Meet The Staff and Board
Board President and Community Liaison
Diana Graham
"I was born into Lykins, graduated from Northeast High School , and lived in the Northeast area until we moved to Independence, then to Red Bridge. Moved to North Carolina for 29 years, retired, and came back to Lykins where I became involved in the neighborhood association. I have a great love for Lykins and became involved in the association because I want to make sure it becomes the same wonderful neighborhood it was when I was younger which means safer, more affordable, and a true community."
Secretary
Fai Beal
Description to come
Housing & Development Committee Chair
Patricia Pérez
Description to come.
Board Vice-President and Community Liaison
Luz Rios
My name is Luz Mireya Rios and I have lived in the Lykins neighborhood for more than 19 years as a single mother of two boys and two little girls who have grown up in this neighborhood so we have fortunately witnessed the good changes and improvements, I am proud of participate with the Lykins neighborhood association to achieve living in a better and prosperous neighborhood
Treasurer
Andy Clarke
Description to come
At Large
Yessica Tenorio
Yessica has been living in Lykins for the past 4 years, a time in which she and her family have become active members of the community and the different activities that this Neighborhood Association has, so much so that she now is a Board member. Originally from Chiapas, Mexico, Yessica does construction work and is constantly finding ways to help her neighbors and other people in Lykins.
Kelly Allen
Executive Director
Kelly Ann Allen is the Special Projects Director for the Lykins Neighborhood. She is a third-generation resident of the Historic Northeast of Kansas City, a single Mom with a great kid and she believes that every person deserves a safe and truly affordable place to call home. She is a community organizer at heart, a leader with KC Tenants and graduate from the Urban Studies program at UMKC in 2020 with a directive in housing and community development. Kelly believes that good cities are created by building deep relationships within communities and finding solutions to neighborhood problems by consulting those whose lived experiences are closest to those challenges.
Lizette Cerros Valdes
Projects Facilitator
I grew up around the neighborhood of Lykins. I always thought that Lykins has so much diversity and potential to grow being next to Independence Ave, with all the markets around and being in the historical Northeast.
Ricardo Flores
Resource Center Programming Director
Originally from Chiapas, Mexico, Ricardo moved to the United States in 2015 and has since worked with the immigrant community in a variety of fields from government agencies, to nonprofits, to public services like our schools and libraries. Ricardo brings a commitment to language justice, empowering all of Lykins residents to take an active role in furthering their vision for the neighborhood.
Angie Curtis
Social Worker
Angie Hicks - Curtis is a social worker in the Lykins neighborhood where she devotes her
practice to servicing the social needs of individuals and families in the Lykins community. She has extensive experience in community engagement and advocating to help build a community that promotes,
supports, and embraces individuals and families of all abilities. She focuses on individuals strengthsprovides choice and support and advocates alongside individuals that live in the Lykins community.
Her recent activities include ensuring that individuals receive resources to secure housing, obtain employment, get medical and mental health needs met, obtain vital documents and meet their basic needs. Angie is a bi-lingual Spanish speaker and is excited to be serving families and individuals in the Lykins neighborhood.