MARC Leadership

Geraldine Gardner

Executive Director

Geraldine Gardner became MARC’s executive director in October 2026. She previously served as executive director of the Centralina Regional Council in Greater Charlotte, where she led strategy, operations and regional initiatives across a nine-county area serving 2.5 million residents.

In that role, she advanced regional collaboration on issues including growth, mobility, economic development, workforce development, aging and resilience.

Geraldine has contributed to the regional council profession through leadership roles with state and national organizations and has worked with local, regional and national leaders to strengthen communities through cross-sector partnerships and regional cooperation.

Before joining Centralina, Geraldine served as director of urban and regional policy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and held leadership roles in the Government of the District of Columbia, including associate director for neighborhood planning. Her local government work centered on the intersection of economic development, community revitalization and physical planning.

Geraldine earned a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in metropolitan studies from New York University. She also served as an adjunct professor in Georgetown University’s Urban and Regional Planning program and is a recipient of the German Chancellor Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany.

Kristi Bohling-DaMetz

Director of Aging and Adult Services

Kristi joined MARC in 2023. She leads a capable and innovative team as they deliver quality critical services to older adults and people in need through a comprehensive model of integrated care. She engages with partners throughout the region to expand and grow this important system to advance health and social outcomes, and to support effectiveness and innovation in the regional health and social services systems.

She came to MARC from HealthTeamWorks and the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium, a group of nonprofit entities dedicated to transforming healthcare through performance improvement, organization development, and training. She is a registered nurse, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Business Administration.

Amanda Graor

Director of Data and Digital Services and Chief Innovation Officer

Amanda has been with MARC for over 18 years working across program areas on collaborative initiatives, process improvement, and strategic deployment of data and technology.

Amanda also spent time as an Economic Mobility Policy Fellow with the Center for Applied Public Research at Johns Hopkins University and is an advisor to the Evidence for Policy fellows through Stanford Impact Labs. She holds a bachelor's degree in Earth System Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a certificate in infographics and data visualization from Parsons School of Design.

Dr. Toni Sturdivant

Director of Early Learning

Toni joined MARC in 2023. She is a researcher, a thought leader and a collaborator with a passion for improving early learning systems. She leads an innovative and committed team as they serve children and families across the Kansas City region, providing critical support to numerous early learning partners.

She has a master's degree in early childhood and elementary education and a doctorate in interdisciplinary learning and teaching. She came to MARC from Fort Worth, Texas, where she served as vice president of early education and workforce development for Camp Fire First Texas.

Carol Gonzales

Director of Finance and Administration

Carol has served as director of Finance and Administration since 2017. She oversees financial management, human resources and other internal operations.

Carol currently serves as chair of the Johnson County Civil Service Board, on the Growing Futures Early Education Board and on the Shawnee Sister Cities Committee. Carol was named Shawnee Citizen of the Year in 2010 by the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce and in 2012 was awarded the KUCIMAT Edwin O. Stene Award for Managerial Excellence. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Drake University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas.

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Ashley Z. Hand

Director of Local Government Services

Ashley joined MARC in 2025. She leads a range of innovative shared services programs within the Local Government Services Department, including public safety and 911 communications, emergency services, the Government Training Institute, public workforce efforts and the Regional Housing Partnership.

Before MARC, Ashley served as the Chief Innovation Officer for Kansas City, Missouri, and founded and led Cityfi, an award-winning urban change management consultancy business in Los Angeles. Most recently, she served as director of strategic communications for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. She holds a political science degree from McGill University and a Master of Architecture from the Pratt Institute.

Ron Achelpohl

Director of Transportation and Environment

Ron directs MARC’s transportation and environmental planning and policy work along with related implementation activities such as the Operation Green Light traffic signal coordination system, the RideshareKC program and public education initiatives for air quality, water quality, active transportation and transportation safety.

Ron is a registered Professional Engineer with degrees in civil engineering from the University of Missouri and engineering management from the University of Kansas. He is an active member of the American Public Works Association and serves on the boards of several local nonprofit organizations.

Frank Lenk

Director of the Office of Economic Research

Frank has been with MARC for more than 40 years. He specializes in using a variety of technical tools to help understand social and economic issues. He prepares long- and short-range economic and demographic forecasts, estimates the economic impact of major public investments, oversees the development of maps and other data visualizations to uncover the meaning in the data, and develops metrics to measure Greater Kansas City’s social and economic progress.

He has authored or co-authored numerous reports on the Kansas City area economy, including the workforce needs of the region’s Global Design industry, the skilled trades, the tech sector and the public sector.