Luanne, a native of Yoder, Kan., has many years of national, state and local experience in health and human services having held positions in the governmental, academic, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves the people of Texas in a position responsible for assuring children who are involved in the state’s child welfare system have access to behavioral health services. She recently worked for the University of Texas System where she served as executive director of the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium which brings together 12 academic health related institutions across the state to improve access to pediatric mental healthcare. The focus of her career has been to improve outcomes for children and youth with mental health needs.

Education:

• A.A., Hesston College
• B.S.W., Goshen (Ind.) College
• M.S.W., University of Texas at Austin

“My years at Hesston College were foundational and set the course for the rest of my personal and professional life. I have lifelong friends from Hesston who continue to give me strength, support and joy. The pre-social work courses at Hesston and cross-cultural interterm experiences gave me invaluable insights and learning that I carry with me to this day. There is a saying, “the best thing we can give our children are roots and wings” – as a member of the board, my hope is that Hesston College is a place that provides students with the opportunity to continue to grow academically, spiritually and socially as they spread their wings and fly.”

Tim is the president and board chair of Harper Industries, a manufacturer of bale handling, hydraulic and lawn and turf equipment in Harper, Kan. He is a past chair of the Mennonite Economic Development Associates board and has served Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in several roles including as agricultural extensionist and community development worker in Bolivia, country director for Bolivia and interim director for Latin America.

Education:

• B.S., Goshen (Ind.) College
• M.B.A., Eastern College (St. David’s, Pa.)

Tim and Faith Hershberger Penner (Hesston College, 1974) have adult children.

Paula worked in public elementary schools as an educator and as an instructional coach. She now enjoys selling fair trade goods through her mobile store, Just Cause. She spent three years with Mennonite Central Committee in Mexico and has served on the leadership board for Mountain States Mennonite Conference, the Mennonite Women USA board and the Leadership Discernment Committee for Mennonite Church USA.

Member of Portland (Ore.) Mennonite Church

Education:

• A.A., Hesston College, 1979
• B.A., University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1987
• Elementary teaching license, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1989

Paula and her husband, Bruce (Hesston College, 1978), enjoy living close to their son (Hesston College, 2002), daughter-in-law (Hesston College, 2003), and twin grandsons (Hesston College, 2029?).

“My years at Hesston College set a trajectory for my life through academic and spiritual growth as well as lasting relationships. I was encouraged to be actively engaged in the world, and I value that the college has continued growing into an academic community with global impact. I am honored to serve on this board and look forward to discerning new directions as Hesston enriches the hearts and minds of its current and future students.”

Ivannia is a CPA and has been working in public accounting for over 15 years. She has experience working with many different industries but currently focuses and specializes in tax-exempt organizations.

Member of East Goshen (Ind.) Mennonite Church

Education:

• B.A., Goshen (Ind.) College, 2008

Ivannia and Ben Graber have three young children: Lucas, Sebastian and Isabella.

“I really value and support Christian higher education and so I am honored to serve on the board of directors of Hesston College. I have already felt so welcomed and look forward to continuing to meet everyone in this community.”

Scott leads the Office of Assessment and Decision Support in providing strategic coordination in data collection, analysis, institutional research and assessment in support of university planning and continuous improvement of educational programs. Scott has more than 20 years of experience in higher education settings, with more than a decade of service to Mennonite higher education. He was previously the vice president for institutional strategy and chief information officer at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU). Prior to that position, he held roles as vice president for institutional effectiveness and strategic planning and director of institutional research and effectiveness at EMU. His main areas of responsibility were strategic planning, assessment, institutional research, accreditation, analytics and oversight of campus technology. Scott has also served as the director of assessment and institutional research and the interim vice president for enrollment and marketing at Goshen College. He gained early experience in institutional research (IR) serving in a variety of roles including research analyst over five years in the IR office at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, Scott served on the board of LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania, from 2011 through 2023.

Attends Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Education:

• B.A., Goshen (Ind.) College, 1999
• Ed.M., higher education, Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.), 2006
• Ed.D., higher education, Harvard University, 2011

Scott and Nessa Stoltzfus Barge live in Harrisonburg, Va.

“My time at Hesston College was formative, giving me the opportunity to be part of a wonderfully warm academic community and preparing me well for my further studies. I continue to believe that Mennonite colleges and universities have an important role to play in offering a distinctive model of higher education for students from all backgrounds that is grounded in our counter-cultural Anabaptist-Mennonite values.”

Education:

• Diploma, Firestone School of Nursing at Akron (Ohio) City Hospital, 1975
• B.S., business, Kansas Newman College (Wichita), 1991
• M.B.A., Baker University (Baldwin City, Kan.), 1999

Val and Monty are the parents of four adult children.

Ken (goes by “Kenji” but spells it “Ken G”) currently serves as the EVP & COO of Narita Mfg., the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese manufacturer that supplies critical parts to the passenger rail car industry. He has been in executive leadership roles for nearly two decades. He has served as a chief marketing officer in all three sectors of the economy – private (McDonald’s Japan), public (Chicago Transit Authority) and nonprofit (National-Louis University and Lions Clubs International). He also serves on the board of directors of Japan America Society of Chicago.

Member of Lombard (Ill.) Mennonite Church

Education:

• A.A., liberal arts, Hesston College, 1981
• B.A., behavioral science, The University of Chicago, 1985
• M.B.A., marketing, The University of Chicago, 1992

Ken G has two children, Joe (b. 1996) and Alice (b. 1999), and is an avid cyclist and a passionate fan of Arsenal Football Club in addition to Hesston Larks.

“As an alumnus of Hesston College, I have benefited enormously from the intellectual, social and spiritual formation I experienced at the college over thirty years ago. It was only for two years, but Hesston was a time and place that gave me a significant growth experience. It may be a small place, but Hesston can give a big experience to young people who are making a critical transition in their lives. I want to help the college continue to thrive as an institution that can provide such a positive experience to future generations.”