Co-Founder, Board Vice-President

Tammy and Thad's journey started together in 2004 when Thad joined her team at B-Vogue Salon & Gallery. Being inspired by their brand of choice, John Paul Mitchell Systems, they chose to make the world a better place! Their philanthropic efforts involved their local community of Independence, Missouri, The Englewood Arts District more specifically. B-Vogue Salon added "Gallery" in 2009 when the Arts District was established and used the Arts as a means to fund their fundraising efforts. In 2018 the demand to increase our outreach instigated the founding of the West iNd Connection.
Tammy resides in the arts district with her wife and partner of 28 years and their little nugget, a frenchie named WiNc! Thad lives in Independence with his husband and partner of 14 years and their menagerie of pets! We are all very proud Independence residents!

 

Executive Board Member

2020-21 marks Tim’s 16th year in education.  Currently, he is in his 6th year as a high school English teacher at Fort Osage High School in Eastern Independence.  He is the faculty sponsor of the Gender & Sexuality Alliance at Fort, and he brings the board a connection to the educational community and an understanding of the wants and needs of the high school GSA clubs, among other things.  Before moving to Fort, he taught English, Special Education, and In-School Suspension at William Chrisman High School.   As a member of the board, Tim is excited to work in all four of the West iNd pillars and become more active as a LGBTQA+ representative within the Independence community.   He and his husband Paul met in 2009 and were married in 2014.  Paul is a 6th grade ELA teacher at Fire Prairie Upper Elementary.  Together, they love to cook. are passionate theater lovers, have four cats (Tommy, Sweeney, Gypsy, and Charlie).

 

Executive Board Member

Rachel established Foley Law which is also known as KC Bankruptcy. She dedicates over 90% of her time to the practice of consumer bankruptcy law. Her undergraduate training was mainly in the sciences and medicine. However, it was the freedom of debt described in Deuteronomy 15:1-2 that called her into the ever evolving world of bankruptcy. Rachel’s passion is to achieve freedom from debt for her clients enabling them to obtain a fresh start. She uses this fact! Walt Disney filed bankruptcy in the Western District of Missouri, without this bankruptcy Mickey Mouse may never have been born. Rachel proudly displays her Mickey Mouse collection and philosophy in order to enlighten her clients that bankruptcy is a beginning and not an ending. Rachel handles consumer Chapter 7’s and 13’s in both Kansas and Missouri. Rachel continually attends conferences to hone her skills in order to provide the best defense possible for her clients against the creditors. It is this constant quest that has earned Rachel a spotlight on the local and national bankruptcy stage. Rachel has been awarded the K. Colleen Nunnelly Award by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the 2012 & 2013 Best of The Bar Award and the Missouri Bar Association Pro Bono Hall of Fame. Rachel makes presentations to her colleagues around the country on the implementation of technology in the field of bankruptcy. Rachel’s passion and drive to protect her clients are the reasons she is described as a bankruptcy attorney and not as an attorney who practices bankruptcy.

 

Executive Board Member

Helen J. Hurley is a graduate of UMKC with a BA in Administration of Justice. She started her career with the State of Missouri in the Division of Youth Services as a Youth Specialist in 1985 and transferred to the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole in 1987. She held a variety of positions retired from State service in July 2016 as the Field Administrator for the Western Region. Ms. Hurley served on many committees during her tenure to include the Jackson County COMBAT Drug Court Steering Committee, Clay County, Platte County and Ray County Planning Committees and the Statewide Domestic Violence Task Force for Probation and Parole. She was the Vice President of Reentry Services for Heartland Center for Behavioral Change from July 2016 to August 2019 prior to taking a position as a Life Transformation Coach

with Connections to Success. Currently she is the Regional Program Director for the Kansas City Region. Ms. Hurley serves in the community as a volunteer in her spare time. She serves on the Board of West iNd Connection Inclusion Center. She is a Community Advisory Council member for the Health Forward Foundation Board and is Vice Chair for the Independence Human Relations Commission.

 

Executive Board Member

Hello neighbors, my name is Mindy.  I am a lifelong resident of Independence Missouri. I am passionate about serving our community and have been volunteering since the age of 15. Recently I became certified with the State of Missouri as a Community Health Worker and am employed as a CHW with Saint Luke’s Health System.  I am currently serving Eastern Jackson County communities. My journey with the WestiNd Connection started years ago when I would attend the annual fundraising event-Thadapalooza with my mother. In 2022, I joined WestiNd Connection as a volunteer of the Chair of Programs and Resources Committee which worked to create a valuable list of community resources that is now listed on our website. In 2023, I was invited to serve of the Board. I am an advocate for all community members and a proud ally to our LGBTQI+ community.

My greatest inspiration was my grandmother Doras Jean who worked as an outreach worker for Missouri Valley Human Resources, a community action agency. She was compassionate and dedicated to helping the homeless and the poor. In 1989 she went to Washington DC and rallied with thousands of others regarding the plight of the homeless in America. She received several awards, one of which in 1989 was the Bishop John Sullivan Award.

My husband Ash is my biggest supporter. We enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, craft beers tastings and make it a priority to support local small businesses. We are parents to 2 grown college students, 3 teens & 2 dogs. My self-care routine includes practicing yoga, cooking, and spending quality time with my friends and family.

 

Executive Board Member

Emily has a BS in Entertainment Management and an MBA. She currently works in Marketing for an Investment Company. She has previously worked in event and brand management for a hair product distribution company. Emily is passionate about music and theater. She spends all her free time traveling. Her dog, Winifred Banks, is her best friend.