Staff
Meet Our Staff
The Greater Salina Community Foundation staff works both locally and throughout the region though our office in Salina, Kansas. Additionally, our affiliate directors live and work in the communities they serve.
Local Staff
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Jessica Martin
President & Executive Director
Jessica joined the community foundation in 2010 and has served in many different roles, including affiliate and youth coordinator, grants and scholarships coordinator, and, now, president and executive director. Her experience has given her a thorough understanding of the community and helped develop strong relationships throughout the region.
Jessica grew up in Andover, Kansas, and received her B.S. degree at Kansas State University. She is married to husband, Aaron and mom to their sons Oliver and Jack. Her favorite part about the foundation is working with people and helping them make a difference.
Fun fact: I played piano for 11 years and my favorite pieces to play are Chopin Nocturnes and Preludes.
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Michael Chambers
VP of Community Impact
Michael Chambers grew up in Lindsborg, KS and graduated from Bethany College. He has worked and lived in Salina since 1995. Michael has a passion for bringing people together to support good ideas and has spent the majority of his career working in the non-profit world. He is married to Jim Loader and they have two dogs, Greta and Abby. In his free time, he enjoys taking walks, working in his yard, reading, and trying to play the guitar.
Fun fact: Michael’s happy place is his backyard. He enjoys spending time there and is actively working to curate a backyard bird sanctuary.
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Rita Northup
Executive Assistant
Rita is a lifetime resident of Salina. Prior to joining GSCF in June of 2015, she worked in customer service and management for local Salina banks for 24 years, then spent nine years as the administrative assistant to the Executive VP/Provost at Kansas Wesleyan University. She and her husband Charles have two children and three grandchildren. She has been involved in Noon Network Ambucs for the past 33 years. Rita is a graduate of Brown Mackie College and loves helping the nonprofits!
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Brandee Mayginnes
Director of Operations
Brandee grew up in Minneapolis, Kansas. After earning her Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University in Life Sciences, she lived in the Kansas City area for 14 years before returning to the region. She is married to her husband Brent, who is a local dentist, and is mom to their twins, Ava and Carter, and pups, Cruz and Winston. She worked in the healthcare field for almost 15 years before joining the Greater Salina Community Foundation in December 2016.
Fun fact: I'm a twin, one of five sets in my family! -
Kristin Blake
Director of Finance
Kristin is a lifetime resident of Salina. She received her Associates of Arts in Accounting from Cloud County Community College and finished with a dual Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business from Kansas Wesleyan University. Previously Kristin worked for 16 years in the agricultural field and then 5 years in the dental industry. She is an active board member and treasurer for the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank. Kristin and her husband Wes have 2 children, Betsy and Tate and one fur baby, Rowdy. Their family enjoys attending Kansas State University games, children’s activities and traveling. Kristin has also recently taken up a love of reading when she gets the chance.
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Shanna King
Staff Accountant
Shanna King joined GSCF in June 2022. She served as the Accounting Services Director to the Presbyterian Manor for 17.5 years prior to joining the GSCF team. She has been a Meals on Wheels volunteer to the Salina Community for the past 8 years. Shanna enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren, hiking, camping, fitness and supporting the Kansas Jayhawks. She is looking forward to working with everyone on the GSCF team and expanding her business and personal relationships within the area.
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Jessica Flores
Fund Management Assistant
Jessie is a proud Salina native who, alongside her husband Ed, raised three children, Sofie, Seth, and Simon, in the community she loves. She spent 21 years with Bennington State Bank and operated her own daycare - experiences that deepened her passion for people and community. Outside of work, she enjoys working out, spin classes, watching her kids play sports, traveling, and relaxing by the lake.
Fun fact: I saw Michael Jackson and the Jacksons in their “Victory Tour” at Arrowhead Stadium in July of 1984. I was 9 years old and we had seats in the 7th row. So fun!!
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Jessica Fuller
Director of Grants & Scholarships
Jessica joined GSCF in February 2018. A Salina native, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Kansas Wesleyan University. Previously, Jessica has worked as the assistant winemaker at Smoky Hill Vineyards and Winery. For the last seven years, she served as the assistant director of admissions at Kansas Wesleyan University. Jessica and her husband, Andrew, have two children, Kinsley and Kace.
Fun fact: I love to cook and bake.
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Natalie Wood
Affiliate Relations & Grants Coordinator
Natalie joined GSCF in August 2019. She grew up in Randall, Kansas, and is a proud graduate of Fort Hays State University. She loves supporting her community and rural Kansas as a whole. Natalie and her husband, David, have four growing children: Alana, Isaac, Evan, and Odin. Together, they farm and raise their family near Solomon.Fun fact: I earned my 1st degree black belt in Taekwondo (ATA) while pregnant with my first child. -
Leah Wilson
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Leah grew up in Shawnee, KS and received her B.S. degree in Apparel & Textile Design with a minor in Business Management from Kansas State University. She had a career in Product Development before moving to Salina in 2011, and has worked for USD 305 and taught yoga at the Salina YMCA and AWIP Yoga Studio, among other areas in the community. Leah and her husband Jacob have 3 children, Isabelle, Lillian and Otis, 2 goofy Frenchies, Bruno and Pheobe (Pee Wee) and lots of fish. She loves to travel, be active with running, practicing yoga, and read. She can usually be found anywhere her kids are.
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Kelly Janousek
Community Impact & Marketing Assistant
Kelly was born and raised in Salina. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelors degree in Organismal Biology. Kelly joined the family business shortly after graduation and has been a Real Estate Appraiser for the past 25 years. Kelly and her husband, Kevin, have a daughter, Morgan, and are recent empty nesters with Morgan attending Kansas State University. Kelly enjoys traveling, Pilates, baking sourdough, and time with friends.
Regional Staff
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Sarah Meitner
Executive Director, Heartland Community Foundation
Executive Director Sarah Meitner has a passion for storytelling, promoting nonprofit programs, and ensuring that the region is thriving in sustainable ways for generations to come. She began her career more than 20 years ago in business journalism working at major metro newspapers, but transitioned to copywriting and marketing, with an emphasis in nonprofit work and development. That career change allowed her and her family to return home to Kansas. Sarah continued to provide freelance and contract work to businesses and other organizations, while also serving in an advocacy role for disability rights groups. She helped lead development of the Hays Accessible Recreation Complex (ARC Park) and was appointed by Gov. Jeff Colyer to the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities. She looks forward to working with the Heartland Community Foundation board members, donors, and community partners to grow the foundation and enhance Ellis, Trego, and Rooks counties. Sarah is married to Chad Meitner and they have five children.
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Julia Rabe
Executive Director, Solomon Valley Community Foundation
Julia Rabe is a Texas native who has lived in Beloit, Kansas for 6 years with her husband and 3 children. She is passionate about her community and what makes it special, the people. Her desire is to see Mitchell County continue to grow and thrive through relevance and relationships. She believes the quality of life we enjoy in North Central Kansas is a treasure to maintain for generations to come.
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Brenda Gilliland
Executive Director, Community Foundation for Cloud County
Brenda Gilliland was born and grew up in Plainville, Kansas. After earning a degree in Business Education from Fort Hays State University, she and her husband, Phil moved to Colby where she taught business classes at Colby Community College. In 1992 they moved to Concordia and Brenda continued her career as an educator, teaching accounting, business, and Microsoft Office applications at Concordia High School and concurrently for Cloud County Community College. Since leaving formal education in 2019, she has worked part-time in banking and remotely in agricultural real estate marketing. She looks forward to using her passion for helping and educating people by working with the wonderful residents of North Central Kansas to grow the Community Foundation for Cloud County. Brenda’s husband, Phil Gilliland, is a banker in Concordia. They have three grown children (Ryan, Eric, & Mallory), and five very active grandsons. Brenda enjoys watching CCCC baseball and is known for her yummy monster, chocolate chip, and chocolate mint cookies!
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Kyra Gritten
Director, Jewell County Community Foundation
Kyra joined the Jewell County Community Foundation in August 2022. A native of Jetmore, KS, she is proud to be a lifelong Kansan and has a passion for serving rural communities. Kyra graduated from Kansas State University in May 2021 with one Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and another in Political Science. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Public Administration through Wichita State University's online program. Following graduation, Kyra moved to Courtland, KS, where she began working for JenRus Freelance as the Jewell County Community Development Coordinator. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing the violin, and keeping track of her dog, Roscoe.
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Meagan Nuessen
Director, Ottawa County Community Foundation
As Director of Ottawa County Community Foundation, Meagan leads our efforts and facilitates our mission. A resident of Ottawa County throughout her childhood, Meagan returned to the area in 2017 with her husband and children. Since returning to Minneapolis, Meagan has been active in the area through multiple volunteer roles. She is passionate about continuing to serve Ottawa County and stirring an interest in residents to get involved and make a lasting impact through the legacy we leave for future generations. Meagan has a bachelor's in education from Emporia State University, loves Jesus, her family, traveling, and getting lost in a great book.
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Molly Williams
Director, Republic County Community Foundation
Molly is a dedicated professional with a strong academic background, holding degrees from Cloud County Community College and Kansas State University. With experience in retail and banking, she brings a diverse skill set to her work. Alongside her husband Tom and daughter Elly, Molly has put down roots in Republic County. She is passionate about contributing to the well-being and future of the community and is eager to make a lasting impact in the area.
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Aurielle Hughes
Director, Smith County Community Foundation
Aurielle was born and raised in Smith Center and returned in 2018 to be closer to family. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science from Fort Hays State University. Aurielle enjoys spending her free time with her family and friends. She has a very close relationship with her nieces and nephews. Aurielle volunteers in many community projects and takes pride in her community. She is passionate about Smith County and has a desire to help the county grow for generations to come.
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Savannah Downing
Trego County Development Director, Heartland Community Foundation
Savannah lives in rural Trego County with her husband, Marc, and their five children. During her twelve years as an English teacher, she developed a love for teaching her students about grant writing through community-centered projects. Savannah is passionate about strengthening our rural communities. She hopes that through philanthropy, strategic planning, and community engagement, future generations won't need to move to the big cities in search of opportunities; instead, everything they want and need will be right here in our Heartland communities.
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Deanna Hammerschmidt
Rooks County Development Director, Heartland Community Foundation
Originally from Ellsworth, Deanna moved to Plainville in 2006 after earning an Integrated Marketing Communication degree from Wichita State University. She worked in marketing and public relations before owning the flower shop in Plainville. She and her daughter, Mia, have two dogs and spend time doing 4-H steers and heifers. She enjoys getting to know the people in her community and seeing how communities support their own needs and dreams.
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Elisa Agler
Director, Post Rock Community Foundation
As a Lincoln County native, Elisa is excited for an opportunity to work with Post Rock Community Foundation to benefit and grow the communities she loves. She left the area for a stint to pursue a graphic design degree at Tabor College and career in that field. She returned to the area to be close to family and raise her children. She enjoys conversations over a good cup of coffee, adventuring and spending time with her family and friends.
