Sydney Bannister


Sydney Bannister Headshot
  • Communications Manager

Biography

Sydney handles schoolwide internal and external communications efforts including but not limited to strategic communications, social media, newsletters, alumni engagement, website maintenance, etc. Sydney has spent the last decade working in local government for cities such as Manhattan and Olathe on the Kansas side and Kansas City, Missouri in addition to Management Partners Consulting (now part of Baker Tilly) as well as the League of Kansas Municipalities.

A two-time graduate of SPAA – Sydney was a Mary Litchfield, Wildgen Family, and Rachel Hut Bremen Memorial Fellow graduating from the City/County Management Fellowship with her MPA. Before her graduate degree, she graduated from KU with a bachelor’s in public administration with minors in law & society and leadership studies. During her undergraduate career, Sydney was a two-time Undergraduate Research Award winner for her research involving frontline supervisors in law enforcement; research that landed her a panel seat at the National Law and Society Conference.

Sydney served two years as president of Sigma Kappa sorority on campus and a coordinator at the Center for Community Outreach for the Lifeline Tutoring program. Sydney was a participant and program coordinator for the Kansas Women’s Leadership Institute and attended the LeaderShape Institute, Colors of KU, and SFL Impact retreats.

Education

MPA in City / County Management Fellowship, University of Kansas
B.A. in Public Administration; Minor in Law & Society and Leadership Studies, University of Kansas

Awards & Honors

Mary Litchfield Scholarship

Wildgen Family Scholarship

Rachel Hut Bremen Memorial Fund Scholarship