Sydnee Backstrom

Sydnee Backstrom
Sydnee graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Leadership. With a background in event planning, she brings creativity, strong organizational skills, and a passion for delivering exceptional experiences. Sydnee is dedicated to building lasting relationships and is always striving to make a positive impact in both personal and professional settings. Driven by curiosity and a commitment to personal growth, she embraces every opportunity to learn, adapt, and discover new perspectives. When she is not working, you can find her traveling, cooking, or exploring new restaurants.

Maddie Cullings

Maddie Cullings
Maddie attended Rockhurst University, where she received her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.  She has worked as a pediatric SLP for almost 4 years, with experience in the school setting and private therapy clinics. She decided to take the skills she gained working as an SLP and transition into an administrative role. She looks forward to continuing to support clients and their families in a new role and fostering positive relationships around the clinic. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks, trying new restaurants, and spending time with loved ones.

Jenna Freshnock

Jenna Freshnock
Jenna went to school at K-State University and majored in Human Resources Management. She then studied abroad for a semester in Prague and got her love for travel and new experiences that has since stuck in her in her post-college life. She enjoys connecting and meeting with others and is very passionate about working with those that bring diverse perspectives, ideas, and backgrounds to the company culture. She most prides herself on being a positive team player and doing what she can to make a difference wherever she goes is something she value and feels is a strong value.

Jenae O’Malley

Jenea - Director of Operations
Jenae is a highly motivated and results-oriented healthcare leader with a passion for improving the lives of children. She brings a wealth of experience to Playabilities, including expertise in process improvement, project/program management, data analytics, and EMR implementations. Jenae earned her MBA with a Healthcare Management focus from Rockhurst University and her Bachelor’s Degree in General/HR Management from Kansas State University. She’s also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Outside of work, Jenae enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children. You’ll often find them exploring the KC Zoo, enjoying Saturday donut runs, and discovering new parks around the city. She also loves trying new restaurants and coffee shops, cooking new recipes, and traveling.

ANDREA SLINKARD

Andrea Slinkard
Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise from the University of Central Missouri. She brings valuable experience to the Playabilities team, having worked with children both during her academic career and in her professional post-graduation roles. With a strong commitment to fostering positive relationships, Andrea is dedicated to supporting children and their families, and she works to build lasting, meaningful connections with all members of the family. Andrea lives in Lenexa with her fiancé and her cat, Chai. When she is not working, she can be found baking and doing crafts.

APRIL BROWN

April graduated from UMKC with a Bachelors of Arts. In school, she studied English Literature with a true passion for writing. In her personal time, there is nothing she enjoys more than taking her experiences and turning them into testimonies of herself and the lives she encounters. Her professional career has been centered around helping people—another great passion of hers. April’s most rewarding professional endeavors have been in the social work and human services fields working with minorities and at risk populations. She loves being able to be hands-on in a job that she can put her belief in, and really feel and see the positive impact her efforts have. Whether April is writing or working, her biggest aspiration is to be a comforting face, voice, and helping hand to the people who encounter her.

CHLOE STROHM MOTR/L

Chloe earned her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Missouri in 2018. Once earning her degree, Chloe moved to the Kansas City area. Chloe joined the Playabilities team in 2019 and has served as an occupational therapist, a Senior Therapist, and a Clinical Manager for the PV clinic. She is now serving as the interim Clinic Director. Chloe has experience in multiple settings including outpatient pediatric intervention, school-based intervention, acute care, and inpatient rehab. Chloe is passionate about using a holistic, child-led approach that empowers kids to reach their goals and have fun! Chloe enjoys using a transdisciplinary approach with all of her clients, encouraging communication between providers, parents, and kids to ensure success for the client in all aspects of life. Chloe has specialized training and experience in using a play-based, child-led approach to therapy. She also has advanced education on neuro-affirming/strengths-based practices and therapeutic feeding approaches. Chloe is passionate about individualizing treatment for each child to make it meaningful, motivating, and fun! She believes the foundation for all therapy starts with a strong therapeutic relationship to build trust and rapport. She believes parents are anessential members of the therapy team and loves providing strategies to empower parents in helping their kids.

JESSICA HODES

Jessica has dedicated the last 15 years of her career to the field of credentialing and medical billing. Her previous experiences include credentialing, authorizations, scheduling, medical records, and health care operations. Jessica has partnered with insurance companies to improve the process to obtain authorizarions and reduce claim denials. Jessica enjoys being able to work with a team that can ensure that families are getting the services they need. In her free time, Jessica enjoys watching her two children play sports, going to the lake, and spending time as a family.

OLIVIA SCHMITT

Olivia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Missouri State University and is a Certified Human Resource Professional through the Society for Human Resource Management. Her passion for human resources is evident in her dedication to fostering inclusive and supportive workplace environments. Olivia’s commitment to the HR profession shines through in her work, as she continuously seeks to create spaces where employees feel valued and heard. She has been recognized with the Human Resources Specialist award from AASPA and has received a Letter of Commendation from Johnson County, accolades that underscore her expertise and dedication. Before joining Playabilities, Olivia served as the HR Manager for a non-profit medical rehabilitation center in the KC Metro area, where she successfully implemented numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She is passionate about fostering a sense of belonging and advocating for ability inclusion. Olivia’s passion for working with children has led her to roles in juvenile corrections and special education classrooms. At Playabilities, she finds fulfillment in merging her HR expertise with her dedication to positively impacting children’s lives. Outside of work, Olivia volunteers with Be My Eyes, The Learning Club, and Ability KC. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, visiting the dog park, or hiking with her Goldendoodle, Bear.

KENDRA GROVE

Kendra is a Revenue Cycle Manager with more than 20 years experience in medical billing. She has a passion for billing and helping families understand and navigate the complex process and challenges people occasionally face with health insurance coverage. Prior to Playabilites, Kendra lead various teams across multiple clinical outpatient therapy settings to improve cash flow, reduce denials, and working collaboratively with insurance carriers to ensure successful resolution of claims processing projects. In her limited spare time Kendra enjoys traveling, gardening and visiting her family and friends in Nebraska.