Jane Bateman

Jane Bateman, who is the vice chairwoman of Government and Community Affairs, is the owner and president of Jane Bateman, The Interiors Store since 1977. She graduated from Iowa State University. Bateman’s activities include president of the Lawrence Rotary Club, past president of Bert Nash Mental Health Center, graduate of Leadership Lawrence and Leadership Kansas, past president of the Lawrence Community Theatre and past member/president of the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission. She received the Wally Galluzzi Chamber of Commerce Volunteer Award in 1996.

Paul Carttar

Paul Carttar is executive vice chancellor for external affairs at Kansas University. Before coming to KU, Carttar was chief operating officer for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., and co-founder of the Bridgespan Group, a Boston-based nonprofit management-consulting firm. Carttar grew up in Lawrence and has a bachelor’s degree from KU and an MBA from Stanford University. Other professional positions include budget analyst for the U.S. Senate Budget Committee; research assistant to Arthur Burns, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board; special assistant to the U.S. ambassador to West Germany; and vice president with Bain & Co., a worldwide management-consulting firm in San Francisco.

Jason Edmonds

Jason Edmonds is a vice president and financial adviser with Morgan Stanley. Edmonds is a Lawrence native and a 1991 graduate of Kansas University. He and his wife, Machaela, returned to Lawrence in 1997 after living in San Diego and Kansas City. They have three children: Jack, Graham and Sarah. Edmonds has served as president of the Lawrence Arts Center Board of Directors, president of the Friends of the Lied Center Board and president of the Douglas County Estate Planning Council. He also served as a board member and vice president of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Chamber’s Envoy and Small Business Committees. He is a trustee of the Bert Nash Endowment Board and also has served on the Boards of Leadership Lawrence and Van Go Mobile Arts. Edmonds and his father and business partner, Steve, have been selected to receive Baker University’s Partners-in-Progress Business Person of the Year award for 2006.

Doug Holiday

Doug Holiday moved back to Lawrence in 2000 to open the Hereford House restaurant. He was excited to run a restaurant in the same town that his grandparents did. His grandparents, Jim and Virginia Large, started and ran the Wagon Wheel at 14th and Ohio streets. In 2005, Doug and his current partner, Brad Zeigler, started Biggs Barbeque, 2429 Iowa, where Doug is the operator. Doug has been active in the community since moving back to Lawrence, participating in many activities such as chairing the CVB for two years. Doug is currently on the board of the CVB, and has been a member of the board for the Chamber. He is on the board of directors for the Endowment Association for Haskell Indian Nations University. He was active in the food and beverage committee for the past two Hearts of Gold fundraisers for Lawrence Memorial Hospital and is currently helping with the one for 2006. He also has assisted with the Community Christmas dinner. He enjoys any time he can be with his children, Seth, Jacob and Ben, and his wife, Shawn.

Dr. James Otten

Dr. James Otten is a 1977 graduate of the University of Arkansas, where he received a Bachelor of Science in zoology with a minor in microbiology. He also is a 1981 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. He taught crown and bridge dentistry as an associate professor at UMKC Dental School before entering private practice in 1982. He first served as chief of staff of a large group practice in Fayetteville, Ark., before opening a private practice in Lawrence in 1984. Besides being active in First United Methodist Church, Otten is a member and past president of the Cottonwood Foundation board of directors and has been instrumental in the development and sponsorship of charitable events that benefit the foundation, such as the Kansas Open Golf Tournament, The Jayhawk Three-on-Three Shootout, Salute-A Festival of Food and Wine, and the Designer Showcase Home. He is a former member and past president of the Lawrence Sertoma Club as well as Youth Sports Inc., which developed a large recreational facility for children that enjoys much use today. Otten is currently a member of the Friends of the Lied board of directors as well as the chairman of its marketing committee. He also has recently been chosen to serve on the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

Chris Piper

Chris Piper has been president of Grandstand Sportswear and Glassware since 1988. He has a business degree from Kansas University.

Mary Ross

Mary Ross is a fourth-generation farmer and co-owner of Nunemaker-Ross Inc. and Bismarck Gardens. Ross has been involved in 4-H and Extension programs in Douglas County and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness network. She is a member of the Kansas Livestock Assn., Kansas Corn Growers Assn., National Corn Growers Assn. and the American Soybean Assn.

Maley Wilkins

Maley Wilkins is community president of Peoples Bank. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Kansas University in personnel administration. In addition to the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, she is involved with The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, Kiwanis International, The Shelter Inc., Project Graduation, the Lawrence Homebuilders, USD 497 Equity Council and Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Maley is a former member of the USD 497 Board of Education.