Meet our Staff

Ward provides school board members with tailored information, advice, and policy collaboration that prioritizes the needs of students and parents. Ward has a wealth of experience in Kansas education. He has been a teacher, coach, counselor, and a principal. Ward holds a Specialist in Education degree from Fort Hays State University. He has worked as an outreach instructor for Fort Hays State, teaching School and Community relations. From 2010-2014, he served in the state legislature, where his duties included Vice Chair of Education, Appropriations, and Education Budget Chairman. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the Secondary School Principals, and the Kansas Wildlife Association. After the legislature, Ward was employed by Northwest Kansas Technical College as an assistant vice president, where he aided the administration in completing accreditation requirements for the highly successful Ag Tech Program. Ward is on the scholarship committee for the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, where he will continue to serve.

Tracy Frederick is the Director of Engagement and Strategy for Kansas School Board Resource Center. In her role, Tracy is responsible for engaging Kansas school board members and developing supportive relationships to provide counsel and create strategies that will move forward the important work of prioritizing student achievement and long-term educational success for Kansas students. Tracy served Kansas for three decades as a public school teacher, community college instructor, college professor and administrator. Her experience includes serving on district-wide curriculum design committees, school effectiveness task force committees, elected faculty leader, accreditation and compliance officer, budget manager, oversight of institutional effectiveness, implementation of student success initiatives, responsible for hiring administration, staff and faculty positions, and serving as board liaison. Tracy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Education, a Master’s degree in Communication and a Doctorate in Communication.