Staff
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Danielle Robbins-Gregory
President/CEO Contact Danielle Danielle is a healthcare executive and children’s advocate with nearly twenty years of experience developing health and wellness programs and speaking out on behalf of children and adults across the Kansas City metro area. Previously Danielle served as vice president of quality development at ReDiscover, a community mental health agency with a staff of 600 healthcare professionals who serve 10,000 clients annually. In this role, she created and managed cross-system collaborations among community organizations and secured funds to sustain programming. The scope of her work at ReDiscover involved Kansas City area children’s services, health departments, service agencies, school districts, health clinics and support service agencies. Earlier in her career, Danielle served as associate director at Resource Development Institute and as a case manager at Cornerstones of Care’s Gillis Campus. She held a clinical instructor appointment at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, for 12 years. Danielle holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Black Hills State University. “KC Healthy Kids’ board, staff and volunteers work hard to identify opportunities for improving the health and quality of life for our youth. I’m proud to lead an agency that works so consistently to make sure all kids have access to healthy food and safe places to play,” says Danielle. |
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Rachael McGinnis Millsap
Vice President, Policy and Programs Contact Rachael As vice president of programs and policy, Rachael is responsible for designing, executing, and overseeing the organization’s programmatic strategies to improve community-driven initiatives and advocacy where children and families live, learn, work and play. She leads a team that staffs key coalition efforts including the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition and the Kansas Food Action Network. Rachael works to build new partnerships and political relationships and cultivates champions for health-promoting policies, environments, and programs. During her tenure with KC Healthy Kids, Rachael helped found the Johnson County Food Policy Council and served as chair and vice chair. Rachael has a long career of bringing about social change through agriculture. She spent nine years as nutrition and gardening educator for the University of Missouri Extension and was director of the Eating from the Garden program in Jackson County, which taught gardening and nutrition concepts to elementary students. Through KC Healthy Kids’ partnership with Community Housing of Wyandotte County, Rachael’s team operates Splitlog Farm and Orchard, which is owned by the housing agency. Rachael graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelors in Plant Science and received her Masters in social work from UMKC. She stays active in that field by facilitating direct intervention and group counseling at a local medical center on a part time basis. She holds a certificate from Community Development Academy, a series of intensive, experiential courses offered by the University of Missouri Extension Community Development Program. “Schools and communities have a huge potential to address health disparities by reinventing themselves as places that promote healthy eating and active living and educate families about healthy food,” she says. |
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Lucinda Noches Talbert
Vice President, Operations Contact Lucinda Lucinda oversees the day-to-day workings of KC Healthy Kids, including general office operations, financial management, human resources, IT support and fund development. She started at KC Healthy Kids in 2013 to lay the foundation and secure grant funding for programs like Champions for Health, Healthy Communities Initiative and Farm to School Academy. She has nearly 20 years of management experience in program planning, grant writing and fund development at government and non-profit organizations in Kansas and Missouri. She has served as treasurer of Riverview Health Clinic and currently serves on the Board of the Nettleton Foundation. Lucinda continually strives to provide excellence in leadership. She is a 2014 graduate of the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City Leadership Academy and a 2011 graduate of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program. In 2018, she received a volunteer of the year award from United Way of Wyandotte County. Lucinda holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science from Virginia Tech and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas. She is originally from Topeka, Kansas and has lived in the Kansas City metropolitan area for 15 years. “I believe health is a human right, not a privilege. At KC Healthy Kids, I can align that belief and apply my skills toward our efforts to create a more equitable system and healthier society overall,” Lucinda says. Committees and Affiliations Nettleton Foundation Board of Directors, Since 2012 Upsilon Rho Omega Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Since 2016 Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program, 2011 Riverview Health Services Board of Directors, 2012-2018 |
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Andrea Clark, AICP
Director of Food System Planning Contact Andrea Andrea began her career with KC Healthy Kids as a planning intern in 2016 and returned in 2019 as a member of the policy team. As an urban planner, she manages collaborative projects that connect and strengthen the local food system. She also supports initiatives of the Greater KC Food Policy Coalition, advocating for good food and farm policy at the local, state and federal level. She serves on the executive committee of the American Planning Association’s Food Systems Division and has presented at local workshops and national conferences. She is trained in qualitative research methods and has earned graduate degrees in Urban Planning, American Studies and Sociology. Affiliations: American Planning Association, since 2017 American Institute of Certified Planners, since 2020 |
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Local Food Program Manager
Contact Tracy As local food program manager, Tracy connects local farmers and the food they grow to children and adults in schools and institutions. She also manages Splitlog Farm & Orchard, where she has worked as a consultant since 2020. She not only grows healthy food, but coordinates a community supported agriculture program, establishes strategic partnerships with community groups, and leads volunteers in cultivating the farm. She enjoys incorporating elements of sustainability in Japanese garden design into her farming practices and in her own native plant garden at home. Tracy also operates her own horticultural consulting business with the goal of helping local farmers and nonprofits in their efforts to fight food insecurity. She has held horticulture positions at The Giving Grove, a program of Kansas City Community Gardens, and at Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden, where she helped to increase the use of edible food crops in seasonal flower beds. Tracy holds a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from Penn State University and is certified in pesticide application. Her consulting business is a member of Gardeners Connect and the Missouri Prairie Foundation/Grow Native. “I grew up in a rust belt city, nowhere near a farm. When I started my business, I made a personal promise to only work on projects that I felt passionate about. The further down this path I went, I noticed it was leading directly towards growing and teaching about healthy, chemical-free food. By letting my heart lead the way, I found myself with KC Healthy Kids,” Tracy says. Committees and Appointments East High School FFA Advisory Board Member, Since 2020 College and Career Pathways, North Kansas City High Schools, Advisory Board Member, Since 2022 KC Parks, Lead Ambassador, Since 2020 Growing Growers, Since 2023 Awards Garden Club of Kansas City Horticultural Excellence Award, 2009 |
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Heather Gibbons
Creative Director Contact Heather As creative director, Heather oversees communications for KC Healthy Kids. She also builds strategic partnerships with artists and arts organizations to encourage broader civic and community involvement around our policy and programmatic priorities. Heather’s big-picture thinking paired with a strategic focus and collaborative approach allow her to effectively work across channels and with diverse partners to advance the organization’s mission. Before coming to KC Healthy Kids, Heather worked for the American School Health Association, the Missouri Coordinated School Health Coalition, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, and other health-focused organizations. She also spent 10 years developing product at Hallmark Cards, where she led creative teams in the development of gift and stationery products, music collections, and seasonal cards, including licensed products like Harry Potter, American Girl and classics like Peanuts, Winnie the Pooh and Mattel characters. She also established Hallmark’s grassroots EcoTeam, which is now supported by the company’s social responsibility department. “As a longtime advocate for local food, I’m thrilled to be putting my creative communications skills to work for KC Healthy Kids’ mission. Our staff and partners are doing amazing work and they make it easy to share the results of their talent and hard work with our communities,” Heather said. Awards 2019 Philly Awards, Marketing Campaign, Gold 2017 Philly Awards, Media Relations, Silver 2016 Philly Awards, with Dazium Design, Award of Distinction |
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Alissa Kooyenga
Program Coordinator, Trauma Informed Care As program coordinator, Alissa provides administrative support to the mental health team through the planning and implementation of the Trauma Informed Care Program. She is responsible for event scheduling, material preparation, coordination of activities and data collection. She also coordinates activities with Director of Grants and Quality including grant tracking, management, and reporting. Alissa graduated from Ozark Christian College in 2019 with a degree in Intercultural Studies. Her passion in life has always been to empower those around her through resources and furthering quality of life. For the past three years, Alissa has worked in the international district of Albuquerque, New Mexico at a Spanish-speaking church as their Director of Next Generation and Administration, and then at a non-profit as a technical writer. Throughout college, Alissa spent her summers in different countries learning about poverty systems in Mexico and youth dynamics in Spain. Her goal is to earn a Masters in Community Development. |
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Miranda Miller-Klugesherz
Director, Kansas Food Action Network Contact Miranda As director of the Kansas Food Action Network, Miranda supports the grassroots leadership and food systems change efforts of Kansas’ 30+ local food, farm, and policy councils. Miranda previously worked at The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, based in the Washington DC area, where she managed and directed significant community-based research initiatives in communities across the US and abroad. Miranda holds an MS in social policy from University College Cork-Ireland and an MA in communications and public engagement from Kansas State University. As Kansas’ first Mitchell Scholar, her research in Ireland focused on SNAP policy and local responses to food insecurity. While at K-State, Miranda worked for the Center for Engagement and Community Development, chaired the Junction City Food Policy Council and co-founded Live Well Geary County. She draws upon these firsthand experiences as she supports Kansas councils in leading community-driven food systems change. “I’m thrilled to be part of a team of brilliant people with the knowledge and drive necessary to create sustainable change at the local and state levels. I’m honored to put my experience with coalitions and local food systems to work here at KC Healthy Kids to create a healthier and more equitable Kansas." Affiliations & Awards Editorial Board Member, Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, Since 2021 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Pathways Advisory Team Member, Since 2020 Kansas Healthy Food Initiative Advisory Board Member, Since 2019 George J. Mitchell Scholar, 2018 South Central Nebraska YWCA Tribute! Woman, 2015 |
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Shelby Nace, LMSW
Social Worker/Mental Health Professional As social worker/mental health professional, Shelby supports children and families at KC Healthy Kids’ partnering child care centers by providing screening, case management and service linkage. She also works with teachers and child care professionals so they can become their best selves for the children they serve. Shelby is a bilingual licensed master social worker and self-described “big feelings person.” After graduating from the University of Missouri and moving to Nashville, TN in 2015, she began her journey as an advocate for families navigating the child welfare system, then continued as a forensic interviewer of children experiencing abuse & neglect. After completing a graduate degree in social work at the University of Tennessee, and a clinical internship focused on helping families heal trauma through secure attachment, she took her therapeutic experience, knowledge of neuroscience, and passion for mindfulness, equity and healing-centered care to the education system in Nashville to promote widespread awareness of best practices for all students, and to challenge the status quo. Since 2019, Shelby has facilitated more than 100 trainings and presentations in the areas of trauma, social justice, wellness and more to audiences including K-12 students, teachers, parents, national conferences and college students as a guest lecturer. Originally from Kansas City, MO and a product of Kansas City Public Schools, Shelby is thrilled to return to her roots and give back to the community that raised her. She currently holds state issued Master Social Work licensure in Missouri, Kansas and Tennessee, as well as Tennessee School Social Work licensure. Committees & Appointments Davidson County Child Protective Investigative Team, Tennessee, Aug 2015 - Aug 2019 All Children Excel Nashville Advocacy Group, Aug 2019 - May 2022 Metro Nashville Public Schools Advocacy Center Committee, May 2020 - May 2022 |
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Nancy C. Osborn, Ph.D.
Psychologist/Trainer Contact Dr. Osborn Dr. Nancy C. Osborn is the in-house psychologist for KC Healthy Kids. For 30 years she has provided individual and family therapy to thousands of youth and their families who are managing issues associated with trauma or who meet the criteria of autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder, or mood disorder. A trainer in Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid and trauma-informed care, Dr. Osborn is frequently the featured speaker at educational workshops and in-service trainings for health providers, educators, hospital and residential treatment professionals, criminal justice personnel, social service specialists, faith-based organizations and families across the Midwest. Skilled at providing a variety of trauma-based interventions including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, Dr. Osborn holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas. |
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Gina Piccinini
Director of Grants and Quality Improvement Contact Gina As our resident data analyst, Gina works to embed evaluative thinking across programs. She has nearly a decade of evaluation expertise, with specific skills in design, implementation and analysis. Gina also provides critical support to staff in preparing grant proposals and reports. Gina’s background is in health and social services, specifically in assessment of locally-funded non-profit initiatives. This includes evaluating advocacy and policy efforts as well as social justice programming. She has served as a grants and advocacy administrator, preparing local and state grant proposals for children’s services, mental health, education and substance use services. She designs programs and works to secure the funding to sustain them. She actively engages funders, elected officials, media, stakeholders and the general public in policy issues. Gina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She completed the Grantsmanship Training Program in 2017 and plans to continue her education in public health to strengthen her skills from a community-based perspective. “I am dedicated to finding ways to help people improve the health and wellbeing in their communities. My role at KC Healthy Kids is challenging and incredibly rewarding in that aspect,” Gina says. |
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Markesia Tatum
Executive Administrative Assistant Contact Markesia As executive administrative assistant, Markesia supports all aspects of KC Healthy Kids’ work by organizing internal activities as well as external meetings and events. She also maintains accounts payable/receivable and provides key support to our fund development team. Markesia has 8 years’ experience in child care and a strong desire to serve her community. She has managed a successful freelance career in makeup artistry since 2008 and is active in a local food pantry ministry. “I feel impassioned and inspired by what we do here,” Markesia says. “As someone who grew up in Wyandotte County, I know what it’s like to live in a place where healthy food isn’t available to everyone,” Markesia says. Committees Recurrent Meningitis Association Board of Directors, Since 2018 |
