An influential advocacy group based in Topeka is getting a new leader. Annie McKay is taking over as president and CEO of Kansas Action for Children. She replaces Shannon Cotsoradis, who's leaving KAC for a job with the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative.
McKay credits Cotsoradis for helping block a budget proposal that would have sold part of a tobacco settlement used to pay for children’s programs.
“Preserving and protecting the Children’s Initiative Fund, in this fiscal climate, was a tremendous victory for advocates across the state,” says McKay.
McKay says her goals include expanding access to safety net programs for children and preserving funding for children’s programs. Cotsoradis served as head of the KAC for the past six years.
McKay currently serves as head of the Kansas Center for Economic Growth, a think tank that focuses on economic and state budget issues.