TOPEKA, KANSAS, (August 13, 2025) -- The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts has elected a new President, Sherri Wattenbarger, J.D., and Vice President, Abebe Abebe, M.D.
Sherri L. Wattenbarger was appointed in 2018 as a public member of the Board. She graduated first in her class from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, is a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the U.S. Trustee, and is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Ms. Wattenbarger has been recognized for her work both as a lawyer and as a community volunteer by numerous organizations. She is a past recipient of the U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Community Service, the Julie L. Robinson Award for Outstanding Community Leadership from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas, the Distinguished Counselor award from the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Woman of the Year from the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, the Michael J. Roser Award for excellence in bankruptcy law from the Missouri Bar, the Public Service/Pro Bono Award from the UMKC Law Foundation, and the Women’s Justice Award for Public Service by Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly. She also serves on the advisory boards for the ABI/UMKC Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute, the Kansas City Bankruptcy Bar Association, and the AWL Foundation Connections Mentoring Program. Ms. Wattenbarger previously served as chair of the board of United We (formerly, The Women’s Foundation), chair of the board of the C.A.R.E. Program for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Kansas, and chair of the Attorney Advisory Committee for the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Abebe Abebe, M.D. was appointed to the Board in 2021. He completed his undergraduate medical education at Jimma University, Ethiopia, and residency training at the University of Kansas Internal Medicine Residency Program. He currently works as an Associate Professor of Hospital Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Abebe also serves as vice chair of undergraduate medical education for the Department of Internal Medicine, as a senior advisor for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and as assistant director for the Williams Society. In 2022, Dr. Abebe was an honoree of the Ruth Bohan Teaching Professorship, the highest recognition for teaching at the KU School of Medicine.
The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts licenses and regulates 16 healthcare professions in Kansas, with more than 37,000 licensees. The mission of the Board is to safeguard the public through licensure, education, and discipline of those who practice the healing arts in Kansas.
The 15-member Board consists of five Doctors of Medicine, three Doctors of Osteopathy, three Doctors of Chiropractic, one Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, and three public members. Advisory councils provide guidance for matters related to the allied health professions regulated by the Board. The Executive Director of the Board is Susan Gile, who can be reached at susan.gile@ks.gov. Other information regarding the Board may be found at ksbha.ks.gov.