Sebelius appoints seven to promote volunteerism in Kansas
Kansans bring a range of experience to Volunteer Commission

Part of a commitment to the common good is willingness to volunteer one’s time and effort to better the community.  To help local initiatives across Kansas with their volunteer efforts, Governor Kathleen Sebelius has made seven appointments to the Kansas Volunteer Commission.     

“Kansans have a long history of volunteerism and we recognize the importance of getting involved in our communities,” Sebelius said. “People giving their time to better their neighborhood, city and state is part of what makes Kansas such a special place.”

The Kansas Volunteer Commission provides resources, including funds and training, to support local programs that use volunteerism as a way to address challenges.

Dian Caton, Wichita, established a nationwide long-term disability and benefits hotline for Pizza Hut, Inc. in the mid-1980s before going to work for the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita as an administrative officer in psychiatry. A former volunteer coordinator for the Morton Arboretum in Illinois and director of volunteer services at Hospice, Inc. in Wichita, Caton is currently the director of YouthFriends in Reno County.

Kiley Eisenhour, Hays, plans to graduate from Fort Hays State University in May with a bachelor’s degree in justice studies.  Eisenhour was student body president during the 2005-2006 school year, the student government’s legislative affairs director for two years and a summer intern for Congressman Jerry Moran.  Currently, Eisenhour is an after school assistant at Lincoln Elementary School and co-director of Tigers in Service at FHSU.

Barbara Gerhard, Stanley, graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in human ecology.  She’s been awarded the Kauffman Foundation’s Victor A. Spears Award and initiated a volunteer recruitment program for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Supervised Visitation Program.  Currently, Gerhard serves the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging Transportation Program.

Diane Hentges, Kansas City, graduated from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and earned a master’s degree in social work at the University of Kansas.  For three decades, Hentges served as director of Catholic Charities’ Refugee Resettlement Program within the Archdiocese of Kansas City.  At various points during that period, she also served as director of the Home Health Program and as director of quality improvement. Currently, Hentges is director of the United Way’s Volunteer Center in Wyandotte County.  

Mary Marston, Manhattan, graduated magna cum laude from Kansas State University in 1977, before going on to receive a master’s degree from K-State in adult and continuing education in 1990.  The former director of Garden City Community College’s Business and Industry Institute, Marston went to work at K-State in 1998, serving as assistant director of experiential learning at K-State’s Career and Employment Services and program coordinator of the Continuing Education Division.  She currently serves as executive director of the Kansas Campus Compact.

Connie Stewart, Hoyt, is certified in gerontology studies through Washburn University. After nearly a decade working at the Kansas Neurological Institute/Parsons State Hospital Training Center, Stewart was named director of the KNI’s Foster Grandparent Program of Northeast Kansas in 1979, a position she continues to hold.

Aaron Otto, Topeka, served in various offices at the Pentagon including Chief Naval Operations, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of Defense. Otto moved to Kansas in 2003 to work as Legislative Policy Director to Lt. Governor John Moore. Currently, Otto serves as Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson and Special Assistant to Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

Reappointed to the commission were Jeff LaCroix, Overland Park, and Kathleen Clausing, Lawrence.

Members of the commission will each serve a three-year term.

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