Staff
Shannon Kennedy
Executive Director
director@kyea.org
Shannon has worked in the Topeka non-profit area for the last 10 years with primarily a focus on child welfare and advocacy, enabling her to contribute to improving the lives of children in need and continuing with her personal mission of making a difference in the lives of others. Prior to moving to Topeka, Shannon worked in IT as a project manager in the engineering industry which helped equip her with strong organization and managerial skills.
Shannon’s passion is working to make resources and knowledge available for families and children with disabilities. She works to raise awareness, advocate for rights, and provide resources and support to improve the day-to-day quality of life of all those affected by a disability.
In her personal life, Shannon has two boys that she loves spending time and energy with, a partner Jay and a small army of cats, dogs, chickens, and rabbits. As a family they love to explore the state and find lots of lakes, ponds, streams and rivers to throw rocks in.
Carrie Greenwood
Program Coordinator
carrieg@kyea.org
Carrie has been the Program Coordinator for KYEA since January of 2009. She previously served as the Outreach Coordinator and has been with KYEA since its creation in 2005. Carrie attended the first ever Kansas Youth Leadership Forum in 2001 and this started her on a new path of empowerment, leadership, and serving as a role model where she has not turned back since! She has a passion for promoting diversity, empowerment, and education amongst ALL people, especially youth and women with disabilities. She expresses her passion through her job at KYEA, as well as her volunteer activities. Carrie has had the opportunity to attend national and local conferences and speak to over 600 groups about disability-related and empowerment topics. She held the title of Ms. Wheelchair Kansas 2004 and has served as the volunteer state coordinator of this program for the past 20 years. She also served as the Treasurer for the Ms. Wheelchair America Board of Directors for 12 years. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Kansas Disability Caucus, Inc. and the Association of Youth Leadership Forums (AYLF). She holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Design Technology from Washburn University in Topeka. In her free time, Carrie enjoys listening to music, volunteering at her church, reading a good fiction book, shopping, and spending time with friends and family.
Jen Van Dalsem
Program Coordinator
jen@kyea.org
Bio coming soon...
Kirstianna Guerrero
Program Coordinator
kirstiannag@kyea.org
Kirstianna has been a Program Coordinator for KYEA since April 2024, previously serving as the Administrative Assistant and Program Assistant since 2023. She is a 2018 KSYLF Alumna. There she was first introduced to the disability community and all that being a leader could look like, which inspired her to become an active part of her community. She is an Alumna of Faces of Change 2019-2020 where she discovered her passion for self-love. In realizing the difference that embracing every part of who she is has made in her life, she wants to encourage everyone to love who they are and live authentically. She was crowned Kansas Miss Amazing Teen 2020 where she had the opportunity to grow in her public speaking skills as she shared her passions with others; was crowned National Miss Amazing Teen 2020; and is currently the Assistant Director of Kansas Miss Amazing. She organized the first Disabled and Proud Parade of Kansas in July 2022 and hopes to continue growing the Parade in years to come. She was a 2022 NextGen Under 30 Kansas Honoree and received the 2023 Justin Cosco Award from KYEA. In Kirstianna’s free time, she enjoys creating creatively (crocheting, art journaling, cooking, songwriting and more!), volunteering, leading herself and others in prayer, and gardening.
Chris Koenig
Employment Specialist
chrisk@kyea.org
Bio coming soon...
Nikki Richardson
Fundraising Coordinator
nikki@kyea.org
Bio coming soon...
Liam Velasquez
Program Coordinator
liamv@kyea.org
Bio coming soon...