Junior Achievement Announces Four 2016 Laureates

BY MEGAN HART, TOPEKA CAPITAL-JOURNAL — The four laureates in the Topeka Business Hall of Fame don't define their success by the money they made or awards they received, but by the people they worked with.

Junior Achievement of Kansas announced its 2016 laureates Tuesday morning at the Topeka Country Club. The four will be inducted in a ceremony in March. This year's inductees were Andrew Corbin, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas; Neil Dobler, vice president in charge of the public works division at Bartlett & West; Dick Pratt, a retired retail and real estate entrepreneur; and Eugene Williams, executive director of KTWU.

Corbin has been CEO of BCBS of Kansas since 2007. He joined the company as director of sales in 1987. He said his most significant accomplishment, however, was finding talented people interested in committing to an employer and a city.

"My success has been that I put together a good team," he said.

Dobler said he was most proud of being able to serve in the public sector while succeeding in business. Dobler worked for the city of Topeka for 12 years, including several as director of public works and one as interim city manager before going to work at Bartlett & West. He said initially he had planned to go to Kansas City at the beginning of his career, but the company closed that office and decided he would move to Topeka, which he found more vibrant and engaging than expected.

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