KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 29, 2026--
Reconciliation Services [RS] today announced that Father Justin Mathews will transition from his role as Chief Executive Officer to focus on social-impact entrepreneurship and systems change initiatives, following 15 years of transformative service and leadership. Kristen Harris, the organization’s Chief Operating Officer, will become CEO effective January 1, 2027.
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The transition is the result of a deliberate succession-planning process initiated by Father Justin and the RS Board of Directors in 2022 to ensure leadership continuity, organizational stability and sustained community impact. Over the past two years, Kristen has worked closely with Father Justin and the organization’s leadership team, strengthening day-to-day operations and advancing organizational strategy, financial oversight and program development.
“This is succession by design, and it reflects the strength of Reconciliation Services, its leadership team and its future,” said Ryan Brunton, President of the Reconciliation Services Board of Directors and a partner at Stinson LLP. “For 15 years, Father Justin has led this organization with vision, compassion and a deep commitment to the dignity and well-being of our neighbors. Under his leadership, Reconciliation Services has grown significantly in its reach, capacity and impact. The Board is profoundly grateful for his service, and we are equally confident that Kristen is the right leader to guide the organization into its next chapter.”
A Legacy of Service, Innovation and Community Impact
During his tenure, Father Justin led the transformation of RS from a small neighborhood organization into a multifaceted social-impact institution serving Kansas City residents experiencing poverty and trauma. The organization expanded its team, programs and capacity while remaining rooted in its mission to cultivate a community seeking reconciliation and transforming Troost from a dividing line into a gathering place.
Under Father Justin’s leadership, RS strengthened and expanded its integrated model of care, including the REVEAL Program, which combines essential social services, case management, workforce development and therapeutic services. Father Justin founded Thelma’s Kitchen, a pay-it-forward community café designed to bring people together while supporting vital services for Kansas City neighbors, trauma-informed workforce development and community leadership. He also worked with the team to launch the REVEAL Works cohort, creating living-wage, trauma-informed jobs, and led more than $20 million in capital improvements on the Troost Avenue campus, including the primary RS building and the RS Impact Exchange in the historic Baker Shoe Building.
“When I first came to this work, Reconciliation Services was a grassroots organization with a powerful mission and an extraordinary community surrounding it,” said Father Justin. “Everything we have accomplished since then has been built by our neighbors, staff, board members, volunteers, donors and community partners working together. Serving this organization and our community has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
“Beginning in 2022, the Board and I committed to developing a thoughtful succession plan that would protect the mission, strengthen the organization and prepare the right leader to carry this work forward,” Father Justin continued. “Kristen is the right leader for the next chapter. She understands our mission and history, believes deeply in our team and brings the strategic vision, operational strength and commitment to the community that Reconciliation Services is built upon. I could not be more confident in her or more excited about the organization’s future.”
An Orthodox Christian archpriest, social entrepreneur and nonprofit executive, Father Justin has dedicated his career to social and economic reconciliation, innovative approaches to community development and the application of entrepreneurial practices to social challenges. He is an Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow. He also co-founded the Social Venture Studio, which supports social entrepreneurs developing market-based solutions to pressing community challenges.
Following the CEO transition, Father Justin will remain connected to the mission of RS. He will continue serving as president of the RS Foundation, which supports the organization through stewardship of its endowments. He will also remain Priest of the Chapel of St. Maria of Paris, under the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the Midwest, located within the organization’s 31st and Troost home. These roles will be separate from the CEO’s strategic leadership and authority with the RS Board of Directors.
Father Justin plans to devote his next professional chapter to social-impact entrepreneurship and systems-change initiatives designed to creatively address the broader conditions that keep individuals and families from achieving lasting human flourishing.
An Experienced Leader for the Next Chapter
Kristen brings more than 20 years of extensive leadership experience, organizational transformation, operations and nonprofit experience to the CEO role. As Chief Operating Officer of RS, she leads organizational strategy, financial oversight, facilities, major capital initiatives and program development in support of the organization’s mission and community impact. She has helped strengthen organizational systems, executive accountability and cross-functional alignment while positioning the organization for sustainable growth and impact.
Before joining RS, Kristen held multiple leadership positions at Hallmark spanning procurement, engineering, supply chain, customer operations, retail sales and enterprise strategy. She ultimately served as Vice President of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, where she worked across Hallmark, Crayola and other enterprise brands to integrate inclusion and equity into business strategy, talent, products, marketing and community engagement.
“I am honored by the opportunity to lead RS and build on the strong foundation Father Justin, our team, our Board and our community have created,” said Kristen. “During my time as Chief Operating Officer, I have seen firsthand the dedication of our staff, the strength and determination of our neighbors and the transformational potential of an organization that approaches every person with dignity.”
“Our mission will remain at the center of everything we do,” Kristen continued. “I look forward to working with our team and community partners to continue strengthening our programs, expanding pathways to economic mobility and ensuring that RS is always a trusted gathering place where people are treated with dignity, discover their strengths and build lasting well-being.”
A Transition from a Position of Strength
The leadership transition comes at a time of significant organizational growth and momentum. RS has expanded its senior leadership team and established endowments totaling approximately $1.25 million. The organization also recently received a $5 million gift from the Sunderland Foundation to support its long-term mission and community impact.
With a strong financial foundation, an experienced leadership team and an engaged Board of Directors, RS is well-positioned for its next chapter. The organization’s long-term succession plan is designed to harness that momentum and provide Kristen with the authority, support and continuity necessary to lead effectively from her first day as CEO.
“Father Justin and Kristen are approaching this transition with the same thoughtfulness and commitment they bring to the organization’s mission,” Ryan Brunton said. “Because this plan was developed intentionally over time, our staff, neighbors, donors and community partners can be confident Reconciliation Services will continue moving forward with clarity, stability and purpose.”
RS will continue providing its full range of community programs and services throughout the leadership transition and is excited to announce the upcoming reopening of Thelma’s Kitchen. Father Justin and Kristen will work closely with the Board and senior leadership team through the end of the year to support a seamless transition.
About Reconciliation Services
Founded in 1987, Reconciliation Services is a Kansas City-based nonprofit organization working to address the root causes and symptoms of poverty and trauma. Its vision is to cultivate social and economic reconciliation to reveal the hidden strength of our City. Reconciliation Services engages with individuals to promote dignity by increasing personal well-being, foster healthy community by transforming dividing lines into gathering places, and help people advocate for themselves, their families and their neighbors. Programs include the REVEAL Program, which integrates essential social services, case management, workforce development and therapeutic services; Thelma’s Kitchen, a pay-it-forward community café; the Foster Grandparent Program; trauma-informed workforce development; and the Social Leader Program.
For more information, visit the Reconciliation Services website. [RS3101.org]
Father Justin Mathews will transition from his role as Chief Executive Officer to focus on social-impact entrepreneurship and systems change initiatives, following 15 years of transformative service and leadership.
Kristen Harris, the organization’s Chief Operating Officer, will become CEO effective January 1, 2027. Kristen brings more than 20 years of extensive leadership experience, organizational transformation, operations and nonprofit experience to the CEO role.
Reconciliation Services announced that Father Justin Mathews will transition from his role as Chief Executive Officer to focus on social-impact entrepreneurship and systems change initiatives, following 15 years of transformative service and leadership. Kristen Harris, the organization’s Chief Operating Officer, will become CEO effective January 1, 2027.
