Article published by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
In 2018, we established the Kim Moore Visionary Leadership Award to honor the visionary leadership of our founding president and annually recognize a visionary leader in one of our strategic focus fields who demonstrates exceptional leadership and dedication to improving the health and well-being of Kansans. For 2020, we awarded the honor
to Deanna Berry, Executive Director of Russell Child Development Center (RCDC) for her work in advancing the field of early childhood development in Kansas.
For more than 20 years, Ms. Berry has advanced early intervention and education, leading early childhood initiatives with a strong vision and voice, while constantly looking for ways to meet the needs of children and families of all backgrounds and abilities so that young children can thrive.
Through Deanna's leadership, RCDC has become a tremendous resource for children and families, delivering multiple quality early childhood programs throughout rural and frontier counties encompassing nearly 16,000 square miles and serving as a trusted and sharing voice in the field. Thanks to Deanna's leadership, vision and work, families in southwest Kansas have become stronger, children have received services needed to become successful and all of this will ensure a brighter future in Kansas.