This book is a tribute to the legacy of John and Cindy McCain. It is my story based on my personal experiences, memories, and thoughts. I consider myself fortunate to have been close to John and Cindy McCain as they launched in 1982 what would become iconic, dual careers in public service through the next four decades.
Cindy’s continued leadership inspires. As the current executive director of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning World Food Programme, she is a driving force in its efforts to combat hunger, its contribution to creating peace in conflict-affected areas, and in preventing the use of food as a weapon of war.
I hope you will enjoy and reflect on my personal stories from the first campaign. With my unique perspective as John’s first press secretary, they represent a personification of democratic values based on the Navy’s eleven leadership principles. My hope is that this offering can serve as a figurative field guide to those who believe in the promise of our country as we collectively contemplate what today’s leadership now requires.
What They’re Saying About McCain’s Navy Class of ’82
“Preserving the legacy of Arizona’s John McCain as one of the country’s most iconic statesmen is important work for the public trust and annals of history. As McCain’s first press secretary, Marla Sheiner, brings to historians and chroniclers a collection of rare documents from his first Congressional campaign and testaments to his leadership. A memoir and tribute to McCain making us feel closer to his flame as an ardent protector and defender of democracies throughout the world.”
—Greg Barr, Editor In Chief, Phoenix Business Journal
“Where would we be without our mentors who show us the way? In Marla Sheiner’s memoir, McCain’s Navy* Class of ‘82, we time travel back to McCain’s first campaign when a fiery start-up staff helped him put down the shoe leather to become elected to Congress representing Arizona’s CD#1. We see in vivid detail the leadership principles that propelled them to victory. This is testament that McCain, who would later be known as The Maverick in his storied US Senate career, accepted the role as mentor to many of us–a role he accepted with duty, honor and love of country. A book for all seasons, all start-ups, candidates, and staff contemplating a run for a cause greater than themselves.”
—Dr. Bill Pepicello, Former President, University of Phoenix
The Mingenback Chronicles: The Romance and Tragedy of Winning a Home in the West
In 1884, a young Carl Frederick Mingenback rode west on horseback from Cleveland into the unknown, drawn by the promise of land, liberty, and a future built by hand. What he found—and helped shape—was nothing less than the foundation of modern Kansas.
In The Mingenback Chronicles: The Romance and Tragedy of Winning a Home in the West, this firsthand memoir, written in 1928 and unpublished until now, brings to life the wild promise and punishing trials of settling the Central Plains. From the founding of Greensburg and Kiowa County to the boomtown spirit of McPherson, Carl’s voice captures a time of floods, droughts, ambition, and grit with remarkable intimacy and clarity.
But his journey didn’t end at the frontier’s edge. Carl would go on to become a national leader in the cooperative insurance movement, serving for thirty years as board secretary of Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance based in McPherson, KS. As both visionary and principal author of the national association’s landmark 1906 Mutual Insurance Manual, his influence endures in the historical record of the mutual insurance field.
This is more than a settler’s tale—it’s the rediscovered legacy of a Kansas pioneer whose vision helped shape communities, protect livelihoods, and seed a tradition of civic responsibility that still echoes across the Midwest. A powerful testament to personal conviction and public purpose, The Mingenback Chronicles invites readers into a long-buried treasure of American history—told in the words of the man who lived it.
“Praise For Pages” of The Mingenback Chronicles: The Romance and Tragedy of Winning a Home in the West
“Carl Mingenback’s influence on Farmers Alliance and the broader cooperative movement is immeasurable. This memoir is more than a family history—it’s a window into the heart of a man who helped define what mutual insurance could be then and whose values now undergird the industry today. His story reminds us why values like service, trust, and responsibility endure.”
— Keith Birkhead, President of the Board, Farmers Alliance
“Carl F. Mingenback helped lay the very foundation upon which the Farmers Alliance brand was built. His first-person memoir gives modern readers a rare look into the challenges of settling the central plains—and the cooperative spirit that became a legacy for our entire industry. His memoir is a provocative and powerful historical document and a centennial tribute to a man who helped shape the values which guide our industry today.”
–Brian Lopata, President & CEO, Farmers Alliance
“Through Carl Mingenback’s eyes, we are transported to a Kansas few of us can imagine—but to which we all owe a debt. His reflections offer rare insight into the hardships, hopes, and civic spirit that shaped our state. This memoir reminds us that the values of rural life—resilience, cooperation, and vision—are still worth holding onto today.”
— Rick Wilborn, Vice President, Kansas State Senate,
District 35 Representative & Former Farmers Alliance Senior Executive
“Carl Mingenback’s voice in this memoir reminds us of the bedrock values that built McPherson—determination, neighborly cooperation, and a deep belief in building a better future. As a pioneer, civic leader, and co-architect of the mutual insurance movement, his story is not only part of McPherson’s history, but also our identity. This publication honors a legacy that continues to shape the heart of McPherson and I have been honored to try to follow in the footsteps of Carl Mingenback. During my time as mayor of McPherson, we have used funds from the Mingenback Foundation for several important projects. He is still impacting our community and the insurance industry of Kansas.”
— Tom Brown – Mayor of McPherson, & Former Farmers Alliance Executive Vice President
“As Greensburg’s first mayor, Carl Mingenback helped lay the civic and cultural foundation of a Kansas town built on ambition and grit. His memoir is a vivid, invaluable glimpse into the vision and perseverance it took to build community on the American frontier. A powerful voice worth rediscovering for all Kansans.”
— Matt Christenson – Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas
“Carl Mingenback’s legacy is foundational to McPherson’s civic and commercial vitality. His commitment to entrepreneurship and community enrichment reflects the values our Chamber of Commerce continues to champion today. The Mingenback Chronicles offers a compelling narrative of resilience and optimism–giving readers a deeper understanding of the spirit that shaped McPherson and continues to define the heart of our community.”
– Debbie Hawkinson, Executive Director
McPherson Chamber of Commerce
“For generations, the Mingenback name has stood for service, vision, and generosity in McPherson. Carl Mingenback’s newly published 1928 memoir offers a rare firsthand account of Kansas settlement and civic leadership from one of our region’s most impactful figures. It is a privilege to see his reflections preserved for future generations, especially as they echo so many of the enduring values that guide McPherson College—resilience, responsibility, and a commitment to the common good.”
— Dr. Michael Schneider – President, McPherson College
“Carl Mingenback’s vivid memoir bridges the pioneer spirit of the Kansas frontier with a legacy of faith, stewardship, and community-building that aligns beautifully with Bethany College’s values. His first hand reflections on courage, sacrifice, and purpose are a timeless gift for all who follow.”
— Dr. Laura Crawley – President, Bethany College
“The Mingenback legacy has endured in McPherson through its institutions, its philanthropy, and now—thanks to this memoir—its voice. This first-person account by Carl Mingenback offers a rare window into our founding values and reminds us what it means to build something of lasting purpose. A timely rediscovery.”
— James Ketcherside – President, Julia J. Mingenback Foundation
“As Carl Mingenback’s grandson, rereading his memoir brought into sharp focus the values that shaped both his life and mine—steadfast leadership, neighborly fellowship, and a devotion to community that still defines what it means to be a Mingenback. I see now how those same qualities—quiet service, enduring optimism, and the belief that one person can better a town—have echoed through generations. From McPherson to Great Bend and beyond, my grandfather’s legacy lives on in the people and places he helped shape.”
— Mark Mingenback, Great Bend Chamber of Commerce
Citizen of the Year 2017
Marla Sheiner
Author | Storyteller | Student of Leadership
Marla Sheiner is an author and communications professional whose work explores leadership across American life—through politics, history, and music. Her books examine the lived experiences of extraordinary individuals and the principles that shaped their impact.
From the campaign trail of Senator John McCain, to the pioneering spirit of mutual insurance leader Carl F. Mingenback, to the mentorship and musical discipline of Count Basie as experienced by vocalist Dennis Rowland, Sheiner’s work reveals leadership not as theory—but as practice.
Through each story, she invites readers to discover leadership in action—and to apply its lessons in their own lives.