20 Under 40: MARSHALL MEEK

Photo by Nathan Ham

Marshall is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the private, philanthropic fundraising and alumni relations program supporting Washburn University.

In addition to his numerous professional and community affiliations, Marshall and his wife are licensed foster parents, providing love and care to local children in need. They are currently in the final stages of adopting a 5-year-old boy from Haiti—all while raising their three biological children.

Why did you choose Topeka as the place to build your career? As Northeast Kansas natives, Amy and I chose Topeka because it’s a large enough city to provide ample career opportunities, but small enough to make genuine connections in the community. Topeka has been a great place to make friends and raise our family.

What do you see as your role in making Topeka a better place to live and work? My wife and I are passionate about taking care of some of our community’s most vulnerable members. As licensed foster parents we have opened our home and shared our family with children in need from our community. Our current foster child has been with our family for more than a year. We view it as a way to serve God, our community, and to teach our biological children about giving back.