2025 Most Influential Women: Stephanie Wan

Influence, for Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Wan, focuses on security and justice for the entire community and its children.

“Through my work as a local and federal prosecutor, I see the worst of society and the effects of crime on our community,” she says. “Because of that experience, I have been committed to helping our community be a better place with the hope that if Springfield is a happy, healthy place to live, crime rates will drop and our population will thrive.”

In Wan’s role with the U.S. Department of Justice, she investigates and prosecutes violations of federal firearm laws and child sexual exploitation crimes for the Western District of Missouri in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She serves as one of just two Project Safe Coordinators for that federal service area, which comprises 66 Missouri counties.

That work has Wan managing and implementing a comprehensive strategic plan aimed at addressing gun violence in the area. She’s created and led two Violent Crime Abatement Teams, one covering Springfield and Greene County, the other covering Joplin and Jasper County. Wan has also collaborated with the Springfield Police Department to obtain federal funding for a Crime Gun Information Center.

Wan has also guided young adults embarking on their careers. In her role as a Missouri State University instructor, she’s worked with students as they enter the legal and the child protection fields, helping them secure internships with federal judges and become successful civil attorneys and state prosecutors. She previously supervised the General Crimes Unit at the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, meaning she was responsible for training every new attorney hired to prosecute Springfield-area crime.

“Being able to work with those new attorneys and teach them how to be good lawyers and ethical, zealous prosectors is one of my greatest accomplishments,” Wan says.

Community engagement is also high on Wan’s list of priorities, evidenced by her service on the Leadership Springfield board, where she was president in 2022-23. She oversaw the nonprofit’s adoption of the Rosie network for professional women. She’s also shared her talents with the board of The Victim Center Inc., and she works with organizations like Springfield Public Schools and SPD to provide education on domestic violence, child abuse and adverse childhood experiences.

“I truly believe that having a healthy, happy population of children could change our world,” she says.

Championing the role of women in the legal community is also key for Wan, who co-chairs a Missouri Supreme Court joint commission and a Missouri Bar committee focused on that advocacy.

“No amount of awards or recognitions will compare to the pride I feel knowing that I made a real impact on the lives of victims, younger lawyers and students,” Wan says.