Meet Our New Lawrence Hires
We are so excited about the team working from our Lawrence office along with Kathy Smith! Here's a look at our newest hires.
Meg Hooper Pearson, CVA, joins UWKV as the Director of Donor Engagement for Douglas County. During her 17-year career, Meg has built a strong reputation for her nonprofit leadership and engagement abilities. Her work includes implementing strategic action plans that effectively address community needs by creating diverse community partnerships, leveraging volunteers and driving successful fundraising initiatives. Meg, her partner and their 14-year-old child live in Lawrence and volunteer regularly in the areas of social justice, emergency planning, youth development, environmental stewardship and the arts.
Nicole Keller is the AmeriCorps Program Director for UWKV. She coordinates the recruitment, placement and oversight of AmeriCorps members in agencies across Douglas County. She holds a degree in Social Work and has been working alongside social service agencies for as long as she can remember. She loves to volunteer and give back to the community, specifically working with at-risk youth, supporting them and helping them realize their dreams can come true. When she is not at the office, she loves running and hanging out with her dog.
Laura Smith is our Eudora Community Resource Navigator. She started out as an AmeriCorps member, and now she's a full-fledged UWKV employee! She and her husband have lived in Eudora since 2005. After Laura started working for the Eudora Elementary School with the Special Education Department, they knew they wanted to raise their family here. You may recognize her from connections with the Eudora Giving Garden, Feeding Eudora, Eudora's Little Free Libraries and Eudora Schools.
Cherin Russell, an undergraduate at the University of Kansas, gained attention this year as the 2023 KU Newman Fellowship recipient, awarded for her empathetic and resourceful approach in her student support work. As a McNair Scholar who is pursuing English and Environmental Studies, Cherin plans to tackle the hardest issues our communities face through approachable communication, unique problem-solving skills, and multi-faceted research. A life-long Lawrencian, Cherin has been a community volunteer and advocate for more than a decade. She recently joined UWKV as an intern to hone her grant writing and communication skills. As she prepares for graduate school, Cherin hopes to continue her on-campus advocacy for students who are neurodivergent and/or have hidden disabilities.
Our newest addition is AmeriCorps member Carson Krehbiel. He is a 2022 graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Leadership Studies. He loves the outdoors and adventure in many forms, whether it be hiking, camping, or something more on the wild side (he's also worked for a ZipLine company!). Becoming an AmeriCorps member is his latest challenge. He is serving at UWKV as the Outreach and Service Coordinator. He is looking forward to developing his leadership skills and connecting with the community.