Dené Mosier

President/CEO

Dené has led the museum since 2015. As a former preschool and elementary school teacher and administrator, she brings extensive experience in child development and managing educators to her role overseeing exhibits and programs. Under her leadership, the Discovery Center has grown and thrived as the premier children's museum in Kansas. Read more about Dené..

Caitlin Luttjohann

Vice President of Play and Learning

Caitlin designs educational programs and manages all aspects of the visitor experience at the museum. She has a degree in industrial engineering and came to the Discovery Center from the Flint Hills Discovery Center, where she was the Education Specialist for Science. She is passionate about teaching kids how to solve problems with science and is a favorite of teachers and students for her ability to make field trips fun and engaging.

Kaitlin Alegria

Director of Development

Kaitlin has a robust background of commitment to social impact, spanning nonprofit management and legal advocacy. As Director of Development at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, she implements a comprehensive fundraising strategy and oversees the Building Discovery capital campaign. A licensed attorney in Kansas since 2016, she holds a J.D. with honors from Washburn University School of Law, complemented by an M.S. in Criminal Justice and a B.A. in Political Science with a Nonprofit Management Certificate. Active in the community, she serves as Vice President of the CASA of Shawnee County Board of Directors. She lives in Topeka with her husband, Marcus Miller, and their children Destiny and Marcus Miller, Jr.

Laura Burton

Director of Marketing and Creative

Laura is a nonprofit marketing, communications and design professional responsible for educating the public about the Discovery Center's work and managing visual elements of the museum's work. In her role, she creates art and develops partnerships to help build the museum as a regional tourist attraction and educational resource for all families. She is a mother of two young children and a big LEGO fan.

Karen Estrada

Director of Guest Services

Payton Friess

Director of Access and Initiatives

Marty Hillard

Director of Community Engagement

Marty is an experienced community organizer with a background in nonprofit development, group facilitation, content creation, and copywriting. Marty's role as the Director of Community Outreach involves expanding the museum's reach both through museum programming and community-based events to give all families the opportunities for play. Marty is a a husband, father, son, and brother living in Topeka.

Draque Carver

Exhibit and Facilities Maintenance Manager

Draque has been with the Discovery Center since 2014 and is responsible for facility and exhibit construction and maintenance. He came to the museum with 35 years of experience in construction. The Discovery Center puts his expertise to work in a wide range of unconventional projects, from a realistic life-size pizza oven, to welded butterfly chairs, to giant ruby red slippers.

Miranda Heeren-Driml

Manager of Business and Office Administration

Miranda brings a wealth of experience in administrative, nonprofit, and event planning services. As the Manager of Business and Administration, she oversees various aspects crucial to the smooth functioning of the organization. Witnessing her dad's more than 30 years of experience working in museum work and her love for nonprofit, led her to the Discovery Center in January of 2024.

Jeanette Hutchison

Guest Experience Coordinator

Chester Solack

Guest Experience Manager

Chester comes to the Discovery Center with a background in customer service and hospitality. He is a US Army veteran and his role at the museum includes welcoming visitors and managing the Discovery Shop. Playing with Legos as a child allowed his creativity and imagination to grow. He still loves toys, and is known at the museum for his amazing reactions to unboxing new gift shop merchandise.

Janet Chambers

Education Coordinator

Ron Cook

Mobile Museum Facilitator

Erin Forstein

Education Coordinator

Nataliia Mostova

Facilities Maintenance

Elena Blum

Guest Experience Coordinator

Savannah Culton

Guest Experience Coordinator

Emma Jarvis

Guest Experience Coordinator

Ariawna Thompson

Guest Experience Coordinator

Adrian Alcala

Playologist

Alexyss Bauman

Playologist

JoyAnne Boutz

Playologist

Abigail Buckhalter

Playologist

Monica Carr

Playologist

Aliya Garren

Playologist

Chloe Havens

Playologist

Caroline Little

Playologist

Kaydence Stark

Playologist

Victoria Wood

Playologist

Megan Domnanish

Business and Finance Contractor

Jane P. Gannaway

Board Chair

Jane Gannaway is currently the Principal for JPG Consulting, LLC, based in Kansas and working with clients in food service and retail worldwide with a focus on the Americas and Asia. Jane has recently moved to Kansas from Shanghai, China to be closer to family and to enjoy the United States once again. Jane has always been engaged with community service in the communities she has lived in around the world. She is the mother of two adult sons, and is the Nai Nai (paternal grandmother) of four grandchildren.

Dr. Kent Palmberg

Vice Chair

Dr. Kent Palmberg enjoyed two careers in the medical field. Returning to his hometown of Topeka in 1978, he joined a group of physicians that grew to become Cotton O'Neil Clinic and practiced Internal Medicine until 1995. With the merger of Cotton O'Neil and Stormont Vail, Dr. Palmberg had the opportunity to become part of the administrative team and served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer from 1995 to 2016. He continues to enjoy supporting local health care providers and serves in volunteer capacities with Stormont-Vail Health and Midland Care.

Amber Housholder

Board Secretary

Amber Housholder is the manager of insurance and claims for Evergy. Since 2006, she has served in various positions including regulatory affairs manager, investor relations manager, budget analyst and internal auditor. Beyond her official positions at Evergy, Amber serves as secretary of the Women’s Energy Network. She has an accounting degree from Washburn University and earned her MBA from Baker University. Amber is a member of the Leadership Greater Topeka Class of 2019.

Amanda Humphrey

Board Treasurer

Amanda Humphrey has a Bachelor's in Psychology from Kansas State University and an MBA from Emporia State University. She is a CPA and has been at Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka for five years. Prior to that, she have worked in public accounting and marketing. She has two two girls, Quinn and Piper, with husband, Jason. The four of them love to travel, spend time with friends, and participate in activities for the girls, especially soccer and dance.

Jesse Borjon

Board Member

Jesse Borjon owns and operates a property management company and local retail store. Prior to becoming a small business owner, Jesse worked in leadership positions for the Kansas Corporation Commission and Secretary of State’s Office. He graduated from Washburn University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and served as student body president. He has been involved in Topeka South Rotary, United Way, Topeka Active 20-30 Club, Friends of the Topeka Zoo Past Board President, and the Washburn University Alumni Association. He is a graduate of Leadership Kansas and a member of the Topeka Chamber of Commerce. In 2020, he was elected to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives representing the 52nd House District.

Kathy Damron

Board Member

Kathy Damron has spent more than 30 years working in public policy. Her initial civic interests were shaped by politically engaged parents who built a successful farm and livestock operation in Western Kansas. Following staff work for numerous elected officials, she began a governmental relations consulting career in Topeka focused primarily on health, education and economic development projects. Most recently, her professional focus has shifted away from advocacy but remains one aligned with health and wellness. She is a National Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor, teaching private and group yoga in Topeka and Lawrence. She is also a certified children’s yoga instructor and is currently studying for her advanced teaching certification through Yoga Medicine. Service to her community continues to be a priority and Kathy has served on the boards of Topeka Collegiate Independent School, Topeka Performing Arts Center, Kappa Alpha Theta alumni, Community National Bank, Friends of Cedar Crest, Topeka Public Schools Foundation and numerous public school parent organizations where her children, Kyle and Erica Peterson attended. She and her husband, Whitney Damron, reside in Topeka, Kansas.

Kevin Dobski

Board Member

Kevin Dobski is the owner and operator of McDonald’s of Lawrence and Topeka. Kevin moved back to Lawrence, Kansas recently from Los Angeles, where he had spent nearly a decade working in the entertainment industry as a music and talent manager. Kevin managed the careers of several bands, actors, stand-up comedians and musicians before returning to McDonald’s system. Kevin lives in Lawrence with his wife Mary Kate and their children, Kendall Mae and Hadley and Easton. They enjoy spending time together outdoors, playing and watching sports (especially cheering on the Jayhawks and Horned Frogs), school and church activities.

Mary Etzel

Board Member

Joe Fazio

Board Member

Joe Fazio has worked for U.S. Bank for 19 years and currently serves as vice president, branch manager of the Pioneer Square location in North Topeka. He was born in Topeka, Kansas, where he attended Topeka Technical College. He has been married to his wife, Sarah, for 30 years as of April 2022. They have one daughter, KyLea, age 22, who lives in Alabama and two dogs, Roxi and Noodle. Along with the Discovery Center, he also serves on the board for North Topeka Business Alliance as part of their membership committee, as well as the boards for North Topeka Rotary as both president and treasurer and The Ronald McDonald House. Joe enjoys working out, golfing and spending time with family.

Ximena Garcia

Board Member

Ximena Garcia is a passionate advocate for children and health equity. She has practiced medicine in Massachusetts, Texas, New Mexico and Kansas. Most recently she worked at the state level during the public health response to COVID-19 as the Senior Advisor for Vaccine Equity for Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. She received her AB from Cornell University and MD from KUMC. She has four adult children all who attended Topeka High School. She loves to knit and bake.

Maribeth Kuzbel

Board Member

Maribeth Kuzbel was born and resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 37 years before moving to Northern Virginia. She is married to husband Jeff for 33 years with four children Joshua, Jake, Michael and Courtney. Her husband’s job with FHLBank brought them to Topeka in August 2021. Maribeth has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duquesne University where she worked as a cardiac nurse in various hospitals. Maribeth enjoys reading, is active in bible study, and is an avid pickleball player. Maribeth and Jeff have become immersed in all that the Topeka community has to offer.

Rachel Marsh

Board Member

Rachel Marsh Rachel serves as CEO of the Children's Alliance of Kansas, where she collaborates with child welfare experts to lead public policy advocacy efforts to strengthen the child and family wellbeing system, Rachel received her law degree and masters in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. She enjoys hanging out with her two teenage daughters. She spends her free time in her garden and on local trails.

Dr. Mallory McIntosh

Board Member

Dr. Mallory McIntosh is a general pediatrician at Stormont Vail-Cotton O’Neil. She received her medical degree from The University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed her pediatrics residency training at Indiana University. She joined Stormont Vail in 2018 after returning home to Topeka to practice and to give back to the community in which she was raised. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as well as the Kansas chapter of the AAP. She is married with one young daughter. She enjoys DIY projects, taking the family dogs for walks and gardening.

Kim Patton

Board Member

Kim Patton is an elementary school librarian in the Seaman Unified School District where she started in 2009. She is a lifelong resident of Topeka where she graduated from Seaman High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Washburn University. She went on to earn her master’s degree in Library Science from Emporia State University. She and her husband, Fred, have 3 children: Zach, Andrew & Emily. Kim is passionate about serving the community where she lives to make it a place others will love to call home. In addition to the time she spends volunteering for her kids’ schools and the Topeka Zoo, Kim also serves as chair of the Library Foundation Trustees for the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and on the Ballet Midwest Board of Directors.

Cheryl Rios

Board Member

Judge Cheryl Rios was appointed to the 3rd Judicial District Court in 2008 and previously served as an Associate Judge for the City of Topeka. After practicing critical care nursing in Topeka she graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 1993. She serves on the Kansas District Judges Association and Valeo Behavioral Health Center Foundation. She enjoys reading, hiking with friends and spending time with her adult daughters and extended family in Topeka.

Cora Spencer

Board Member

Cora Spencer is a community volunteer. She has previously worked as board president for the Mulvane Art Museum and Childcare Aware of Eastern Kansas. Spencer has a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Kansas State University. She moved to Topeka in fifth grade and considers this her hometown. She is married to Neal Spencer, president of Ernest-Spencer Companies. They have three children: Elsie (16), Layla (15) and Emmet (12) and host an exchange student from Spain, Auxi (15).

Stephanie Valley

Board Member

Stephanie Valley Stephanie Valley’s passion for designing led her to a Fine Arts degree in Textile Design from the University of Kansas. For twelve years she worked as an interior designer at Linda Lee Interiors in Topeka and as the production director of The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection. She is the author of two sewing books by Taunton Press and is currently a realtor with Valley Inc. Realtors. Stephanie and her husband John have two adult sons and own Valley Self Storage.

B. Kent Garlinghouse

Founding Board Chair

Bill Anderson, D.M.A.

Founding Board Vice-Chair

Michael Orozco

Founding Board Treasurer

Stewart Entz

Founding Board Secretary

Joanne Harrison

Founding Board Member

Missy Hiestand

Founding Board Member

Albert Lei

Founding Board Member

Jason Newell

Founding Board Member

Beverly Thompson

Founding Board Member

Lambert Wu, M.D.

Founding Board Member

Craig Yorke, M.D.

Founding Board Member