About Our Team

Leadership:

Nicole Kaufmann - Community Leader

Nicole has been a part of the L’Arche community since 2010, starting out as a live-in assistant. After a little over a year in the community, she felt called to attend Drew Theological School in New Jersey. She came back to L’Arche as a Coordinator in 2015, but left in 2017 after she had her son Theo so she could focus on being a mom. Nicole was invited to back to be the Community Leader in 2021. Nicole’s two favorite things are her son, Theo and her dog, Charlie. Charlie can often be seen in the L’Arche office, trying to steal pens from everyone’s desks. Theo and her love to spend time outside and playing games, and you will usually see her with an oat milk latte in her hand. Her favorite movie is Paul Blart: Mall Cop #2. Nicole loves that she gets to lead this community that she cares so much about everyday.

Michael Engelmann - Community Care Coordinator

Michael’s current role at L’Arche Heartland is Community Care Coordinator or more popularly known as Sarah Engelmann’s brother. He has been part of the L’Arche Heartland community since November of 2010. During that time, Michael went back to school for his associates at Johnson County Community College and got his BS in Marketing from WGU. Michael then married his beautiful wife Ashley in 2014 and just added their son Theo to the family in 2022. In his free time, Michael loves to bowl and play disc golf. Michael’s goal at L’Arche Heartland is to create a welcoming and safe environment for all core members, their families, and assistants.

James Mickens - Recruitment Coordinator

James is a seasoned Spoons player, dynamic cheesecake baker, and award-winning writer of cat monologues. And. Yet. L'arche is where he has returned time and time again, off and on since 2012, for his greatest adventure: servant leadership at L'arche Heartland. Having dedicated his life to random acts of kindness with a pinch of madness, he now spends his time trying to find kind, compassionate, and intelligent people to work with the Core Members he grew to love while serving L'arche as an assistant. In his free time, he can be found enjoying full-contact book clubs and scouting exotic countries for the world's best foods. 

Kyra Padgett - Residential DSP Supervisor

Kyra was born and raised in Kansas City and has always had a passion for helping people. She got her BA in secondary education and theatre at William Jewell College, hoping to start a theatre program at a high school in Kansas City that didn’t yet have one. During her first year of teaching in 2019, she met her now-husband Joel and they decided to start a family together, pushing her original plans of teaching to further in the future. Kyra and Joel married in 2020 and she was able to adopt her step-daughter, Mia, in 2021. In 2021, they had their son, Phoenix, and they just had their son Canyon in May of 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys coffee, reading, music, fashion, and enjoying the outdoors with her family and three dogs. Kyra loves that she found L’arche Heartland and is able to use her passion for helping others in the L’arche community everyday.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

George Harris, Psychologist - Board President

Douglas Bittel, Ph.D. - Vice President

Course Director & Adjunct Associate Professor of Biosciences, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

Martha Fleming - Secretary

Targeted Case Manager, Retired

Jeff Crowe - Treasurer

President, Blackbird Financial Services

Burton Haney - Board Member

Regional Accounts Manager, Ansell Healthcare

Dave Pullin, MBA - Board Member

Professor of Leadership | Executive Consultant | Strategic Management

Shawn Wicklund -Board Member

Managing Partner, ThriveHR

Lauren Hill -Board Member

Kelly Price - Board Member

Owner & Principal Consultant, ThriveHR