Featured business person: Kevin Chiles

Kevin Chiles

Vice president of human resources, IMA Financial Group

Chiles came to Wichita for an internship in human resources 30 years ago and found he liked both the job and the city.

“I think it’s just that combination of being able to work with people and business, which I think is really interesting,” he said.

Chiles, 53, was born in Maryland and later moved with his family to central Kansas. He graduated from Emporia State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in industrial psychology. He has worked for Cessna, Commerce Bank and, most recently, Via Christi Health.

“It’s one of those careers like accounting where it’s pretty much the same across” industries, he said. “The issues you have with people are pretty much the same.”

What attracted him to IMA, he said, is that it’s an employee-owned company with an “exciting culture.”

“It’s growing. It has a robust health and wellness program that employees enthusiastically participate in. It gives back to the community through the I Make a Difference Day,” which is April 27 this year.

Chiles will oversee human resources for about 200 employees in Wichita along with other IMA locations in Dallas, Denver and Kansas City.

Chiles and his wife, Pam, have three sons – Alex, Colin and Tracy.

Outside work he enjoys reading, running and watching college basketball – “So of course I’m a huge Shockers fan.”

Joe Stumpe

This story was originally published April 3, 2013 at 9:52 PM with the headline "Featured business person: Kevin Chiles."