Board of Directors
In 2013, a Board of Directors was established to help guide the Kansas Book Festival Foundation through many continued years of success. The board meets quarterly and plays an integral role in oversight of the foundation.
Kathleen O’Leary Morgan
Kathleen serves as Lawrence Public Library’s deputy director. In that role, she serves as the staff liaison to the Library Friends & Foundation and oversees a team that manages the library’s signature programs, PR/marketing, volunteer management, and outreach efforts.
Susan Garlinghouse
Susan, a founder of Topeka Collegiate School and the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, is an avid supporter of learning, including the love of books!
Leslie Von Holten
Leslie, Director of Grants and Outreach at Humanities Kansas, is also a writer who reflects regularly on land and culture: ecology, community history, literature, art, and the undertold stories of prairie spaces.
Thomas Fox Averill
Tom, Professor Emeritus of English at Washburn University, is an O. Henry Award winner and the author or editor of ten books, including the recent novel Found Documents from the Life of Nell Johnson Doerr. Tom founded the Kansas Studies Collection at the Mabee Library of Washburn, which co-hosts the annual Hefner Heintz Kansas Book Award.
Eric McHenry
Eric, an English professor at Washburn University, is a past Poet Laureate of Kansas. Eric has served on the faculties of the Bear River Writers’ Conference and San Miguel Poetry Week. His three books of poetry include Potscrubber Lullabies, which received the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, The American Scholar, and The Boston Globe.
Elizabeth Dobler
Beth, a literacy professor at Emporia State University, has volunteered with the Kansas Book Festival since 2015. Beth has authored several books for teachers, including "Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet Inquiry," and she serves on the Board of Trustees for the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library.
Cindy Roupe
Cindy Roupe served as coordinator for the State Library of Kansas’ Notable Books program for 15 years. Retired now, she was the long-time Director of Reference for the State Library, and on several occasions she served as the interim State Librarian.
Joshua Falleaf
Joshua Falleaf, the Director of Economic Development at the Lawrence Chamber in Lawrence, KS, served, earlier in his career, at Haskell Indian Nations University as dean of the college of humanities and arts as well as a professor of English.
Roger Brokke
Roger Brokke, former General Manager of WIBW TV, has served as Chairman of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters (KAB) Board of Directors. He has also served on the Greater Topeka Partnership Chamber Board and the boards of Meals on Wheels and Sales and Marketing Executives of Topeka.
Ann Ryan
Ann Ryan has served as a Kansas City attorney with expertise in real estate, business, franchise, and employment law. She is active at her church, volunteering with the church’s bookmobile, which has distributed over 60,000 books to children and partner schools. She is also a member of P.E.O., a philanthropic organization supporting women pursuing higher education.
Tom McBride
Tom McBride, who was a longtime member of the board of directors at Title Midwest, oversaw subsidiaries in six states, including Kansas Secured Title in Topeka. He has been active with numerous other organizations, including Topeka Collegiate, Topeka Civic Theatre, YMCA and Topeka High School. He has served on the Stormont Vail Foundation board of trustees as well.
Niomi Thompson
Niomi Thompson, a Wichita resident, is a freelance communications consultant and an adjunct faculty member at Friends University. Niomi serves as President-Elect of the Junior League of Wichita and sits on the boards of the Mid-America All-Indian Museum and the Hunter Health Clinic. She is married to Drew Thompson and is the proud mother of two boys, ages 4 and 6.
Kathleen Holt
Kathleen Holt has served High Plains Public Radio since its inception in 1979. Currently “quasi-retired,” she volunteers as Coordinator of the HPPR Radio Readers Book Club and is developing a new series: Poets on the High Plains. In addition to radio work, Kathleen retired after a career in child welfare and nonprofit consulting.
Mary Brownback
Mary Brownback, who served as First Lady of Kansas during her husband’s tenure as Governor, began the Kansas Book Festival in Topeka, as a way to encourage a life-long love of reading among youth.