LEADINGAGE KANSAS NAMES 2 NEW BOARD MEMBERS

TOPEKA, Kan – LeadingAge Kansas members voted in two new board members to lead the association on April 15, 2022 at their annual Business Meeting and Spring Conference.

“The slate of candidates was outstanding”, stated president/CEO Debra Zehr. “These individuals will lead our association into the future of our field”.

Kris Erickson, CEO of Bethany Village in Lindsborg was one of the individuals chosen to serve.

Kris has been a licensed long term care administrator since 2001, and at Bethany Village in Lindsborg since 2014. His skills include organizational development, legislative review and advocacy, and strategic planning & visioning. He has been actively involved in Kansas Adult Care Executives and will conclude 9 years of board service with KACE this year. He is a Nursing Program Advisory Member at Salina Technical College, is active in civic affairs, volunteers as a kids wrestling coach, and is a former school psychologist.  He studied at Fort Hays State University and has a Bachelors degree in Psychology, a Masters degree in School Psychology, and an Education Specialist degree.

“Kris is a respected leader in the aging services field. His passion for service, advocacy and visioning will serve the Association and our members well,” stated Zehr.

The second individual chosen as a board member is David Smith, Superintendent of the Kansas Soldiers’ Home in Ft. Dodge.

Dave has been in senior living since 2015 at Kansas Soldiers Home, a historic multi-level of care veterans’ home in Fort Dodge. Dave’s key skills are training & development, relationship building and communication, and management and leadership. He is an Army Veteran, having served in a wide variety of roles during his military career. He is also a former Veterans Services Representative, Police Officer, and Police Commander.  Dave has a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management & Leadership from Friends University and is a Certified Public Manager and Licensed Adult Care Home Administrator.

“Dave brings a distinctive veteran-dedicated voice and perspective to the Board that will enrich LeadingAge Kansas’s work as we move toward the future,” stated Zehr.

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LeadingAge Kansas is an association of 160 not-for-profit aging services providers dedicated to serving the needs of aging Kansans. We advance policies, promote practices and learning that empowers our members to help seniors live fully as they age. Our members serve nearly 25,000 seniors in Kansas each day. Learn more at www.leadingagekansas.org