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KC Scholars Announces Newly Elected Board of Directors Members: Michael Roane and Beto Lopez

KC Scholars Announces Newly Elected Board of Directors Members:

KC Scholars provides scholarships to local high school students and adult learners to make college a reality and positively impact the Kansas City region’s economy and workforce

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 17, 2020) — KC Scholars announced the election of Michael Roane and Beto Lopez to its board of directors. They will both start three-year terms beginning on July 1, 2020.

Michael Roane served as co-chair of the Steering Committee and the Implementation Committee during planning and implementation of KC Scholars. Roane is the previous Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer for JE Dunn Construction, is active on multiple community boards and co-chaired the KC Rising Human Capital Workgroup.

A first-generation college graduate who grew up on the Westside of Kansas City, Beto Lopez is currently the Chief Operating Officer with the Guadalupe Centers, with a previous career in finance and real estate in the corporate sector. He currently serves as the Mayor Pro-Tempore of Lee’s Summit, and he has served as a key member on several volunteer boards and commissions including Guadalupe Educations Systems, Kansas City’s Brownfield’s Commission, Donnelly College, Overland Bancorp and Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

Strong leadership and dedication to the community are nothing new to the Board of Directors, as CEO and President of KC Scholars, Beth Tankersley-Bankhead, explains, “The board is exceptional – all are dedicated members and believe deeply in KC Scholars’ mission to grow and retain local talent through fair and impartial access to education and employment. We are excited to have Beto and Michael join the board and are confident they will make significant contributions.”

Roane and Lopez join five other current KC Scholars Board of Directors including Jan Kreamer (Board Chair), David Warm (Secretary), Tammy Edwards (Treasurer), Terry Bassham and Michelle Kay.

KC Scholars was incubated September 2016 at the Kauffman Foundation, and has completed four scholarship application and selection processes. KC Scholars currently has more than 4,000 Scholars from six counties surrounding Kansas City. Approximately 1,800 scholars are enrolled in postsecondary education in Fall 2020. The remaining Scholars in Grades 10, 11, and 12 are preparing for college enrollment and are from diverse backgrounds including public, private, charter and homeschools. Of the current KC Scholars, 75 percent are first generation college students and 76 percent are individuals of color.

Developed through a community-engaged process that included the involvement of more than 70 regional community members, KC Scholars:

  • Awards college scholarships – renewable for five total years
  • Provides college advisement and planning support to Scholars and their families
  • Can increase the postsecondary attainment rate by nearly five percent for the Kansas City region and 13 percent for Blacks and Latinos
  • Encourages at least 80 percent of Scholar graduates to remain in the Kansas City region to work, making it a workforce pipeline program

Individuals eligible to apply for scholarships are current high school students in the 11th-grade and adult learners with some college and no degree, who live within the six-county, bi-state area, and may not be able to afford college otherwise, as 100 percent of awardees come from low- and modest income households.

To learn more about KC Scholars, the application process and its impact, visit Great Jobs KC. 

About KC Scholars

KC Scholars’ mission is to increase postsecondary education attainment by providing the means – through scholarships, financial incentives to promote college savings, and support services – for low- and modest-income students and adults to complete a postsecondary credit-bearing credential or degree. Achieving the mission will change lives, set in place a culture of postsecondary completion, and increase the region’s workforce pipeline and economic vitality. Visit www.KCScholars.org for more information.

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A group of graduates in caps and gowns celebrating outdoors. Text on the image reads "Over $12 million in scholarships being awarded." These scholarships are paving the way for promising careers.
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Stephanie underwood - Chief financial Officer

Stephanie Underwood serves as Chief Financial Officer at Great Jobs KC, where she leads the organization’s financial strategy in support of its mission to create economic mobility through education and workforce opportunities. With more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit finance, Stephanie brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. She is passionate about using her career as a platform to serve and support mission-driven organizations, helping them maximize impact through strong financial stewardship.

Prior to joining Great Jobs KC, Stephanie served as Chief Financial Officer for Griffith Centers, a behavioral and mental health organization, where she oversaw financial operations for a multi-million-dollar organization spanning residential, educational, and community-based programs. She also spent nearly a decade as Vice President of Accounting Services at NFP Partners, providing CFO-level leadership to nonprofit organizations across the country, with a focus on strategic growth, audit readiness, and governance.

Outside of her professional role, Stephanie volunteers her time at her church and serves on the board of a local nonprofit. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to aligning financial strategy with mission impact. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is proud to be a first-generation college graduate.

 

 

 

Adult Learner College Scholarship

The Adult Learner Scholarship application is closed. Please click GET STARTED to be added to communication reminders on when to apply during the next open cycle.

Program offers:

  • Up to $25,000 paid directly to the college over the course of up to six years.
  • Once awarded, the Scholar can enroll full or part-time the fall semester following awarding.
  • Scholarship can be used at any of our college partners. See our current list of partners HERE.
  • Scholarship can be used towards an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a credit-bearing credential. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Be a high school graduate or GED holder (24 years or older).
  • Live in one of the six eligible counties. (Kansas: Wyandotte, Johnson; Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte)
  • Be income eligible. (FASFA Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less)
  • Have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
  • Have not previously been awarded a KC Scholars Scholarship (Traditional or Adult Learner).
  • Is not currently enrolled in a Great Jobs KC Skills Training Program.
  • US Citizenship/Residency is not required to apply.

If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE

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Jimmy Swift - Chief Operating Officer

As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner Scholarships. 

Jimmy has a career in education that spans more than 25 years and is built around supporting and improving the performance of career training programs and leading the operations of degree-granting institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has served as Campus President, Vice President of Career Services, and Executive Director of various career schools.  

Most recently, Jimmy served as the Vice President of PLA University at Phalen Leadership Academies, bringing access to job skill training to the parents and families of the Scholars served by Phalen Leadership schools across the country.  Beyond his higher education experience, Jimmy serves as the Executive Board Chairman for Project Safety Net NY, a nonprofit community-based agency delivering a broad range of health, education, and prevention services to the New York Community. As the Chief Operating Officer for Great Jobs KC, he and his team are poised to make a substantial impact on the economic stability and future of Kansas City.

Great Jobs KC
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