Meet the Team

Beloit native Dr. Brian Jordan serves as the Executive Director for the Kansas Association of School Boards. In his 21 years in education, Dr. Jordan served as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent before coming to KASB. He earned his bachelor's degree in education at Kansas State University, a master's in education administration at Emporia State University, and his doctorate in education leadership at Kansas State University, in which his dissertation focused on school funding and accreditation. 

Dr. Jordan worked with schools across Kansas to help train thousands of board members on effective leadership, planning, and operations. Districts frequently call upon him to help during transition periods, such as hiring a new superintendent or bringing on new board members. He's worked closely with the Kansas State Department of Education leaders and had a significant hand in two leadership programs within KASB — Leadership for Tomorrow and the Business Operations Leadership Development program. Dr. Jordan uses his passion for school finance and leadership to work daily with educators and leaders to benefit student success.

Angela Stallbaumer is the Deputy Director and General Counsel of the Kansas Association of School Boards. She was raised on a farm outside of Monument, Kansas and graduated from Oakley High School. She received her bachelor of science degrees in psychology and political science from Kansas State University and her juris doctor degree from the University of Kansas.

Angie started her legal career in 2007 at KASB, working as a Staff Attorney. In 2010 she transitioned to working for the Kansas Department of Agriculture as a Staff Attorney, Special Assistant Attorney General for Agriculture, Special Deputy Animal Health Commissioner, and Legislative Liaison. In 2012, Angie was given the opportunity to return to KASB as its Policy Specialist/Attorney. Since returning to KASB, Angie held additional roles as KASB's Senior Attorney and as the Assistant Executive Director for Legal Services before stepping into her current position. She also is a registered lobbyist for KASB and assists with the association's advocacy efforts on behalf of its members.

Angie considers herself very fortunate to have a career assisting boards of education in this state. She feels strongly she has the best legal clients an attorney could hope to have, and she enjoys being in a role where she can help promote the great works of public educational entities and see first-hand their impact on student success. Angie lives in Basehor, Kansas, with her husband, Rod, who is a teacher and coach; their three children; and their canine companion, Gracie Lou.

Justin Coup serves as a KASB Leadership Field Specialist. An experienced educational leader, he is dedicated to supporting school boards and district leaders through strategic planning, organizational excellence and community engagement. With more than 25 years of experience in education, including more than a decade as superintendent of Solomon USD 393, Justin brings a practical understanding of district leadership and governance to his work with Kansas schools.

Justin began his career in public education at Goessel High School (USD 411), where he taught business, served as athletic director and coached from 1998 to 2011. He later served as principal, athletic director and head coach at Baileyville B&B Junior-Senior High School (USD 115) from 2011 to 2014, helping guide the school through consolidation while creating targeted academic support programs for students.

As superintendent of Solomon USD 393, Justin led several significant initiatives, including a successful $11 million bond project, the development of grant-funded early childhood programs and the implementation of long-term strategic plans focused on technology integration, staff development and student success.

Justin has been actively involved in educational leadership and advocacy across Kansas, serving on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) Advisory Council, the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute (KELI) Steering Committee and as chair of the Kansas Education Insurance Trust (KEIT) Group. He holds leadership certifications and advanced degrees from Fort Hays State University, Baker University, Wichita State University, Bethany College and Kansas Wesleyan University.

Justin and his wife, Kelly, have four children: Spencer, Breken, Kierstyn and Quincy. He values strong family and community connections and understands the important role public schools play in supporting both.

Lee Hanson serves as a KASB Leadership Field Specialist. She holds degrees and endorsements in general and special education, as well as building- and district-level leadership. Throughout her more than 30-year career in education, Lee has worked alongside families, educators, administrators and school boards to help ensure students with disabilities receive effective services and meaningful opportunities for success.

Lee's extensive leadership experience, combined with her perspective as the parent of a child with a disability, has given her a unique understanding of special education from both school and family viewpoints. This experience has shaped her commitment to building strong partnerships, strengthening educational systems, managing resources responsibly and helping schools and families work together to support positive outcomes for students.

Lee is passionate about helping families, school teams, administrators and school boards navigate strategic planning and systems implementation. She is especially committed to helping educational leaders understand how thoughtful planning, effective structures and collaborative decision-making can strengthen services and expand opportunities for all students.

As a field specialist with KASB, Lee works with school boards and administrative teams on long-range planning, goal setting, strategic planning, systems implementation, board training and other services designed to strengthen leadership and support effective school systems.

Lee and her husband, John, have been married for 37 years and have three children. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, who range in age from 5 months to 10 years. When she is not with family, Lee and John can often be found at the lake, enjoying time on their boat or relaxing around a campfire.

Tony Helfrich serves as a KASB Leadership Field Consultant, bringing more than 31 years of experience in public education. Throughout his career, he has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, athletic director, principal and superintendent. His professional experience spans both rural and urban communities, giving him a broad perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing Kansas schools.

Raised on a farm near Wright, Kansas, Tony graduated from Dodge City High School and the University of Kansas. After working in the private sector, he earned his teaching certificate from Pittsburg State University and began his education career at Bonner Springs High School, where he taught history, government and psychology for seven years. Following completion of a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas, he served as a U.S. Navy fellow at the Pentagon from 2001 to 2003.

Tony later returned to Kansas to teach and coach in Eureka before earning his building leadership license from Emporia State University. He then served as assistant principal and athletic director at Eureka Junior-Senior High School. In 2011, he became principal of Pratt Middle School and later served as superintendent of Pratt USD 382 from 2019 to 2026.

During his tenure in Pratt, Tony helped lead a successful bond project and championed efforts that resulted in statewide and national recognition for the district. In 2025, a KASB study identified Pratt USD 382 as a high-performing district, while U.S. News & World Report ranked Pratt High School among the top-performing high schools in Kansas.

Known for his commitment to building relationships with students, Tony created Gratitude Walks and performed with a student rock band that parodied classic songs to announce snow days and celebrate student achievements. Throughout his career, he has focused on building strong leadership teams, fostering effective board-superintendent partnerships and creating school cultures that strengthen student connections and support student success.

Chris Cooper holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and brings over 30 years of diverse experience as a teacher, building administrator, and district leader. Recognized for his expertise in school-improvement processes and data-informed decision-making, Chris has served as a multi-state Co-Teaching Trainer and a College and Career Competencies Framework Trainer, partnering with more than 25 schools this past year alone. He is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences. Through both onsite and virtual formats, Chris provides high-impact professional learning, coaching, and implementation support. Today, he partners with school districts to navigate the future through specialized studies in human resource allocation, enrollment projections, facility needs, and long-term budget planning.

Susan Severin is an educational leader, school safety consultant and mental health advocate based in Emporia, Kansas. She serves as Director of Safety Services for KASB, leading statewide initiatives that support safe, supportive learning environments for Kansas students and educators.

A school psychologist with more than 21 years of experience, Susan spent most of her career serving Emporia Public Schools and surrounding districts. In recognition of her contributions to students, schools and the profession, she was named Kansas School Psychologist of the Year in 2023. She has also worked with educators across the state as a specialized learning services consultant for Greenbush Education Service Center and has supervised Emporia State University school psychology graduate students as an internship supervisor.

As a certified trainer in Behavioral Threat Assessment and NASP PREPaRE crisis models, Susan helps educators and multidisciplinary teams prevent, prepare for and respond to school crises. Her work emphasizes practical strategies that strengthen both school safety and student well-being.

Beyond her work with school districts, Susan represents Lyon County on the board of directors for CrossWinds Counseling & Wellness, helping advance community mental health and substance use resources across eastern Kansas.

Susan enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, being outdoors, attending sporting events and enjoying life in the Flint Hills with family and friends.

Lori M. Kopp is the assistant executive director of legal services and attorney with the Kansas Association of School Boards. Lori graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 2004 with honors. After graduation, she worked at a small law firm in Topeka, Kansas for six years prior to joining the legal department at KASB in 2011. In 2017, Lori became the General Counsel for Topeka Public Schools, but returned to KASB in 2022 to her current position.

Lori grew up in Lyons, Kansas, and comes from a family of educators, both teachers and administrators. Her background has made the practice of school law even more rewarding as she appreciates the opportunity to support school boards and districts in legal matters so they can remain focused on their students, staff, and community. Lori and her husband, Brian, live in Topeka and love to spoil their nieces and nephews (adorable pictures are available on request). As an attorney with KASB, Lori assists with providing legal services, seminars, legal publications and other educational services to school board members, community college trustees, and educational service center members throughout the state of Kansas.

Leslie Garner joined the KASB Legal Department as a Legal Assistant/ Paralegal on February 18, 2015. She became the Policy Specialist in January 2022. A great deal of her work experience has been in the legal field.

Before joining KASB she worked 17 years as a Public Service Administrator I in the Legal Section for the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Prior to that she was the Great Bend Municipal Court Clerk in Great Bend, Kansas for 16 years.

David C. Cunningham is a staff attorney with the Kansas Association of School Boards. David is a 1982 graduate of Washburn School of Law. He began his practice working for the Kansas State Board of Tax Appeals. In 1991, he became the Director of Property Valuation for the Kansas Department of Revenue and served in that capacity until he joined the KASB legal staff in April of 1995. David left KASB in 2007 to join Lawrence Public Schools as an HR administrator and legal counsel for the district. He returned to KASB in April 2021.

As an attorney with KASB, David assists with providing legal services, seminars, legal publications and other educational services to school board members, community college trustees, and educational service center members throughout the state of Kansas. David enjoys golf and spending time with grandchildren when he is not working.

Ashley Rohleder-Webb is from Gorham, KS. Since graduating from Russell High School, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State University, Master of Liberal Arts from Baker University and Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law. Prior to joining KASB Legal Services as a staff attorney, Ashley was in private practice in Topeka, practicing primarily in children and family law.

Outside of KASB, Ashley enjoys cooking and crafts, and spending time with her family. At KASB, Ashley has developed a particular interest in Title IX and other anti-discrimination laws, as well as special education law.

Please note the following: If you require data beyond what's available to you as a KASB Member, your request must be submitted in writing; email ljohnson@kasb.org or click “Send Message” below with the details of your requests, all data points needed, and when you need your request. Please allow at least 48 business hours for your request to be completed. If you need any assistance with KASB+, this includes login help, questions about courses within KASB+, or any other issues; please get in touch with the Event and Learning Manager, Ceri Goutler.

Rayne brings 20 years of experience in the benefits and education space.