John Michael Handley, community driven and people oriented

Before joining the Diode team five years ago, John Michael received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and his Master of Civil Engineering, both from the University of Kansas. He is now pursuing his Master of Business Administration from University of Missouri- Kansas City. John Michael was steered toward Black and Veatch by one of his professors at KU, where he started as a Water Resources Engineer in 2018. In a rotational program at Black and Veatch called EDGE, John Michael was introduced to many new professionals during his time in the program and rotated to Diode in January of 2020. He started as a project associate, and he quickly fell in love with the work he was doing and the people he was surrounded by. His question to himself was “I want to be here, what value do I need to show and provide to be able to stay?” Shortly after, he exited the EDGE program to join the Diode team full time as a Project Manager.  

In his time at Diode Ventures, John Michael has undergone what he calls a natural progression of responsibilities. His first project, Rocky Branch Creek, gave him the opportunity to oversee the project go from greenfield development to a completed and sold. After completing a few projects of his own, he was promoted to Senior Project Development Manager and now oversees a team of four people to mentor.  

Outside of Diode, John Michael was appointed to Lenexa’s Planning Commission in early 2020, which also placed him on the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals. As a member of the board, he was responsible for reviewing staff reports on plats and rezoning applications as well as conducting oversight on preliminary and final plans. He also served on Lenexa’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. As a Planning Commissioner, John Michael was able to bring valuable insights back into the workplace by focusing on what officials would focus on. Because of his invaluable experience, he is able to anticipate questions and have answers prepared to bring knowledge to communities. John Michael’s ethos is to never develop a project he wouldn’t be willing to approve as a Commissioner.  

John Michael’s family roots are planted in civic engagement. Growing up, his grandfather was on the Rural Water Board and worked closely with the local free masons in his hometown. His dad was later also involved with the water board and served as member and President of the Onaga School District Board. This instilled the idea in Handley that you give back to your community, in any way you can. Because of his success in his role of Planning Commissioner for 5 years and his commitment to community, John Michael was appointed City Councilperson, Ward 1 in Lenexa in early 2025.  

John Michael is an outstanding team member at Diode Ventures and has been recognized as such. He is a Bloch LEAD Scholar at UMKC, received the ASPiRE Impact Award at Black and Veatch in 2022 with his fellow leaders in the Pride Employee Resource Group, and the 2024 Diode Culture Award recipient. In May 2025, John Michael was named a Kansas City Business Journal NextGen Leader. The award recognizes growing talent in the Kansas City area and force multipliers across organizations who consistently demonstrate constructive mindsets and enthusiasm for organizations around them. John Michael emphasized that everyone on the list has amazing track records, and it is special to him to be included on the list. After work, most people go home to their hobbies, but for John Michael, working for the people around him and for his community is his hobby.

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