Board of Education

Bren Abbott was initially appointed to serve on the Board of Education in September of 2006 after a vacancy occurred. He was elected to a one-year term in 2007 and then a three-year term in 2008.  He served one year as the Board’s Vice President and has been the Board’s President the past two years.

Mr. Abbott received his undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas and his law degree from Washburn University.  He has been married to wife, Cecilia, for 17 years. They have two children, Caroline and Carter, attending the school district.

For the past 25 years, he has practiced law in the field of insurance defense litigation. He currently manages the local litigation office for Farmers Insurance.

Abbott is an active member in our community.  In addition to his current service on the Liberty Board of Education, he is a member of the Curriculum and Instruction Parent Advisory Committee and actively participated on the Blue Ribbon Committee for our second high school. He recently served two years as President of his neighborhood home association, has coached more than 20 youth athletic teams (soccer, baseball, basketball, and football) in the Liberty Parks and Recreation League, and served as the popcorn “Kernel” and treasurer for Troop 394 of the Cub Scouts.  Bren has actively participated in his children's education by being a member of the PTA, participating in Watch D.O.G.S., and volunteering in his children's classrooms, including serving as a classroom party coordinator.

Bren has spent countless hours working hard to help sustain Liberty’s educational excellence.  He feels strongly that each child deserves the best education possible.

D. Scott Connor was appointed to serve on the LPS Board of Education in November, 2009.  He was elected to a three-year team in 2010 and currently serves as the Board's Vice-President.  He received his undergraduate degree in Information Technology from Park College, and earned a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Finance from Rockhurst University.

For more than 20 years Mr. Connor worked in the corporate world as a manager and Director for three well-respected Kansas City companies:  the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, and most recently a Director with American Century Investments.  A few years ago he made the decision to leave the corporate world and become more involved in volunteer opportunities.  In addition to his current service on the Liberty Board of Education, he has coached multiple youth teams in Liberty Parks and Rec programs as well as football teams in both the Pop Warner and North Suburban youth football leagues.  He is a PTA and PTSA member, a participant in the District's "Watch D.O.G.S" program, and frequent school volunteer.

Mr. Connor's reason for serving on the school board is to help professionally manage the $100 million dollar business that our District has become to help ensure its long-term health and success.  He is committed to communicating his perspective on issues to District patrons and listening to feedback from community members during the Board's decision-making processes.

Charlene Armitage is no stranger to education, having taught elementary education for 15 years, nearly all of them in the North Kansas City School District.  Along with her experience in the classroom, she was also the Principal at Briarcliff Elementary for 7 years and Director of Human Resources in North Kansas City for 7 years.

Mrs. Armitage has a passion in the areas of team leadership, professional development, coaching of new teachers, and challenging all individuals to reach their overall potential.  She is passionate about anything that has to do with education and enjoys being in a problem-solving role and providing support to all levels of education.

She is married to Vernon Armitage, who recently stepped down from his Sr. Leadership as pastor at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church after 40 years.  They have two children, Kelly and husband Larry Huisenga, and Timothy and wife Ashley.  They also are proud grandparents to Logan, Noah, and Crosby.

Mattie Ransom is no stranger to the Liberty community having been born and raised here.  Ms. Ransom graduated from Liberty High School in 1981.  She went on to attend the University of Missouri and graduated from the Conservatory of Music in 1985 with a B.M. in Vocal Performance.  She then received her M.M. Vocal Performance at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

Mattie has been married to her husband, Jason, for 19 years.  Together they own The Dish pizza restaurant in Liberty

The Ransom's are proud parents of three children, Hughes, an 8th grader at South Valley Junior High, Katie, a 6th grader at South Valley Middle School, and Jack, who is a 1st grader at Shoal Creek Elementary.

Mrs. Ransom noted that the reason she wanted to serve on the board is because she felt the community needed a voice with a business background.  She also was interested in the management of the district for the future of her children and to make sure that they had a great education and experience like the one that she had.

Kim-Marie Graham earned her Bachelors degree in Communication from the University of California at San Diego.  She relocated to Kansas City in 1991 and to Liberty in 1995.  She continued her education at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, completing a Masters in Public Administration with emphasis in Human Resources.  She spent almost fifteen years in a variety of Human Resources roles for an international banking company.  Her strengths are strategic planning, employee relations, team building, facilitation and training, interviewing and talent selection. 

Kim-Marie is married to Kevin, who is an alumni of Liberty High School, and they have two daughters.  She became interested in serving on the Board when her daughter Kennedy began kindergarten at Manor Hill.  Her younger daughter, Kellyn, will join her sister there in 2013.  While working, Kim-Marie was recognized for her community service activities and she welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Liberty School District community through her work on the Board.

Lori D. Tritz has been a resident of Liberty for over 28 years.  She is a graduate of Liberty High School and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education with a Minor in Management from the University of Central Missouri.  She is the owner of HR Fuzion, LLC, a human resources consulting firm based in Kansas City, MO.

Tritz has nearly 20 years of experience in the Human Resources field.  Her strengths include identifying core strategic business drivers, developing infrastructure, and implementing employee involvement programs that improve organizational success at all levels by:  challenging the status quo, stimulating fresh ideas, and driving plans that can be implemented across the organization.  Her unique talent skill and passion for facilitation form the core of the organization's mission and direction and are the reasons for which she is sought after as a facilitator, trainer, and speaker.  She is a frequent speaker at human resources-related seminars and conferences around the region and believes in influencing professional growth and achievement through her presentations.

Mrs. Tritz is married to Matt Tritz, and they have 3 children - Hannah (who attends Lewis and Clark Elementary), Jack (will attend Lewis and Clark in 2011), and Harrison, 2 (will join Lewis and Clark in 2014).  They are active members of St. James Catholic Church and enjoy supporting the students of our district while actively participating in numerous charitable organizations throughout the metro area.