By LINN ANN HUNTINGTON
Special to Hays Post
Two individuals with ties to Fort Hays State University have been elected to leadership positions on the Board of Directors of Jana’s Campaign.
Jana’s Campaign, based in Hays, is a national education and violence prevention organization.
It was created in honor of Jana Mackey, a passionate advocate for women’s rights who tragically lost her life to domestic violence. Mackey was a Hays native and 25-year-old law student at the University of Kansas when she was killed by an ex-boyfriend in 2008.
Today, the organization carries forward her legacy by partnering with middle and high schools, colleges and universities, and community-based organizations to deliver specialized programs that prevent dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, a news release said.
Dr. Keegan Newkirk, of Glen Ellyn, Ill., has been elected president of the board of directors.
Newkirk serves as vice president of student services at the College of DuPage, a community college in Glen Ellyn. She was first connected with Jana’s Campaign while serving as Title IX coordinator at FHSU and has been a supporter of the organization since.
“I am deeply passionate about Jana’s Campaign and its mission because I believe education and advocacy are vital to creating safe, respectful communities,” Newkirk said in the news release. “Working with this organization allows me to honor Jana’s legacy and contribute to meaningful change in the lives of students and survivors across the country.”
Jana Mackey’s father, Dr. Curt Brungardt, was elected vice president of the board. Brungardt, who now resides in Manhattan, is a professor emeritus of leadership studies at FHSU.
Curt Brungardt, and his wife, Christie Brungardt, also a professor emeritus at FHSU, created Jana’s Campaign to honor their daughter following Jana’s death.
Kaiti Blackburn, executive director of Jana’s Campaign, said of Newkirk, “Keegan has been a cheerleader of our work for over a decade.
“She is highly skilled and knowledgeable in this field, but, most importantly, she is passionate about ending all forms of relationship-based violence. We are thrilled to have her leadership as board president.”
Blackburn said the board and staff extend their gratitude to Dr. Mellisa Holtzman, professor of sociology at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., the outgoing board president, who will continue to support the organization as past president, assisting with committee work.
Additional officers elected include Megan Shepard of Topeka as treasurer and Sherri Kendall of Costa Rica as secretary.