Leadership

Human Resources leadership

Shanna Legleiter
Shanna Legleiter
Chief Human Resources Officer

Shanna has provided strategic human resources leadership at K-State since 2014 where she held various leadership roles in learning and development and served as Associate Vice President overseeing HR functional areas of talent acquisition, compensation, and learning and development. She has a longtime career in higher education where she has worked since 1997. Shanna holds an associate’s degree from Barton Community College, a bachelor’s in organizational management from Friends University, and a master’s in business education from Emporia State University. She possesses several certifications, including MBTI and Lean Six Sigma, and is active in College and University Professional Association of Human Resources (CUPA-HR).

Amanda McDiffett
Amanda McDiffett
Assistant Vice President of HR Operations Strategy

Amanda leads the operations team and works closely with leaders to drive initiatives and strategy for HR. She joined K-State in 2007 and held two different roles within the College of Veterinary Medicine before moving to Human Resources in 2014 as the Director of Benefits. She served the College of Business Administration as their Budget/Fiscal Officer, leading the HR and financial operations for the college from 2020-2024, and returned to HR for her current role in the spring of 2024. Amanda holds a bachelor’s in Personal Financial Planning from K-State and a master’s in organizational leadership from Baker University. Additionally, Amanda possesses SHRM-CP and PHR certifications from the Society of Human Resources Management and HR Certification Institute, respectively. Amanda enjoys working with others to create efficient processes and effective environments that help employees thrive at work.

Kim LeCompte
Kim LeCompte
Assistant Vice President of HR Talent Strategy and Engagement

Kim joined K-State in August 2024 and leads the talent strategy and engagement team, working closely with leaders to enhance the employee experience across the institution. Prior to joining K-State, Kim served as interim director of human resources at the University of Missouri. Before that, she served as associate director and senior HR consultant. Prior to joining Mizzou, she spent six years at Louisiana State University as academic consultant supporting faculty employment initiatives. Her higher education experience spans human resources, academic affairs, institutional effectiveness and research. Kim holds a doctoral degree in education leadership and research: higher education administration at Louisiana State. She completed her master's and bachelor's degrees in biology at Western Illinois, and she also completed a bachelor's in accounting at Colorado State Global Campus. She is a certified Social Style facilitator and holds several professional certifications, including SHRM-SCP certification and SHRM Workplace Investigations Specialty Credential.

Corey Williamson
Corey Williamson
Assistant Vice President of Organizational Culture and Employee Experience

Corey Williamson has held several roles at K-State before joining the human resources team in March of 2025. As a change agent and strategic growth leader, he partners with university stakeholders to assess, design, and implement initiatives that enhance organizational culture in alignment with K-State’s Next-Gen Strategic Plan.

Starting in 2018, Corey served as Executive Director of the K-State Student Union, where he promoted belonging and well-being across the university community, managed contractor relationships, and oversaw facility operations. Corey began his career as Coordinator of Operations at the University of Akron Student Union. He went on to serve as Associate Director of Programs at the Joe Crowley Student Union at the University of Nevada, Reno, and later served as Interim Director/Associate Director of the Memorial Union at Iowa State University.

A proud K-State alumnus, Corey earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a master’s degree in counseling and student development from Kansas State University. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Leadership Communications interdisciplinary program at Kansas State University.

Image not available for Diana Loomis
Diana Loomis
Administrative Consultant

Diana joined HR in June 2023 as an Administrative Consultant where she provides administrative support for the CHRO and is part of the HR leadership team. She oversees the front desk and building operations, manages HR business operations, and facilitates our University Awards for USS and Professional Staff. She has a long career at K-State with the Departments of Agronomy, Anatomy & Physiology, Animal Sciences & Industry, and most recently at K-State Athletics where she served over 20+ years as the Director of Operations for K-State Volleyball. Diana holds a bachelor’s degree in management and ethics from Manhattan Christian College.

Windy Nicholson
Windy Nicholson
Executive Director of Faculty and Staff Well-Being

Windy Nicholson started her career at K-State as the executive director of student health and wellbeing services within the Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs (DASSA) in 2023. Her portfolio comprised of Lafene Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Morrison Family Center for Student Well-being, and Cats’ Cupboard. Windy recently transitioned to a new role with Human Resources as the executive director for faculty and staff wellbeing.

Windy’s career spans over twenty years in wellness education, public health, and health care administration. Windy earned her Bachelor of Science in health and safety education from the University of Memphis. She also holds a Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration, both from Walden University. She is also a doctoral candidate of public health epidemiology at Walden University. Windy was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, College of Health Science (2023), and recipient of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity – Kappa Tau Chapter, BLC Excellence Award (2024), both at Kansas State University.

Kati Wolfgang
Kati Wolfgang
Director, Benefits

Kati joined HR in 2023 as the Director of Benefits. She has a long career in human resources within the education industry, spending nearly 15 years as a Director of Human Resources at the Wamego school district. Kati holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with an emphasis in human resource management, as well as a minor in Spanish. Kati is passionate about helping employees navigate the intricacies of their benefits and truly cares about each employee’s need.

Charlotte Self
Charlotte Self
Director, Employee Relations and Engagement, ADA Coordinator

Charlotte has been with K-State for over 25 years in the human resources area. Charlotte leads a team who provides consulting services on employee relations matters, including policies and procedures, leadership development, mediation, dispute and conflict resolution, developmental and performance coaching, team or individual engagements and interventions. She supports managers and supervisors in creating action plan to address performance and behavioral issues. Charlotte holds a bachelor’s degree in management and ethics from Manhattan Christian College.

Maggi Denton
Maggi Denton
Assistant Director, Employee Relations and Engagement, Deputy ADA Coordinator

Maggi joined Kansas State University in 2021 and has gained experience in various roles within the HR department. She currently supports Director Charlotte Self in leading the Employee Relations and Engagement team. Maggi focuses on labor relations, performance management, ADA accommodations, and policy interpretation. With a bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management from Baker College, Maggi is committed to fostering a positive and productive workplace for all employees.

Marci Ritter
Marci Ritter
Director, Compensation and Organizational Effectiveness

Marci leads a team to administer and maintain the university’s staff compensation structure and serves as a partner to university stakeholders when thinking through organizational changes and updates. In addition to being a K-State graduate, Ritter began her K-State career in 2001 and has extensive experience working with staff, faculty and administration across the university. Joining HR in 2022 in the manager role, she has worked to streamline processes and build strong customer service standards to better serve university constituents. She is invigorated by HR projects that support stakeholders and the university workforce.

Heidi Zahner-Younts
Heidi Zahner-Younts
Director, Talent and Organizational Development

Heidi joined K-State in early 2025 as the Director of talent and organizational development. Heidi is focused on developing the university’s talent and organizational development strategy and shaping the overall employee experience. She has over 25 years of experience in higher education, specializing in leadership development, organizational culture, and change management. Heidi earned a master’s degree in strategic communications and a bachelor’s in theatre from the University of Iowa. She is a board-certified executive coach and is a certified trained facilitator of the DiSC behavioral assessment tool, Leadership Challenge and Success Principles.

Jennifer Barajas
Jennifer Barajas
Director, Administrative Support Center-HR

Jennifer Barajas joined the ASC team in May 2026 as the HR Director. Prior to this role, she served as the HR Manager for the College of Agriculture, where she supported faculty, staff, and leadership through strategic human resources partnership and employee-focused initiatives.

Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources, and a Master of Public Administration from Excelsior University. She also earned a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Liberty University.

She is passionate about serving others through building strong teams, creating efficient processes, and fostering collaborative workplace cultures that support employee success and organizational excellence.

Mary-Beth Rhoads
Mary-Beth Rhoads
Manager, Resource Center and Operations

Mary-Beth has worked in HR at K-State since 2011 where she has held a variety of roles. She leads the HR team responsible for employee transaction processing in HRIS, records management, compliance, verification of employment, and non-resident employment. She graduated from K-State with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with an emphasis in human resource management and general management and entrepreneurship.

Shannon Leftwich
Shannon Leftwich
Manager, Talent Acquisition

Shannon joined HR in 2022 and came to K-State with over 22 years of human resources experience in non-profit, social service organizations, K-12 public education and higher education. She leads a team who partners with university colleges and departments in full lifecycle recruitment for faculty and staff positions. They manage background checks, applicant tracking and reporting, and data collection. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Shannon is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Human Resources Management Network (HRMN), the local SHRM chapter. Shannon is a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and has additional professional certifications as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS).

Jenny Hoeltzel
Jenny Hoeltzel
Manager, Time and Leave

Jenny Hoeltzel joined Kansas State University in 2024 as the Manager of Time and Leave. Before K-State, she had a long career in human resources within the educational and healthcare industry. She is a graduate of Coffeyville Community College and holds an Associate of Science degree, with an emphasis in Agriculture. Jenny is a KSU alumni, graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Marketing and International Business. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Human Resource Management Network (HRMN), and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA).

Image not available for Mike Corwin
Mike Corwin
Manager, ERP Systems

Coming soon!