Principal
Topeka
kwhisman@hbstrategies.us
Katie is as an accomplished legislative negotiator who lawmakers and clients count on to get things done. Her broad experience in the state includes a decorated career in leadership positions with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) as well as success as a sole practitioner of a specialized lobbying practice in Topeka.
Katie served 18 years with the KBI, quickly rising from civilian support staff to sworn service and eventually became a valued member of the executive leadership team. The first woman promoted to the rank of KBI Special Agent in Charge, she was appointed by the Director to serve as the Executive Officer. During her tenure, Katie managed the Office of Government Affairs for the Bureau and was the principal advisor to the Director and Executive Staff for legislative affairs.
Katie later put her public policy experience with KBI to work for clients as she opened an independent lobbying practice in 2020 and successfully operated the business until joining HBS. In the ten years she has worked in the statehouse, as both a government official and an independent consultant, she has successfully advocated for the appropriation of nearly $80 million in state and federal funding for public health and public safety issues related to her clients.
Katie received the KBI’s “Director’s Unit Citation Award” and national recognition for her work in forming and managing a statewide multidisciplinary working group for the Kansas Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. She was more recently honored with the Leadership Kansas Distinguished Leadership Award, presented by Leadership Kansas Board of Trustees.
Katie earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Washburn University in Topeka. She later earned a Kansas Law Enforcement Certification from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Hutchinson, Kansas. Katie is also a certified public manager, earning her credential from the University of Kansas Public Management Center.
Katie is a lifelong Kansan and lives in the Topeka area with her two daughters.
