January 6, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kansas Leadership Center Announces Slate of Officers for Board of Directors
Wichita, Kan. – The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC), a first-of-its-kind nonprofit educational organization based in Wichita, welcomes a new slate of officers for its 2026 board of directors.
2026 slate of officers:
- Chair: Pete Nájera
- Immediate Past Chair: Ron Holt
- Vice Chair: Jill Arensdorf, Ph.D.
- Treasurer/Finance Committee Chair: Tom Carignan
- Secretary: Gwynne Birzer, J.D.
“This transition in officers reflects KLC’s commitment to strong governance and leadership continuity. This cohort of Kansans are well positioned to support our efforts, and we are excited about the energy this group will bring to our mission of inspiring and equipping people to do difficult things for the common good,” said Kaye Monk-Morgan, president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center.
Pete Nájera is the president and CEO of the United Way of the Plains where he works to advance the common good for all citizens in south central Kansas. He is also a combat veteran, having honed his leadership skills in a 20-year Army career that included tours in Korea, Germany and Iraq. Read more.
Dr. Jill Arensdorf learned about leadership at a young age while growing up in rural western Kansas where she participated in 4-H and the National FFA Organization. Today, Dr. Arensdorf serves as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Fort Hays State University (FHSU). Read more.
Thomas (Tom) Carignan is an experienced financial services leader with over 20 years’ experience currently serving the members of CommunityAmerica Credit Union. A native of Hutchinson, Kansas, Carignan has been engaged in the community from a very early age. Read more.
The Honorable Gwynne E. Birzer’s legal career has spanned over 33 years in such roles as an assistant district attorney, assistant public defender, assistant attorney general, founding and leading her own law firm, and rising to partner in the law firm Hite, Fanning, and Honeyman LLP. She was appointed as the sixth United States magistrate judge sitting in Wichita in 2015. Read more.
One board member, Frank York, is retiring from the board after 13 years of service.
“We offer our sincere gratitude to Frank York, who has given KLC’s board of directors 13 years of dedicated service. His leadership and commitment have been invaluable to KLC’s mission, and we wish him all the best in retirement,” said Monk-Morgan.
Learn more at KansasLeadershipCenter.org.
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About the Kansas Leadership Center
The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit educational organization with a civic mission, national reputation and global reach. Founded in 2007 with core funding from the Kansas Health Foundation, KLC’s mission is to inspire and equip people, together, to do difficult things for the common good. KLC partners with other nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, businesses, philanthropies, and communities to build cultures that are mobilized to make progress on their toughest challenges and thrive. Its publications include leadership books available from Bard Press, Third Floor Research, an applied research center with the Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University, and The Journal, a nationally recognized, award-winning civic issues magazine.
Over the past 18 years, KLC has built a strong and respected institution in Kansas designed to deliver leadership development and culture change at unparalleled scale. Now, organizations across the country and around the world look to us to provide resources and consultation to support their own aspirations for mission-driven leadership education. Learn more at www.kansasleadershipcenter.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Carrie Lindeman
316-393-1076
carrie@lindemancollective.com
