Executive Director

Ken Thomas is the Executive Director of the Kansas First Amendment Foundation. Ken is an award-winning educator with over 30 years of experience teaching history, government, political science, social studies methods, and leadership from middle school through the undergraduate level. He has also taught graduate-level classes at Rockhurst, Graceland, and Baker Universities. During his career as an educator, Ken helped grow the Center for Civic Education’s Kansas We the People program, raising support and fundraising to take 12 teams of high school students to the national finals stage in simulated congressional hearings on civics topics. Outside of education, Ken previously served as the CEO of Winning Directions Inc., which provided professional development and executive training for educators, corporations, and non-profit leaders. His contributions to the community were recognized in 2013 with the prestigious Johnson County Liberty Bell Award, given by the Johnson County Bar Association to non-lawyers who have made exceptional civic contributions. His teaching excellence was recognized with his 2023 induction into the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame in Dodge City.

Secretary | KS1stAFoundation Board of Directors

Assistant Professor | University of Kansas School of Business

Patrick Downes is an Associate Professor in Management at the University of Kansas School of Business, and previously taught at Texas Christian University and Rutgers University-New Brunswick. His area of study includes employees’ contexts, employee motivation, and research methods in organizations. Patrick’s work has been published in several academic journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Applied Psychology, and Harvard Business Review. He has also written an instructional simulation for teaching Strategic Human Resource Management and is a member of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research.

Treasurer | KS1stAFoundation Board of Directors

Justin Joo is a senior accountant at Ong & Company CPA. At Ong & Company, Justin primarily works with small businesses, managing their accounting services and helping clients with bookkeeping, cash forecasting, and tax planning. Justin graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in finance and is working to become a CPA.

KS1stAFoundation Board of Directors

The Law Office of Reshad Staitieh & Conflict Resolution Center - St. Louis

Formerly of Overland Park, KS, Reshad Staitieh is the founder of The Law Office of Reshad Staitieh. After graduating from law school, Reshad moved to Washington, D.C., to serve as a Staff Attorney for one of the nation’s largest civil rights and advocacy organizations. There, he represented individuals who had experienced discrimination in the workplace, at school, or while traveling. He also litigated constitutional issues in federal court. In 2016, Reshad relocated to St. Louis to begin his private practice, using his background in dispute resolution to find solutions for his clients. Reshad also serves as the Programs Director for the Conflict Resolution Center - St. Louis, where he uses his experience in non-profit program development to enhance the role of conflict resolution in the community.