Meet the HR/EBIM Team!

Sue Reif

Administrative Assistant, Front Desk

Phone: (316) 973-4605

Email: sreif@usd259.net

Andrea Hernandez

Administrative Assistant

Email:ahernandez13@usd259.net 

Phone: (316) 973-4607  

Sarah Hawk

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Sarah Castleman started her career with Wichita Public Schools as a Human Resources co-op intern in 2017. In May of 2018 she completed a Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management from Wichita State University.  After being hired as a co-op, she quickly moved into full-time positions within the Human Resources Department. She has served in several positions within the Staffing and Recruitment team, eventually moving into her current role as a Talent Acquisition Specialist for Elementary Schools. She has a passion for Human Resources and recruiting the best qualified staff for the students at Wichita Public Schools!

Areas of responsibility include extending job offers and posting vacant positions for the following:  

• Elementary School Buildings
• Employee Referral Bonus Program

Phone: (316) 973-4620
Email: shawk@usd259.net

Emily Widrig

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Areas of responsibility include extending job offers and posting vacant positions for the following:  

• Secondary Schools
• Special Day Schools 
• Centrally Hired Roles at All Schools:
  • Instructional Coach
  • School Nurse + Health Room Assistant
  • School Psychologist + Psych Practicum 
  • School Social Worker
  • School Counselor
  • Certified BHSL + Classified Intervention Specialist – BHSL 
  • Gifted Teacher
  • Visually Impaired Teacher + Paraeducator
  • Occupational Therapist + OTA
  • Physical Therapist + PTA
  • Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) + SLPA

Phone: (316) 973-4752
Email: ewidrig@usd259.net 

Kaitlyn Rawcliffe, SHRM-SCP

Talent Acquisition Supervisor

Kaitlyn Rawcliffe graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management and obtained her SHRM-CP certification in 2021. She joined Wichita Public Schools in 2017 as an administrative assistant in Human Resources serving elementary and secondary schools. Kaitlyn was promoted to licensure specialist in 2019 and to Supervisor for Talent Acquisition in 2022. She has since obtained her SHRM-SCP.

Areas of responsibility include:

• Student Teacher placement
• Extending job offers and posting vacant positions for AMAC and JFISC

Phone: (316) 973-4602

Email: krawcliffe1@usd259.net

Jenna Shaban

Talent Acquisition Manager

Jenna (Ginest) Shaban graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wichita State University. She began with the district in 2015 as the Assistant to the Chief Human Resources Officer. Upon earning her Master’s Certificate in Project Management from Wichita State University, she was promoted into a Project Management role within the Human Resources Department. She is currently the Manager of Talent Acquisition.

Areas of responsibility include:

• Developing and facilitating strategic goals for recruitment and retention at USD 259
• Managing the hiring of all District Staff
• Extending job offers and posting vacant positions for IST and SSC

Phone: (316) 973-4608
Email: jshaban@usd259.net

Stacie Denison

Guest Staff (Substitute) Services Manager

Stacie Denison came to Wichita Public Schools in 2016 and joined the Human Resources – Guest Staff Services team as the assistant in 2018, taking over the role as manager in October 2020. During her career with the district, Stacie has also worked in the Operations Division and Student Support Services. She has a passion for all students and staff, serving in education since 2006.

Areas of responsibility include the management of Guest Staff and Roving Programs for Wichita Public Schools, which includes the recruitment, staffing, training, and program implementation for all Guest Staff (substitutes) that provide temporary coverage for absences and vacancies; and Roving Staff (benefitted) positions to fill in gaps throughout the district.

• Positions covered include:
  • Teachers
  • Paras
  • Administrative Assistants/Bookkeepers
  • Administrators
  • Custodians
  • Child Study Team
  • Fine Arts
  • Food Service
  • Crew

Phone: (316) 973-4593
Email: sdenison@usd259.net

Penny McNeill

Guest Staff Services (Substitute) Recruiter

Penny McNeill with a tenure of 17 years in the district’s Facilities department, has served as the Recruiter for Guest (Substitute) staff for the past 2 years.  Her passion for the role is evident as she expresses, “I absolutely love what I do!  Collaborating with an exceptional team, I have the privilege of connecting with a diverse population, offering assistance that benefits both them and the district!”

Areas of responsibility include:

• Recruitment, orientation, and training of all guest staff (substitute) positions district-wide
  • Teachers
  • Paras
  • Clerical Support
  • Custodians
  • Child Study Team
  • Administrators
  • Fine Arts
  • Crew
  • Food Service
• Maintaining Guest Staff Services Website
• Guest Staff Services Newsletter

Phone: (316) 973-4621

Email: pmcneill@usd259.net 

Krisha Reid

Guest Staff (Substitute) Services Administrative Assistant

Phone: (316) 973-4593
Email: kreid1@usd259.net

Vicky Manning

Director of Employee Relations and Training

Victoria Manning has been with Wichita Public Schools since 1999. She has a bachelor’s degree in education from Newman University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from WSU. Vicky has been a classroom teacher, instructional and intensive support coach, Assistant Principal, and Principal for USD 259. She has been in her current role with Human Resources since 2022.

Areas of responsibility include employee relations, Certified Evaluations, and trainings for all district employees.

Phone: (316) 973-4617

Email: vmanning@usd259.net

Sharon Rye

Director of Employee Relations, Title IX, and ADA

Sharon Rye obtained her bachelor’s degree in History, with a minor in French, from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.   After graduating, she worked as a college admissions recruiter in both Savannah, Georgia and Fresno, California before going on to law school at the University of Virginia.  She then went on to practice law in Portland, Oregon and in Wichita, specializing in Employment Law and Commercial Litigation.  Having witnessed and experienced firsthand the value of a good education from the K-12 level and beyond, Sharon developed an early interest in promoting learning and educational opportunities.  As an attorney, Sharon coached high school mock trial and headed the Law and Education section of the Wichita Bar Association, and she thereafter joined Wichita Public Schools in 2018.  

In addition to working in Employee Relations, Sharon is also the ADA Coordinator and the Title IX Coordinator for the district. 

Phone: (316) 973-4616

Email: srye@usd259.net

Nathan Werner

Workers’ Compensation Claims Assistant

Nathan Werner graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in Integrated Marketing and Communication.  Nathan joined Wichita Public Schools in August 2021 as an Administrative Assistant for Secondary Hiring in the Staffing department of Human Resources.  Nathan was promoted to Executive Assistant to the Chief Human Resource Officer in 2022 and in 2023 moved to his current role of Workers’ Compensation Claims Assistant.

Areas of Responsibility:

• Providing support to the Workers’ Compensation program in timely and accurate assistance in claims processing of employee claims in accordance with best practices and state regulations

Email: nwerner2@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4504

Tracy Anderson

Employee Benefits Health, Wellness & Disability Technician (Classified Staff)

Tracy Anderson joined Wichita Public Schools in April of 2022 as a Roving Administrative Assistant.  Tracy joined Human Resources in December of 2022 as the Front Desk Administrative Assistant. She joined Employee Benefits in her current role in August of 2024. Before her position with Wichita Public schools, she gained several years of administrative assistant and customer service experience in the medical field and in Derby Public Schools.

Areas of Responsibility:

• Classified staff contact for Medical Leave
• Classified staff contact for FMLA
• Classified staff contact for Maternity/Parental/Adoptive Leave

Email: tanderson6@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4458

Sandra Cruz

Workers' Compensation Technician

Sandra Cruz graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. She joined Wichita Public Schools in 2013 and has held a variety of positions within Human Resources including many years with Employee Benefits & Insurance Management, the Employee Relations office, and assistance to the Property & Casualty program, bringing a wealth of experience to her current role which she has been in since 2018.

Areas of responsibility include:

• Administering all aspects of the district's Workers' Compensation program
• Authorization and coordination of care as directed by Kansas State Statutes under the KS Department of Labor

Email: scruz@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4579

Nicole Heizelman 

Retirement Specialist

Nicole Heizelman graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor’s Degree, double-majoring in Human Resource Management and Economics and minoring in Management. Throughout college, she worked as a preschool teacher at a Wichita area childcare facility. Just before her final semester of college, Nicole joined Wichita Public Schools in November 2016 as a Human Resources co-op to gain experience in her major. Following her graduation, she transitioned into full-time positions within the Human Resources Department, eventually moving into the role of Employee Benefits Health, Wellness, and Disability Technician for Certified Staff. She was promoted to Retirement Specialist in July of 2024. She was a past recipient of the Apple Award due to her work during the COVID pandemic.

Areas of responsibility:

• Serves as the district retirement liaison
• Acts as the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) designated agent for USD 259

Email: nheizelman@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4590

Patrick Greene

Risk Compliance Analyst

Patrick has been with Wichita Public Schools since 2017. He administers the district’s insurance, risk management, and compliance programs to protect school assets, manage liability, and mitigate financial risks. Patrick has a bachelor’s degree from Drury University and a law degree from the University of Tulsa. Since 2008, he has worked in law, finance, and K-12 risk management. He assumed his current role in 2024 after serving as Clerk of the Wichita Public Schools Board of Education.

• General Liability (including student accidents)
• Auto Liability and Physical Damage 
• Property and Asset Oversight
• Risk Management, Compliance, and Subrogation 
• Supporting Workers' Compensation, Health Plan, and District Programs

Email: pgreene@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4566

Gina Wiedemann

Manager of Health, Life & Retirement Benefits

Gina Wiedemann is a fellow graduate of Wichita East High.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wichita State University where she was also a member of the Shockers softball team.  She began with the district in 2011 after working previously in Human Resources at Wichita State University and The University of Notre Dame.  She is a three-time Apple Award winner and holds certifications in both SHRM-CP and PHR.  She previously held the positions of Employee Benefit Specialist and Sr. Benefit Analyst with the district. 

Areas of responsibility:

• Alignment of benefit programs to maintain competitiveness through market analysis and vendor management
• Developing communications and educational resources for employees to ensure they understand their benefits and can make informed decisions
• Overseeing multiple benefit specialty areas for the district and managing a team of subject matter experts
• Aligning benefit offerings with district mission and vision in support of strategic goals

Email: gwiedemann@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4564

Hootie the Owl

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS MASCOT

Hootie was introduced in 2022 as a mascot for Employee Benefits as we searched for a recognizable image that would be able to share our benefits in a fun and unique way. Hootie is a wise owl who wants you to also be wise about how to use your benefits to their utmost potential and not leave any unused benefits (or money!) on the table. You will continue to see Hootie in our publications with tips to help you!

Areas of responsibility:

• Help employees become independent consumers of their own benefits
• Guide employees on how to maximize usage of benefits and minimize financial impact
• Educate employees on where to find and how to access the benefits information needed to make their work and personal lives better

Email: employeebenefits@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4581

Diana Price, SHRM-CP

Manager of HRIS, Compensation, & Compliance

Diana Price earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management in 2008. She had 13 years of experience in Human Resources prior to beginning her career with Wichita Public Schools in 2014 as a Human Resource Analyst. She was promoted to Manager of HRIS in 2017.  She earned her SHRM certification in 2019.

Areas of Responsibility:

• Developing and facilitating strategic goals in process improvement for employee information systems
• Managing annual processes
• Managing employee information 

Email: dprice3@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4769

Julie Stiebner, SHRM-CP

HRIS Specialist

Julie Stiebner joined Wichita Public Schools in 2008 as an Administrative Assistant in Employee Benefits before promoting to Employee Health, Wellness, and Disability Technician.

She transferred to Human Resource Information Systems in 2016 as HRIS Technician and promoted to Records Technician in 2019.

Areas of responsibility:

• Employee Records Management
• Temp Aide Position Management
• Work Authorizations/I-9 Management
• Certified Supplementals/Classified Certificate Pay

Email: jstiebner@usd259.net 

Phone: (316) 973-4618

Julie Kells-Young

HRIS Technician

Julie Kells-Young joined Wichita Public Schools HR first as a WSU co-op in 2019 and has since migrated their way through the HR/EBIM department. Their most recent promotion was to their current role of HRIS Technician in September 2024.

Areas of Responsibility:
•    Employee Verifications
•    Loan Forgiveness
•    Management of Guest Staff Data
•    Subpoena Records Requests

Email: jyoung5@usd259.net

Phone: (316) 973-4625

Ashlynn Lovings

HRIS Specialist

Ashlynn Lovings graduated from Wichita State University with two Bachelor’s Degrees, first in Psychology in 2016 then Human Resource Management in 2019. Ashlynn joined Wichita Public Schools in October 2018 as a co-op in Human Resources. Ashlynn was promoted to HRIS Coordinator in April 2019. 

Areas of Responsibility:

• Management of Certified and Classified Data
• Military Leave 
• Addendum Days

Email: alovings@usd259.net 

Phone: (316) 973-4622

Susan Willis

Interim Chief Human Resource Officer

The primary focus of CHRO is to oversee the HR/EBIM division, which includes all aspects of:

• Talent Acquisition/Staffing
• Human Resource Information Systems
• Compensation
• Employee Benefits
• Risk Management/Insurance and
• Employee Relations & Investigations

Abby McFadden, MHRM

Licensure/Labor Relations Specialist

Abby McFadden graduated from Friends University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management in 2017. She went on to graduate from Wichita State University with her Masters in Human Resources Management in 2021. She joined Wichita Public Schools in 2018 as an administrative assistant in Employee Relations serving the district’s Employee Relations/Title IX office. She eventually moved to support Shannon Krysl and Sean Hudspeth as the administrative assistant to the Chief Human Resources Officer.  Abby was promoted to licensure specialist in 2022.

Areas of responsibility include:

• Licensure consultation and assistance for certified staff
  • Renewals
  • Initial licensure
  • Alternative certification
  • Added endorsements
  • Waivers
• Transcript evaluation and salary placement verification for certified staff
• Licensure consultation and assistance for Wichita area teachers not currently employed by a school district

Phone: (316) 973-4619

Email: amcfadden@usd259.net