LiveWell Douglas County’s leadership team is excited to announce that Joey Hentzler has agreed to serve as Chair-Elect for the coalition.
Hentzler, a Lawrence resident, is director of advocacy at Kansas Appleseed, a statewide nonprofit advocacy group, where he works to advance laws and change policy at the local, state and federal levels. Joey also serves on the executive board of the Council for K-State Research and Extension Douglas County
“I am looking forward to joining a team of dedicated advocates, community members and professionals working to build a more equitable Douglas County so that all our neighbors can thrive. I am excited to bring my background in policy advocacy and community engagement to LiveWell and build on its decade of successes,” Hentzler said. “LiveWell's ability to facilitate powerful collaborations between local government agencies, non-profit organizations and passionate individuals can achieve system changes to tangibly improve the lives and livelihoods of residents. I am ready to jump in and do my part to make progress, particularly for our neighbors pushed to the margins by structural racism and poverty.”
Established in 2008, LiveWell Douglas County is a cross-sectoral community coalition that works to improve the health and well-being of residents of Lawrence and Douglas County. Since 2013, LiveWell has served as the primary convener of the Douglas County Community Health Plan's efforts to improve nutrition, food security, physical activity and a healthy-built environment for all county residents.
“We are thrilled to engage Joey’s passion and organizing experience as we work to build Douglas County communities where we all thrive,” said LiveWell Chair Christina Holt. “He is a strong advocate for social justice, and we have no doubt he will make meaningful contributions to LiveWell’s mission to build communities that support health and well-being for all.”
The coalition includes works groups:
LiveWell leaders earlier this year also announced an effort to hire an executive director, and to support this effort, visit: bit.ly/SupportLiveWell.