Abby Martin
Chief Development Officer
Abby Martin serves as the Chief Development Officer for Variety KC. Prior to joining the Variety KC team in June 2023, Abby worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) serving both pediatric and adult populations who have a wide range of diagnoses and disabilities. Abby has had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings – elementary and middle schools, an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, and a pediatric outpatient private practice. Since starting her career as an SLP, Abby quickly found a strong passion for supporting children using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and began specializing in this area. She notes, “There is nothing like the joy of getting to help a child find their VOICE!”
Abby’s background as a pediatric SLP has taught her the importance of creating connections to nurture development, the significance of learning through play-based interactions and having fun together, and supporting and celebrating a child’s individual differences. Abby loves working with people, building relationships with patients/clients and their families, and getting to play a part in their journey. She feels her background has instilled the importance of advocating for those with individual differences and brought into focus the remarkable need for change to support the needs of children with disabilities and their families within our community.
Abby’s journey with Variety KC actually started in 2016 while in graduate school as she served as an assistant for Variety KC’s previous Executive Director, Deborah Wiebrecht. Once she graduated and began her career as an SLP, she continued to volunteer at Variety KC events and would assist families in the grant application process in hopes to receive a life-changing communication device from Variety KC.
Abby is a proud born and raised Kansas Citian and feels honored to be a part of Variety KC’s #InclusionRevolution to continue to make Kansas City the most inclusive city in the world for individuals of ALL abilities! Abby lives with her husband (Matthew), handsome goldendoodle (Bogey), and is expecting their first child in February 2024! Baby Martin cannot wait to be a part of the Variety KC Family!
