Board of Directors

Katie Allen, Executive Director		Katie Allen was hired in May 2005 as Director of the Arts Council. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in the History of Art from the University of Kansas with. Previous to her appointment as Director, Katie was an Arts Council Board Member for one and a half years. Through her work as Director, Katie plans to set goals with the Board of Directors to improve the awareness of the arts and artists in Dickinson County. Bringing new educational and entertaining arts opportunities to the community for all ages is a priority for Katie.
Anne Robson, President
Willa Danner, Vice President		Willa Danner and husband, Richard, own and operate the Danner Funeral Home. Willa and Richard have three daughters. Willa is serving her third term as Vice-President of the Arts Council and is the Chair of the Music Committee. Her main focus of work in the Arts Council belongs to music, to which Willa loves looking for different styles and talents to bring to concerts.
Sandy Bolliger		Sandy Bolliger is a new member of the board of directors. She recognizes the importance of the Arts and has appreciated the many cultural opportunities provided by the Arts Council of Dickinson County. She has retired from teaching in the Abilene school system. She and her husband, Ron, reside near Abilene. They are the parents of three married daughters.
Bob Bow		Bob Bow, a native of Homestead, Florida, grew up with a family interest in horticulture. His great grand parents homesteaded in south Florida around the turn of the 20th century, establishing Palm Lodge Tropical Grove, a collection of plants and trees from around the world. Experimentation by these early Florida settlers has grown into what is today a large part of the agricultural economy of south Florida. Bob is a graduate of Florida State University having studied Spanish language and literature at the University of Madrid, Spain. He worked at Palm Lodge until he was drafted into the army in 1971. On leaving the army after two years stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, Bob and wife, Inga, decided to remain in Kansas. They moved to Kansas in 1973, to enjoy the wide open spaces, the wide vistas and incredible sunsets of the prairie. Bob retired from work with the Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services in 2000 but continues to do contract work with various government organizations. Bob's had a life long interest in art and actively creating clay sculpture since 1968. He is primarily interested in the visual arts including sculpture, photography, pastel, paper making.
Ann Brussow		Prior to joining the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Dickinson County, Ann served as a Picture Person for seven years as part of the organization's Picture Person visual arts program in elementary schools. Her interest in visual arts and music motivates her desire to help provide opportunities for individuals to participate in art events and also help create an awareness in the community of the importance of the arts in our every day lives. Ann has served on the ACDC board for four years.
Jill Crist		Jill Crist is a long-time resident of Abilene. She works at The Fashion Museum and The Courtyard Home Store, both located in downtown Abilene. Jill and her husband, Ryan, have 2 daughters. Jill and Ryan chose to live and raise their family in Abilene due to the uniqueness of the community. Jill feels that part of that uniqueness comes from progressive groups and agencies such as the Arts Council of Dickinson County, and wants to give back by serving on the Board of Directors. Jill’s goals in her term on the board are to assist the Arts Council in promoting all of the arts, to help provide programming to the residents of Dickinson County, and to foster a supportive environment to the artists of Dickinson County.
Candy Dale
Liz Jeffery - treasurer		Growing up in a family of musicians and being a pianist, Liz's main focus in the Arts Council is music. As a Board Member Liz serves on the Music Committee and appreciates sharing various musical styles with others. While serving on the board Liz enjoys learning about the community benefits from all art forms. Liz and her husband Martin have resided in Abilene for 12 years and have one son and one daughter.
Gwyn Johnson
Judy Leyerzapf
June Nold - secretary
Susan Taylor		Susan Kilpatrick Taylor emphasizes the importance of the arts in the lives of young people. She believes in early encouragement and exposure to all art forms. Susan recently retired from teaching secondary school English in Salisbury, Missouri. On March 26, Susan married her Enterprise Grade School classmate, Bruce Taylor. They live south of Chapman. Susan's daughter and son-in-law, Tracy and Greg Smith of Galesburg, Illinois, are the parents of Kait and Hannah, who love to read, paint, dance, and sing.