Judy Frick – Chair
Founding Director (retired)
CIS of Wichita/Sedgwick County
Wichita, Kansas

Judy spent 17 years as a “career volunteer child advocate” before becoming the founding executive director of Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County, Inc. in 1990. In her years of advocacy, Judy has served as president of Kansas Action for Children and CASA, and as a member of the board of directors of the Junior League, the United Way, and numerous other child-serving organizations. Judy completed Leadership Kansas and Leadership Wichita in the 1980s, and was selected as a delegate to the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in 1997. Judy retired from CIS in 2007, then served as a 2009-10 Communities In Schools National Robert H.B. Baldwin Fellow. Her topic was Leadership Transition & Succession Planning.

Larissa Long – Vice Chair
Senior Manager, External Affairs
Black Hills Energy
Lawrence, Kansas

Larissa Long is senior manager of External Affairs for Black Hills Energy’s Kansas/Colorado Gas Networks. She has 29 years of utility experience, holding progressive management positions in customer service and community relations. Larissa and her husband, Jim, reside in Lawrence, Kansas. In her spare time she enjoys golf, running and visiting her three young grandsons, who live with their parents in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Laura Kaiser – Secretary
Past President
Kansas PTA
Overland Park, Kansas

Since retiring as an occupational therapist, Laura has devoted her volunteer time and efforts to improving the lives of children and public education. As a long time resident of Kansas she has been involved with PTA at the local, council, state and national levels, including serving as Kansas State PTA President. Laura still serves on the boards of many statewide educational organizations and has been honored to serve on the CIS of Kansas board for more than eight years. Her other interests include parliamentary law and her sorority.

David Johnson – Treasurer
CEO
Bert Nash
Lawrence, Kansas

David is the Chief Executive Officer for Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Inc., which provides services to over 6,000 Douglas County residents. The center employs 190 individuals, ranging from medical doctors to paraprofessionals who focus on child, adolescent, adult and geriatric mental health care. David also participates on the Board of Directors for many other organizations, including Douglas County Dental Clinic, The Mental Health Consortium, Tower Mental Health Foundation and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. In 2003, David became a graduate of Leadership Kansas, then served as chair of the 2007 Leadership Kansas Alumni Summit.

Carolyn Wims-Campbell
District 4 Representative
Kansas State Board of Education
Topeka, Kansas

Carolyn L. Wims-Campbell was elected in November of 2008 to serve on the Kansas State Board of Education. This marks the next step in Carolyn’s long –time commitment to education both at the local, state  and national level.  Ms. Wims-Campbell was elected for three terms on the Topeka Public Schools Board of Education beginning in 1995 and served two terms as President – 1997-1999 and July of 2006 through 2007.  She now serves as the Vice Chair of the Kansas State Board of Education.

Carolyn has been involved with many education-related organizations including the National Federation of Urban Suburban School Districts, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kettering Foundation, Sheldon Head Start Policy, Kansas and Topeka Alliances of Black School Educators.  She is also a co-founder of the Circle of Women mentoring group, which is in its ninth year and whose motto is “Through our thoughts we can change the world.” The group is active with young women of high school age in Topeka.

Ms. Wims-Campbell is a life-long member of St. Mark’s African Methodist Episcopal Church and remains an active participant in the life and work of the congregation.  She is also the mother of a daughter, Erica Elise Campbell, who she notes “raising to be a beautiful young lady” to be first among her accomplishments.

Dr. Marcia Dvorak
Project Director
Kansas Enrichment Network
Lawrence, Kansas

Marcia is the Director of the Kansas Enrichment Network, a statewide coalition focusing on creating programs and opportunities for extended learning opportunities for youth. As a former teacher, director of gifted education, and elementary principal, providing a quality education for our children and youth has always been a top priority and passion. Marcia holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from the University of Kansas, a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Western Illinois University, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Quincy University.

Jeff Emert
Director of Business Planning
Collective Brands
Topeka, Kansas

Jeff is a Director of Business Planning at Collective Brands, Inc. with over 15 years of retail experience. He graduated from Washburn University, where he was a member of the golf team, and is a CPA. Jeff is married to Tammy Emert, an RN, and they have 4 children. In addition to his involvement with Communities In Schools of Kansas, he is also actively involved in his church and his children’s sporting events.

Dr. Julie Ford
Superintendent
Topeka Public Schools
Topeka, Kansas

In her role at the Kansas State Department of Education, Julie leads a team that focuses on all Title programs, Migrant programs, School Improvement, Charter Schools, Virtual Schools, and Quality Performance Accreditation, along with other areas at KSDE. Julie spent the majority of her career in Garden City Public Schools where she held many positions from teacher to Deputy Superintendent, for which she was recognized as an outstanding teacher and administrator. Before joining KSDE, Julie also served communities in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Texas at the Director and Superintendent level. Her experience in four states has broadened her career but she truly believes in the Kansas education system!
Julie has her undergraduate degree from St. Mary of the Plains, masters from Ft. Hays State University, and an educational doctorate from Wichita State University.

Monique Garcia
Manager, Government Relations and Public Affairs
ICM Inc.
Wichita, Kansas

Before joining ICM, a renewable energy company, Monique gained policy and public affairs experience working for federal and local governments in Washington, D.C., and served as a legislative aide for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She also worked in the White House for President Clinton’s Office of National Drug Control Policy and President Bush’s National Security Council.

Monique is very passionate about education and has served as a board member for Communities in Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County since 2006, and joined the CIS of Kansas board in 2010. Monique volunteers as a mentor to a fifth grade student at Cloud Elementary, a CIS site, in Wichita. Monique owes her gratitude to Judy Frick, whose energy and passion for the CIS mission made Monique recognize that CIS was something she wanted to be a part of.  She lives in Wichita, likes to run marathons in her spare time, and is a proud aunt to three nieces and two nephews.

Karen Godfrey
Vice President
Kansas National Education Association
Topeka, Kansas

Karen Godfrey is currently on leave from her language arts position at the Seaman Freshman Center in the Seaman district in north Topeka to serve as Vice President of Kansas National Education Association. She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. After graduating from the University of Kansas, she became a permanent Kansan and now lives with her husband in the country south of Topeka. KNEA knows the value of family and community engagement in schools and is appreciative of the opportunity to work with others at CIS to build those relationships.

Dr. Howard Keim
President
Hesston College
Hesston, Kansas

Howard has been President of Hesston College in Hesston, Kansas since 2005. A native of Michigan, Howard graduated from Hesston College, Central Michigan University, and then the University of Kansas, where he earned his Ph.D. in Communication Studies. His family has resided in Hesston since 1987. Howard has served on the CISK Board since 2000 because it is one means to fulfill his personal sense of call to change the world. Communities In Schools is the best dropout prevention organization in the country and Howard is pleased to be able to serve on the CISK Board.

Tom Krebs
Governmental Relations Specialist
Kansas Association of School Boards
Topeka, Kansas

Tom is the Governmental Relations Specialist for the Kansas Association of School Boards. KASB has participated in the CIS of Kansas Board of Directors for at least a decade. Tom has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from KU in Liberal Arts, Education and Public Administration. Prior to coming to KASB in 2000, he taught at Tonganoxie Junior High for 15 years and served a brief stint as the executive director at one of the state’s first charter schools. He also served on Oskaloosa USD 341′s board of education for eight years.

Judy Moler
Attorney
Topeka, Kansas

Judy Moler, a native of Oklahoma, graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1985. She is currently General Counsel for the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Before joining the Ethics Commission, Judy worked at the Kansas Association of Counties as Lobbyist and General Counsel for 12 years.

Cody G. Robertson
Attorney
Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer, L.L.P.
Topeka, Kansas

Cody is an attorney with the law firm of Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer, L.L.P. in Topeka where he primarily practices in the areas of business, real estate and construction law. Cody is a graduate of Washburn University and the Washburn University School of Law. In addition to serving on the CISK Board, which he joined in April 2011, Cody is also a member of the Topeka Performing Arts Center Board of Trustees, a member of the Topeka Active 20-30 Club, a 2010 graduate of Leadership Greater Topeka and a member and past-captain of the Topeka Rugby Football Club. Cody and his wife are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters and are anticipating the arrival of their first son in November.

Mike Semler
Director, Trade Support Service
Royal Caribbean International
Wichita, Kansas

A Texas native and living in Wichita since 1999, Mike is a Director for Royal Caribbean International.  Prior to joining Royal Caribbean, Mike spent almost 15 years with the AMR/American Airlines Corporation where he held many positions, including Managing Director for TeleService Resources, an American Airline’s subsidiary.

In addition to his service on the Communities In Schools of Kansas Board, Mike also serves on the Boards for the United Way of the Plains, Kansas Make a Wish, Go Wichita and the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas. Mike also served as the 2003 General Campaign Chairman for the United Way of the Plains raising almost $16 million dollars for the local charity.  He is also a Past President of the Board of Directors for the Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County.

Mike holds a BA in Communication from the University of Texas at Arlington and was named one of Wichita’s 40 under 40 by the Wichita Business Journal in 2001.

Howard Shuler
Project Director, Department of Learning and Innovative Services
Kansas State Department of Education
Topeka, Kansas

Valerie Taylor-Richardson
VP, Business Development
Quest Credit Union
Topeka, Kansas

Valerie has served as the Vice President of Business Development for Quest Credit Union since December 2008. What began as a one-time volunteer opportunity with CIS’s Reality U program has blossomed into a partnership between Valerie, her credit union and CIS, Kansas.

Valerie has worked in advertising and communications for nearly 10 years, and is also a partner in Wheat State Strategies Group, LLC, a political consulting group. Born and raised in Topeka, she has resided in Lawrence for the past 12 years. Valerie and her husband, Troy, are expecting their first child in autumn 2011.

Don Turnbaugh
Systems Engineer
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Overland Park, Kansas

Advisory Board

Mary Devin
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Leadership
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Jim Edwards
Assistant Executive Director/Board Development
Kansas Association of School Boards
Topeka, Kansas

Gail Vertz
Executive Director
American Association of Grant Professionals
Kansas City, Kansas

Carol Wohlford
Director
Andover Public Library
Andover, Kansas