Laura Maxwell Named Citizen of the Year
The City of Lee’s Summit and Mayor J. Beto Lopez are proud to name Laura Maxwell as the 2026 Citizen of the Year, recognizing her outstanding commitment to the community through volunteer leadership, professional excellence, and dedication to making Lee’s Summit a better place to live, work, and thrive. Maxwell was honored Thursday at the Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit weekly meeting at Unity Village.
Maxwell has spent decades investing in Lee’s Summit through both her career and extensive volunteer service. A dedicated community advocate, she has held or currently holds leadership roles with the Chamber of Commerce, Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, Legacy for Lee’s Summit Parks Foundation, John Knox Village Foundation, Eastland Giving Circle, and serves as the president of the Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit. She also serves as co-chair of the Lee’s Summit 2026 initiative, helping shape the community’s vision for the future.
Maxwell is the President of Apricus Communications, where she works to help organizations and individuals communicate more effectively through strategic messaging, presentation, and communication coaching. Before launching Apricus Communications, she spent more than 19 years with the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, where she connected students with local business leaders through the Partners in Education program and provided leadership for district library programs. Her work helped create meaningful partnerships that prepared students for success while strengthening connections between schools and the business community.
Throughout her career, Maxwell has been recognized for her ability to bring people together, build consensus, and create opportunities for collaboration. Her strengths in communication, facilitation, and team building have made a lasting impact on countless students, organizations, and community members.
Laura has spent decades investing in Lee’s Summit through both her professional career and volunteer service. “Although she’s been engaged in our community for many years, I’m most impressed by her level of commitment this past year having served as Chamber board president, Rotary president, and co-chair of the LS 2026 initiative!” said Mayor Lopez.
The Citizen of the Year award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional service, leadership, and commitment to the Lee’s Summit community. Through her professional achievements, volunteer leadership, and passion for helping others succeed, Maxwell exemplifies the spirit of service that defines the award. She will be honored, along with Citizens of the Year from six other Eastern Jackson County communities, at the Truman Heartland Community Foundation’s annual Toast to Our Towns Gala this fall.