O'CONNELL YOUTH RANCH - Key Persons
Gina Meier-Hummel, LMSW, is the Executive Director of O'Connell Youth Ranch, she is in her 28th year of serving at risk Kansas children and families. She holds a Master's degree in both Clinical and Administrative Social Work from the University of Kansas. When not at the ranch, Gina works for the Kansas Attorney General, as the Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the State of Kansas and she also owns her own consulting company where she works with other states and not for profits.
Prior to O'Connell, Gina worked for the Attorney General as a Deputy Director in Crime Victims Services and she is the former Secretary for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, having worked in the Cabinet of both Governor Brownback and Governor Colyer. In her various other roles, she has been a child protective service investigator, a youth and family assessment specialist, a supervisor and director of foster care services, The Director of Children and Family Services for the State of Kansas, a Commissioner at the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services over mental health, addictions programing and all Medicaid Waiver Programs, and was the Executive Director of The Children's Shelter Inc. Gina is in her fifth year of managing a residential program. She is skilled at policy and system reform and has extensive knowledge about caring for vulnerable youth.
Gina has served on Governor Jeff Colyer's Education Advisory Task Force, Governor Jeff Colyer's Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force, The Governor's Task Force on Disproportionality, and she was the Judicial Appointee for the Legislative Taskforce on Child Welfare Reform in Kansas. She also served on Governor Brownback's Social Service Advisory Council. She is a past member of Breakfast Rotary, Douglas County Friends of Children in Care, Kappa Delta Sorority, a former Girl Scout Leader, and St. Johns Auction Chair.
Gina and her husband Mark attend St. John's Catholic Church. They have three wonderful children and have been married 27 years. Mark is a Captain with Douglas County Fire and Medical.