Board of Directors

Sarah has worked in the world of nonprofits for many years. She was the CEO of the Wichita Children’s Home for 30 years. Having been involved with Kansas, HHS and HUD programs for runaway and homeless youth, she has a commitment to youth aging out of foster care or on the streets. Currently she the Membership Coordinator for the Kansas Nonprofit Chamber. ​

As a nurse leader, Lori Howard has a dedicated career of experience working in service to underserved populations. In her current role as a Regional Vice President of Population Health and Clinical Operations, she assists Centene Corporation to meet their mission to transform the health of the community, one member at a time. Lori is responsible for developing tools and support both national and local programs for use across 50 states in service to 24 million members. With degrees in both nursing and business, Lori possesses 25 years of combined career experience in the healthcare delivery system as a consumer, provider, regulator, and payer. She has held multiple roles as a leader in nursing, quality improvement, regulatory operations and policy, health information technology, special populations, and population health management.
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Brandon has more than a decade of public management and leadership experience, working with the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County and City of Lawrence organizations. Currently serving as assistant city manager, Brandon joined the Lawrence City Manager’s Office in 2014. Brandon supported the City of Lawrence’s hotel-based winter emergency sheltering program in 2020, a response to COVID-19 pandemic. That experience opened the door to collaborate on community-level strategic analysis and planning initiatives with the network of providers and advocates in Douglas County, Kansas. Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance and a master’s degree in public administration, both from Wichita State University.

Originally from Erie, Kansas, Monica attended Pittsburg State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Science in School Administration. A licensed teacher, building level administrator and district level administrator, she has worked in public and private settings to advance systems that support children and families. Currently the Coordinator of Community Supports at the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center – Greenbush, she provides professional development in the areas of early childhoods, systems building and supporting the social and emotional growth of students. She has served two terms in the Kansas House of Representatives and a term on the City Commission in Pittsburg. As the Ranking Minority member of the House Health and Human Services Committee, she has worked to improve policies that support Kansans. Monica resides in Pittsburg with her husband, Rob. They have three daughters, Alexandria, Francesca and Gabrielle.​

Valorie has 25 plus years combined working with both state housing finance agencies-Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) and Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. My years have been spent in the trenches directly working with people and programs that benefit residents we serve with effective housing solutions. Valorie was a grant reviewer for 7 years at MHDC for the State Trust Fund. The State Trust Fund met the needs of extremely low-income Missourians. Currently, Valorie works with Kansas Department of Corrections identifying housing for offenders. Valorie also has a part time job working with a for-profit affordable developer. Valorie loves working for the population whose voices have been silenced. Valorie has 2 grandsons who she loves and adores. She loves sewing and crocheting. Valorie says that she enjoys buying the materials more than sewing or crocheting. Valorie also loves football!

Robert is an experienced executive director and recruiter with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Theology, Fundraising, Grant Writing, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). I am a strong human resources professional with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) focused on Elementary Education and Teaching from Fort Hays State University and a Masters in Management from National American University.