Kansas Governor's Council on Wellness and KDHE Announce Four New Council Members

The Kansas Governor’s Council on Wellness, formerly known as the Governor’s Council on Fitness, in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), is delighted to announce the appointment of four distinguished individuals to the Council: Carlie Houchen, Virginia Barnard, Miranda Miller-Klugesherz, and Dereck Totten.

“We are delighted to welcome our newest council members.” Jeff Usher, Council Chair, said. “Their wealth of expertise and knowledge promises to make meaningful contributions to our continuous efforts in improving the health and wellness of Kansans.”

Carlie Houchen: Carlie is the Director of Health Systems at the Sunflower Foundation, previously holding positions related to population health and health policy issues at the Kansas Health Institute. She has been a Kansas resident her whole life and has shown dedication to improving health in Kansas by her focus on lifelong learning.

Virginia Barnard: Virginia serves as the executive director of LiveWell Douglas County and brings a well-versed background in nutrition and public health, with over 19 years of experience in Kansas. Virginia’s career began with a detailed focus on health and nutrition, working as a K-State Extension Agent in Riley County. She became involved with community partners to develop the Flint Hills Wellness Coalition.

Miranda Miller-Klugesherz: Miranda is the executive director of the Kansas Food Action Network. She has 11 years of experience across four countries in food policy and public health. She co-founded Live Well Geary County and will bring a wealth of knowledge in areas such as physical activity, promoting healthy dietary choices, and tobacco use prevention.

Dereck Totten: Dereck Totten, M.D., MPH, FAAFP, is the Chief Medical Officer at KDHE. He is a lifelong Kansan and currently provides health care services to western Kansas. Since 2016, Dr. Totten has been at Citizens Health in Colby, KS, providing full-scope family medicine, including obstetrics. He also serves as the medical director for the Rural Health Clinic.

Other Council members include, Jeff Usher, Kansas Health Foundation; Callie Dyer, Finney County Community Health Coalition/LiveWell Finney County; Jody Love, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team; Travis Rickford, Live Well Northwest Kansas; Jackie Hall, West Bourbon Elementary School; James Atwater, InReturn Strategies; Travis Rickford, LiveWell Northwest Kansas; Glenda Duboise, AARP Kansas; Susan Lukwago, Southwest Medical Center; Becky Tuttle, City of Wichita; Vickie James, Food and Farm Council of Riley County and City of Manhattan; Douglas Neal, Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

About the Kansas Governor’s Council on Wellness

The Council advises the Governor, the Secretary, and others on ways to improve the health of all Kansans by promoting physical activity, good dietary choices, and tobacco use prevention.

The work of the Council will align with Healthy Kansans 2030 and address the health of Kansans by:

• Relying on data such as Kansas Health Rankings and other reliable data sources.
• Coordinating information exchanges about physical activity, healthy diets, and tobacco use prevention.
• Creating private and public sector support for physical activity, good nutrition, and tobacco use prevention.
• Implementing a statewide awards program to recognize individuals, communities, and organizations that show significant support for physical activity, good nutrition, and tobacco use prevention.

To learn more about the Kansas Governor’s Council on Wellness, visit their website and follow the Kansas Governor's Council on Wellness on Facebook.

###

###