A native Colorado resident, Cheryl Baldwin, R.N., currently works in Garden City, Kansas, for Kansas Children’s Service League-Head Start as a Health Specialist.

Cheryl has worked in the nursing field for almost 20 years with experience in office and industrial nursing. She now spends most of her time working with children and families.

She and her husband Lee have two beautiful daughters, Tara and Tana. Other than working, she divides her free time between writing poems and cleaning.

Shannon Cotsoradis serves as the Associate Director and Chief Operating Officer at Kansas Action for Children and the Voices for Children Foundation. Shannon holds a Master’s Degree in Child Development from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. Shannon’s interest in oral health stems from her professional experience in the area of child and adolescent health, and from her commitment to the well-being of Kansas children and their families. In addition to her professional involvement on behalf of Kansas children, Shannon is a devoted community volunteer. Shannon is an active member of the Junior League of Topeka, and also volunteers her time to benefit the Capper Foundation.

Janette Delinger has been a practicing clinical dental hygienist for the past 22 years. In 1983 she graduated from Wichita State University with her Associates and went on to receive a Bachelor’s in 1984. During the 5 years her husband served in the Army, Janette was able to gain a wide variety of experience. She and her husband have been married 21 years and have two children, a son and a daughter.

For the past 16 years she and her family have lived in Lansing, Kansas. She also is active as an Executive Council member for the Kansas Dental Hygienists’ Association. Through the Council she has been able to deal directly with legislators to pass bills like the HB2161- the “Access to Care” bill, which, she attests, was the highlight of her year as President.

Alongside the Hygienists’ Council, Janette has also participated in the first three Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) events, through which she served as co-chair for Garden City and the hygiene coordinator in Kansas City. She is still active in KMOM events, and looks forward to the next, in Wichita. Currently, she is pursuing her graduate degree through the dental hygiene program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Doug Farmer was born and raised in San Jose, California. In 1994 he graduated from the University of California at Davis with a BA in Political Science. In 1996, he received his MPA from James Madison University in Harrisonburgh, Virginia.

In June of 1996, he began as an Analyst with the Kansas Division of the Budget. In that role, Farmer analyzed the budget submissions of public safety and economic development agencies, and made funding and policy recommendations for the Governor and for his annual budget.

In 1999, Farmer joined the Kansas Department on Aging as the Commissioner of Finance. In that position, he was responsible for submission of the agency’s annual $400 million budget. In, 2000 he became the Assistant Secretary of Aging and, in addition to budgetary responsibilities, became responsible for the Human Resources Department and served as the agency’s Public Information Officer.

In October of 2003 Farmer joined the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as the Assistant Secretary. In this position, he serves as a chief operations officer, providing management support for matters of budget, personnel, process, and function.

Additionally, he develops strategy for legislative matters, governmental affairs, and matters of policy.

Mark received his Undergraduate degree in 1982 from Kansas-State University. He went on to receive his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1986. Since then he has maintained a solo-practice in Ellsworth, Kansas, and has been an active member of the American Dental Society, Kansas Dental Society, and the Academy of Gentle Dentistry.

Kathryn D. Hunt, RDH, has been engaged in the practice of Dental Hygiene in private dental offices in Kansas and Colorado for 25 years. The daughter of a career Navy man, she lived throughout the country until her father’s retirement. After graduating from Manhattan High School, she spent her first 2 years of college focused on Early Childhood education. Kathy went on to receive her degree in Dental Hygiene from Johnson County Community College.

She is married and has just survived graduating both of her boys within 7 hours of each other. Cody is part of the Wamego High School Class of 2005 and is planning to attend UTI in Houston while Kyle has completed his education at the University of Kansas in Aerospace Engineering and will be working with Cessna in Wichita. Kathy has been very active with school, Boy Scouts, and church activities. She had the privilege of hosting students from Japan, Germany, and Denmark. She has been working in a private dental office in Wamego, Kansas since 1990 and is currently developing a school-based preventative dental program.

Jarrod grew up in LaCrosse, Kansas, a rural community in western Kansas. He attended Kansas State University receiving a B.S. in Agriculture. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, he attended the University of Texas – Dental Branch in Houston, Texas. Jarrod received his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2003. After receiving his degree, he returned to Hays, Kansas and joined the practice of Mark H. Ruliffson. In December, 2004, Jarrod purchased the practice of Dr. Ruliffson.

Jarrod currently resides in Hays with his wife, Stacey.

Dawn McGlasson RDH, BSDH, MPH is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Dental Hygiene at Wichita State University. Her responsibilities include teaching Community Oral Health Management and supervising dental hygiene students. Prior to teaching, Ms. McGlasson was the Deputy Dental Director for the Bureau of Oral Health at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for 7 years. Her early career years involved a focus in periodontics, pediatric dentistry, and dental public health. She received her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from Northern Arizona University and her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Kansas.

Ms. McGlasson is associated professionally with the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA), the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD), is a Board Emeritus member and consultant for Oral Health Kansas.

Ms. McGlasson has been recognized for her impact on the field of dental hygiene and in advancing the role of the dental hygienist in public health by being selected as a recipient of the Reaching Out for Excellence in Dental Hygiene Award by the University of Missouri Kansas City Alumni Association and Sigma Phi Alpha Dental Hygiene Honor Society.

She has worked extensively to improve the oral health of Children with Special Healthcare Needs, children of all ages, and elders. Ms. McGlasson has a long history of collaborative work with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), in the development and implementation of grant proposals. She has also provided presentations and participated in advisory committees/review panels at the national, regional, state, and local levels.

As a practicing dentist for the last fifteen years in the state of Kansas, Sean has seen various degrees of emphasis placed on oral health by the healthcare, political, and educational communities, such as the latest move toward fluoridation. He has also seen similar emphasis on care when medical professionals strongly encourage their cardiac patients to improve oral health as an adjunctive means of improving their heart condition. However, this does not take away from what he has recognized as an overwhelming need that lower socio-economic level children have when it comes to oral healthcare. That need, he believes, is not only education to the families, but also access to quality diagnostic and restorative providers through a system that encourages help for these children.

Reynolds has participated in three of the Kansas Mission of Mercy projects, and has enjoyed each event as a unique and rewarding way to improve the oral health of Kansas.

Kevin has been the executive director of the Kansas Dental Association since November 1997. Prior to his employment with KDA, Kevin had been an account executive with Barbee & Associates in Topeka for 10 years- a company that provided both association and lobbying services.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was an Eagle Scout, Kevin found his way to Kansas and earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Kansas. He is a past president of the Kansas Society of Association Executives and was the Society’s 2003 Outstanding Executive of the Year. Kevin has participated in the Kansas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Kansas program, is a founding member and current Vice President of Oral Health Kansas, is current Chairman of the Topeka CVB Board of Directors, Chairman of the Faith Early Childhood Center, and also serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 10 in Topeka.

Teresa received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas in May 2000. Since then, she has dedicated her career to advocacy and public policy in the not-for-profit sector, starting out in the child welfare arena.

In October 2003, Teresa came to Oral Health Kansas as the first Executive Director of the organization.

She and her husband, Brad, served in the United States Peace Corps from 1995-1997 in the South Pacific country of the Solomon Islands. They have two sons, Louden and Logan.

Brenda Sharpe is the first President and CEO of The REACH Healthcare Foundation, a foundation formed in 2003 from the sale of Health Midwest. With approximately $100 million in assets, the foundation’s purpose is to improve the overall health of individuals and communities, with an emphasis on the medically indigent and underserved populations in Wyandotte, Johnson and Allen Counties of Kansas. As President and CEO of REACH, her primary responsibility is to make the foundation fully operational through extensive Board development, development of the foundation’s vision and mission, and implementation of that mission as it relates to both the investment of foundation assets and community investments in the form of grants.

Brenda is the former President and CEO of Sunflower House, a child advocacy center that serves Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas. During her tenure at Sunflower House, the organization successfully completed a $4.25 million capital campaign that resulted in the organization’s state-of-the-art facility in Shawnee. The results of Brenda’s commitment for abused children included dramatically improved programs and expanded services to our communities’ most vulnerable citizens.

Brenda has been working in the victim’s service field since 1990. She has worked in a domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, substance abuse prevention center, and from 1994 to 2004, was the President and CEO of Sunflower House, a child advocacy center. She was the 1997 recipient of the “Young Professional of the Year” award from the College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University and was awarded the “Commitment to Children’s Service Award” by Kansas Attorney General Carla Stovall in 1997. In 2002, General Stovall named Sunflower House the state’s “Outstanding Victim’s Rights Organization” for their commitment to crime victims, and the Governor’s Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect acknowledged Sunflower House for its Exemplary and Distinguished Service to Children and Families. In 2003, Brenda was included in Ingram’s Magazine Forty Under Forty Class of 2003.

Brenda was a founding member and President of the Kansas Chapter of Children’s Advocacy Centers and served on the Advisory Council of the Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center. She took on a leadership role with the national organization that supports the development of child advocacy centers, the National Children’s Alliance, and serves as a site reviewer for that organization’s accreditation process.

Brenda received her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Kansas State University in 1990, and completed her Master's Degree in Student Counseling and Personnel Services at Kansas State in 1993.

MISSION STATEMENT: Maggie’s goal is to advance the profession of dental hygiene and improve access to dental care and oral health education for all citizens of Kansas.

Maggie began her career in the dental field as a dental assistant working for both a general dentist and an oral surgeon. Since graduating from the Wichita State University Dept. of dental hygiene in 1990, she has provided dental hygiene services in family practice settings across Kansas. Maggie has been active with the Kansas Dental Hygienists’ Association since graduation and has served on committees and as a Delegate for KDHA to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. She was elected President of KDHA in 2004 and will serve until September 2005.

Maggie enjoys volunteering for dental projects including school dental screenings, Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM), conducting oral health educational programs for long term care facility employees and providing dental hygiene services at her local Health Ministries Clinic in Newton, KS. When not thinking about teeth and oral care, she loves to scrapbook, tinker with photography and travel with her wonderful husband Craig and their two daughters, ages 6 and 7!

Sharon Tidwell has served as executive director of the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Foundation since February, 2000. As executive director, she oversees the day to day operations of the private, non-profit foundation which awards grants totaling more than $1,000,000 annually to the needy youth of Coffey, Lyon, and Osage counties in Kansas for medical expenses and post-secondary education, regardless of age. Sharon has served on the Board of Directors for Oral Health Kansas since the coalition’s inception in November of 2003 and also serves on the Board of Directors as secretary for Compeer of East Central Kansas. For the past two years, she has served on the Site Council for both Lowther South and Lowther North Intermediate Schools in Emporia and was recently selected to serve a three-year term as middle-level parent representative for Emporia USD 253 Curriculum Instructional Council.

Sharon is a Certified Travel Counselor and prior to her career in the non-profit sector, planned for fourteen years. Four of those years she owned and operated her own agency. She resides in Emporia with her husband, Dale and their daughter, Rebecca.

Marlou Wegener, born and raised in northwest Missouri, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville. She and her family have made Kansas their home for more than twenty years.

Marlou is employed with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as the manager of community relations. She has the primary responsibility of researching, developing, and implementing corporate community relations projects. Two of the major projects she is responsible for are SAVE (Shield Against Violent Environments) – the company’s internal domestic violence awareness and prevention program – and a business partnership with Chase Middle School in Topeka. She is also responsible for the company’s corporate giving programs, recruits members for two statewide advisory committees and coordinates employee volunteerism programs.

Marlou represents the company on a variety of community boards, planning committees and organizations such as Kansas Family Partnership, of which she is the current board president. She also serves on behalf of BCBSKS on the United Way of Greater Topeka leadership committee and the Community Blood Center of Topeka advisory council.

Marlou is a graduate of the Leadership Council of Greater Topeka (class of 1999) and was a company honoree for the YWCA Women of Excellence program. Other community and professional organizations that Marlou is a member of are: The Capper Foundation campaign marketing committee, Topeka South Rotary, where she is currently secretary, and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Marlou is married to Don and has three children – Amanda, Adam, and Austin.

Jason Wesco is a native Hoosier that comes to Kansas by way of Ohio. He holds an undergraduate degree in American History and a graduate degree in American Culture Studies. His professional career has been spent in public and private, non-profit organizations. His work has included non-profit programs, funding development, and serving as executive director of a community dental clinic in Lawrence. Currently, he is Community Development Director with the Kansas Association of the Medically Underserved. He lives in Topeka.