Our Staff

Derek Kreifels is the founding President of the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF).

As President of SFOF he is charged with leading the national organization and collaborating with like-minded state officials to promote fiscally responsible, free market principles to better impact state and federal financial policy. Kreifels is charged with ensuring that SFOF’s fiscal, operational, fundraising, marketing, and communication strategies are effectively implemented.

Kreifels spent five years as Assistant State Treasurer of Kansas. As Assistant State Treasurer he also served as chief of staff - an agency head and deputy to a statewide elected official. He managed all aspects of the Treasurer’s office including scheduling, policy development, legislative, budgeting and personnel.

Kreifels was accountable for an office which processed over $21B annually which is comprised of 42 employees with an annual budget of over $3.5M. He worked with the State Treasurer to create new programs and modernize existing ones to reach out to a diverse set of Kansans with a wide variety of financial education initiatives.  He was responsible for identifying innovative ways to help return unclaimed property to Kansans.

Kreifels played an integral role  in working with the Kansas 529 Learning Quest program and program manager to develop annual marketing plan which includes television, radio, newsprint, collateral material and other borderless marketing initiatives.

Kreifels continuously sought out ways to increase the use of technology in the office to reduce costs.  He directed Emergency Preparedness Operations planning and training for the agency with exposure to FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security as well as the Kansas Department of Emergency Management. 

Kreifels has spent the last 25 years encouraging, advising and working along side various federal, state, and local leaders. Before working for the public sector, Kreifels spent several years in banking.

He attended Kansas State University, received his undergraduate degree from Wichita State University, and his Masters from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He lends his leadership to several boards and non-profits.  He and his wife Melanie recently traveled to a remote part of Ghana, Africa, on a mission trip to attend the grand opening of a school.  He and Melanie live in the Kansas City area.

Melanie Kreifels serves as SFOF's operations manager.

She works behind the scenes to make sure that our national meetings are executed well dealing with all of the behind-the-scenes details. From hotel reservations to catering and venue management, Melanie is the person that makes all the magic happen!

Melanie also helps with SFOF's day-to-day clerical, book keeping and invoicing duties. 

Melanie and Derek live in the Kansas City area. She enjoys spending time with family and touring the countryside to gaze at old barns. Melanie is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri and received her Master's degree from Mid America Nazarene University. She is also a licensed therapist.

Jon earned his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School with a Business Law Certificate in conjunction with Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Business. He completed his undergraduate studies at Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in finance.

After law school, Jon clerked at the trial court level in Nashville, Tennessee, then associated with the commercial litigation firm of Kay, Griffin, Enkema, & Brothers, PLLC. In 2007, he returned to his home state of Kansas where he opened his own practice. He enjoys solving problems for individuals and small organizations across several practice areas, with a high level of client care. Jon is admitted into the Kansas and Missouri Bars.

Todd Scoggins is the lead adviser for the State Financial Officers Foundation on all things media related. Todd attended his first SFOF meeting in the Spring of 2016 in Indianapolis and has been hooked every since. Todd is also the President and Principal Architect of Scoggins Design, Inc. with 20-years experience serving clients with building types such as retail, restaurant, long-term residential care, churches, residential, and auto racing.

Todd's passion for media and photography has become a powerful means of story telling – for SFOF, his architectural clients and for amazing people he has met throughout the world. His studio has been recognized with eighteen Telly Awards and four Communicator Awards, including several for projects with current Vice President Mike Pence. Todd’s first documentary was screened in film festivals from Florida, California, Kentucky, Tennessee, and New York. It also won the Sierra Nevada Award in the Mountain Film Festival and continues to air on Kentucky public television, now seven years running.

Todd’s passion for community service is evident by the numerous boards and organizations he serves on including: United States Global Leadership Coalition, State Board of Registration for Architects and Landscape Architects, Indiana University – Kokomo, and Indiana Right to Life. He was also awarded the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash Award by then-Governor Mike Pence in 2016. Scoggins continues to serve as principal in his private practice while serving as the media advisor for State Financial Officers Foundation.