Board of Directors

OUR TEAM

Meet The Team Cleaning Up the Streets With Compassion

Katrina Gerber (President): Katrina is a graduate from Kansas State University with a degree in Architectural Engineering. Katrina worked at several companies before opening her own engineering firm in 2003, BGR Engineers, Inc. Katrina and her husband, Paul Gerber, have two grown children, Zach and Abby. For the last seven years, she has coached volleyball at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.  Katrina was first introduced to Uplift, where she met the rest of the team forming Eden Village of Kansas City, through the Centurion Leadership program back in 2004. She firmly believes that we are called to do what we can to help those who are in need.  She feels so fortunate to be involved with an organization like Eden Village of Kansas City.

Brad and Marilyn Simpson (Brad-Vice President/Marilyn-Board Member): Brad grew up in Southwest Missouri and graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield MO with a BS, Operations Management. He met his wife of 42 years, Marilyn, in college while participating in a dynamic campus ministry program. Shortly after college, he and Marilyn spent 7 years working on campuses in ministry with a variety of local churches. Over the thirty years, he has spent his career in Sales and Finance with Canon Solutions North America.

Marilyn grew up in Springfield, Missouri. She graduated from Missouri State University with a BS in Elementary Education then obtained a master’s degree in special education from Southeast Missouri State. She taught Elementary School for several years before she started a preschool at her church with several of her closest friends. She is now retired and watches her grandson 3 days a week. Brad and Marilyn are the proud parents of four children and two grandchildren.

Brad and Marilyn joined the Kansas City Eden Village team in 2022 after reaching out to Linda Brown, a family friend, in Springfield where Eden Village began. They were inspired by the Brown’s and Marilyn’s sister-in-law who were involved in the development and mentorship program of the original Eden Village, leading to a desire to start an Eden Village in Kansas City. They were beyond excited to learn that an Eden Village was already being developed here and quickly joined forces with them. Coincidently, for several years, Brad and Marilyn have prepared chili for Uplift with a group of close friends and found it humorous that the original six members of the board met through serving at Uplift. This Uplift “connection” further sealed their desire to join the Eden Village team. They are excited to be a part of this ministry to provide homes and hope to the homeless of Kansas City and so Kansas City can be a “city where no one sleeps outside.”

Kerry Poolman (Treasurer): Kerry is a graduate of the University of Kansas. Kerry started her professional career as a sales associate for Hallmark Cards and transitioned into the real estate profession, spending the last 24 years running her own rental property business. She is a proud mom of two grown children, Paige and Charles. Happily married to Tim Poolman for 24 years, they enjoy spending time at their lake home, traveling and are heavily involved in their church, Grace Church of Overland Park. She has helped with large event planning for both the children’s department and the youth group. She began her involvement with the Uplift homeless organization in 2015. Her eyes were opened to the great need of people who are homeless. She is excited about the opportunity that Eden Village of Kansas City will provide for individuals who want a real opportunity to move out of their chronic situation.

Kevin & Cindy O’Dower (Kevin-Board Member/Cindy-Secretary): Kevin and Cindy were both born and raised in the Kansas City area. They met at work over two decades ago and still enjoy careers at Zurich Insurance. They have two grown daughters, Erika and Morgan. Kevin and Cindy believe in being outward-focused, which is why much of their time outside of work and family is spent volunteering. In addition to ten years in youth ministry at their church, they have served with various organizations that support the homeless and underprivileged communities. When invited to tour Eden Village of Springfield, they got to see first hand the life change occurring there. It sparked a desire to join this team to build a village in Kansas City.

Jim & Jennifer Schmidt (Board Members): Jim and Jennifer have been volunteering with Uplift, both serving weekly and cooking for their monthly Sort Saturday event, since 2002. The Schmidt’s have made caring for Kansas City’s homeless a large part of their lives ever since. The Schmidt’s not only open their home every Thursday night for dinner and Bible study for their homeless friends, but they also serve overnights and mornings at Johnson Counties only overnight cold weather shelter Project 1020.

As active Uplift Board of Directors, they are instrumental in finding new ways to serve Kansas City’s homeless population, but it is working directly with the homeless that is their found passion that led them to being a part of the Eden Village of Kansas City team. It is an honor to be a part of ending homelessness for each individual we come in contact with.

Phil Jorgenson (Board Member): Phil grew up in a rural town in Iowa, attended South Dakota State University, and received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering there. In college he met and married his college sweetheart, Darla. They have been married 34 years. Phil and Darla have three children, two girls and a boy, who are now on their own and living in various parts of the country. They also share Phil and Darla’s passion to help those less fortunate. Phil came to Eden Village via Uplift.org where he met Terry (TC), Kerry, and Katrina. Phil has been driving for Uplift for over 10 years now.

Annette Elms (Board Member): Annette grew up in Lansing, Kansas and currently lives in Overland Park with her husband of 30 years, Tommy.  They have two wonderful adult sons, Thomas and Nick.  Annette learned about Eden Village through friends Kerry Poolman and Terry Claudell back in 2022.  After learning more about Eden Village and their mission to help the chronically homeless of Kansas City, she knew that she wanted to be a part of it.  The vision and passion of the entire Eden Village team is contagious and Annette enjoys spending time giving back to those less fortunate and in need.

Karen Whitson (Board Member): Karen Whitson is the director of Renewed Hope Food Pantry, a Harvesters agency in Overland Park, KS. Karen’s passion is to share the love of God and see the miracle and power of God’s grace to transform lives. For Renewed Hope, she leads a hunger relief program for people experiencing homelessness. Renewed Hope volunteers get to know people living on the street and when individuals are ready support them in their goal to take steps to transition into shelter and housing.  Karen is a business communications professional and transitioned from a career in healthcare communications to join the non-profit sector after volunteering at Renewed Hope. She has a BA in communications from UMKC, an MBA from the University of Kansas, and a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership from Rockhurst University.