Jason graduated from Wichita State University in 2004 with a BA in Sport Administration. He began his career with the Y in 2003 as an intern and Manager on Duty for the South YMCA. In 2005, he left Wichita to become a Sports Director for the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. He returned in 2009 as the Sports Director of the new Andover YMCA. In that role, he’s served on the Andover Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the City of Andover Parks Committee. He also earned the Annual Campaign Staff Campaigner of the Year award for the Andover YMCA, as well as the Kevin Padrnos award for the Greater Wichita YMCA.

Heather graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in Broad Social Sciences with a Coaching Endorsement. Impacted by her interests in sports and community engagement, she furthered her education at Wichita State University, where she earned a Master's Degree in Sports Administration. She began her career for the Greater Wichita YMCA in 1995 at the West Branch as the aquatic’s coordinator. She then moved to the East Branch to be the Program Director over Aquatics, Youth and Family, Aerobics/Adult Fitness, and Youth and Adult Sports in 1996. Finally, in 1999 she moved to the South Branch to become the first Membership Director at the newly built facility. Following her impactful tenure at the YMCA, Heather transitioned to a career in education, driven by a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. For the next 19 years, she dedicated herself to teaching and mentoring high school students. She took on various roles such as teacher, community dean, ticket manager, as well as softball and volleyball coach. Her commitment to fostering growth and development for sports and recreation led her back to the Greater Wichita YMCA in 2023 as a Senior Program Director at the Ken Shannon Northwest Branch.

Kaitlyn has a M.Ed. in Sport Management from Wichita State University and a B.S. in Health Management from Friends University. Her passion for aquatics started at a young age when she started swimming competitively for the Haysville Swim Team. After working at the Haysville Pool for 8 summers she moved to the Kansas City area to work full-time as an Aquatics Supervisor for 4 years. Recently, she moved back to be closer to family. One of her favorite things about aquatics is the opportunity for children to learn water safety skills that keep them safe around the water. 

Lavonn graduated with a Master of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Central Florida and has combined 8 years of experience training his clients for strength, weight loss, and athletic development. He is a certified personal trainer as well as a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Scott holds a BA in Sport Management from Wichita State University.  He has over 25 years of experience involved in organized sports, extensively but not limited to baseball.  He serves on the board for a local NBC baseball team, Kansas Canons. After completing his internship as Facility and Operations intern at the South Farha Sports Center, Scott become the Sport Director at the East YMCA before transitioning to Northwest.

Denayr is a graduate from Wichita State University where he studied Sports Management. He has been working for the YMCA for the past few years in the membership department. He started as the MOD (Manager on Duty) at the Steve Clark YMCA on the WSU campus. After he transitioned into a Membership Director position at the Northwest YMCA. He loves seeing people achieve their goals each and every day when they come into the YMCA.

Kelly Patterson is a dance choreographer, performer and educator. She began dancing in high school and has been teaching dance for over 10 years. Kelly has a BFA in Dance and a B.S in Business Administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship from San Diego State University. She specializes in contemporary ballet, modern dance, lyrical dance and somatic dance practices. She has taught dance in California, Wyoming and Kansas and has a passion for teaching and working with youth.

Abbie started working at the Northwest YMCA in 2019 as a Rock Wall Instructor. During this time, Abbie became a certified EMT. Utilizing her knowledge and background in medicine, she furthered her experience at the Northwest YMCA in the Aquatics Department teaching swim lessons, while still conducting rock-climbing classes. In 2021, Abbie advanced her career at the Northwest YMCA becoming the Aquatics Coordinator. Fulfilling a larger role at the Newton YMCA in November of 2021, Abbie became the Aquatic Director. Her passion and extensive knowledge of the Aquatics Department led her back to the Northwest YMCA in February 2024, where she certifies and supervises lifeguards and swim instructors, as well as oversees both the indoor and outdoor waterpark as the Aquatic Director.

Raeann started working for the Y in May of 2022 as a Childcare & Summer Camp Lead and moved up to a Site Coordinator in Washington State. She moved back to Kansas in the summer of 2023 and wanted to continue her career with the Y and building relationships with families. She is now the Youth and Family Director for the Northwest YMCA.

Jandee began her career at the Ken Shannon NW YMCA in 2017 teaching group exercise classes. She has taught many formats over her years of instructing such as dance, water, step, and kickboxing. Her passion is dancing and movement. Jandee recently stepped into the group exercise coordinator role and appreciated the opportunity to pour into other instructors and members who were looking for motivation to continue to find their place in the industry and classroom. When she isn’t at the YMCA you can find her at home or out with her family.

Nate has been with the Northwest YMCA for two years. He has a B.G.S. in Psychology from Wichita State University, is a trained massage therapist and a certified nursing assistant. Previously, Nate has vast experience in the health and retail fields and prior to becoming head coach was the Head Age Group Coach and Assistant Coach for the Neptunes Swim Team. He was a Scholarship Swimmer for the University of Wyoming and in High School was a N.I.S.C.A. High School All-American in the 100 Butterfly (1998) and a Kansas High School 6A State Champion in 100 Butterfly (1997). Nate has one son, Jack.

Logan is a graduate from Friends University where he studied Computer Science. He has been working for the YMCA for the past few years as an official for various sports. He started as a Site Supervisor at the Northwest YMCA before transitioning into the Sports Coordinator position.

Catie has a degree in Music Education from Kansas State University. While completing her degree, she sought more experience with kids and found a new love teaching swim lessons in 2018. Then began her journey working for YMCAs in Wichita and across the country. Catie has been a high school and elementary school music teacher, in various states, an Aquatic Coordinator at a YMCA in Chino, CA and a Lead Teacher for a daycare academy at a YMCA in Denver, CO. In 2023, she rejoined the aquatic family here at Northwest as a swim instructor and has grown her teaching experience. If she’s not at the pool, she is most likely with family, especially her son!

Lavonn graduated with a Master of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Central Florida and has combined 8 years of experience training his clients for strength, weight loss, and athletic development. He is a certified personal trainer as well as a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Jo Bensing graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness and is a certified personal trainer with specializations in Corrective Exercise (NASM) and Nutrition (ISSA). Jo originally became a trainer because she wanted to help people find their version of "fit." Exercise is her passion, and she finds joy sharing her knowledge and experience with others. She has been doing so successfully at the Northwest branch for a little over 2 years. Jo’s passion continues to drive her as she spends a lot of her free time learning more about effective mobility, flexibility, and corrective exercise techniques. She believes that a body that moves well has less pain and ages more gracefully. Jo approaches fitness and training the same way she approaches many other things in life… by being real with people, having fun on the journey, and eating a little of the cake, but not the whole cake!

Ann started her fitness journey in 2012 at 240 pounds. Her life changed when she hired a personal trainer and lost almost 100 pounds. This inspired her to help others in their weight loss journey through martial arts and now as a YMCA Personal Trainer. She has a passion to help adaptive athletes and has helped people with Autism, Stroke victims, Down’s Syndrome, Parkinson’s, age related issues and many more. She uses range of motion, weight exercises, weight transfer and several mindful techniques to help improve coordination of mind/body, balance, mobility, flexibility, strength, and general health. Her goal is to inspire people to become healthy, better versions of themselves through fitness and to keep age-related illnesses knocking at the door but not letting them in. She is continuing her education with a specialty in corrective exercises and working towards her 4th Degree Black Belt.
 

Gavyn has over 16 years of experience in the fitness space, including time as a competitive weightlifting and as a NCAA All-American Track and Field athlete at Wichita State University in 2017. As a devoted mother of two little ones, she understands the difficulties of balancing health and wellness with the demands of parenthood. Join her on a transformative path where you're not just achieving fitness goals; you're embracing a journey towards a healthier, stronger, and more vibrant version of yourself.

With a commendable 10 years of active-duty Air Force service and an additional 6 years in the Air Force Reserves, Kyle brings a unique perspective to fitness honed across various global assignments. After being stationed at bases in South Korea, Japan, Texas and Kansas; as well as three deployments in Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait, his resilience extends far beyond the fitness center. His passion for health and fitness has been a driving force for 14 years, fueled by a genuine appreciation for the small strides that lead to significant accomplishments.

Jess Duran is a seasoned fitness enthusiast with over 9 years of experience in body sculpting and power lifting. After serving as the Physical Training Leader (PTL) for the Air Force from 2015 to 2017, and again from 2019 to 2020, Jess brings the Northwest YMCA a disciplined approach to wellness cultivated through military training. Jess achieved 3rd place in the 2016 Health and Bodybuilding Figure Show, showcasing a commitment to excellence in both form and function. They continue to demonstrate this commitment by training and competing as a powerlifting athlete. Jess is ready to guide you on a personalized journey towards your health and wellness goals.

Kenna Lane became a certified Personal Trainer for the YMCA in December of 2023. She is currently studying to receive a degree in Health Science and is expected to graduate in [month/year]. Kenna does this all while coaching girls’ volleyball and travelling to work at competitions all over Kansas. Volleyball has been a huge part of her life since she fell in love with the sport at the age of 8 years old. Her passion and commitment to the sport lead her to playing for three years on her high school varsity team and for two years at Hutch Community College and Friends University. Kenna believes that using resistance training to become stronger is an integral aspect of sports performance and injury prevention. Her goal is to use what she is learning to help people achieve their goals.