sits on several nonprofit boards including Midland Care and Topeka Civic Theatre. In 2024, Beryl was elected to the Kansas State Board of Education. She holds degrees from Washburn University and the University of Kansas and is a proud mother of eight, grandmother of thirteen, and great-grandmother of one.
We invite you to celebrate 20 years of collective giving and visionary leadership at the Women’s Fund Annual Luncheon on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. This milestone event will reflect on two decades of impact while setting a bold course for the next 20 years. For more details and to RSVP, visit topekawomensfund.com/events.