Secretary of Revenue

Department of Revenue on January 13, 2003. Secretary Wagnon was president of Central National Bank after leaving office as Mayor of Topeka, Kansas on April 10, 2001. She served as Mayor 1997 - 2001. Prior to her election, Wagnon was Executive Director of Kansas Families for Kids, a legislator from Topeka for 12 years in the Kansas House of Representatives, and was executive director of the Topeka YWCA. You can contact Secretary Wagnon via e-mail at joan_wagnon@kdor.state.ks.us (joan_wagnon@kdor.state.ks.us).

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Current:

Board Member, Midland Hospice of Topeka
Board Member, Downtown Rotary Club
Helen Hocker Theater Advisory Board

Member, Washburn University Board of Regents 1997-2001
President, Kaw Valley Girl Scout Council, Topeka 1995-2000
Chair, TurnAround Team 1993-1997
Chairman of the Board of the Corporation for Change 1991-94
Board of Directors, Kansas League of Municipalities 1997-2001
Board Member, Volunteer Center of Topeka

Joan Wagnon is well known to many as a legislator from Topeka for 12 years, serving six terms from 1983 - 1994. She was active in promoting legislation which benefited Topeka.

Wagnon also was the Executive Director of the Topeka YWCA from 1977 to 1993. During her tenure at the YWCA she started:

Battered Women Task Force
first latch key program in the city
Career Assistance Network, an employment program for disadvantaged women
completed a capital campaign and a 16,000 square foot building addition
teen pregnancy prevention program that reduced the teen pregnancy rate in Shawnee County 33% within two years.

Wagnon has received numerous honors and awards for her professional activities in the community. The Kansas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers cited her as Outstanding Legislator in 1989 for her work on behalf of children. The Topeka Public Schools and the Kansas Confidence in Public Education Task Force recognized her in 1990 and again in 1992 as a Friend of Education Community Leader for her work in developing a program for at risk students and for leadership in the area of school finance. Shawnee County Community Action and Assistance named her Humanitarian of the Year in 1988. In 1996 she received the national Humanitarian of the Year award from the National Federation of Democratic Women.

She also received numerous awards and recognitions while serving as Mayor. Among them, the Topeka Capital Journal named her “Kansas of Distinction” in 2000 for her work on avoiding a utility rate increase. The newspaper also cited her as one of the top five most influential people in the city in both 1990 and 2000.

Education

B.A. Biology, Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas, 1962
M.Ed. Guidance & Counseling, University of Missouri, 1968

Previous Work History

1962-1968 Research Assistant at both University of Arkansas and University of Missouri Medical Schools.
1969-73 Held full and part time teaching positions (science) in Topeka and Boston; also counselor, Neighborhood Youth Corps.

Personal
Married to William O. Wagnon, Jr., Professor of History at Washburn University and member of the State Board of Education. Two grown children, not at home.

In her spare time, Joan enjoys sailing, canoeing, playing bluegrass music and cooking.