Mike Hoheisel was elected to serve as District III’s council member in November 2021 and was officially sworn in on January 10, 2022. A resident of Wichita for over 30 years, Hoheisel has been an active leader in neighborhood and regional civic activities, and has been employed in the construction industry for more than 20 years. Before his election to the Wichita City Council, Mike had been actively involved in various social causes, including criminal justice reform and voting rights advocacy.

 Married to his high school sweetheart, Christina Coldiron, he has 11 siblings, most of whom continue to live in the Wichita area. Mike and Christina have two children, Audy and Henry. Mike graduated from West High in Wichita and attended both Wichita State and Fort Hays State Universities, where he studied literature and political science.

Becca Johnson joined the City of Wichita in December 2021 as the Community Services Representative for District 3. At the City of Wichita Becca has excelled in capacity building, community engagement, project management, and creating efficient processes. On top of her normal CSR duties, Becca facilitates the City’s Civic Engagement Academy and chairs the Rainbow Alliance Employee Resource Group. 

In addition to her work at the City of Wichita, Becca volunteers at the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit on her free Saturday mornings where she helps clean animal exhibits and educates visitors on local wildlife. She is involved with several grassroots organizations including serving as Secretary on the executive team of The Neighboring Movement’s board of directors and the Communications Chair of the Friends of the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit. She is a certified Suicide Prevention Trainer through WSU’s Suspenders4Hope program.

Vickie Kline is the Founder and Executive Director of NonprofitGO, a Kansas-based nonprofit resource organization dedicated to strengthening the nonprofit sector through education, mentorship, and capacity building. With more than 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience, including 16 years as Finance Director for Music Theatre Wichita, Vickie is recognized for helping organizations build strong financial systems, effective governance, and long-term sustainability.

Since founding NonprofitGO in 2018, Vickie and NonprofitGO have guided more than 300 nonprofit organizations through startup, strategic planning, grant readiness, financial management, board development, and organizational growth. This practical, hands-on approach has made NonprofitGO a trusted advisor to nonprofit leaders across Kansas.

Vickie believes that stronger nonprofits create stronger communities. Her work focuses on equipping organizations with the knowledge, resources, and confidence they need to fulfill their missions and expand their impact for years to come.

Dr. Kimberly Moody is an educator, researcher, and nonprofit leader dedicated to helping children, families, and communities thrive through evidence-based prevention and systems change. She Co-Founder of Prime Fit Youth Foundation, where she developed the Connected Student Support System™ (CSSS), a comprehensive framework that integrates prevention, early intervention, mentoring, behavioral health, and coordinated community partnerships to improve youth outcomes.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Dr. Moody is a professor at Wichita State University, where her work focuses on literacy, executive function, mentoring, and the science of connection. She has secured millions of dollars in grant funding, leads statewide initiatives to improve educational outcomes, and regularly partners with schools, government agencies, and community organizations to create sustainable, data-informed solutions for children and families.

A nationally recognized speaker, Dr. Moody is passionate about helping organizations move beyond isolated programs to build connected systems that create lasting community impact.

James Woods serves as Director of Community Impact at the Wichita Foundation, where he spends his days connecting generous people with bold ideas and the nonprofits bringing those ideas to life. Whether he’s helping guide grantmaking, cultivating partnerships, or introducing people who simply need to know each other, James believes that meaningful relationships are the foundation of meaningful community change.

A proud Humboldt native, James has dedicated more than two decades to the nonprofit sector and has become a familiar face across Wichita’s philanthropic community. He’s passionate about helping organizations think bigger, collaborate more often, and find creative solutions to complex challenges.

When he’s not talking philanthropy, you’ll probably find him tracking down the city’s best tacos and queso, catching a movie, or spending time with family and friends. His loyal sidekick, Raisin, has long been his favorite coworker. A cancer survivor who doesn’t take life too seriously, James believes that kindness, curiosity, and a well-timed sense of humor can open almost any door.

Jeff A. Usher joined the Kansas Health Foundation in 1998 and currently serves as Senior Advisor.

Our longest tenured employee, Usher spent more than 20 years as a KHF Program Officer, leading some of the largest commitments in KHF history. These included the founding of the Kansas Leadership Center, the development of the Giving Resources to Our World (GROW) community foundation effort and many of KHF’s initiatives in nutrition and physical activity.

Usher was also at the forefront of KHF’s strategy of tackling major health issues one at a time. He served as Director of Issue Mobilization during the selection of hunger/food insecurity as our first issue under this strategy.

Today, Usher continues to work on the major health challenges facing Kansas. All of KHF and its partners benefit from his years of experience and wisdom.

An avid cyclist, Usher grew up in Salina, Kan.

Jamie Farnam is a coach and facilitator who helps mission-driven professionals gain clarity, perspective, and momentum in their work. With 20 years of experience across organizations of all sizes, Jamie creates grounded, supportive spaces where participants can pause, think differently, and reconnect with what matters most. Known for a calm, practical, and deeply human facilitation style, Jamie’s sessions leave people feeling more focused, confident, and equipped to move forward with intention.

Julie Klima, MPA, is Principal and Chief Strategist at Purpose Amp, a nonprofit infrastructure strategy firm based in the Kansas City area. She is a certified CCAT facilitator with more than two decades of experience in nonprofit governance, board development, and organizational strategy.

Carlie Houchen, MPH, serves as the Director of Health Systems for the Sunflower Foundation. In her role, she engages with Kansas communities, providers and advocates to build a grantmaking strategy that supports the foundation’s mission: To serve as a catalyst for improving the health of all Kansans. Carlie is passionate about optimizing local health care delivery systems so that all Kansans can live their healthiest life. Carlie believes that change happens when we can collaborate, learn from our peers, and stay curious.

Houchen previously held a leadership role in the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative, the largest ever community grant program at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS). In this role, Carlie worked closely with Pathways grantees to address the social determinants of health in Kansas communities. Prior to her work at BCSBKS, Carlie worked as a Senior Analyst at the Kansas Health Institute (KHI). At KHI, Carlie worked on the Population Health team and led process facilitation work to support effective policymaking at the Kansas statehouse. In addition to these roles, Carlie served on the Immunize Kansas Coalition Board from 2016-2023 to further the mission of that organization to protect Kansans from vaccine preventable diseases.

Originally from Miami County, KS, Carlie earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from Kansas State University and her Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Houchen lives in Roeland Park and can be found walking her dog, reading a library book, cooking for her family or volunteering with local groups to support access to the arts, youth engagement in science careers, and a weekly United States Citizenship class for English language learners.

Joseph Shepard was elected to the Wichita City Council in November 2025 with a demonstrated commitment to public service, community advocacy, and advancing opportunity for all residents. Since taking office, he has focused on transparent governance, strategic neighborhood investment, and policies that support families, small businesses, and workforce development across the City of Wichita.

A longtime Wichita resident, Shepard made the city his permanent home nearly sixteen years ago. His connection to Wichita is rooted in service and leadership, with more than a decade dedicated to strengthening communities through education, civic engagement, and nonprofit leadership.

Shepard holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wichita State University. He previously served two terms as Student Body President at Wichita State University, where he advocated for inclusive campus policies, and later worked at Newman University supporting student well-being and institutional equity.

Prior to his election, Shepard served as the inaugural Director of Lead For Kansas, helping guide its statewide development and merger with Lead For America. He later served as Chief of Staff to the CEO of Lead For America and concluded his tenure as Director of Alumni and Community Partnerships.

Samiyah Para-Cremer Moore, M.Sc., Senior Analyst & Portfolio Strategist, specializes in population health research, including food security research, program evaluation, community engagement and the incorporation of health equity considerations into decision making. Samiyah earned a master’s degree in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation from the University of Oxford and bachelor’s degrees in applied behavioral science, law and society and also Spanish from the University of Kansas. 

Samiyah leads KHI’s community capacity building efforts and designs research initiatives to strengthen the Kansas public health system at state and local levels. She also provides direct technical assistance to communities across Kansas to build their capacity for using data and evidence-based practices to support health and health equity. Samiyah’s research interests include food security, health equity, social determinants of health and evidence-based policy and practice.

Rebecca Andrade, M.A., Educational Programs Manager, develops and manages educational offerings that build knowledge, strengthen practice and expand capacity among public health professionals and cross-sector partners. Rebecca holds a master’s in teaching and a bachelor’s in history from Sweet Briar College in Virginia.

At KHI, Rebecca designs and implements programs spanning synchronous and asynchronous formats, including convenings, ECHO series, workshops and on-demand digital offerings. She works closely with subject matter experts, partners and cross-sector stakeholders to ensure offerings are grounded in real-world needs and relevant to the audiences they serve. Bringing expertise in learning and instructional design, adult learning, facilitation, eLearning development and learning management systems, Rebecca takes a strategic, learner-centered approach to the design, delivery and continuous improvement of KHI’s educational programs and digital learning infrastructure.

Kristen Selby is the founder of Timely EA, a boutique fractional executive assistant agency helping nonprofit leaders and entrepreneurs reclaim their time and stay focused on what matters most. Kristen founded Timely five years ago after over a decade in executive support, having seen the same gap again and again: leaders needed high-caliber, proactive administrative partnership, but full-time, in-house EAs were often not a fit, and part-time options rarely delivered the strategic expertise or seamless integration their work demanded.

Now, with 19+ years in the industry, Kristen and her team provide the right level of support at the right time, freeing nonprofit leaders from the administrative weight that pulls them away from fundraising, program delivery, and the people they serve. Based in Wichita and expanding throughout the Midwest and beyond, she speaks on delegation, sustainable leadership, and what it looks like to lead a mission-driven organization without burning out in the process.

Sarah Simister is the Executive Director of Social Innovation Lab, a Wichita-based nonprofit that helps communities turn ideas into practical, sustainable solutions. With more than 10 years of nonprofit experience, she specializes in organizational strategy, partnership development, and building the systems that help good work succeed. She is passionate about strengthening nonprofits through collaboration and community-led change.