Topeka, KAN. – April 21, 2026 – Leadership Kansas is pleased to announce that Rafael Mendez, LK ’22 and Vice President of Customer Culture at Blue Beacon, Inc., has been named the Leadership Kansas Alumni of the Year, honoring his exceptional leadership, service, and commitment to strengthening Kansas communities.

Mendez’s path to leadership was anything but conventional. Raised in Miami, he did not set out to become a Kansan. More than two decades ago, a life altering decision led him to Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, and Kansas became home by choice. What began as a second chance became a lifelong commitment to leadership, growth, and service.

Today, he is a results driven executive known for navigating complex business challenges with both strategic precision and humor. As Vice President of Customer Culture at Blue Beacon, he has helped guide organizations through significant growth, mergers, and operational transformations. His professional experience includes scaling emerging brands into multimillion dollar leaders, optimizing food manufacturing supply chains, and building workplace cultures where people, not just profits, thrive.

While his resume is impressive, colleagues often say Rafael’s true superpower is people. Spend more than a few minutes with him and you are likely to leave with a personalized growth plan, a new perspective, and possibly a lifelong friendship. His passion for mentoring is legendary, embraced enthusiastically by coworkers and affectionately referred to by his three daughters as unsolicited “Dad-vice.”

A first generation Cuban American with a Juris Doctor from Washburn University, Rafael has fully embraced Kansas life. He now considers 60 degree weather to be t-shirt territory. His gratitude for the state that welcomed him is reflected in his deep civic involvement. He recently completed nine years on the Kansas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees, serves on the Salina Family Healthcare Center Board, supports entrepreneurs through Project OPEN, and contributes to the Leadership Kansas Advisory Board.

Mendez frequently travels across the state sharing his story, using both setbacks and successes to remind others that their past does not have to define their future.

Click Here for Rafael’s Full Bio

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For more information, contact Leadership Kansas LK@KansasChamber.org.