Elizabeth Allen Foundation
Board Members
Meet the dedicated individuals guiding our mission to create a world without barriers.
A Word From The Founder/President
"The Elizabeth Allen Foundation was created from my family’s lived experience and a strong desire to do better. Though I saw my grandfather struggle daily with the life challenges of being physically disabled, I never viewed him as different.
Once I saw my daughter Elizabeth on ultrasound, confirming the spina bifida diagnosis, personal advocacy grew into a mission to have the world view the person and not their disability. Inspired by Elizabeth and my grandfather Sammy, my vision for the foundation was to help create an accessible world for individuals with spinal differences."
Jaimie Allen
President
Executive Director
Jaimie is a mother to four children, two of which have special needs. Her and her husband, Steve, decided to blend their families in 2021 and welcomed their first daughter together in 2024 who was diagnosed with spina bifida. They opted to have a prenatal surgery to give Ellie the best chance they could. As scary as the surgery was, it was the first step to a life-long journey of advocacy for Ellie and others with disabilities.
Though the diagnosis is full of many unknowns, Jaimie was not new to the world of disability. Jaimie’s grandfather was paralyzed at the age of 23. Jaimie grew up watching her grandfather struggle within a world of inaccessibility.
Vice President
Steve Allen
Vice President
Steve Allen is, in order, a Christian, husband, father and works as a Physician Assistant in emergency medicine. He and his wife, Jaimie, have a blended family with four children, two of which have special needs.
While in the Air Force, Steve was blessed to serve overseas and experience what life outside of the USA had to offer and served in areas labeled as "third world." After gaining experience in serving his nation, he left the military with a new outlook on life of not taking things for granted that so many in this world live without. Those overseas experiences combined with his children and his work in medicine solidified a desire to help those less fortunate than himself.
Lisa Ward
Secretary
Lisa Ward is the co-founder of a successful family-owned insurance agency. She spent the last 30 years of her career building and improving operations and specializing in human resources. Lisa also built and maintained a successful payroll company founded in 2018. Lisa has four children and eight grandchildren. In 2021, Lisa experienced a major health crisis lasting over a year, she miraculously made a full recovery after suffering from septic shock from a minor surgery.
With my granddaughter having spina bifida, my father-in-law having a spinal cord injury, and after experiencing my own medical crisis, I realized how important accessibility is. Accessibility should be the standard, not the exception. I joined the Elizabeth Allen foundation to help make accessibility a priority.
Tanner Jackman
Treasurer
Tanner is a Portfolio Manager at United Capital Management of Kansas and holds a CFA designation. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Finance and spent his college years competing on the KSU Rodeo Team. Today, Tanner spends most of his free time riding horses or competing in rodeos.
I joined the board because I enjoy being part of something that gives back in a meaningful way, and I feel my background in finance can support the foundation’s work. It is important to me to contribute to efforts that make life easier and more accessible for individuals facing challenges, and this foundation creates real, tangible impact.
Vice President
Tim Hargrove
Member
Tim Hargrove is a leadership consultant, educator, and nonprofit board member with a lifelong passion for accessibility and advocacy. Having grown up with a brittle bone disease and spending much of his childhood in wheelchairs, Tim brings firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families.
He served for 26 years as an executive pastor in Northern New Mexico, leading a growing church and regional ministry, and now works with People Prosper International, equipping leaders in high-poverty regions across Africa, Asia, and Central America. Tim holds master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership and Adult Education and is honored to serve on the board of the Elizabeth Allen Foundation.
Marla Michaels
Member
As a natural leader who embodies the dependable integrity essential for virtuous nursing leadership, research and academic roles, I engage in effective communication skills, personal accountability, and practiced competence to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and achieve common goals. These are traits I routinely demonstrate and continually strive to further develop.
My experience in pediatric and adult clinical care, as well as clinical research and graduate level nursing instruction provides a solid foundation for my role on the Elizabeth Allen Foundation Board of Directors. My personal and professional passion is to support and promote the health, wellness, and safety of all peoples in our community, which aligns with the benevolent mission of the Elizabeth Allen Foundation.
Vice President
Jean McPherson
Member
Coming Soon