Board of Directors

Our board is comprised of a passionate group of mental health advocates, representing voices from our community and within the mental health center. This allows for each individual’s strengths, perspectives and experiences to come together with the rest of the group to create collective impact. Learn more about each of our board members below.

A group of board members sitting at a table smiling at the camera.

Tim DeWeese

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Liz Worth

Rodney K. Longhofer

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Susie Gurley

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Cathleen Panowicz

Katherine Melton

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Steve Wise

Steve Wise

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Sonia Khosla

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We all have a role to play in improving mental health.

Our board members are examples of dedicated advocates, but there’s a role for everyone in this work. How will you use your gifts, talents and time to improve the mental wellness of our community? Connect with us to learn more or explore ways you can support our efforts.

Tim is the Director of Johnson County Mental Health Center. The Mental Health Center is a department of Johnson County (KS) Government and employs more than 360 staff who provide behavioral health services to nearly 12,000 county residents annually.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Missouri Southern State University and a Master of Social Work Administration degree from the University of Kansas. He is a Licensed Mental Health Professional in Kansas and has over 30 years of experience in community mental health, where he has worked in various capacities.

He possesses extensive knowledge and experience in the public mental health delivery system, client-centered leadership, and program design/development. Tim also served more than 10 years as a commissioned officer in the Army Reserve and National Guard.

Rodney is involved with Friends of Johnson County Mental Health because he wants to unmask the stigma associated with mental illness. The work of Friends is important to him because he knows they will do whatever they can to provide the citizens of Johnson County with the necessities, skills, education and opportunities needed to live a healthy and meaningful life.

After a 21-year career at Johnson and Johnson, Rodney brings to the board a strong marketing, finance and non- profit involvement background. With personal and professional experiences in mental health, Rodney passionately believes that no one should be held back from personal success because of a physical or mental illness.

Rodney graduated from Emporia (KS) State University. He and his wife Molly have been married for 28 years and have two children, Jackson and Neva. They reside in Overland Park, Kansas.

Tony Medina is a community advocate, working to improve awareness and prevention of suicide. He is the current chair of the Johnson County Suicide Prevention Coalition Leadership Team, and volunteers as both a fundraiser and a public policy advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Tony also serves as the Kansas City Pride Community Alliance (KCPCA) Board Secretary and the Chair of the Marketing Committee.

In Tony’s words:

“I am a suicide loss-survivor and continue to work through the grief experienced from losing a sister. Part of this process has included the realization that I am not alone and the wide range of feelings I have had are not only normal, but they are okay. The self-discovery I have had has motivated me to become involved in suicide awareness and prevention efforts. Becoming vulnerable in discussing my experience and sharing with others the warning signs and available prevention resources is how I can make a difference while also remembering my sister through this work.”

Katherine has more than 10 years of experience working in both public health and community mental health. She worked with Johnson County Mental Health Center for four years as a Community Prevention Coordinator. In addition, she started and led a local mental health nonprofit.

Through her professional roles, she has worked closely with Olathe Communities That Care Coalition doing prevention work and previously worked with Johnson County school professionals and students around the areas of mental health promotion, substance use/misuse, and suicide prevention. Personally, Katherine work through the nonprofit to improve and assist with access to care, provide support to those who have lost a loved one to suicide or overdose, and support to those in recovery and their loved ones.

In addition to the Friends Board, she also serves as a board director for NAMI Johnson County.

In Katherine’s words:

“[The work of] Johnson County Mental Health Center matters to me because no one deserves to be on their journey alone. Whether it is someone with lived experience or an individual supporting a loved one, support, empathy, and a safe and nonjudgmental environment to process through their journey is important to their healing. Being a part of an organization that helps provide this support and space is humbling. I serve on the Friends Board as a way to give back to the Johnson County Mental Health Center community, whether that be the clients or staff. I’m proud to be part of an organization that strives to make a lasting impact on those that they work with and the community-at-large.”

Steve is a licensed architect, practicing commercial architecture with a focus on client relationships, project management, mentorship and business development for over 32 years, primarily in the Johnson County area. Steve graduated from K State University and married Chris, his wife of 29 years several years after graduating. They have 2 wonderful adult children, Megan living in KCMO and Ryan in Austin TX. Steve and Chris recently moved to Olathe, KS and enjoy the new house.

Chris has been involved with the In Place, offering social engagement opportunities for adults with mental illness, for more than 22 years. Steve stepped in to take over as the assistant for the In Place more than 5 years ago and continues to enjoy engaging with the clients on a variety of activities 2 times a month. Steve became involved in community activities with Shawnee Tomorrow Leadership many years ago and continues to volunteer in the community. He is excited to engage on the Board, working with the team to explore opportunities to provide sufficient community resources for those struggling with mental illness.

Sonia is a Kansas City native, blogger, and communications professional at Health Forward Foundation, where she leverages her marketing and communications expertise to amplify the messages of nonprofits and local governments. Dedicated to fostering thriving communities, Sonia focuses on building a more equitable and just society for all. A mental health champion and advocate since her teenage years, Sonia bravely shared her journey with anxiety and depression on her blog, jemappellechanel.com. After graduating from Kansas State University with a degree in apparel and textiles, she returned to Kansas City, where she honed her digital marketing skills at Yelp and Visit KC, all while pursuing her MBA, which she completed in December 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a career shift, leading her to Johnson County Mental Health Center, where she spent nearly four years. There she demonstrated her expertise by developing and implementing internal and external communications strategies using digital and traditional media, co-managing the @jocomnh social media presence, leading website redesign projects for jocogov.org, jocogov.org/mentalhealth, and friendsofjcmhc.org, and implementing, managing, and evaluating communications for local and federal grants.

Her passion for mental health advocacy continues to drive her work, with a particular focus on raising awareness and increasing access to resources in the community where she grew up.

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