Joni Wickham was recently appointed by Governor Mike Parson to the Senate Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission, tasked with redistricting Missouri Legislative maps. Joni is co-founder of Wickham James Strategies and Solutions, providing services in public and government relations, mediations, public policy, and leadership development. Prior to launching her consulting business with former Kansas City Mayor Sly James, Joni spent eight years with the mayor’s office—the majority of them serving as Chief of Staff—Joni has proven herself as an accomplished political strategist, communications expert, and organizational leader. She directed public policy initiatives, communications tactics, and administrative decision-making during her tenure, all while promoting women’s leadership and empowerment issues.
Joni has worked with the American Federation of Teachers, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and in the office of Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. While a student at Meredith College, where Joni received her Bachelor of Arts in political studies, she studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia. An accomplished alumnus of University of Missouri where she earned her Masters of Arts in political science, Joni was the recipient of the 2019 University of Missouri Truman School of Public Affairs Mel Carnahan Public Service Award.