Advisory Board of Directors:
The WCMO AHEC is governed by an Advisory Board of Directors. Members include representation from each of the four counties served and are diverse in professional expertise.
 Bonnie Branson, RDH, PhD
Dr. Branson currently holds a joint appointment with UMKC and the Dept of Health and Senior Services as the Oral Health Program Director with oversight of the state's Preventive Services Program. She is active in academic activities through UMKC School of Dentistry and in state sponsored programs through the Dept. of Health and Senior Services. She collaborates with MAHEC centers to organize UMKC dental hygiene student summer rotations through AHEC sponsored locations. Provided all MAHEC regional offices with resources for dental health presentations; Presenter at the National AHEC conference in Nebraska in 2006.
 Mark Ballantyne
Mark grew up in north Missouri (Unionville, Putnam County, an underserved area!)
and graduated with a B.A. in Biology (1975) from MU and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction (1978) from MU. He tTaught in the Lee's Summit School District for 29 years and retired in 2005. He now teaches part-time chemistry and anatomy/physiology) at a private Christian school, Center Place Restoration School, in Independence. His daughter, Lyndsay, is an ACES participant and is planning on being a dental hygienist.
Melinda Christianson
Melinda Christianson is a physical therapist in Kansas City, Missouri.
Regina Ellis
Regina Ellis is currently the Director of Guidance for the Kansas City Missouri School District. She promotes devotion, passion, and diligence toward learning, while offering ideas pivotal to academic rigor and school re-culturing. During her tenure as administrator of an urban high school, Ms Ellis led a school-wide effort based on systemic reform and high expectation that resulted in 100% of junior and senior students enrolling in International Baccalaureate, Advance Placemet, and Dual Credit College Classes, a 70% increase in state assessment test scores, high ACT scores, and a nomination for the US Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Award.
 Maureen Gregg, RN
Maureen is a registered nurse that has worked with students in the urban core schools for the past seven years in both Kansas and Missouri. She currently serves as the school nurse for Cristo Rey High School. She focuses on health promotion and prevention so that students are empowered to adopt life long healthy behaviors. Her work with the students at Cristo Rey Kansas City allows her to be a mentor and encourage exploration of the many health careers that are available. Much of her career has been spent in adult medicine specialties, which allows me to share my experiences with our students.
 Judi Knipmeyer
Judi Knipmeyer is a counselor for the Blue Springs Freshman Center in Blue Springs, Missouri. She is instrumental in helping WCMO AHEC bring the Youth Health Service Corps program to students at the Blue Springs Freshman Center. She is from Higginsville, Missouri.
Ross P. Marine, DHL, MHA, FACCA, FAAMA
Ross Marine established The Murino Group LTD in 1998, a healthcare consulting and management resource services company. He brings more than 35 years experience as a senior executive and consultant for hospitals and academic medical centers, long term care, home health/home care agencies, rehabilitation facilities, alternative healthcare delivery systems, public health organizations in both rural and urban settings, and international healthcare projects.
 Michael McCunniff, DDS, MS
Dr. McCunniff is the Department Chair for Dental Public Health at University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Dentistry and serves as director of the School of Dentistry Extramural Clinical Rotations for Junior and Senior dental students. He also serves as acting state dental director for the Department of Health and Senior Services and member to the Governor’s Missouri Area Health Education Centers Advisory Council. His passion for working with underserved populations and helping recruit the best qualified students into the healthcare system who can address these needs of the underserved serves WCMO AHEC well. His background in Dental Public Health provides a good understanding for the oral health needs of the US population as well as Missouri.
 Toniann Richard
Toniann Richard is the Executive Director of the Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County. The Coalition is a non-profit, rural health network dedicated to serving all of Lafayette County. The Coalition provides leadership in securing comprehensive services across the continuum of care. Toniann has over 10 years of experience in non-profit, and several years experience working with community networking. Toniann served at the YMCA from 2001 to 2007 after leaving her post as Marketing Manager for the American Cancer Society. She worked at Baker University by assisting the Vice President of University Relations to organize alumni and donor appreciation events. Toniann is a 1999 graduate of Baker
University and a 2004 graduate of the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy.
 Ken Taylor-Butler, MD
Dr. Taylor-Butler is a primary care physician at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City. He serves as Assistant Professor for the UMKC School of Medicine and is a member of the UMKC School of Medicine Council for Selection. He is past
president of the Kansas City Medical Society and a current board member for the Kansas City Academy of Family Practice.
 Lynn L. Walker, PhD
Dr. Lynn Walker has served as Registrar for Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Liaison Coordinator of KCUMB—OPTI, Dean of Health Sciences for AT Still University, Chair of Dept of Community Health, Education, and Preventive Medicine and Executive Director, George Rea Treatment Center. His knowledge of
medical education and network of individuals in the medical field provide good
resources for WCMO AHEC and its students.
 Michael Wood
After a successful career in a senior management position at Prime Health, Kansas City's first prepaid health plan and later as an innovative educator at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Wood remains active in his true passion - community service. His involvement in several Kansas City-based organizations and his role in educating legions of Kansas City youth served as the impetus for his selection as the 2006 Kansas City World Citizen of the Year.
Ex - Officio Members:
Steve Winburn
Greater KC Linc, Inc. Kansas city, MO
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