Leadership

Jack H. Brier

Chairman of the Board, President and CEO

Jack H. Brier

Career Highlights

  • President of Brier Development Co. Inc.

  • Kansas Secretary of State, 1978-1987

  • President, Kansas Development Finance Authority, 1990-1993

  • Attended Shawnee Mission public schools

  • Earned Business Administration degree from Washburn University

  • Graduate studies in Public Administration at the University of Kansas

  • Former Board Member, AmVestors Investment Group, Inc.; AmVestors Financial Corporation; and Columbian National Title Insurance Company

Bill Graves

Director

Bill Graves

Career Highlights

  • Recently served as President and CEO of American Trucking Associations, the national trade and safety organization of the United States trucking industry. Under his leadership, ATA advanced several safety initiatives

  • Governor of Kansas, 1995–2003. As governor, Graves signed into law an historic 10-year, $13 billion comprehensive transportation program improving highways, railroad infrastructure, airports and public transit service in Kansas, financed by higher user fees

  • Involved in the trucking industry his entire life. For almost 70 years, members of his family have operated fleets including Graves Truck Line

  • Serves on the Board of OpenForce, a Phoenix, AZ transportation technology firm

  • Earned a degree in Business Administration from Kansas Wesleyan University in his hometown of Salina and attended graduate school at the University of Kansas

Jim Poolman

Director

Jim Poolman

Career Highlights

  • President of Jim Poolman Consulting Inc.
  • Elected North Dakota Insurance Commissioner in 2000 and 2004
  • Served four terms in the North Dakota House of Representatives
  • Former Vice President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
  • Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of North Dakota

John R. Helms

Director

Career Highlights

  • Earned B.S. degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University

  • Has been a practicing CPA for the past 44 years

  • Was previously one of the owners of Wendling Noe Nelson & Johnson LLC for 32 years, which specialized in reimbursement, audit, as well as consulting services for hospitals in several states

  • Served as supervisor and later the manager of the financial statement audits of Security Benefit Life, Missouri Farm Bureau, and American Home Life Insurance Company for several years

  • Previously a member of the board of directors for Cair Paravel Latin School for nine years and rejoined the board in 2021 as its treasurer

  • Is a current member of the Kansas Board of Accountancy and has been since 2012, and has held three terms as the vice-chair in addition to three years as chair of the board

  • Has been a member of the Enforcement Resources Committee of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy since 2018 and has been elected to the Nominating Committee

  • Involved in the board of the directors for the Kansas Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association for the past six years, as well as a member of the Chapter’s program committee and has been active within the program for more than ten years

JuliAnn Mazachek

Director

Career Highlights

  • Serves as the 15th President of Washburn University
  • Previously served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at Washburn University (2016-2022)
  • Led the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation as President and CEO for 15 years, overseeing fundraising, alumni engagement, and stewardship programs
  • Earlier roles include Dean of the Washburn University School of Business and tenured faculty member in Accounting
  • Holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Management (Mechanical Engineering emphasis) from Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Earned an MBA and a Doctorate in Accounting from the University of Kansas
  • Active community leader serving on boards including CoreFirst Bank & Trust, Heritage Bank, and the Greater Topeka Partnership

Jeff Brown

Vice President

Jeff Brown

Career Highlights

  • Former Group Life Actuary of Fortis Benefits Insurance Company, 1995-2001
  • Former Senior Vice President and Actuary of Amerus Annuity Group
  • Vice President of Finance and Business Intelligence of Aviva USA, 2008-2011
  • Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Former Board Member, Cair Paravel Latin School
  • Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics (Actuarial Science Specialization) from Washburn University

We gratefully recognize our founding Board members, who played a vital role in shaping the organization in its earliest years and whose influence continues beyond their service on the Board. Bob Boaldin, Rochelle Chronister, Kurt Scott, and James Concannon each contributed leadership, insight, and dedication that helped establish the strong foundation we have today. Their commitment and vision continue to resonate throughout the organization. We sincerely appreciate their contributions and the role they played in our history.