REACH Board Elects Six Members
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The REACH Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors has announced the election of new members and officers, continuing a commitment to draw community members with diverse professional and community backgrounds. New board members and officers assume their roles on June 1, 2022. Seven individuals are new to the REACH Board; 10 individuals are continuing their service on the board.
Following approval by the REACH Community Advisory Committee and the Kansas Attorney General, the REACH Board adopted a change to the governance model that calls for 51 percent of the board to be appointed by the foundation’s five governmental appointing authorities and 49 percent to be elected by the members. This new approach to board member selection will go into effect on June 1, 2022. An additional change to governance includes establishing a 12-month ex-officio board role for the outgoing board chair.
The REACH Board elected the following individuals to serve as officers:
- Lynette Sparkman-Barnes, Psy.D., Board Chair
- Guy Collier, J.D., Vice Chair
- Jermee Jones, Secretary
- Justin Richter, Treasurer
- Tom Handley, At-Large
- Patti Miklos-Boyd, J.D., At-Large
The REACH Board welcomes the following new members:
Octavio Estrella, Assistant Director of Student Services for the Kansas City, KS, Public Schools, whose work focuses on developing partnerships to increase access to trauma-sensitive behavioral health services for students and their parents.
Celia Fritz-Watson, Director of Development, Corporate Giving and Events at KVC Foundation, responsible for development efforts in support of health and mental health services provided by KVC Health Systems. Fritz-Watson previously served on the REACH CAC.
Patti Miklos-Boyd, J.D., a municipal court judge for Iola, Moran, Bronson, Gas, Savonburg, Humboldt, Uniontown, Kincaid and LaHarpe, KS. Miklos-Boyd previously served two terms on the REACH CAC.
Justin Richter, Senior Wealth Advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors, responsible for wealth planning and investment management for institutional and individual clients. Richter previously served on the REACH CAC.
Sharla Smith, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, focused on maternal and infant health disparities, and co-founder of Kansas Sisters and Brothers for Healthy Infants and founder and Director of the Kansas Birth Equity Network.
Deryl Wynn, J.D., is an attorney and mediator in private practice with extensive experience in labor and employment law and nonprofit governance, and serves on the KU Hospital Authority Board and as trustee of the Emporia State University Foundation Board.
Richard (Dick) Works, a fourth-generation farmer in Allen County, KS, and a member of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership, Inc. Board of Directors. Works previously served 24 years as an Allen County Commissioner and on the REACH CAC.
Each year, the REACH Board selects members with governance, legal, health, policy and community expertise to fill seats on the 17-member board. Members must reside within the foundation’s six-county service area.
