Sly James and Joni Wickham: Kansas City’s Dynamic Duo Leading with Purpose

From Marine and Mayor to Mentor and Mediator: Sly James’s Journey

Sly James’s life has been defined by service and leadership in many forms. A Kansas City native, James grew up on the city’s East Side and learned early how to navigate being the only person of color in certain rooms – an experience that taught him “a lot about people and dealing with people who were not like me”[1]. After high school, he served as a military police officer in the Marines during the Vietnam War era, enlisting to improve his odds of avoiding combat and spending four years stationed in California and East Asia[2]. Upon returning home, James pursued education with the same determination: he graduated cum laude from Rockhurst College and went on to earn his law degree (also with honors) from the University of Minnesota[3]. In the legal world, he broke barriers – becoming the first African-American partner at a major Kansas City firm[4] – and built a successful 30-year career as a trial attorney before entering public office.

Elected Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri in 2011, Sly James oversaw nothing short of a civic renaissance over his two terms[5]. He proved he wasn’t afraid of big challenges or bold vision. For example, James famously moved public opinion on building a new single-terminal airport from only 25% support to 76% approval in under a year[6] – a testament to his persuasive coalition-building. Under his leadership, Kansas City undertook transformative projects: constructing and expanding a modern downtown streetcar line, passing an $800 million infrastructure package to upgrade city facilities, opening an 800-room convention hotel, and launching the nation’s first smart city initiative with cutting-edge tech infrastructure[7][8]. He also collaborated with Major League Baseball to build the Urban Youth Academy for local kids and championed improvements in education, helping boost third-grade reading proficiency citywide[9]. Throughout these efforts, James made sure to prioritize inclusion and equity. He had long translated his commitment to diversity into action – even before it was a buzzword – such as when, as president of the city bar association in 2003, he convened law firm leaders to create the Heartland Diversity Job Fair, an initiative that won an American Bar Association award for advancing minority hiring[10]. That forward-looking mindset on equity, technology, and education defined his mayoralty. By the time he left City Hall in 2019, Sly James had garnered numerous honors – from being named a “Champion of Education” by public television to receiving the National “Paid Leave Leader” award – so many that “his staff worried he’d need a bigger desk,” his team joked[11]. But perhaps James’s greatest legacy was less about trophies and more about the renewed optimism he brought to Kansas City. As one colleague noted, he gave a city that “needed a reason to feel good about itself” a newfound confidence[12].

From North Carolina to City Hall: Joni Wickham’s Rise in Public Service

If James brought the big vision, Joni Wickham supplied the strategic savvy and communications grit to make it a reality. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Wickham’s journey to Kansas City began far from any halls of power – she “grew up in a trailer park in rural North Carolina,” a background that instilled in her a relentless work ethic and determination to defy expectations[13][14]. Armed with a Master’s in Political Science from the University of Missouri, she built her career behind the scenes in politics and government. Wickham led initiatives at the American Federation of Teachers, worked in the Missouri Department of Transportation, and served in the office of Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan prior to arriving at Kansas City’s City Hall[15][16]. Those roles honed her skills in policy and messaging – and gave her early examples of strong female leadership to emulate. She often cites Carnahan as a mentor who showed her “how a high-profile woman leader really navigates the thin line” between being seen as “too nice” or “too bitchy” – the double standard that women in authority face[17][18]. Wickham would later channel those lessons into her own leadership style (and even into a book, more on that later).

In 2011, Joni Wickham came to work for Mayor Sly James, and over eight years in the mayor’s office – most of them as his Chief of Staff – she proved herself an accomplished political strategist, communications expert, and organizational leader[19]. Tasked with turning the Mayor’s ambitious ideas into action, Wickham became known as an “artful negotiator” who could build consensus and “steer Sly’s major development projects” to completion[20]. Whether it was navigating a delicate policy issue, wrangling stakeholders for a development deal, or handling a City Hall crisis, Wickham approached it with “grit, grace, and getting things done” – the personal mantra she’s earned among colleagues[21]. Her impact did not go unnoticed: she helped raise Kansas City’s profile nationally and internationally, and earned a reputation as one of the most powerful women in Kansas City (she was named to Kansas City’s 50 Most Powerful People list and the Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” class of 2023)[22][23].

Wickham’s passion for empowering women and elevating underrepresented voices also became a hallmark of her work. She was often the only woman in high-level meetings, and she excelled by combining what she calls “tobacco field tenacity” with sharp strategic thinking[24][25]. In 2020, she distilled her experiences into a best-selling memoir bluntly titled “The Thin Line Between Cupcake and Bitch: Taking Action, Driving Change and Getting Results”, which offers a candid take on being a woman in the corridors of power[26]. The book’s tongue-in-cheek title belies the serious message inside: a call for women to own their leadership style and not be deterred by others’ labels. (It struck a chord, hitting No. 1 in Amazon’s Women in Politics category upon release[27].) Wickham’s journey from a teen in rural North Carolina – born to a 14-year-old mother – to a chief of staff and influential consultant is, by itself, an inspiring Kansas City leadership story[28][29]. But it’s the story of what she and Sly James chose to do together after 2019 that truly highlights the power of their partnership.

Eight Years at City Hall: A Partnership Forged in Public Service

By the time Mayor James’s second term was ending, Sly and Joni had spent eight years in the trenches together, navigating challenges that sometimes felt like “scenes from West Wing one day, Veep the next, and Parks and Recreation the day after that”[30]. Side by side, this unlikely duo – the bow-tie-wearing mayor and his candid southern-born chief of staff – rebuilt Kansas City’s confidence and tackled a dizzying array of issues. “In the mayor’s office, [we were] juggling 15 hot potatoes under the watchful eye of the media and the public,” Wickham quipped, “it really sets you up to handle just about anything after going through that dynamic together for eight years.”[31]. Together, they learned to thrive under the microscope of public scrutiny and to balance each other’s strengths. James was the visionary and public face, never shying from tough decisions, while Wickham was the strategist and stabilizer, turning bold ideas into concrete results. “We know how to not only achieve goals, but surpass them. We also know how to build the coalitions necessary to move big projects forward,” their team reflected on those years[30][32]. Indeed, many of Kansas City’s recent successes were products of this collaboration – from the downtown revival projects to progressive policies. Wickham helped negotiate key development initiatives and communications campaigns that raised Kansas City’s national profile[33], while James provided the charismatic leadership to rally support. In City Hall, they were known as a formidable duo who could get things done. “Mayor James and Joni Wickham are an incredible team who bring a uniquely inclusive and collaborative approach to getting things done,” observed one civic leader, noting their diverse perspectives and hands-on style[34]. Those years in public office cemented not just a working relationship, but a deep friendship built on trust. As James later said, “Joni and I are very, very good friends – best friends”, a bond that would shape their next move[35].

From City Hall to Consulting: Launching Wickham James Strategies & Solutions

When Sly James hit his mayoral term limit in 2019, he and Joni Wickham faced the question of “what next?” For two driven public servants not yet ready to slow down, the answer seemed obvious: keep doing what they loved, just in a different arena. “Joni and I…decided, a year or two before we were out of office, [to] start thinking about what do we do next?” James recalled[36]. Neither relished returning to business-as-usual careers – “I knew I didn’t want to return to the practice of law on a day-to-day basis… or be a worker bee in another person’s endeavor after being mayor,” James said, “Joni felt the same”[37][38]. They realized their partnership was something special they wanted to carry forward. “Our personalities were not only complementary, they were puzzle pieces… where my edges ended, hers began,” James observed of their dynamic, “we fit together pretty well.”[39] With that in mind, the two friends set out to build a business that could leverage their unique combined skillset in service of the causes they cared about.

In the fall of 2019, Wickham James Strategies & Solutions was born – a boutique consulting firm with a mission grounded in public affairs and purposeful work. Launching the company felt like a natural extension of their time at City Hall. “For [us]… launching a consulting firm was a ‘natural next step’ in our careers,” James told the press at the time[40]. “We had to find something that would allow us to follow up on the issues that we had grown attached to while in office, and this was the best way to do it – and the best person to work with,” he said, referring to Wickham[41]. In other words, the new firm was a chance for them to “still have an impact on the things we cared about” even while no longer in elected office[42]. Wickham shared that sentiment. After years of managing a constant stream of diverse issues in the mayor’s office, they both hungered for the “intellectual variety” and adrenaline that public leadership had offered[31]. Consulting would let them choose projects across a wide spectrum. “Our primary goal is to serve the clients we’ve already acquired and to continue to build the business – and to do it in such a way that we still leave time for life,” James said, striking a balance between impact and personal well-being[43]. “We want to… work on things that matter,” he emphasized, underlining that purpose would guide their venture as much as profit[44].

From the outset, the launch of Wickham James Strategies & Solutions garnered buzz in the Kansas City community. Notably, the Kansas City Business Journal ran the playful headline: “Sly James Goes into Business with his Ex-Chief of Staff (And She Gets Top Billing).” True enough, the firm’s name deliberately puts “Wickham” first – at Sly James’s own insistence. It was Sly’s idea to put my name first. “You made me look better than I deserved for eight years,” he said. “So now it’s your turn,” Wickham recounted of her mentor’s gracious gesture[45]. That small detail spoke volumes about their partnership: even as James had been the public figure, he wanted to spotlight Wickham’s equal role in their joint endeavor. In fact, the very ethos of Wickham James is that two leaders are better than one. As one local commentator noted, having Sly and Joni together is like getting “two for one” in expertise – “Two is always better than one” when it comes to the perspective they bring[46]. With their new firm officially launched, James and Wickham stepped into the private sector with the same enthusiasm and sense of mission that defined their public service.

Strategies, Solutions, and Service: Consulting with a Purpose

At first glance, Wickham James Strategies & Solutions is a consulting firm offering services in strategic communications, public affairs, political strategy, mediation, and leadership development[47][48]. But dig a little deeper, and it’s clear that Sly James and Joni Wickham have built something more than a typical consultancy. They have purpose woven into their business model. “We’ve had our foot in governmental, quasi-governmental, public service type issues every step along the way, and that’s pretty much our sweet spot,” James explained[49][50]. Rather than chasing any client with a checkbook, they are selective, focusing on projects that align with their values and experience. The pair decided early on that they “didn’t want to walk out of the mayor’s office…and then just turn into people who are only interested in commercial success. We had to do things that we thought had value beyond ourselves.”[51] Community impact remains the north star. Indeed, the firm’s initial focus areas reflected issues close to their hearts: education, economic development, climate change, and women’s leadership were among the priorities they identified from day one[52]. Wickham James wasn’t going to be a lobbying shop for hire – it would be a strategy and solutions partner for causes and organizations making a difference. As their tagline declares, “We turn complexity into clarity. We love big challenges. We embrace bold change.”[53]

In practice, that has meant that Wickham and James often choose engagements with a civic or social impact angle. One early client was She Should Run, a nonpartisan nonprofit encouraging women to run for office[54]. They also partnered with United WE (United Women’s Empowerment) on women’s leadership initiatives, and with LaunchCode to grow tech talent and workforce diversity[54]. Both co-founders are passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders – especially women and people of color – and those partnerships underline that commitment. Another project saw them working on Missouri’s Medicaid expansion campaign, lending their political strategy and communications know-how to help more low-income residents gain healthcare coverage[55]. They similarly jumped into the fight for paid family leave and a higher minimum wage, playing a role in the successful passage of Missouri’s Proposition A, which expanded paid medical leave and raised wages for workers[56]. Not every client is a nonprofit or advocacy effort; Wickham James also advises municipalities and businesses on governance and communications. But even then, the focus stays on public good. For instance, when St. Louis’s incoming mayor needed guidance on setting up her administration, Sly and Joni spent months as behind-the-scenes advisors – helping her transition, set up a team, and even navigate the crisis of a tornado that struck in her first weeks in office[57][58]. “We were able to use our experience to help another mayor…get her bearings,” James said of that effort[57], proud that Kansas City’s know-how could benefit a neighboring city. Closer to home, they’ve consulted with the City of St. Joseph, Missouri on a public bond issue to improve local infrastructure[59], and they remain go-to advisors for civic initiatives around the region – from transit development districts to urban redevelopment plans.

Beyond government clients, Wickham James has made an impact in the nonprofit sector, helping organizations amplify their missions. A great example is their work with Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas. Goodwill engaged Wickham James to boost its public profile and correct misconceptions. James and Wickham launched a public relations campaign to “increase [Goodwill’s] visibility and educate people about what it does”, showcasing Goodwill’s job training programs and community services beyond its thrift stores[60][61]. They made sure media were present at store openings and workforce program events, generating positive press. “We got them out to places where they were doing work…job training, and got that done,” James noted, describing how their team secured news coverage of Goodwill’s initiatives[62]. The project evolved into advising on internal communications and strategy as Goodwill prepared to merge with its St. Louis counterpart[63]. By all accounts, the campaign was a success – helping Goodwill reposition its brand and expand its reach. For Sly James and Joni Wickham, assignments like this hit the sweet spot: using their skills in coalition-building, media strategy, and policy know-how to lift up organizations that in turn lift up the community.

Underpinning all these efforts is a very client-centered, collaborative approach. James and Wickham pride themselves on not coming in with a cookie-cutter plan. “We don’t come in and try to tell you what to do. We come in and ask you what needs to be done,” James explained of their consulting philosophy[64]. They start by listening – identifying a client’s definition of success – then work backwards to design a strategy to achieve it. “Listen, understand, design a plan, and act,” is how James sums up their four-step process[65]. Whether the client is a nonprofit, a government agency, or a corporation, the fundamentals are the same: “find out what the issues are…what do they need, what do they want… determine whether we can help…if so, tailor a plan to exactly what they need”[66][64]. That personalized touch, combined with the duo’s insider knowledge of how government works, makes Wickham James a sought-after adviser for complex public-facing challenges. As one Kansas City nonprofit CEO put it, “Their diverse perspectives and the personal attention they give to projects make them wonderful partners for any organization working for change.”[67]

An Inspiring Kansas City Leadership Story

In the end, the story of Sly James and Joni Wickham is more than the sum of their titles and projects. It’s a story of visionary leadership, genuine partnership, and homegrown impact. Few former big-city mayors choose to stay in their city and invest their energies back into local and regional causes the way Sly James did after 2019. And few chiefs of staff have parlayed their behind-the-scenes skills into such a visible leadership role as Joni Wickham has, emerging as a prominent civic leader in her own right. Together, they’ve proven that public service doesn’t have to end when the term limits expire – it can simply take on a new form. “We didn’t want to walk out of the mayor’s office, after spending 8 years trying to find ways to move the city forward, and then just turn into people who are only interested in commercial success,” James said, reflecting on their mindset after leaving office[51]. Instead, he and Wickham built a new avenue to keep serving the public interest, while also forging a successful business. Five years into running Wickham James Strategies & Solutions, their enthusiasm hasn’t waned one bit. “We never shy away from taking on tough challenges,” Wickham said of their approach, “Sly James and I really enjoy bringing bold visions to life.”[68].

Crucially, the duo’s grounding in Kansas City gives their work a special resonance. They are advising on statewide and national issues, but Kansas City remains at the heart of their narrative and identity. This is the city James grew up in and led as mayor, and the city where Wickham cut her teeth in politics and is now raising her family. By channeling their talents into local initiatives – from mentoring women leaders to guiding civic improvements – they continue to shape the region’s future. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, James was honored with a Kansas City leadership award, and in his acceptance speech he made sure to credit his partner Wickham and their shared belief in “a purpose bigger than ourselves.” The legacy of Sly and Joni is still being written, but it’s already a powerful example of post-public-office leadership done right: innovative, inclusive, and impact-driven. As Harvard Professor Stephen Goldsmith observed, together “they possess an exceptional ability to combine vision, strategy and execution in areas of public affairs,” and their advice is as effective as their record of results in office[69]. In other words, Kansas City’s dynamic duo is still giving back and getting things done – and having a blast doing it. Their story reminds us that when leaders commit to a cause and to each other, the end of one chapter is just the beginning of another, and the positive impact can continue for years to come.

[1] [2] [4] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [49] [50] [51] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] [66] Dialogue from Interview

file://file_00000000b5a8722f99cef8e690685ff8

[3] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] Sly James – Wickham James

https://wickhamjames.com/who-we-are/sly-james/

[12] [30] [32] [48] WHO WE ARE – Wickham James

https://wickhamjames.com/who-we-are/

[13] [17] [45] [54] [68] Joni Wickham Shares the Thin Line Between Cupcake and Bitch — Good People, Cool Things

https://www.goodpeoplecoolthings.com/spotlights/joni-wickham

[14] [16] [18] [24] [25] [27] [28] [29] ‘Thin Line Between Cupcake and Bitch’: Women find universal message in bestseller, KC author says

https://www.startlandnews.com/2020/07/joni-wickham/

[15] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [26] [33] Joni Wickham – Wickham James

https://wickhamjames.com/who-we-are/joni-wickham/