Jayme Morris-Hardeman serves as the Executive Director of Thrive. Jayme joined the staff at Thrive! in 2016 after working as the Executive Director of Sunflower CASA Project for 17 years. Jayme served four years as a Manhattan City Commissioner and is active in political advocacy. She serves on the board of the Manhattan Public Library and the Joint Corrections Advisory Board. She graduated from KSU with BS and MS degrees in Biochemistry. Jayme and her husband Brian have two children and have lived in Manhattan for 29 years.  

Jayme’s expertise lies in the areas of non-profit management and finance, strategic planning, volunteer recruitment and retention, and trauma-informed practice.  Jayme has conducted strategic planning sessions for local and statewide non-profit organizations and local and statewide training on volunteer retention, adverse childhood experiences and the impact of trauma on brain development, and working with individuals living in poverty.

Susan Wendland serves as the Youth and Resource Development Coordinator for THRIVE! She joined THRIVE! in beginning of 2018. Susan previously worked for the school district as an Assistant Principal at Lee Elementary and Kansas State Clinical Supervisor. She was an educator for 33 years. Susan and her husband have two children and three grandchildren that she gets to enjoy lots of time with them. Susan likes to spend her spare time with family and friends, gardening, and cooking.
What Susan loves about THRIVE! is that we are working with individuals to teach them to empower themselves, to have a voice. It is her favorite thing to do each week, to spend time with these young people. The other part of her job is looking how to raise money to help continue our programs at THRIVE! Susan became a part of THRIVE! because I believe in what it does for our people. It is about building relationships, making connections, being resourceful, having a voice and making a difference.

My name is Kaitlyn Hayes. I started at Thrive helping Susan with the youth program and enjoyed that very much. I love making connections with the youth and future of the Manhattan community. I am a 4th Year student at K-State in the interior design department, I also am working towards my nonprofit leadership certification.

​ I come from a background of low-income situations and believe that our youth is the future of changing the cycle of poverty. I thrive on giving a helping hand and supportive back to those who need it, especially the youth. I love being able to be a part of my community and help change attitudes and make systematic changes. The youth is where we are going to make a change in this growing and ever challenging world and I want to be apart of that in any way I can!

Hi! My name is Makayla and my roll is to watch the kids on Tuesday nights. I love getting to know the children and learning more about what they like to do. hanging out with them is always a fun time, so I look forward to coming in every week. I joined the Thrive family because Susan had asked me I wanted and would enjoy a job babysitting ( of course I said yes) and I am very glad she did!