A Salina man who spent a career mentoring youth as a teacher and coach will be honored. JRI Hospitality will honor Ken Stonebraker as its 2024 JRI Hall of Fame recipient.

The JRI Hall of Fame Award was developed to honor those who have made a significant contribution to youth sports and the Salina community as a whole. Recipients demonstrate a high level of leadership, teamwork, organization and accomplishment in inspiring the lives they touch.

Ken Stonebraker has been immersed in the Salina community for decades, serving as a social studies teacher at Salina South High School from 1992 to 2007. During his tenure, he also served as the school’s assistant football coach (1992-1993), the assistant track coach (1994-2001), and the head football coach (1994-2007). From 2007 to 2022 he took on the role of athletic director.

Leading his teams to many victories throughout his career, Stonebraker has been recognized for his achievements by a multitude of organizations. He will be inducted into the Kansas Football Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 2024 and was named Athletic Director of the Year and District 1 Athletic Director of the Year in 2016 by the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (KIAAA).

He served on the KIAAA Board of Directors from 2011 to 2015 and the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) Board of Directors from 2016 to 2021. He also sat on the KSHSAA Football Committee on Contact Limitations in 2012 and the KSHSAA Classification Study Recommendation Committee in 2021.

“We are extremely proud to name Ken Stonebraker as our 2024 JRI Hall of Fame Recipient,” says Jason Ingermanson, founder and CEO of JRI Hospitality. “For decades, Mr. Stonebraker has made an outstanding impact on our community’s youth through education and sports. He continues to use his knowledge and talent to serve as a leader and to inspire others to take the lead.”

Stonebraker will be honored Thursday at a reception held at the Salina Country Club.