20 under 40: Kasey Clark
Kasey oversees a team of application developers, business analysts and contractors who are responsible for all meter data and related IT infrastructure within Evergy. He has been with Evergy for the past 10 years and been able to use his knowledge in the IT field to develop a social organization for software developers called Code Topeka.
He’s been recognized as an industry leader in field-side mobile technologies by IBM, and has spoken at numerous tech conferences about field side technologies.
No stranger to volunteer work, Kasey also has a love for hiking and mountain biking, currently serving as a head coach of SHRED Topeka as part of a statewide effort to launch a mountain bike league. Through SHRED Topeka, he has the opportunity to help provide a safe environment for kids of all ages to explore biking and grow in the sport. Through his volunteer work, he was able to partner with Evergy’s Green Team and the Kansas Trail Council to help build over 6 miles of trails at Skyline Park over the last eight years. Kasey also serves as a committee member on the Shawnee County Parks and Rec Advisory Council and is the statewide coaching director for NICA Kansas Chapter.
What does a day in your life look like?
I try and separate my life into buckets to make sure that I’m meeting all my priorities and balancing things that are important to me: family, work, volunteerism and self-care. Usually I am up at 6:30 in order to get my daughter her breakfast and out the door for school. Then I head to the basement to get work done. Since I’ve been working from home the last year or so, I’ve been going on more bike rides over lunch, which allows me to come back for the second half of my workday with good energy. Once my daughter gets dropped off from school you can usually find my family and me at Skyline Park, Cedar Crest, Heartland BMX, or occasionally with a group of friends on mountain bikes riding around town.
How do you track success?
I’m one of those folks who constantly gives and takes feedback from my employees, peers and leadership. There’s a concept in cycling known as marginal gains—where even the smallest tweak is done to make processes more efficient. I am never afraid to ask questions, as I think being curious can lead to some pretty great things. I’m also a giant data nerd and think benchmarking and KPI’s are really important to keep as many eyes on the prize as possible.
What is the biggest risk you have taken?
On mile 2 of a 37 mile mountain bike ride, I once drank straight from a mountain stream. I’m still alive so that’s good—but I was super worried that I had swallowed an amoeba or something.
