Meet the 7 candidates running for the KCK Community College Board of Trustees
Voters will select four members of the Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees, whose role is to address issues like enrollment and school operations, in the November election.
KCKCC is currently forging ahead with the construction of a new $75 million education, health and wellness center that is expected to open for the fall 2026 semester. According to the school’s 2024 annual report, KCKCC had about 8,000 students and 745 employees.
Three of the board’s trustees will be elected to full, four-year terms from a field of four candidates, including incumbents Linda Hoskins Sutton and Brad Isnard and challengers Joe Caiharr and Geoffrey Kump. A fourth trustee will be elected from a field of three, including incumbent Mary Ricketts and challengers Jammie Johnson and Alex Sanchez, to finish out an unexpired term.
Caiharr, Ricketts and Sanchez did not respond to The Star’s requests for information about their candidacy.
Answers received from other candidates have been edited for style and length.
Find more coverage of Wyandotte County politics on KansasCity.com, or sign up for a free newsletter with news for the county.
Full, four-year term
Linda Hoskins Sutton
Linda Hoskins Sutton, a current member of the board, retired from working in various positions at Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2014 after working there for 30 years, she said.
Among her priorities are workforce readiness development and collaborating to improve education in Wyandotte County, she said.
“When I retired from KCKCC, running for the board was not in my plans but here I am serving at the next level,” she wrote to The Star. “I ran because retired college colleagues asked me to run because of my integrity. I want to continue serving the students, employees and community-at-large. l also want to work to leave the board in a better place than when I started.”
Brad Isnard
Brad Isnard, another current member of the board, currently works as the executive director of finance at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.
Isnard said he would advocate for initiatives that remove barriers and make college more accessible, and said he wanted to provide responsible fiscal leadership.
“I believe KCKCC is one of Wyandotte County’s greatest assets,” he wrote to The Star. “The college is a bridge to opportunity that changes lives and an economic engine that keeps our community moving forward. Serving as a trustee has been an honor, and I’m running for re-election to continue the work of expanding access, building partnerships with employers, and ensuring KCKCC remains financially strong, fully accredited, and student-focused.
“I’m inspired every day by the students who come through our doors determined to build a better future,” he said in his email.
Geoffrey Kump
Geoffrey Kump is a regulatory attorney with SelectQuote and is on the school board for Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas.
Kump said his priorities include ensuring KCKCC is protected to maintain access to quality, affordable education and looking to expand the school to a Leavenworth campus and reducing the tax burden on Wyandotte County residents.
“As a life long resident of Wyandotte County I want to contribute to the amazing people that live here,” he wrote to The Star. “I have been raised in a household of people who serve and I want to continue to serve myself. Seeing bad actors attacking the school and the value it brings to our diverse community is disheartening, and I will fight to ensure our community maintains access and continue to benefit from KCKCC.”
Joe Caiharr
Joe Caiharr is a police officer, The Beacon reported.
“As a lifelong resident of Wyandotte County, I share the frustration of the ever increasing tax burden,” he wrote in a social media post last month.
“I am committed to finding creative solutions to lower taxes while prioritizing opportunities to promote success among Wyandotte County students. I look forward to serving our community and would appreciate your vote of support on November 4th,” he said in the post.
Unexpired term
Mary Ricketts
Mary Ricketts, a current member of the board of trustees, was appointed to her seat in 2024 to fill a vacancy created when Mary Ann Mosley died before she could join the board.
Ricketts identifies herself on LinkedIn as the head of Turning Point Training and Development, a leadership organization based in Overland Park.
Ricketts does not appear to have a campaign website or social media page.
Alex Sanchez
Alex Sanchez is a programmer, The Beacon reported.
In responses to questions from The Beacon, Sanchez lamented “overtaxing” and said he would work to increase enrollment at the school and to promote and expand online options.
“I believe that an increased presence at the middle school and high school level would go a long way toward increasing enrollment,” he wrote to The Beacon. “As far as affordability is concerned, it will always be an issue as long as people continue to see tax increases every year with no relief in sight.”
Jammie Johnson
Jammie Johnson currently works as a graduate program coordinator at the University of Kansas.
Among her priorities: enrollment, community engagement and fiscal responsibility, she said.
“I entered higher education 25 years ago and have always wanted to give back to my community in an area I’m passionate about,” Johnson wrote to The Star. “I first ran in 2019 as a newcomer and again in 2023, finishing in 5th place. I’m now running for the unexpired term because I believe education and employment are the fastest ways out of poverty — and KCKCC is the pathway to both.”
“My experience, resourcefulness, and perspective would be an asset to the board. If elected, I will bring strong leadership, creativity, and a steadfast commitment to helping KCKCC fulfill its mission of student success and community prosperity,” she said in her email.
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 5:55 PM.
