Arts & Recreation Foundation of Overland Park

Sonya McLelland has been the executive director of the Arts & Recreation Foundation
of Overland Park (ARFOP), an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization, since
April 2025. In her role, she oversees fundraising and development efforts for the
Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead,
and public art in Overland Park. She is a proud graduate of Leadership Overland Park
(Class of 2026).
McLelland has more than 30 years of fundraising and marketing experience, and has
been a certified fundraising executive (CFRE) since 2002. Prior to joining ARFOP, she
served as the executive director of foundation, marketing and public relations for Cass
Regional Medical Center in Harrisonville, Missouri, for 22 years. She holds a bachelor’s
degree in music from Truman State University and a master’s degree in arts
administration from Indiana University.
McLelland and her husband, David, have three children and three grandchildren. They
live in Louisburg, Kansas.