Local Staff & Board

Division Office

 

Tiffany Scheffler
Executive Director

Tiffany has been with the National Kidney Foundation since August of 2024 as the Executive Director of the Kansas and Western Missouri office. In early 2025, the Missouri offices merged to create the NKF serving Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas. Tiffany has 20 years of nonprofit experience and is excited to be a part of the NKF team. 

Tiffany is based in Kansas City and makes regular trips to St. Louis. Please reach out if you'd like to meet with Tiffany next time she's in St. Louis. 

 

St. Louis based team members:

Steve Viola
Sr. Development Manager

Steve joined the NKF team in June 2025. He is directly overseeing our Golf Classic and Celebration of Excellence/Candlelight Concert social event, as well as general office fundraising. He has many years of nonprofit fundraising experience.

 

Melissa Miller
Development Manager

Melissa joined the NKF team in June 2025. She is directly overseeing our Mid Missouri and St. Louis Kidney Walks, as well as general office fundraising. She has nonprofit fundraising experience, in a healthcare related field.

 

Ra'Deja Johnson
Program Manager

Ra'Deja joined the NKF team in June 2025. She serves as our camp director for Camp ChiMer and works with our Program Director, JoAnna Rogers, to bring programs to our entire three state area. These programs include, Renal Roundtables, Fellows symposium, Patient Empowerment education series, Sidney's Birthday Box, and general awareness campaigns around kidney health. 

 

Kansas City based team members:

Tori Snowden
Sr. Development Director

JoAnna Rogers
Program Director

Niki Brodie
Development Manager

Directions

Directions to our office:
We are located at 1001 Craig Road Suite 480 Saint Louis, MO 63146-6217, approximately 1 mile from Highway 270 and approximately 2 miles west of Lindbergh Boulevard in the Oaks Building directly off of Craig Road. There's a Dierberg's Shopping Center located across the street. PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR OFFICE IS NOT A DROP IN OFFICE-WE ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Volunteer Opportunities

As with other non-profit organizations, volunteers are crucial to our success. Volunteers enable our staff to serve more patients, fund more research and offer more community and professional educational materials and opportunities. For more information about our opportunities please review our Volunteer Handbook.

  • Office Volunteer: Volunteers will receive a brief on-site training that will occur upon arrival at the office. Activities includes making thank you calls, putting together event and education materials, writing thank you notes and helping with other administrative tasks.
  • Event Volunteer: Help us on event day by setting up, breaking down and otherwise helping ensure a successful event. Opportunities are available for our Gala, Walk, Professional Education Conference and the KEEP Healthy public screening program.
  • Committee Member: Play a leadership and fundraising role by helping organize one of our four signature events. You will be responsible for attending monthly or bi-monthly meetings to discuss upcoming events/ programs specifics. Committee Members will be expected to work as team, bringing fresh ideas, business connections, sponsors, volunteers and donors that will support the NKF.
  • Advisory Board of Directors: Help the National Kidney Foundation advance our mission of awareness, prevention and treatment to those with, and at risk for, kidney disease in Kansas City. Our Directors are expected to introduce the NKF to new community and business leaders, provide insight to our strategic direction and help us achieve our fundraising goals.

Local Board

Jennifer WesselsJennifer Wessels, MD, MHA, FAAFP
Board Chair
Chief Medical Director, Home State Health
Dr. Jennifer Wessels is a board certified Family Medicine physician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She has been an active member of the St. Louis community for over 20 years. She completed her undergraduate and medical school training at St. Louis University, her residency in Family Medicine at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, and her master's degree in health administration at Webster University. Dr. Wessels is the Chief Medical Officer for Centene's Home State Health Medicaid plan for the state of Missouri. She teaches at St. Louis University School of Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Wessels is passionate about aiding her community and serves as the site physician at many of Missouri's county jails and juvenile detention centers. Prior to her role with Centene, Dr. Wessels served as the Vice President of Medical Practice for SSM Health in St. Louis. She was formerly also the sole physician at BJC Barnes West Primary Care on the campus of Barnes West County Hospital. She lives in St. Louis with her husband and children.
 
 
 
Hosea Bartlett (Bart)Hosea Bartlett (Bart)
Vice President, Business Development, STL Interventional Oncology + Interventional Radiology Clinics
Bart has worked in the kidney space with healthcare systems for 10 years. Bart builds relationships with community nephrology groups and educates dialysis unit staff and patients about kidney transplantation. Through these efforts, he has seen the burden of kidney disease on our community and has learned the importance of awareness and prevention.
 
 
Kelly Rauh BaumerKelly Rauh Baumer
Vice President, Specialty Services, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Kelly has experience working with the National Kidney Foundation through SSM Saint Louis University Hospital’s transplant program. She is excited to continue to spread the NKF’s mission to improve the health and well-being of those affected by kidney disease.
 
 
Fernanda EstradaFernanda Estrada
Communications Program Strategist
A native of Mexico City, Fernanda Estrada-Ridaura brings over eight years of experience in Communications, Marketing, Events, and Human Resources. Relocating to St. Louis three years ago, she now serves as the Communications Program Strategist for Reach Strategies. In this position, Fernanda is dedicated to promoting the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) through educational programs, community projects, and events across Missouri and Illinois. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications Science from La Salle University and went on to obtain a diploma in Strategic and Corporate Communications, followed by a certification in Storytelling & Leadership. Fernanda is also a participant of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's "Hispanic Leadership Institute" class of 2021-2022 and the Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge class of 2023.
 
 
John FisherJohn Fisher
Director of OEM Sales, HVACR Business Unit, Copeland LP
John began his involvement with the NKF Serving Eastern Missouri, Metro East, and Arkansas through his participation in the golf fundraising event. He saw the need for more support and volunteered to join the Board of Directors and the Golf Event Committee. John is active with St. Josephs Institute for the Deaf, United Way, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, and other local charities.
 
 
 
Keith B. GullerKeith B. Guller
Owner/Director, Essex Industries, Inc., Ret.
Keith has served on the National Kidney Foundations Board of Advisors since 2005 and served as the Board Chair from 2012 - 2018. He is actively involved in numerous non-profit organizations and enjoys traveling, golf, astronomy, camping and geology in his free time.
 
 
Kathy JoslinKathy Joslin
Kathy’s connection to the National Kidney Foundation began with serving on the golf committee. After serving on the Board of Directors she was exposed to the serious need for more living kidney donors and she decided to altruistically donate her kidney to a co-worker’s husband in August 2019.
 
 
Takisha LovelaceTakisha Lovelace
CEO, Encompass Health
Ms. Lovelace joined Encompass in 2026. In her prior leadership roles, she served as , COO for Affinia Healthcare, director of operations in a community health organization and a university school of medicine. She has also served as an administrative officer for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Additionally, she is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Ms. Lovelace works to ensure the most effective organizational operations through program development, process improvement and coordination of processes across functions. 

Ms. Lovelace serves on the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (UHSP) President's Advisory Council, as well as board membership on Generate Health and Vetbiz. She is an alumni of the 2020-21 Focus St. Louis Leadership St. Louis cohort and a fellow of the 2017-2018 cohort of the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative (SLBDI).
 
Lisa Parnell
Executive Director, Missouri Kidney Program 
Lisa joined the Missouri Kidney Program as the Executive Director in 2024. Prior to taking on this role, Lisa served as a social worker for kidney patients. 
 
 
Ira PotterIra Potter
Attorney, Affinity Law Group, LLC
Ira is a kidney donor and serves as a Kidney Advocacy Committee (KAC) member using his personal experience and expertise to inform public-policy makers of kidney related legislation, policies and education.
 
 
 
Martha StipsitsMartha Stipsits
Director, Transplant Services, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Martha Stipsits is the Director of Transplant Services for the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital Transplant Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Martha obtained her nursing degree from Michigan State University in 2000 and her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Webster University in St. Louis in 2015. 
Martha began her nursing career as an officer in the U.S. Army where she gained experience in critical care and nursing leadership. She served for 8 years as a critical care nurse including a 1 year deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Martha transitioned to civilian nursing as a liver transplant coordinator at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and later moved into the Abdominal Organ Transplant Clinical Program Manager role. She has implemented numerous process improvement initiatives and is passionate about teaching others the value of a robust QAPI program. 
Martha served as the Administrative Director of Transplant at Augusta University in Georgia and then rejoined the BJH Transplant Team as the Administrative Director in 2020. She is focused on strategic planning, team member growth and development, and initiatives to reduce disparities in access to transplantation.
 
 
Juli Van HookJuli Van Hook
Managing Director, Lord Abbett
Juli is married with two children that are 12 and 10. She enjoys playing tennis, golf and traveling. She is on the Finance and Audit Committee for the city of Manchester, MO.
 
 
Heather WertinHeather Wertin
Program Manager, Abdominal Transplant Programs, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Heather donated one of her kidneys to her sisters’ husband in 2002 and would do it again if she had a spare! Through her lifelong career in the transplant field, she has seen first-hand the transformative impact of transplant in peoples lives. Heather is passionate about transplant and educating patients about the process.