District 2

Melanie Haas

Phone: (816) 226-7728

First term on State Board: 2021 (Re-elected 2024)

Served as State Board Chair: 2023-25

Committee Assignments:

• Board Policy Committee (Chair)
• Education Commission of the States
• Kansas Volunteer Commission
• Special Education Advisory Council
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act Advisory Council
• Blue Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time

Biography

Mrs. Haas is a business owner and technology consultant whose past board service includes positions with the American Advertising Federation Kansas City, the Kansas City Startup Foundation, Kansas City Women in Technology, Central Exchange’s WiSTEMM, and the Global Montessori Academy.

She is a volunteer mentor for MECA/Startland, teaching entrepreneurial skills to students across the Kansas City metro area; an MVP‑certified volunteer in the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD); and a member of two SMSD Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs).

After graduating from public school in Wichita, Mrs. Haas studied fine arts at Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, and Johnson County Community College, while independently developing technology skills at an education startup. Her career in software engineering led to director and executive leadership roles at DST (SS&C), VMLY&R, VinSolutions, and Sprint.

Mrs. Haas lives in Overland Park with her husband and daughters.