Board Members

Henry Hungerbeeler, Member

Henry Hungerbeeler is a decorated combat veteran of the U.S. Air Force where he served as an airlift, air rescue, and special operations pilot and commander of various units including Andrews AFB…the home of Air Force One. Following his military service, he served as Missouri’s Director of the Department of Transportation where his policies helped MoDOT improve its national ranking from the bottom 10% to the top 10%. He then taught the capstone course in civil engineering at the University of Missouri. 

Mr. Hungerbeeler is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and has a Master’s degree from Webster University. He is also a distinguished graduate of the army’s Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth and the Air War College and has studied at the Harvard/MIT/Kennedy School of Government. 

Henry and his wife, Anne, have two children and four grandchildren and reside in Leavenworth where he currently works for Northrop Grumman Technology Services in support of the army’s Mission Command Training Program. He is also a member of the Commission on Emergency Planning and Response and a governor's appointee to the Northeast Kansas Library System.

Bob Kovar,Vice-Chair

Mr. Bob Kovar was appointed to the board by Governor Brownback on August 5, 2013 to serve a four year term.  A deep interest and involvement in investigating rising utility rates led to subsequent contact with the board and the KCC, and to testimony before the Senate Standing Committee on Utilities.

Mr. Kovar is a 60 year resident of Kansas, graduated from Shawnee Mission North, and attended Kansas University.  He worked with Hallmark Cards as an engineer in Creative Services before serving over 27 years as an air traffic controller and team supervisor at the Air Route Traffic Control Center in Olathe.  He has enjoyed the past 11 years of retirement while working the family hay fields, and hunting and hiking in Miami County.

Bob and his wife, Val, live on their farm in Osawatomie, and they both find their time is fully occupied with their nine children and 25 grandchildren.

Bob Hall recently retired after 19 years as general manager/CEO of Ark Valley Electric Cooperative, which is headquartered in South Hutchinson.  Electric Cooperatives are rural utilities owned and governed by the consumers they serve.  In that capacity, he served on several boards and committees of industry groups such as KEC and KEPCo.

Mr. Hall also has experience with the old K-N Energy Gas Company, in their rate department for six years.

In his early utility career, he worked for eight years as a staff member for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, a regulatory body similar to the Kansas Corporation Commission.

Hall Graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1996, with a bachelor of science degree in business administration.

Mr. Hall and his wife, Sue have two daughters and three grandsons.  Sue is development director for the Trinity Catholic High School in Hutchinson.

Governor Sam Brownback appointed Ellen Hathaway Janoski to the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB) in September 2011.

Ms. Janoski’s career has focused on political campaign, including her own run for the Kansas State House of Representatives in 2010. She has served as a public relations consultant in campaign management in Pennsylvania, as the National Grassroots Coordinator for the Leadership Institute in the Washington, D.C., area, and as a finance consultant for a state senate race in Virginia. She has also consulted for campaigns in Kansas and served as an online contributions manager in the 2008 presidential race.

Having served as president of her class and the National History Society, Ms. Janoski graduated from East Texas Baptist University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in American Government. She current serves as a board member for the university’s Centennial Council.

Ms. Janoski enjoys being active in her community and her church. She and her husband Jason are raising their family in Peck, where they are awaiting the birth of a baby sister for their two-year old son.

James L. (Lenny) Mullin, Member

James L. (Lenny) Mullin, II is a real estate broker and president of Generations Real Estate, Inc. in Shawnee, Kansas. His real estate experience includes brokerage, auctions, home building and development as part of a family business that dates back more than sixty years. 

Mr. Mullin graduated from Emporia State University as a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Communications and Public Speaking. Mr. Mullin is also very active as a fundraising auctioneer for universities and non-profits. Mr. Mullin and his wife, Georgianna, have three grown children and reside on a small farm in Lenexa, Kansas.