New Midtown charter school introduces board members

3435 broadwayCitizens of the World Charter School, which will open this fall at the corner of Broadway and Armour Boulavard, says Miguel Meneses has joined its board of directors. Meneses is the former CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and current director of human resources operations at Truman Medical Center.

Meneses is the latest addition to Citizens of the World Kansas City’s board.

“As someone who grew up in Kansas City and devoted his career to creating opportunities for companies and individuals, Miguel is a hub of connection. He will play an integral role in helping CWCKC adapt to the needs of Midtown families and become an essential part of the community,” said Dr. Kristin Droege, executive director of CWCKC, said in a press release.

The school said Meneses will co-lead the board’s diversity committee to help with  Dr. Joy Vann-Hamilton with staffing, enrollment and board diversity.

Other board members include:

  • Luke Norris (Chair): head of local government solutions at PayIt, a KC-based government technology company and recently honored as the most valuable volunteer by the YMCA Civic Engagement Team, among other recognitions.
  • Jacob Littrell (Vice-Chair): a future CWCKC parent, registered architect and founding member of the Midtown Community School Initiative (MCSI), a group of Midtown parents and community members committed to providing better public school options for families in Midtown. MCSI brought CWC to Kansas City. Jacob is the chair of CWCKC’s facilities committee.
  • Kristen Ellis Johnson (Secretary):  Kristen currently works at home and has two young children she plans to send to CWCKC.  Previously, she worked as an associate attorney practicing law in the environment group at Lathrop & Gage, LLP. Kristen was integral to the launch of MCSI, of which she and her husband, Andrew Johnson, are founding members.
  • Tonya Brown (Treasurer): Tonya is the vice president of finance and human resources at the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors and has 18 years of experience in finance, accounting, and business operations across various operations. Tonya is the chair of CWCKC’s finance committee.
  • Kaye L. Otten:  a special education professor at the University of Central Missouri. Previously, Kaye served as a behavioral/autism specialist at Lee’s Summit School District in Missouri. Kaye founded Camp Encourage, a self-esteem building camp for children with Autism spectrum disorders.
  • Joy Vann-Hamilton: owner of Cum Laude Educational Consultants, LLC (CLEC), which strives to create and increase equitable opportunities for all students to learn quality science and make a difference in the world. She is the co-leader of CWCKC’s diversity committee.

CWCKC is hosting an information and enrollment session Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Tony Aguirre Community Center – 2050 W. Pennway St., KC, 64108.  Presentations will be given at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. in both English and Spanish – including information from kindergarten, first Grade, and special education teachers, members of the board, director of curriculum, and executive director.

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