Board of Directors
*Parent/guardian of a child with a disability
**Self-advocate
Kristi Wallin
President, Sioux Falls
Kristi Wallin
Kristi Wallin serves as the President of the Board of Directors for South Dakota Parent Connection. She joined the South Dakota Parent Connection Board of Directors in 2017. She is a retired educator having taught special education and then becoming a Special Education Director. Kristi holds both a B.A. and M.A. in special education as well as her Specialist Degree in Educational Administration. Kristi and her husband have three children and six grandchildren.
Andrew Renke*
Co-President, Sioux Falls
Andrew Renke
Andrew is the parent of a child with special healthcare needs. He has served as a youth pastor and has experience serving on boards and a background in IT.
Amber Winkler*
Secretary, Sioux Falls
Amber Winkler
Amber Winkler joined the South Dakota Parent Connection Board in 2017. Her daughter was diagnosed with CMV at birth and, as a result, suffers from bilateral moderate hearing loss. She is passionate about South Dakota Parent Connection's mission and the work they do as it directly benefited her family and many families across South Dakota. Amber enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, camping, hiking, and staying active.
Elizabeth Krogstad*
Past President, Sioux Falls
Elizabeth Krogstad
Liz is an attorney with a practice focused on estate planning and trusts, including special needs trusts. She also has previous experience in trust administration, including administering various special needs and complex trust accounts, and served as an attorney for the Social Security Administration, where she was responsible for reviewing case files and writing disability determination decisions. Liz resides in Sioux Falls with her husband and middle school-age son, who is on the autism spectrum.
Musheera Mohammed Anis Abdellatif*
Member, Brandon
Musheera Mohammed Anis Abdellatif
Musheera is the mother of a young child with Down Syndrome. She is a University of South Dakota faculty member. She has a Ph.D. in Child Development and Educational Psychology. She worked as a child psychologist in Egypt, mainly with patients and families affected by mental illness and childhood psychiatric disorders. She was one of the founding members of a highly specialized Child Psychiatric Unit in her hometown. There she worked closely with families of individuals with ASD and ADHD, working with adolescents from high-risk environments. As part of her work there, she also founded the Mansoura Autism Support Association (MASA) in Egypt.
Elizabeth Welf*
Member, Spearfish
Elizabeth Welf
Elizabeth Welfl (pronounced well-full ) joined the South Dakota Parent Connection Board of Directors in 2021. She works at USA TODAY as a Sports Sales Strategist. She is also pursuing a Masters in Special Education with Specialization in Visual Impairment to become a Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired. In 2020, Elizabeth was appointed by Governor Kristi Noem to serve on South Dakota's Advisory Panel for Children with Disabilities. She and her husband, Kade, live in Spearfish, SD.
Haley Coss*
Member, St. Lawrence
Haley Coss
Coming soon.
Lorna (Emmy) Her Many Horses
Member, Pine Ridge
Lorna (Emmy) Her Many Horses
Coming soon.
Lora Barthleman
Member, Sioux Falls
Lora Barthleman
Coming soon.
Myriah Ventura**
Member, Sioux Falls
Myriah Ventura
Miah Ventura is a skilled self-advocate from a farm near Glidden, Iowa. She currently lives in Sioux Falls with her three daughters. Miah uses her lived experience to advocate strongly for her children and is a lifetime learner who enjoys reading and coaching others. Miah works for Ness Tax and Bookkeeping, and she participates on several boards and committees.
Miah is a member of the South Dakota Advocates for Change, and she serves on the South Dakota Parent Connection Board, and as a part of their Development Committee. Miah is a part of the Lighting the Way Committee, and she presented at the 2023 Lighting the Way Conference. Miah is a Year 31 Partners in Policymaking Graduate, and she was the keynote speaker for her graduating class.
Chris Nickles
Member, Sioux Falls
Chris Nickles
Chris Nickles grew up in the great city of Sioux Falls. During his high school years at Roosevelt, he met his high-school sweetheart and now wife, Jennifer. Today their family is blessed with three wonderful and active boys, each with their unique personalities and talents. Carson, the oldest at 16, is a diehard basketball player. While Harrison, who is 13, adores baseball and football. The family’s youngest, 6-year-old Griffyn, brings a lot of laughter and energy to their lives, and can’t wait to follow in the footsteps of his brothers. As if not busy enough, the family added a puppy to the mix in 2023, named CoCo. Chris’s love for his family is evident in all he does. Chris has held many positions in the banking industry, climbing his way to Vice President of Business Banking, helping individuals and organizations make their dreams a reality. He does so with a listening ear and thorough analysis. In his spare time, Chris also enjoys fishing and golfing.
New Board Member
Could it be you?
To learn more about becoming a member of our board, please contact Dr. Carla Miller, Executive Director at cmiller@sdparent.org.
