Who We Are
Protect Kansas is a grassroots movement that utilizes experts here in Kansas to weigh in with research-based concerns regarding the health, environmental, utility, agricultural, and financial dangers posed by hyperscale data centers and BESS. We advocate for increased protections to protect the people over profit.
Meghan Ryan, MPH, founder of Protect Kansas, serves to elevate voices of her neighbors in Shawnee County. Meghan graduated with honors from Washburn University with a BA in Political Science and German with a minor in International Studies. She received a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Kansas at KU Med also with honors. Her special interest was in emergency preparedness and management and participated in American Red Cross Disaster Training, most recently helping to oversee the first dog-friendly warming center in Topeka at the Lois Curtis Center. During her Masters, she spent time at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in the Bureau of Community Health Systems.
Meghan is an Army brat from a long line of military and farming folks, and has spent nearly her entire life living within a one-hour radius here in Kansas. Graduating from a small 3A high school with a class of only 66 students, she’s familiar with going to school in a corn field and the excitement of a “Drive Your Tractor to School” day. Over the course of her career, she has spent over 12 years in not-for-profit management serving in leadership, communications, marketing, government affairs, compliance and events.
Meghan Ryan, MPH
Founder Protect Kansas
Local Experts
Protect Kansas is a nonpartisan coalition of subject matter experts, scientists, educators, medical professionals, researchers, and concerned parents coming together to fight on behalf of our children and the future of Topeka and greater Shawnee County Kansas. Below are a few of our neighbors speaking up with their fact-based concerns here in Topeka.
Scott Henson
Scott Henson has served over forty years in the USD 501 district as an educator and administrator including Avondale West Elementary and principal at the Sheldon Child Development Center.
“These data centers can put out 96 to 105 decibels, and that goes on 24/7. As a former first grade teacher for thirteen years… I cannot imagine what that would be like to be in the classroom and have this constant hum. That noise has also been known to create anxiety and sleep trouble and hypertension.
I speak for over 700 children and their families at these two schools, Pauline South and Pauline Central., that will be impacted within a 2 mile radius of the proposed data center,” remarked Scott at the Topeka City Council meeting.
Lifelong USD 501 Educator and Administrator
Colleen Campbell
Environmental Scientist, GIS ExpertColleen is an environmental and geospatial scientist with extensive experience in environmental regulation, monitoring, sampling, and urban planning. She spent 10 years in Saudi Arabia, where she did environmental studies on the Red Sea and utilized expertise in GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis. Her technical focus includes 3D drone imagery, UAV photogrammetry, coral reef and kelp ecosystem monitoring, and fish species habitat modeling. She received her undergrad from St. Cloud State and her Master’s from the University of Southern California.
Colleen utilizes her map skills to create visuals and applies her skillset to support environmental research, conservation, and resource management.
Writer, Director and EditorAimee Gillette
Aimee Gillette is a writer, director and editor whose work has been featured at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While working for NYC & Company, she served as videographer and editor for clients such as NAACP, the Dutch Embassy and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Gillette also worked in Los Angeles for Sega game systems, Rhino Records and PBS, and she animated sequences for various cable networks. She started her full-time teaching career in Media & Film Production at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. After this, she became a tenured professor at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, teaching Media & Technology Studies along with practical production courses like editing and visual effects. Following that, she moved to Ogden, Utah for a faculty position at Weber State University, but the world had other plans. COVID hit in less than a year, so after a short teaching stint there, she has taken an extended sabbatical from the academic world. In the meantime, she helps her family by serving as a full-time caretaker for her father with some freelance production peppered in on the side. Gillette has a B.F.A. in Cinema-Television Production from the University of Southern California and an M.F.A in Film Production from New York University.
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