Board of Directors
Executive Board
Region Representatives
NW Region 1
Director*: Luanne Lee
Assistant Director: SohyunYang
NC Region 2
Director*: Leigh Gritton
Assistant Director:
Kim Belanger
NE Region 3
Director*: Sarah Mahoney
Assistant Directors:
Carie Barber, Kim Curtis, Melissa Valenza
SW Region 4
Director*: Sharon Stockton
Assistant Director:
SC Region 5
Director*: Stephanie Rogerson
Assistant Director: OPEN
SE Region 6
Director*: Brad Johnson
Assistant Director: David Wolff
Committee Chairs
Professional Learning
Chair*: Carie Barber
2022 Convention Chairs: Lindsay Black
Mentorship: Nancy Thomas
Survey: Jessica Lofquist
Curriculum: Amanda Keller
SEL: Paulette Howard
Connections
Chair*: Laura Linstra
KLFA: Laura Linstra
KASP: Jess Wells
NAGC: Jessa Lucky-Goudelock
KSDE: Josie McClendon
Governance
Chair*: Amanda Keller
Historian & Great Plains Gifted Liaison: Connie Phelps
Advocacy: Sheri Stewart
ID: Melissa Valenza & Jasmine Puderbaugh
Rural ID: Daniel Wilson
Parent Information
Chairs*: Amy Gallentine & Jennifer Long
Jessa Lucky-Goudelock
Jess Wells
Lidiya Gettya
Jenny Long
2024 Legislative Shadow: Jasmine Puderbaugh
2024 Board Nominees
President Elect: Carie Barber
Carie returned to Johnson County three years ago to work as a Gifted Facilitator in Shawnee Mission School District. Prior to that, she lived in Texas where she served as a Program Coordinator for Advanced Academics in a large school district in the Houston area. In this role, Carie was involved in redesigning the district’s gifted identification process, expanding program services, and delivering professional development. As a mom of two gifted learners, Carie is also well acquainted with the challenges of raising gifted children. Carie holds a Master’s degree in Gifted Education from Arizona State University.
Advocating for the needs of Gifted, Talented, and Creative students drives her work with KGTC and is the primary reason for pursuing the President Elect role. Carie has served as KGTC’s Professional Learning Chair for the past two years. In that role she has initiated a Professional Development Webinar series to increase opportunities for educators to expand their understanding and service of gifted learners in Kansas.
Treasurer: Leigh Johnson
My name is Leigh Johnson. I am currently running for the position of Treasurer for the KGTC state board of directors. I am finishing my first two-year term as Treasurer at this time, and I am happy to continue in this role for the board to provide some continuity and stability in managing our funds.
I have been part of the KGTC Board, in some capacity, for about 10 years. I have worked in gifted education for 21 years. I am starting year 16 at Maize High School, currently a member of the USD 266 Maize Cooperative. I also have 6 years of experience as a rural facilitator serving 4 small schools K-12. That experience was split by a 10-year period as a domestic engineer, during which time my husband and I owned a greenhouse business and I was extremely active in the local PRIDE organization in Alton, KS.
My husband, Gerald, and I currently live in Newton, KS. We have lived in Harvey County, just north of Wichita, since 2007. We are active in the Kansas Square Dance Association and have danced together since 1986 when I took square dance lessons at K-State while working on my undergraduate degree. We have two adult children and two grandpuppies.
* Denotes a voting board member
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