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KPTS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The business and affairs of the Kansas Public Telecommunications Service, Inc. (KPTS) is managed under the direction of a Board of Trustees. The Board consists of no fewer than 9 members. The Board elects a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. Trustees serve two, three-year terms and are divided into three classes. If you are interested in serving as a Trustee, please contact Michele Gors Paris.

All KPTS Board of Trustees and Trustee Committee meetings are open to the public.  All meetings are held in the KPTS studio located at 320 W. 21st Street North, Wichita, KS 67203

Board of Trustee meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of every month (excluding December) from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Please contact Carolyn Potter for date/time/location of the annual meeting. 

Visitors will be permitted to attend and observe regular meetings of the KPTS Board of Trustees. Any visitor will be introduced to the Board and will be permitted to address the Board only upon written request to the Chair two weeks prior to the meeting.

The Finance and Audit Committee meetings are scheduled quarterly.  The committee meets on the 4th Tuesday of July, October, January and April from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

Fundraising and Development Committee meetings are scheduled as necessary.

Governance Committee meetings are scheduled quarterly. The committee meets on the first Thursday of July, October, January and April from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

Meeting date/time/location are subject to change. Please contact Carolyn Potter at 316-838-3090 or by email  to confirm this information.

Current Board members are listed alphabetically.

Gwynne E. Birzer

Gwynne is an associate attorney at Hite Fanning & Honeyman, L.L.P. and practices primarily civil defense litigation. She is married to Wichita State University professor, Michael L. Birzer and has one son, Michael Jr., age 3.

 

 

 

Bill Boyle

Emeritus Member and long-time supporter of KPTS. Bill is a retired minister. He is also a ventriloquist and former host of children’s television programs. Bill has been involved with KPTS for more than 30 years.

Randy Brown

Randy Brown is the Senior Fellow in the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University. He has 37 years of professional media experience, almost 21 of them at The Wichita Eagle, as editorial page editor, a member of the editorial board, and executive sports editor. Most of the 1980s were spent at KAKE-TV as senior reporter, later as managing editor and Live at Five anchor.  Randy was a member/graduate of the first and second sessions of the First Amendment Institute at Vanderbilt University (2004 and 2005). He won a number of state, regional and national awards for reporting and/or producing, including the national UPI award for investigative/documentary work. At the Omaha Sun, he was a member of the writing/reporting team that produced the investigative report that won the Pulitzer Prize for Special Local Reporting.
 

Mitch Caddell

Mitch is a manager of tax development services for BKD’s Wichita office. He focuses on the management of state and local tax disputes, reviewing corporate state tax positions, implementing compliance systems and developing proactive strategies to reduce overall SALT costs for clients. Mitch also has experience in corporate licensing, income and franchise, sales and use, excise, employment and withholding and real estate taxes as well as nexus reviews Mitch is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants (KSCPA). He is a graduate of Wichita State University with an MBA in accounting and a minor in mathematics.

Jon Callen

Jon is president of Edmiston Oil Company, Inc. and is a KPTS Signal Society member. Edmiston Oil Company, Inc. is a Wichita based oil and gas operating company whose roots go back to 1945.  He holds a BS degree in engineering from Kansas University and a MS degree in geology from Wichita State University.  He has been an active supporter of the arts in the Wichita community and is a long time supporter of public television.

Irene Crews

Emeritus Member from Argonia and long-time supporter of KPTS. Irene was involved with the original fund-raising project which created KPTS. She continues to be our #1 Ambassador.

Thomas Glade

Glade has a long career in radio management and presently serves as Vice President/Market Manager for the Clear Channel Radio Stations in Wichita Kansas. He holds a BA Advertising and Communications degree from Brigham Young University. Professional assignments and accomplishments include the Texas Association of Broadcasters and serving as President Dallas/Forth Work Association of Radio Managers, 1990-1992, President Utah Association of Broadcasters, 1983-1984, and President of Clear Channel Broadcasting Service, 1985.

Marilynn Gump

Marilynn is a native of Wichita and is proud to have attended the genesis of Channel 8, working at the time as a newspaper reporter. She graduated with as bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kansas State University and worked as a reporter on the Wichita Eagle, the New Newspaper and The Wichita Independent. From 1978 to 1982, Marilynn and two partners renovated and managed The Marple Theatre, a venue in Oldtown that featured classic films and live productions. After a stint working with a social justice community in Washington, D.C., Marilynn returned to school – this time at Wichita State University – where she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Since 1987 she has been a staff nurse for Via Christi, St. Francis. Marilynn is passionate about animal rescue and welfare. In her free time, she indulges in creative writing and reading.

Anita Jones

Anita is a native Wichitan and a graduate of Wichita University. After supporting her husband, Larry, through graduate school at Harvard, she was a full-time mom to their 4 children and a leader in Girl Scouts and 4-H Club. Her projects included operating a pre-school and co-ownership of a retail children's toy and book store. A long-time volunteer, she has served on the boards of Girl Scouts, Wichita Symphony, Wichita Music Theatre, Center for the Arts and several at WSU. She was selected as Philanthropist of the Year by AFP in 2007. Anita is an ardent supporter of KPTS and is honored to serve on the board.

Willard Momsen, Jr.

Will had a long career in the financial services industry but has dedicated the last 10 years to developing strategies and implementing systems in the non-profit world – Newman University, United Way of the Plains and the Wichita Children’s Home.
 

Zoe Newton

Zoe F. Newton is In-House Counsel for the Hartman Group of Companies (“Hartman Group”) located in Wichita, Kansas. Prior to joining the Hartman Group, Ms. Newton worked in-house at The Coleman Company, Inc. as the Manager of Contracts and Compliance. Ms. Newton earned her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Binghamton University, and her law degree from Cornell Law School. Ms. Newton lives in Wichita with her husband, Gale, and their two younger children. The Newtons have two older children, the eldest who graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in journalism, and the second eldest who is pursuing a nursing degree at the University of New Orleans. Ms. Newton was raised in a tradition of service and has volunteered throughout her life, including with Meals on Wheels and in adult literacy.

Rachael Pirner

Denny Senseney

Denny has a Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Music Education from Wichita State University. Prior to opening a Wichita music business in 1978, Denny taught instrumental music in the public schools of Oxford and Wellington. Denny has served as President of the National Association of School Music Dealers, the Retail Print Music Dealers Association, and two terms as Director of NAMM – The International Music Products Association.
 

Lynn Stephan

Lynn is a retired advertising executive and former Wichita Ad Woman of the Year, and winner of dozens of advertising awards for creative excellence. Lynn is a community volunteer, serving on the boards of various non-profit organizations. She holds a MALS degree from Wichita State University.

Keith Stevens

Keith is Senior Vice President at Southwest National Bank. His previous community activities include service on the Wichita Park Board, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Wichita Symphony and organized groups to support public education. He is a long time supporter of public television.

Dell Swearer

Dell is a Vice-President and Trust Officer with the private client group of Commerce Trust Company, a division of Commerce Bank, N.A., located in Hutchinson and Wichita. She is a graduate of Southwestern College with a law degree from Kansas University. Dell is married to John Swearer, an attorney with Martindell, Swearer & Shaffer in Hutchinson and has two children.

 

 

Andrew Thengvall

Mr. Thengvall’s practice includes an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, franchise, general business law and corporate practice. He also represents many public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, securities transactions, private equity transactions, venture capital investments, financing, contract negotiations and preparation, creation and termination of business entities, business entity ownership issues, and general business matters. Mr. Thengvall holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska. His professional memberships, affiliations and honors include the American, Kansas and Wichita Bar Associations.

Kathy Webb

Kathy is a 1976 graduate of KU with a BSE and MA (Speech Communications and Human Relations) degree. Webb taught school in Topeka at Seaman High School for four years and is a Washburn University School of Law graduate. She has been a practicing attorney in Wichita for the past 25 years. Webb most recently was a director and shareholder at McDonald, Tinker and presently serves on several local Boards of Trustees.

Tom Zwemke

Tom is a native of Omaha, Nebraska who’s made his home in Wichita for over 50 years. Tom is a Cessna executive, whose career spanned 30 years, recently retiring as Director of Marketing Communications. His interest in TV and radio led to various production and broadcast positions with Channel 3 and KFH radio. Tom is a previous KPTS trustee, serving from 1998 to 2003, and held the office of Chair-elect. Tom is a Wichita State University graduate receiving a Bachelor’s degree in American History in 1978. Tom is a veteran of both the United States Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, whose service experience included a tour of duty in Vietnam.

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