Prior to receiving his Ph.D. in 1989, Dr. Kingsley was employed by several major corporations with high-level responsibility for labor and industrial relations. His academic training and post-PhD employment hehas been focused on publicly funded institutional structures and effectiveness. Prior to retirement, he served as a professor of statistics in the Department of Health Management & Policy at the Kansas University Medical Center. His recent research, publications, and presentations have focused on the finance and effectiveness of corporations dependent on revenue from Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Kingsley’s vitae and publications are available upon request at [email protected].
Kent Comfort – Executive Director
Kent is Co-Executive Director and President of CHIP. He is a serial entrepreneur in the fields of technology and information management. He and his wife reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kent regards his contributions toward the growth and development of CHIP to be vitally necessary in the face of the challenges for-profit medical institutions are causing to the heath and wellbeing of elder Americans.
David Norlin – Director
David Norlin is an inaugural member of the CHIP board. His interest in the CHIP mission grows from his personal concern about medical care challenges in the eldercare population. David is currently based in Salina, KS. He taught Writing and Communications skills at Cloud County Community College and directed CCCC’s Broadcasting Program. He is an occasional guest columnist for the Salina Journal, the Kansas Reflector. He has served on the Human Relations Commission, Planning Commission, and Community Access Television.
Darcey Kozisek – Director
James Rae – Director
Jim Rae, Ph.D. Served as Adjunct Professor (Communication Studies/Tactical Team Development), University of Colorado and University of Denver, 1985-2000. Over the past thirty years, he consulted with corporate teams, international organizations and over 100 federal agencies and coached hundreds of senior-level executives on goal setting, team performance, leadership presence, communication conflict and the power in creating positive relationships. Jim is now focusing on helping teams in the hospitality industry.
Max Skidmore – Director
Max J. Skidmore, Ph.D., is the University of Missouri Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Political Science Emeritus, has been a Distinguished Fulbright Lecturer to India and Senior Fulbright Scholar at the University of Hong Kong. His PhD (American Studies) is from the University of Minnesota. He is the author of numerous books and articles, dealing with Social Security and Medicare.
Charlene Harrington – Director
Charlene Harrington, Ph.D. is professor emerita in the UCSF Schools of Nursing where she taught sociology, health policy, and gerontology. CHIP is honored to add her to the board of directors due to her extensive expertise and awareness of nursing and health care issues that impact older people. She resides in Berkeley CA.
Suzanna Talevski – Director
Suzanna is an attorney and member of the Indiana Bar association. She recently was victorious in winning a favorable decision from the United States Supreme Court that clears the way for victims of mismanagement leading to physical harm of nursing home patients to be sued in federal courts, thus avoiding state level tort limitations.
Laura Bennets – Director
Laura is a physical therapist who specializes in treating 80+ older adults. She is an MS graduate in physical therapy from University of Southern California. She has worked in several settings such as: VA Hospital, Community Hospital, home health agencies, independent outpatient agencies, PACE program in KS, KU student health outpatient, nursing home facilities and 16 years directing her own outpatient therapy business, Lawrence Therapy Services in Lawrence, KS. She currently is a contract therapist with Radius Therapy, a therapist owned clinic in Olathe, KS. She helped found and remains active in a group started in 2005, Lawrence Area Partners on Aging (LAPA).
Tony Donley – Director
Tony Donley is based in Kansas City, MO, where he is a database architect and scalability expert. As an independent consultant, he has contributed database design, administration, programming, and performance tuning expertise to companies of all sizes and industries ranging from Fortune 500 organizations to successful startups. His day job supports his classical music habit and allows him to giv back to local arts organizations and worthy causes like CHIP.
Joe Sopcich – Director
Joe Sopcich, Ph.D., is committed to humanistic, servant inspired leadership in non-profit organizations. His 42 years of experience include seven in large corporate advertising agency management, and 32 years in not-for-profit organizations. Twenty-eight of those years were in higher education. He is the past president of Johnson County Community College where he served in that capacity for seven years from 2013 to 2020. Equally influential to Joe’s skills and perspective were his experiences as the grandchild of immigrants in an extremely close-knit family. The passing of his parents, after seven years in a long-term care facility whose private equity ownership left them vulnerable to institutionalized abuse, inspire his advocacy for better informed patient care decision making.
CHIP Board of Directors
David Kingsley – President, Treasurer
Prior to receiving his Ph.D. in 1989, Dr. Kingsley was employed by several major corporations with high-level responsibility for labor and industrial relations. His academic training and post-PhD employment hehas been focused on publicly funded institutional structures and effectiveness. Prior to retirement, he served as a professor of statistics in the Department of Health Management & Policy at the Kansas University Medical Center. His recent research, publications, and presentations have focused on the finance and effectiveness of corporations dependent on revenue from Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Kingsley’s vitae and publications are available upon request at [email protected].
Kent Comfort – Executive Director
Kent is Co-Executive Director and President of CHIP. He is a serial entrepreneur in the fields of technology and information management. He and his wife reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kent regards his contributions toward the growth and development of CHIP to be vitally necessary in the face of the challenges for-profit medical institutions are causing to the heath and wellbeing of elder Americans.
David Norlin – Director
David Norlin is an inaugural member of the CHIP board. His interest in the CHIP mission grows from his personal concern about medical care challenges in the eldercare population. David is currently based in Salina, KS. He taught Writing and Communications skills at Cloud County Community College and directed CCCC’s Broadcasting Program. He is an occasional guest columnist for the Salina Journal, the Kansas Reflector. He has served on the Human Relations Commission, Planning Commission, and Community Access Television.
Darcey Kozisek – Director
James Rae – Director
Jim Rae, Ph.D. Served as Adjunct Professor (Communication Studies/Tactical Team Development), University of Colorado and University of Denver, 1985-2000. Over the past thirty years, he consulted with corporate teams, international organizations and over 100 federal agencies and coached hundreds of senior-level executives on goal setting, team performance, leadership presence, communication conflict and the power in creating positive relationships. Jim is now focusing on helping teams in the hospitality industry.
Max Skidmore – Director
Max J. Skidmore, Ph.D., is the University of Missouri Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Political Science Emeritus, has been a Distinguished Fulbright Lecturer to India and Senior Fulbright Scholar at the University of Hong Kong. His PhD (American Studies) is from the University of Minnesota. He is the author of numerous books and articles, dealing with Social Security and Medicare.
Charlene Harrington – Director
Charlene Harrington, Ph.D. is professor emerita in the UCSF Schools of Nursing where she taught sociology, health policy, and gerontology. CHIP is honored to add her to the board of directors due to her extensive expertise and awareness of nursing and health care issues that impact older people. She resides in Berkeley CA.
Suzanna Talevski – Director
Suzanna is an attorney and member of the Indiana Bar association. She recently was victorious in winning a favorable decision from the United States Supreme Court that clears the way for victims of mismanagement leading to physical harm of nursing home patients to be sued in federal courts, thus avoiding state level tort limitations.
Laura Bennets – Director
Laura is a physical therapist who specializes in treating 80+ older adults. She is an MS graduate in physical therapy from University of Southern California. She has worked in several settings such as: VA Hospital, Community Hospital, home health agencies, independent outpatient agencies, PACE program in KS, KU student health outpatient, nursing home facilities and 16 years directing her own outpatient therapy business, Lawrence Therapy Services in Lawrence, KS. She currently is a contract therapist with Radius Therapy, a therapist owned clinic in Olathe, KS. She helped found and remains active in a group started in 2005, Lawrence Area Partners on Aging (LAPA).
Tony Donley – Director
Tony Donley is based in Kansas City, MO, where he is a database architect and scalability expert. As an independent consultant, he has contributed database design, administration, programming, and performance tuning expertise to companies of all sizes and industries ranging from Fortune 500 organizations to successful startups. His day job supports his classical music habit and allows him to giv back to local arts organizations and worthy causes like CHIP.
Joe Sopcich – Director
Joe Sopcich, Ph.D., is committed to humanistic, servant inspired leadership in non-profit organizations. His 42 years of experience include seven in large corporate advertising agency management, and 32 years in not-for-profit organizations. Twenty-eight of those years were in higher education. He is the past president of Johnson County Community College where he served in that capacity for seven years from 2013 to 2020. Equally influential to Joe’s skills and perspective were his experiences as the grandchild of immigrants in an extremely close-knit family. The passing of his parents, after seven years in a long-term care facility whose private equity ownership left them vulnerable to institutionalized abuse, inspire his advocacy for better informed patient care decision making.