Billie Hall is the corporation’s chief executive officer and works in partnership with the Board of Trustees and the staff to provide leadership, vision and direction for the organization. She is responsible for policies, programs, practices and procedures to accomplish the foundation’s functions including grantmaking, investments, operations and communications.

Education: Master of Science degree in public health, University of Missouri; Bachelor of Arts, psychology, Washburn University

Background: Hall’s career has focused on many aspects of health care and public health, including school health education, women’s health, community health planning and health policy. She was vice president for public affairs for the Kansas Health Institute, where she developed the organization’s health policy agenda. Earlier, she was a management and marketing consultant, assisting health plans and nonprofit health organizations. In 1987, she led the development of the first specialty women’s health center in Topeka, where she served as executive director for nearly 10 years. She began her career as a public health educator for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, where she focused on school and community health education. She is a native of Topeka, Kansas.
 

click for bio Larry Tobias oversees all grant activities working closely with the president and CEO to define program strategies and direct resources toward the achievement of the Sunflower Foundation’s mission. He also oversees all public/media relations for the foundation, including preparation of annual reports, news/press releases, brochures and other aspects of the organization’s communications plan. 

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism, North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas)

Background: Tobias worked briefly for the Dallas Times Herald, then joined the production staff of WFAA-TV, also in Dallas. His career was interrupted by a three-year stint in the military, where he was a junior officer in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned as a public relations and personnel officer to an aviation squadron in Coronado, California, and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. In 1971, he returned from the military to a position in management at WFAA-TV. After two years, he came back to Kansas and became involved in his family’s farming operation near Lyons in Rice County. In 1990, he joined Memorial Hospital in McPherson and served seven years as vice president of operations before being awarded the Kansas Health Foundation Community Health Fellowship. After the two-year fellowship, he joined the Kansas Hospital Association, where he was director of communications, then vice president for community relations. He is a native of Lyons, Kansas.

Cheryl Bean oversees both the finance and grants management operations of the foundation. Her responsibilities include the management of all grants, including grant contracts, payments, reporting requirements and maintenance of the grants database and software. Her financial management duties include oversight of all financial accounting activities, budget preparation, payroll and working with chief executive officer, finance committee, Board of Trustees concerning the foundation’s investment policy and management and annual audit. She also is responsible for human resources, maintaining personnel records, administrating benefits and personnel policies.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, Washburn University

Background: Before joining the foundation, Bean was an office coordinator, staffing consultant and accounting manager for Key Staffing, a personnel firm in Topeka, Kansas. In that position, she performed all accounting functions for four divisions of the privately owned corporation, including payroll preparation, management and oversight of employee benefit plans, and accounts payable, receivable and collections. She is a native of Claflin, Kansas.

Alisa Browning provides support to the president and chief executive officer in governance and corporate affairs; provides program support to staff in the grant-making and grants management responsibilities of the foundation; and manages office and general administrative functions.

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, Bethel College, Newton, Kansas

Background: After several years in the health care industry, Browning moved into the education field, teaching health-related course work in technical colleges. She worked for Education America, Inc. in many capacities, including serving as a program director, director of accreditation and compliance and eventually as a campus director. Before joining the foundation, Browning was director of Wichita Technical Institute – Topeka Campus, where she managed the campus, oversaw programs, regulated compliance and directed student affairs and employee training and supervision. She is a native of Leona, Kansas.