WICHITA, Kan. – Ed O’Malley has been named president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation (KHF), a statewide philanthropy based in Wichita. His appointment is effective Aug. 10, 2022. O’Malley currently serves as president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC), a non-profit organization committed to fostering leadership for stronger, healthier and more prosperous Kansas communities.

“A lifelong Kansan, Ed has a track record of combining practical leadership skills with visionary system change,” said Jeffry L. Jack, chair of the KHF Board of Directors. “He has great interpersonal skills, but he also understands and thinks deeply about policy and the greater good. And as the Kansas Health Foundation continues to redefine health philanthropy by centering equity in our mission to improve the health of all Kansans, the Board is confident that Ed is the right person to lead us through these challenging times.”

Junetta Everett, chair-elect of the KHF Board of Directors added, “Ed is a collaborative leader who has a deep understanding of business, communities, grantees, and factors affecting issues of health disparities, equity and justice in our state. He is heavily involved in the civic life of Kansas, his community and key national efforts to enhance civic engagement in the United States.”

O’Malley joined KLC, which is primarily funded by KHF, in 2007 as its founding president and CEO—taking the organization from a new startup to an internationally recognized leadership training hub. Under his leadership, KLC has played a significant role increasing the number of diverse and underrepresented groups in civic leadership throughout Kansas.

“Throughout my career, I’ve always focused first and foremost on being a servant leader who is in tune with the needs of others,” O’Malley said. “While it will be bittersweet to leave the KLC family I’ve grown to love, it is an honor, and the fulfillment of a dream, to step into the president and CEO position at KHF, and follow in the footsteps of some men and women I greatly admire.”

Prior to his time at KLC, O’Malley served two terms as a state representative in the Kansas Legislature, gained experience in the private sector and worked on the staff of Governor Bill Graves. He is active in civic organizations, including as past board chair of the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas and chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board for the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. He has also been on an advisory committee for the Colorado Health Foundation, a director for the Beta Theta Pi National Fraternity and a coach for youth sports.

O’Malley holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Kansas State University. He has also completed the Emerging Leaders Streetwise MBA program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration and received executive training from the Harvard Business School and the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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