Mark Cockroft

Board President

2010 - Current

Steuben and Noble County Representative

My name is Mark Cockroft. I’m retired from the classroom after 32 years teaching at East Noble High School and currently serve as the internship coordinator at Impact Institute. I also work in the private sector as a partner and manager for Fort Wayne Storage. 

My role with Boomerang Backpacks is to serve as the board president along with serving as the local coordinator with the East Noble schools. 

My journey with Boomerang Backpacks started in 2008 as a class project for an elementary school in Kendallville. Through the generosity of many donors and the hours of volunteer service, we have been able to expand to many schools and help thousands of children.

I truly believe that it is important for youth and adults to give back to their communities and help in many areas.  The area that is near and dear to my heart is helping youth that suffer from a lack of food in their households.

David Frey

Board Treasurer

2010 - Current

DeKalb County Representative

I retired from Lake City Bank in Aubun, Indiana in 2023.  I also live in Auburn and represent DeKalb County programs.

Kara Conrad

Board Member

2010 - Current

Steuben County Representative 

My name is Kara Conrad and I have been a Special Education teacher at Angola Middle School since 2005. I work with students who have learning disabilities, autism, mild cognitive disabilities, and more. I also provide homebound services to students who cannot attend school due to medical or behavioral needs.

As a board member, I focus on fundraising events and also serve as a Boomerang Backpacks co-coordinator for MSD of Steuben County Schools.

I joined the Boomerang Backpacks Board of Directors in 2010 to help fulfill a need in Steuben County. Helping struggling or at-risk children and families is very important to me.

Jeremy Cronkhite

Board Member

2023 - Current

My name is Jeremy Cronkhite, and I am the Heavy Section and Rail Mill Manager at Steel Dynamics Structural and Rail Division in Columbia City, IN.  

My wife and I currently live on Crooked Lake in Angola, IN with our son Theodore after moving back from Columbia City, IN where I’d lived for the prior 12 years.  I grew up in Steuben County and was a 2001 graduate of Angola High School and then attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN where I received a B.S. in Materials Engineering.

​  I joined the Boomerang Backpacks board of Directors in August 2022 because I wanted to help children in need.  As a long-time resident of Steuben and Whitley counties I hope to give back to the local communities that have served me over the years.

Mallika Klingama

Board Member

2022 - Current

My name is Mallika Klingaman and I’ve been a Boomerang Backpacks Board Member since early 2022. I’m married to my husband Jason and have three children. I have a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from Carleton University in Canada. I worked in Financial Aid and Admissions at Manchester University before leaving to raise a family.  

​I got connected with Boomerang Backpacks through my kids’ elementary school. I feel privileged to be a part of an organization that works to meet the nutritional needs of young children. I also help deliver Boomerang Backpacks and am thankful for the impact it has on so many local communities.

Kyrie Hernandezpeterson

Executive Director

Kyrie Hernandezpeterson is a native of Kendallville, Indiana, and an East Noble High School graduate. During her time as a student at East Noble, one of her teachers, Mark Cockroft (current Board President), founded Boomerang Backpacks. Kyrie had the pleasure of serving the organization in those early days & continued to support this vital non-profit over the years by participating in the annual golf outing with her father Joe Hernandez Sr.  As of October 1, 2021, she is excited to have taken on the role of Executive Director.

Kyrie graduated with honors from Trine University in 2013 and earned her Master’s degree from Trine in 2014. Her previous work roles include Claims Specialist with Drs. Roush & Will Optometrists and HIV Testing Coordinator with Positive Resource Connection. Kyrie has also been an Adjunct Professor in the Psychology Department at Indiana Tech since 2016.

Currently, Kyrie resides on the Northwest side of Fort Wayne with her husband, Michael, their two children Niko and Myka, their Siberian Husky, Balboa, and cat, Saltalamacchia (Salty).

In addition, Kyrie has four step-children (Shane (& wife Brittni), Luke, Hudson, & Taylor) and one grandson (Caspian) and one granddaughter (Ellianna Mae) who joined her family in August 2023. Outside of work, Kyrie enjoys reading, following baseball (Go Red Sox!), watching movies, going to concerts, and mostly spending time with her family.