HumanKind Ministries announces Dawn Shepler as the next CEO of the 135-year-old non-profit that serves those experiencing housing insecurities and has been a long-time provider of shelter services and holiday assistance.
“We put a great deal of emphasis on finding a strong organizational leader with regional experience, and Dawn was the perfect fit,” said HumanKind Board Chair Scott Eilert, Ph.D. “She has a true passion for our mission and understands that the only way to successfully serve our community is through partnering with our fellow nonprofit, civic and government leaders to make homelessness rare and non-reoccurring.”
Most recently, Shepler served as executive director for the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition, a group of local leaders from law enforcement, health care, behavioral health programs, private businesses, education, and nonprofits addressing issues of mental health, substance abuse and homelessness. She provided leadership within numerous groups addressing housing and public health, including the Homelessness Task Force, the Opioid Strategic Planning Task Force, Project Hope, and the Sedgwick County Crisis Intervention Team.
“My admiration for HumanKind and its invaluable work started more than 20 years ago,” said Shepler, an Administration of Justice and Sociology graduate from Wichita State University who began her career as a parole officer for the Kansas Department of Corrections. “I could see then that HK was an amazing partner with other nonprofits, providing resources and a continuum of care for our community’s high-needs populations. I’m thrilled today to become part of that continuing mission.
“This is an exciting time in Wichita and Sedgwick County, with so many new initiatives coming to the forefront and so many individuals, agencies and government partners eager to contribute,” Shepler continued. “This is the first time in years that our community has been so collaboratively focused on addressing the needs of the underserved.”
That collaborative focus is due, in large part, to the efforts of HumanKind’s departing CEO LaTasha St. Arnault, who Eilert said changed the conversation about homelessness in our community.
“In her six years at the helm of HumanKind, LaTasha launched a strategic, long-range campus plan to provide affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness,” Eilert said. “She oversaw the opening of The Studios, our 54-unit studio apartment complex providing short-term housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Today, we are in the midst of a $10 million capital campaign to build a 30- to 40-unit complex for families, and we hope to break ground in the next year.
LaTasha leaves an indelible legacy at HumanKind, and we are profoundly grateful for her leadership.”
Eilert said HumanKind’s mission in the next five years is to continue to find ways to expand affordable housing options and provide supportive services for those most in need.
“As a Board, we think Dawn is exactly the leader we need to engage with staff, donors, community partners and local governments to determine where and how HumanKind can continue to have the greatest positive impact as we forge a path forward,” Eilert said.