Board Officers
Pascale Henn - Chair
Adam Rossbach - Past Chair
Robin Wilson - Vice Chair
Pascale Henn is an experienced business lawyer who advises business clients from Fortune 500 multi-nationals, to closely-held family businesses and start-ups. Her firm, Business Law Advisors, is committed to strategy, simplified solutions and collaboration with other professionals as ways of approaching business challenges and growth opp
Pascale Henn is an experienced business lawyer who advises business clients from Fortune 500 multi-nationals, to closely-held family businesses and start-ups. Her firm, Business Law Advisors, is committed to strategy, simplified solutions and collaboration with other professionals as ways of approaching business challenges and growth opportunities. Her favorite book to read aloud is Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse.
Robin Wilson - Vice Chair
Adam Rossbach - Past Chair
Robin Wilson - Vice Chair
Robin has worked in many facets of education over her 30-year career. She is passionate about helping children find their love of reading at an early age, as she did. Her favorite children's book is "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds.
Adam Rossbach - Past Chair
Adam Rossbach - Past Chair
Adam Rossbach - Past Chair
Adam is a proud father of 3, passionate advocate for early education and COO of Kansas City based Tickets for Less and Ticket Solutions.
His favorite book from childhood is Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Mary Widmer - Treasurer
Adam Rossbach - Past Chair
Adam Rossbach - Past Chair
Mary Widmer is a Chief Financial Officer who has a love of reading. Her favorite books as a child were the Laura Ingalls Wilder series.
Board Members
Jessica Adams-Weber
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley
Jess is a Vice President and registered professional engineer at HDR Engineering. Her passion lies in inspiring more girls to find careers in STEM. She enjoys reading “Ada Twist, Scientist” to her two kiddos (or any of the Andrea Beaty books).
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley serves as CEO and Founder of Persley Advisors, a consulting firm that focuses on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) strategy, training, consulting, and coaching.
She formerly served as the Executive Director of The BrandLab Kansas City, where she led a successful relaunch of the Kansas City market
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley serves as CEO and Founder of Persley Advisors, a consulting firm that focuses on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) strategy, training, consulting, and coaching.
She formerly served as the Executive Director of The BrandLab Kansas City, where she led a successful relaunch of the Kansas City market. Before joining The BrandLab Kansas City, Dr. Brown Persley served as a Founding Scool Principal for five years. During her tenure as a school leader, she helped develop innovative programs that fostered community engagement, strategic partnerships, and authentic/real-world learning opportunities rooted in DEIB practices for students and staff.
Kirsten loves spending time with her husband and daughter reading anything written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky, a family favorite author.
Kelly Carnago
Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley
Kelly Carnago
Kelly is a lifelong learner who has found her perfect work home at Google. Her favorite book to read to her children is Llama Llama Red Pajama.
Liz Freeman
Shareda Rollins
Joe Richmond
Liz is an associate of Tico Productions Tico Sports and has two adult children. She remembers reading many books to her kids every night before bedtime in their early years and “Amazing Grace” by Mary Hoffman was one of her favorites.
Joe Richmond
Shareda Rollins
Joe Richmond
Joe is the President and General Manager of Daily’s Premium Meats, which makes the world’s best bacon! He loves letting the “wild rumpus start” while reading “Where the Wild Things Are” with his two sons.
Shareda Rollins
Shareda Rollins
Shareda Rollins
Shareda is an author, educator at heart, and Managing Principal Consultant in learning at Oracle Health. She believes one of the greatest joys is hearing children read. A current book favorite is "Where Did All the Orange Beads Go" by Dr. Donna Leah Houpe.
Ann Tinsman
Ann Tinsman
Ann Tinsman
Ann Tinsman has been a community volunteer for over 20 years giving her time to children and literacy causes. She is married and has two adult children. She enjoys reading and her favorite book to read to her children was "Going on a Bear Hunt".
Tom Wright
Ann Tinsman
Ann Tinsman
Tom Wright stepped out of retirement to become the Executive Vice President - Chief Human Resources Officer at Children's Mercy Kansas City.