Kansas City-based Nonprofit, Reconciliation Services Announces CEO Transition

Posted October 1, 2026

Reconciliation Services announced that Father Justin Mathews will be transferring his role as chief executive officer of the nonprofit to Kristen Harris.

Harris, the organization’s chief operating officer, will become CEO effective January 1, 2027, according to a release. Mathews, who first joined RS in 2013, will continue to work with the organization following the leadership transition, where he will be president of the RS Foundation, a branch of the organization that supports the stewardship of its endowments.

In 2022, Mathews and the RS board of directors began its succession-planning process. Harris started her role as COO when she first joined RS in December 2024. During her time with the organization, she led strategy, financial oversight, facilities, major capital initiatives and program development.

Father Justin Mathews will remain with Reconciliation Services following the leadership transition and continue to work on its entrepreneurial initiatives. Photo credit: Reconciliation Services.

She also brings over 20 years of leadership experience to RS. Most recently, Harris served as the vice president of global diversity, equity & inclusion at Hallmark Cards. While at Hallmark, Harris served in several leadership roles, including senior director of customer operations, senior project manager of supply chain and program manager of retail order processing, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“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,” Harris said in the release.

Mathews, an Orthodox Christian archpriest, first took the role of CEO of the organization in 2013. He ushered in initiatives including the REVEAL Program, combining essential social services, case management, workforce development and therapeutic services, as well as founding Thelma’s Kitchen. This community café supports trauma-informed workforce development and community leadership.

On September 2, Thelma’s Kitchen announced it would temporarily close as the nonprofit determines its next step for the café. Throughout the leadership transition, RS will continue to provide its community programs and services, including an announcement of the upcoming reopening of Thelma’s Kitchen, according to the release.

Since launching REVEAL Works, a cohort designed to create living-wage and trauma-informed jobs, Mathews and his team established over $20 million in capital improvements on the Troost Avenue campus, according to the release.

“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,” he said in the release.

Founded in 1987, Reconciliation Services is a Kansas City-based nonprofit organization that focuses on addressing causes and symptoms of poverty and trauma in the community. The organization’s main building is located at 3101 Troost Ave.