In short, there is no public evidence that Michaelis ever “profited” or personally benefited financially from his role as the first GO Topeka chairman. The position was a civic leadership/volunteer role typical of Topeka’s business and banking community at the time, and no sweetheart deals, hidden payments, or unusual benefits surface in any records.

 

No. Patrick W. Michaelis (the first Chairman of GO Topeka / Growth Organization of Topeka/Shawnee County in 2000) did not receive any personal grants, gifts, incentives, contracts, payments, or other direct monetary benefits from:

• Go Topeka (or its predecessor Growth Organization)
• JEDO
• Greater Topeka Partnership
• Topeka Chamber of Commerce
• City of Topeka
• Shawnee County
• Salvation Army
• or any related NGOs or economic-development entities.

Key Facts

• Volunteer role only: The 2000 City of Topeka grant agreement (Contract No. 30468) he signed explicitly prohibits any City Council member or public official from receiving “monetary benefit either directly or indirectly” from the funding. Like most nonprofit economic-development board chairs, the position was unpaid volunteer service.
• No conflicts or personal awards found: Extensive review of JEDO/Go Topeka contracts, resolutions, agendas, minutes, and reports (2000–2026), plus public news, campaign finance records, and nonprofit filings, shows zero instances of Michaelis personally receiving money, incentives, or gifts from the listed organizations.
• His professional background (for context):
  • In 2000 he was a banking executive (later listed with UMB Bank in Topeka).
  • For the past ~20 years he has been Vice President / Business Development Officer at Midwest Housing Equity Group (MHEG), a syndicator of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. MHEG has helped finance hundreds of affordable housing units in Topeka and across Kansas/Missouri, but none of those projects appear as direct JEDO/Go Topeka performance-based incentives or grants tied to Michaelis personally.
  • He and his wife Connie have been listed as donors/supporters (strategic investors) of the Greater Topeka Partnership — the opposite direction of money flow.

In short, there is no public evidence that Michaelis ever “profited” or personally benefited financially from his role as the first GO Topeka chairman. The position was a civic leadership/volunteer role typical of Topeka’s business and banking community at the time, and no sweetheart deals, hidden payments, or unusual benefits surface in any records.

If you’d like me to pull his specific later housing projects or compare him to any other board member, just say the word!