Foundation Staff

Allison Rickels, CFRE
Executive Director
E-mail: Allison@FarmHouse.org

Allison is executive director/CEO of the FarmHouse Foundation, serving as the first woman CEO of a men's fraternity educational foundation. She began this role in June 2007. In the FarmHouse Foundation's 44 years history, Allison is only the second person to fill the position on a full-time basis. Allison has been part of the FarmHouse Foundation staff for 10 years, since July 2001, starting as the director of annual fund and communications, and then served as the senior director of the annual fund and assistant secretary to the board of trustees. She also is the design editor for Pearls & Rubies and is a facilitator for many of the FarmHouse leadership programs. A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Allison graduated with honors in 2001 with a public relations major and marketing and journalism minors. She earned the designation of Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) in the fall of 2006. Allison is a member and leader of the MidAmerica chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, serving on the chapter’s board of directors for six years. Allison is active with Alpha Phi Fraternity serving on its Quarterly magazine Editorial Board, is a former chapter advisor and as an active member of her local alumnae chapter. In 2010, she received Alpha Phi’s prestigious Ursa Major Award, for her role as the FarmHouse Foundation’s Executive Director. She also served five years on the Fraternity Communications Association’s board of directors. In 2007, she received CFEA's Marilyn Simpson Ford Award for outstanding service to the association. She has also been a facilitator and conference planner for numerous Greek-lettered foundation national fundraising conferences including serving as the 2010 Foundations Seminar Co-Chair. Her husband Nick is an engineer for Weld Racing. Allison, Nick and their two daughters, Sydney and Delaney, live in Kansas City, Mo.

 

Bob Off, CRFE
Colorado State '64
Executive Director Emeritus
E-mail: Bob@FarmHouse.org

Bob is Executive Director Emeritus of FarmHouse Foundation and has worked for FarmHouse for 37 years. Bob was an undergraduate member of the Colorado State Chapter, initiated in 1964. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature in 1965 and his master's in English literature in 1967 from Colorado State. After graduation he worked as Assistant Director of Student Housing at South Dakota State University. Bob served on staff at SDSU for two years before his career was interrupted with a 3-year stint in the U.S. Army. He was an intelligence officer with rank of captain from 1968 to 1971, serving 12 months in South Korea. When Bob returned from South Korea he resumed his position at SDSU. In 1973 he accepted the position of Executive Director of FarmHouse Fraternity and Foundation. In 1997, he began working full-time as Executive Director of FarmHouse Foundation. In the years since that move, annual giving to the Foundation Annual Fund has doubled, and the Foundation has surpassed a $4 million endowment. Bob served as the President of the Fraternity Executives Association in 1988-89; as an FEA Advisor to the National Interfraternity Council (NIC) Board; and as President of the College Fraternity Editors Association (CFEA) in 1979-80. In 2007, he was awarded the William D. Jenkins outstanding fundraising professional award from the NIC Foundation and in 2006 received CFEA’s prestigious Varner Award for extraordinary fraternal service. He is also a member of several community and philanthropic organizations. In August 2007, Bob retired from his position as the Foundation’s Executive Director and now serves as Executive Director Emeritus. Bob and his wife, Linda, live in Santa Fe, N.M. Their daughter, Karlene, lives in Phoenix, Ariz.

 

Andrea Ward
Annual Giving & Communications Coordinator
E-mail: Andrea@FarmHouse.org

Andrea is the Annual Giving and Communications Coordinator for the FarmHouse Foundation. She is a native of Plevna, Kan., and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kansas State University in December 2007. She graduated with a major in marketing and minor in leadership studies. She is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta International Fraternity, where she served as chapter president and risk management chair as an undergraduate. She has continued to stay active with Theta, serving as recording secretary for the Greater Kansas City alumnae chapter and on the Kansas State chapter’s housing corporation board. She is also serving on the Campaign Committee for K-State’s 50 Years of Nobler Womanhood fundraising campaign for renovations of the K-State Theta chapter house. She assisted the committee in raising nearly $500,000 so far for the renovations, beginning this summer. She is a member of the MidAmerica chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, currently serving on the hospitality committee. Andrea coordinates annual fundraising activities and initiatives including direct mail, phone-a-thons, special events, undergraduate giving, the electronic funds transfer program, non-member appeals and electronic solicitations. In addition, she is responsible for managing internal and external communication materials for the Foundation. Andrea’s husband, Chris, is a mechanical engineer for Sega, Inc., and they live in Shawnee, Kan.

 

Jo Berryman
Administrative Assistant
E-mail: JBerryman@FarmHouse.org

      Nancy "Jo" Berryman joined the FarmHouse staff in May 2002 as part-time secretary for the FarmHouse Foundation. Before coming to FarmHouse, Jo retired from Honeywell in Kansas City where she worked for 31 years. She is a native of Lincoln, Neb.
      Her volunteer activities include the Red Cross, King of Kings Church and tutoring for Laubach Literacy Program.
      She and her husband, Bill, reside in northern Kansas City, Mo. She enjoys walking, hiking and family activities.