About
We envision a grateful nation made stronger by working together to honor the sacrifices of military and veteran families through education, opportunity, and the promise of a brighter future.
Uniting in gratitude to provide hope and opportunity to all who serve.
Represented in the Valor Partners logo by three stars, our core values are:
Honor
We uphold integrity, trust, loyalty, gratitude, respect, and faithfulness in all our actions to honor the service and sacrifices of military and veteran families.
Educate
We foster partnerships that lead to collaboration, accountability, and empowerment, providing transformative educational opportunities. Through remembrance, we inspire our community to carry on a legacy of service and sacrifice.
Innovate
We strive for excellence in achievement, quality, growth, and efficiency as we continuously improve and advance our innovative program.
Leadership
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Kelli grew up in Bryan/College Station, Texas, where she met Shawn Campbell when they were both students at Texas A&M University. They married in 2000, and Shawn entered the Marine Corps. They lived in Texas, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, and Hawaii over the next fifteen years, adding four children to their family.
On January 14, 2016, Major Campbell and eleven fellow Marines lost their lives when their helicopters collided over the North Shore of Oahu. Kelli, Tristan, Kenna, Kate, and Donovan faced the daunting task of starting a whole new life. Educational scholarships allowed Kelli to enroll her previously homeschooled children at a small school in Kansas City. It was a source of help and hope as they navigated loss and change.
Kelli’s journey through military service and grief is one she will tell you she has never walked alone. She shares her story because “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) In 2020, Kelli married Michael Goodnow and gained a bonus daughter, Avery. She completed her Executive MBA at Rockhurst University in 2024. The Campbell-Goodnow household is full of kids, dogs, and laughter, and they love calling Kansas City home.
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He retired from active duty as the Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA. He served in the Federal Aviation Administration in the Office of Safety following his retirement from active duty. Al holds a MS in Human Resources and a BS in Biology and serves as the Foundation's President.
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Austin is actively involved in the community and volunteers at the Knights of Columbus of Holy Trinity. He graduated from Benedictine College with a B.A. in economics and is a member of the 50 States Marathon Club.
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She was honored as ‘Kansas City’s Up and Coming 25 Hispanics’ by Dos Mundos Bilingual Newspaper and Sprint in 2005. Ms. Ramirez comes from a family with a long tradition of military service. Her father was in the USMC RECON forces during the Korean Conflict, while an uncle fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. Additionally, her brother served 16 years with the US Navy. She holds a Masters of Art Degree in Management and Leadership.
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For 13 years after that, Greg served in Infrastructure Protection regional leadership positions in the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. Greg holds a MS in Human Resources and a BA in Business.
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Later in his Marine career he transitioned to command and staff roles. After retirement, Steve served as a university president before joining EFL Associates to lead their Higher Education Executive Search Practice. Steve holds a Juris Doctor degree, MS degree in Strategic Studies, and a BA degree in Political Science.
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As a writer for executives, Katye’s work has appeared nationally including in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and USA Today. She provides content for print and digital media and is featured as a speaker in military communities. Katye is a third-generation military spouse, married to Colonel Mark A. Riselli, USAF Retired, and they have two daughters.
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She has worked in corporate consulting and secondary and higher education. Alison has chaired and volunteered for numerous school, charity, and fundraising events in St. Louis and Kansas City. She is the proud and grateful daughter of a Vietnam Veteran.
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Driven by her personal experience as a forgotten dependent, she is passionate about furthering the mission of Valor Partners. She is dedicated to helping other Chapter 35 beneficiaries rewrite their stories. By raising funds to support higher education, she hopes to open doors for others who have been overlooked and provide them with the opportunities they need to succeed.
Emma has worked as a Realtor with Keller Williams Kansas City Metro since 2017 helping many home buyers and sellers with the dream of homeownership. She lives in Overland Park with her husband, two children, and three dogs. She received the Gold Star Scholarship from Park University, in partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs, along with a Valor Partners scholarship. She is now working towards a degree in Public Administration, set to graduate in 2026, with the goal of pursuing an MBA.
Partners Committee
History & Growth
"In 2020, after seven years of successfully helping various local veteran-supporting causes as the Heart of America Patriot Foundation, the organization’s leadership identified a strong need among local veteran dependents for financial assistance in higher education. With a growing number of students utilizing the DEA-Chapter 35 benefit, educational institutions were eager to partner in providing the financial support their students needed to overcome barriers and thrive. A five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was established with 5 colleges and universities. It required them to match every dollar granted to them, to waive any and all fees normally associated with scholarship grants, to award need-based scholarships to DEA-Chapter 35 qualified students at a minimum of $1000 per academic year, and to report back to the foundation annually on program results and impact.
In 2021, the program grew to 12 partner schools, in 2022, to 23, and in 2023 to 35, awarding approximately 750 individual scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year. Renamed Valor Partners in 2024, the foundation has doubled donor dollars and impact each year and is now strategically focused on growth to meet the demand for our program at many more schools.”