REACH HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager
- Director of Grants & Operations
Becky Benak joined the REACH Foundation in June 2004 as Operations Manager. She currently is Director of Grants & Operations, responsible for the grant application process, managing the Foundation's electronic grants information system, performing the due diligence process on applications, and maintaining Foundation records. She serves as the Foundation's human resource liaison, administering all employee benefit plans and payroll, and handles vendor relationships and associated accounting responsibilities. Benak previously worked six years as Office Manager for Henderson Engineers, Inc., in Lenexa, Kansas.
Benak earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management and a business minor from Kansas State University. A resident of Johnson County, Kansas, she and her husband have two children.
Brenda Sharpe is President and CEO of the REACH Healthcare Foundation, serving in this capacity since 2004. With more than 30 years' experience in the nonprofit sector, Sharpe enjoys using her skills to strengthen the leadership and governance capacity of organizations, institutions and systems to support resilient people and communities. Sharpe serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Overland Park Partnership. She previously served on the Board of Grantmakers in Health, a national organization dedicated to helping foundations and corporate giving programs improve the health of all people. She also served as a Trustee on the Board of Mosaic Life Care, a rural regional nonprofit health system, the United Way of Greater Kansas City and the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.
Brenda has accepted numerous appointments during her career, including a recent appointment to the Kansas State Board of Nursing. Other appointments include Healthy Kansans 2020 Steering Committee, Kansas Health Insurance Exchange Steering Committee and the Attorney General's Crime Victims' Rights and Human Trafficking Grants Review Boards. She has been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the area's Power 100 in 2015-19 and was included in that publication's Women Who Mean Business Class of 2020. She appeared in Ingram's Magazine's 250 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Kansas City in 2016 and 2017, and was presented the Urban League's Difference Maker Award for Leadership in Health Equity and Philanthropy in 2015.
In 2021, Sharpe served as an appointee to the Johnson County, KS, Charter Commission, charged with reviewing Johnson County Government operations and presenting recommendations to the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners. As co-chair of ForwardOP, she helped facilitate a community visioning process for Overland Park, KS, where she resides with her family.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Programs
Carla Gibson is Vice President of Programs, responsible for all program functions of the foundation, including developing strategic community investments designed to implement REACH's mission of advancing health equity in its six-county service area. Gibson joined REACH in 2006 and has led the foundation's health equity investments.
Gibson currently serves on the boards of Welcoming America and the Greater Lee's Summit Health Care Foundation. She is treasurer of the Missouri Rural Health Association. Gibson also is an appointed member of the National Rural Health Association's Health Equity Council, the Women's Executive Leadership Council of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and a steering committee member of the Missouri Council on Aging. She previously chaired the Kansas City Chamber's Behavioral Health Action Team and served on its Diverse Business Committee.
Gibson has received several honors, including an Ace Award from the KC Chamber for outstanding achievement in the nonprofit industry, and was awarded the Bold Health Champion award, sponsored by Humana, Partners in Primary Care, and Novo Nordisk, for being a credible voice of faith in the Kansas City metropolitan health community, as well as the Regional Health Champion Award for leadership in healthcare at the Heartland Conference on Health Equity and Patient Centered Care.
Gibson earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska Omaha and a Master of Public Administration from Bellevue University. She and her husband Robert Gibson live in Lee's Summit, Missouri.
Celia Byers is Director of Development, Corporate Giving and Events at KVC Foundation, responsible for planning and executing development efforts. Byers previously directed events and member services at the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, including Leadership Overland Park. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and an Institute of Organizational Management certification from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Byers has served on the REACH Community Advisory Committee. She resides in Johnson County, KS.
Deryl Wynn is an attorney and mediator in private practice with extensive experience in labor and employment law, as well as nonprofit governance. He currently serves on the KU Hospital Authority Board and is a trustee of the Emporia State University Foundation Board. Winn previously served on the Kansas Board of Regents and was a trustee of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. Wynn earned his Juris Doctorate from Washburn University Law School. He also completed the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General program at the University of Virginia. He resides in Wyandotte County, KS.
Richard (Dick) Works is a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer in Allen County, KS, with a family agricultural history dating back to 1856. Works serves as a member of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership, Inc. Board of Directors. Previously, he served as an Allen County Commissioner for 24 years where he was instrumental in the construction of a new Allen County Hospital. Works has a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University. He also is a graduate of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program. Works and his wife, Karen, have two children and three grandchildren. He resides in Allen County, KS.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Executive Assistant & Board Liaison
Glory Hernandez Olson is the Executive Assistant & Board Liaison at the foundation, supporting the administrative needs of the President and CEO, the Board of Directors, and the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Olson joined the foundation in 2019.
Olson has more than two decades of professional experience in administrative support, office management, and event planning. She previously worked for a number of nonprofit organizations in the Kansas City region, including the Kauffman Foundation, the Kansas City Public Library, and the PKD Foundation. She has also worked at Title Boxing Club 10 in Lenexa for the past several years and continues to work there part-time.
She earned a B.A. in Management & Human Services from Mid America Nazarene University. Olson enjoys a variety of volunteer opportunities, especially those related to health and wellness, and pet advocacy and support. Olson and her husband reside in Shawnee, KS.
Guy Collier, has spent most of his career in health policy and law at the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., the Office of General Counsel for HHS, and in private practice for over 40 years representing a wide range of health care facilities and providers.
Previously, Collier taught in the Milken Institute School of Public Health and Health Services at George Washington University and is currently a Professor of Practice teaching Health Law and Policy and Healthcare Regulation at KU Law School in Lawrence, KS. He is a Trustee of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and recently served on the Advisory Board for the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Hygiene and Public Health. He resides in Jackson County.
Jasmin Avakyants is Program Officer, responsible for administering grants, informing grantmaking strategies, and engaging the community to identify opportunities that align with the foundation's mission to advance equity in health coverage and care. Avakyants joined REACH in 2022, bringing experience in the nonprofit sector in the areas of program development, strategic alliances, community engagement, and strategic communications and planning. Working under the direction of Vice President of Programs Carla Gibson and in collaboration with other foundation staff, Avakyants is charged with grantmaking strategies and expanding partnerships in the nonprofit and civic sectors.
Prior to joining REACH, Avakyants was Program Director at a social impact design agency, Health + Studio, consulting nationally on communications strategies to improve health and well-being for children and families. She previously worked as Senior Project Manager at Sesame Workshop, leading efforts to expand the national Sesame Street in Communities program in new regions and scale use of programming and curricula among children and parents. She joined Sesame Workshop after establishing a successful Sesame Street partnership in the Kansas City region as Project Director at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce leading ResilientKC, a movement to address childhood trauma.
Avakyants completed a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration at Avila University and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at Truman State University. She is a certified trauma-informed care facilitator. Avakyants and her husband reside in Clay County, MO.
Job Titles:
- Vice President and Portfolio Manager at FCI Advisors
Jenna Rose is Vice President and Portfolio Manager at FCI Advisors, working with high-net-worth and institutional clients. Jenna worked for UMB Private Wealth Management where she was also a senior portfolio manager for private clients. Jenna earned a bachelor's degree in Finance from Missouri State University and an MBA from Baker University. Jenna is holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Jenna resides in Johnson County, KS.
Jermee Jones is Vice President, Specialized Deposits at Enterprise Bank & Trust. He is responsible for the client experience encompassing escrow transactions for professionals, including attorneys, advisors and principals handling private M&A transactions, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy transactions involving Debtor in Possession and Receivership accounts, as well as Deposit Control Agreement Accounts.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Finance & Operations / CFO
- Vice President of Finance / Operations and Chief Financial Officer for the REACH Foundation
Jo Yun is Vice President of Finance/Operations and Chief Financial Officer for the REACH Foundation. Yun is responsible for the accounting, financial reporting, investment management and regulatory compliance functions of the Foundation. She also advises the Foundation's staff and Board of Directors on the financial activities and investment decisions of the Foundation.
Yun previously was an Assistant Vice President at Sprint, with responsibility for the financial support services for the network and information technology operations for the company's Long Distance operations. Prior to that, she served at Sprint as Director of Operations Analysis. Before joining Sprint, Yun served five years with Knight-Ridder in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, investment analysis, financial planning/reporting and treasury.
Yun received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Kansas State University and an MBA degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She and her husband reside in Johnson County, Kansas and have three daughters.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Senior Wealth Advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors
Justin Richter is Senior Wealth Advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors, focusing on developing and delivering wealth planning and investment management solutions for high-net-worth and institutional clients. Richter worked for BOK Financial, where he was a senior vice president and client advisor. Richter earned a bachelor's degree with a concentration in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Certified Financial Planner professional and holds the Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses. Richter has served on the REACH Community Advisory Committee. Richter resides in Johnson County, KS.
Job Titles:
- Senior Clinical Program Consultant for United Healthcare
Katherine Ferro is a Senior Clinical Program Consultant for United Healthcare, focusing on social determinants of health. Ferro has worked for several other healthcare organizations in the Kansas City area in the past, including New Directions Behavioral Health, TransforMED, Perceptive Software and Child Health Corporation of America with an overall focus on healthcare improvement and health improvement. Ferro completed a Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Services Administration from the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas Medical Center respectively and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and economics from the University of Notre Dame. Ferro is a resident of Johnson County, KS.
Kathy worked for the University of Kansas Health System for the past 17 years. She serves as the External Liaison and is a member of the Government Relations Team. Before working for the health system, Kathy served for 10 years as Chief of Staff to the Kanas City, Kansas Mayor Carol Marinovich. Wolfe Moore recently retired after 12 years as a state representative in the Kansas Legislature. Kathy holds a bachelor's and master's degree in social work from The University of Kansas. She resides in Wyandotte County.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Commercial Banking at CrossFirst Bank
Kevin Klamm is Managing Director, Commercial Banking at CrossFirst Bank. Kevin brings more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and has a wealth of commercial lending expertise. Kevin is responsible for recruiting and leading an experienced team of Bankers, delivering banking services to businesses, professionals, and their families and supporting the needs of the Kansas City community.
Prior to being elected to the REACH Board of Directors in 2020, Kevin served on the REACH Community Advisory Committee for four years and as a CAC liaison to the REACH Finance Committee for three years.
Kevin earned bachelor degrees in both economics and sociology from the University of Kansas. He resides in Johnson County with his wife, Jamie, and two sons, Lincoln and Jude.
Lynette Sparkman-Barnes, Psy.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and Multiculturalist Specialist for the University of Kansas Medical Center. Previously, she served as a Psychologist and Associate Director of counseling services at UMKC. She has also worked in community mental health through developing school-based mental health programs across several Kansas City School District and within the juvenile justice system. Through her work, Sparkman-Barnes has actively promoted diversity, equity and inclusion within healthcare, education and ministry. She has presented, both nationally and internationally, on issues of diversity and its interface with mental health and theology. Sparkman-Barnes grew up in Wyandotte County and has sustained her commitment to the community by working directly within the community, serving on agency boards, working with the local school districts and striving to empower others within Wyandotte County and the greater Kansas City area. She is an ordained minister in the AME Church, and, together with her husband, pastors a congregation in Wyandotte County. She earned her Bachelor in Psychology at Northwestern University and her Doctor of Psychology at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Lynette resides in Wyandotte County.
Job Titles:
- Community Outreach Administrator
Nicole Palmer is a Community Outreach Administrator with the University of Kansas Health System, focusing on community outreach and training to over 70 critical access hospitals across Kansas and Wyandotte County. She is also a psychotherapist in private practice in Olathe, working with teens and adults struggling with anxiety, depression, and trauma. Palmer has worked in healthcare for over 25 years and previously for the American Academy of Family Physicians and The University of Kansas Medical Center. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Phoenix and her Master of Counseling from Mid-America Nazarene University. She is also a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Provider (CCATP). Palmer is a resident of Johnson County, KS.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Student Services for the Kansas City
Octavio Estrella is Assistant Director of Student Services for the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. His work focuses on developing partnerships with community agencies to increase access to trauma-sensitive behavioral health services for students and their parents. Estrella previously served children and families within community-based health centers, including the Huckleberry Teen Health Clinic and the Tibrucio Vasquez Health Center in California. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education, a Master of Arts in Social Research Methods in Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies and Sociology from the University of California. Estrella resides in Wyandotte County, KS.
Pang Randolph serves as the Communications Officer at REACH, where she manages the foundation's overall brand strategy and leads communication efforts to advance its mission of promoting equity in health coverage and care. She joined REACH in 2024, bringing with her experience in marketing and communications, digital strategy, brand awareness, and project management from the for-profit sector. Working under the direction of President and CEO Brenda Sharpe and in collaboration with other foundation staff, Randolph is responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies to drive the foundation's mission forward while highlighting the impact of its nonprofit partners in bridging the gap for accessible health throughout communities.
Before joining REACH, Randolph worked as a Digital Communications and Transformation Consultant at IBM, advising global organizations on strategic brand, digital marketing, and communication strategies. Randolph's experience in the nonprofit sector includes working with organizations focused on providing accessible healthcare services, education, and economic sustainability programs to underserved communities across the Kansas City Metro area.
Randolph holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Sociology from Kansas State University. She resides in Kansas City, MO, with her husband and child.
Patti Miklos-Boyd is a municipal court judge for Iola, Moran, Bronson, Gas, Savonburg, Humboldt, Uniontown, Kincaid and LaHarpe. Boyd served two terms on the REACH Foundation CAC, appointed by the Allen County Commission. Boyd previously served as president of the Board of Trustees of Allen County Regional Hospital, as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Bowlus Performing Arts Center and as President of the Marmaton Valley School Board. She graduated from the University of Nebraska College of law and practiced in corporate law in Kansas City, as well as in criminal prosecution, public defense, and juvenile law in Southeast Kansas. Boyd resides on the family farm in Allen County.
Job Titles:
- Director of Health Policy
- Is Director of Health Policy
Pattie Mansur is Director of Health Policy, responsible for local and state policy monitoring, development of the REACH Foundation's public policy priorities and agenda, and identifying nonprofit partners working to advance health equity through policy change. Mansur joined the Foundation in 2007 as Communications Director. Her background includes marketing, strategic communications, and fund development for private foundations, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, and leveraging the voices of nonprofits to elevate needed policy improvements.
Mansur previously was a communications officer at the Kauffman Foundation and maintained an independent consulting practice working with health and social service organizations in the Kansas City metropolitan area. She is an active community volunteer, and previously served on the Kansas City School Board in an elected position, including as Board Chair.
Mansur has a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A resident of Jackson County, Missouri, she and her husband have three children.
Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Kansas City. Her current research focuses on maternal and infant health disparities. Smith is co-founder of Kansas Sisters and Brothers for Healthy Infants, and founder and director of the Kansas Birth Equity Network. She has experience teaching public health policy and law, public health interventions and other health policy courses. She holds a Doctoral degree in Health Systems and Services Research with a concentration in Health Economics, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She resides in Wyandotte County, KS.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner at RubinBrown 's Kansas City
Todd Pleimann is managing partner at RubinBrown's Kansas City office and partner in the Assurance Services Group. He has been a CPA for over 30 years and brings extensive auditing standards, accounting, internal controls and income tax experience. He is on the board of the Kansas City Area Development Council and has been active on other community councils, including the United Way of Greater Kansas City and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Pleimann earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Missouri State University. Pleimann is a resident of Johnson County, KS.
Job Titles:
- Human Resources Manager at MW Company
Wendy Neal is Human Resources Manager at MW Company, since 2019. Previously she served as Assistant Director of Human Resources, Director of Safety, Director of Manufacturing and Quality Coordinator for Sioux Chief Manufacturing, where she worked in various roles for more than 20 years. She has worked with employee benefits, safety audits and quality improvement efforts. Neal has been an active volunteer for youth and families in the Harrisonville community and schools. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Operations at DeVry University and holds OSHA trainer certification from the Metropolitan Community Colleges. Neal is a resident of Cass County, MO.