Lisa

Ken has spent the last eleven years working to empower LGBTQIA youth and their allies as one of the founders and board president of PerformOUTKC. He believes that communities will be united and healed by the power of young people sharing their voices through the arts. Ken has a BS in music education from Lindenwood University and has been involved in some form of performing arts most of his life. Career and volunteer work have allowed him to develop skills in organization, facilitative management, strategic planning, community engagement, marketing and development. He has served several not-for-profit organizations in event planning, volunteer coordination, membership services and board development. Ken currently works as the Volunteer Manager with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City. He has also contributed his time and talents to facilitate board retreats for community organizations and plans to continue serving in a facilitative and advisory role. Mr. Strickland is grateful and excited to begin this new chapter of his life in the role of Vice President of FCPA.

Ken’s passion is contagious! Please join us!

PFLAG-KC is hosting the screening of Suicide:  The Ripple Effect.  Help us spread the word!  Help us save a life!  The screening is Monday, August 27th at 7:30 PM at AMC 20, Leawood, KS!  Order your tickets in advance!  CLICK HERE:  https://gathr.us/screening/23712

Our August 12th meeting features Tom Phillips and Michael Poppa who are both passionate about suicide prevention outreach, mental health awareness and LGBT equal rights.  

Michael Poppa is a member of the governing body for the City of Roeland Park, and has served as council president since February 2018. He was elected in 2015 following a hard-won campaign in which the fight for civil rights took center stage. At that time, he became the third openly LGBT elected official in Kansas and the first in northeast Johnson County. Previously Michael served as the local chapter chair for Equality Kansas, where he helped to introduce and pass an LGBT inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance. In addition to equal rights advocacy, Michael is passionate about mental health awareness and suicide prevention outreach. He currently serves on the board of directors of Suicide Awareness Survivor Support (SASS-MoKan) with his husband, Tom Phillips, who lost his brother to suicide in 2011.

Tom Phillips is a local professional and vice president of the board of directors for Suicide Awareness Survivor Support (SASS-MoKan). Tom began his journey of grief support and mental health advocacy after losing his older brother to suicide on January 9, 2011. Struggling to cope in the tragic aftermath he contacted SASS-MoKan Founders, Bonnie and Mickey Swade, and began attending the grief support group at the Shawnee Mission Medical Center Campus. Through the group, he was able to identify his “new normal” and began volunteering with SASS-MoKan and other local service organizations. Realizing that no one gets through suicide grief alone, he felt compelled to obtain his certification as a bereavement support group facilitator through the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and subsequently began a new peer-led suicide survivor support group serving the Kansas City midtown/downtown areas called Through This Together.

PLEASE JOIN US SUNDAY AT 3:00!