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 has been the coordinator for the State Library of Kansas’ Notable Books program for 15 years. In 2005 she assumed the duties of Director of Reference for the State Library, and on several occasions she has served as 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.
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.