The Sunflower Foundation has appointed Ben Schears of Goodland to the Board of Trustees. Schears was appointed by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. At the same time, Schmidt also announced the reappointment of Andrea of Krauss of Russell and Liz Sosa of Garden City.
Ben Schears of Goodland has been appointed to his first three-year term on the Sunflower Foundation Board of Trustees. Schears is the President of Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland. Northwest Tech provides technical education to a 17 county service area in Northwest Kansas and is one of the fastest growing colleges in the state. Ben also serves as the President of the Kansas Association of Technical Colleges, a member organization advocating for the seven Kansas technical colleges. He is a graduate of Flint Hills Technical College, Cowley County Community College, and Emporia State University.
Schmidt also reappointed Andrea Krauss of Russell to a third three-year term on the Sunflower Foundation Board of Trustees, which will expire in June 2022. Krauss is Secretary/Treasurer at John O. Farmer, Inc. and was first appointed to the foundation board by Attorney General Derek Schmidt in 2013. Krauss currently serves as chair of the Sunflower Foundation Board of Trustees and is a former chair of the Russell County Hospital Board and the Russell Area Chamber of Commerce. She also continues to serve on the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association board and the Russell County School Board.
Schmidt also reappointed Liz Sosa of Garden City to a second three-year term on the Sunflower Foundation Board of Trustees, which will expire in June 2022. Sosa is CEO of Epitome Enterprises and was first appointed to the foundation board by Attorney General Derek Schmidt in 2016. Sosa is a former Commissioner for the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission and has diverse work experience in higher education, economic development, small business management, and community development.
The Sunflower Foundation also expresses appreciation to outgoing trustee Les Lacy of St. Francis. Lacy is the Vice President for Regional Operations at the Great Plains Health Alliance and has served on the board since 2010.
We are grateful to these trustees for their passion and commitment to advancing the Foundation’s mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of all Kansas.
The Sunflower Foundation was formed in 2000 as part of a settlement between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the Kansas attorney general, and the Kansas insurance commissioner. The Foundation’s mission is to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of all Kansans by directing resources to grant programs, special initiatives, and related activities that help people and communities achieve and maintain optimal health. The nine-member Board of Trustees governs the Foundation’s work and oversees the long-term goals of the Foundation. Eight of the members are appointed by the attorney general, and one member is appointed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. The voluntary trustees serve three-year terms and can serve up to three terms.
— Submitted