In the last two years Danielle Kincaid has not only opened an elder law practice, but she also ran a successful campaign and was elected to the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education.

Kincaid grew up in Raymore, Missouri, and moved to Springfield in 2002 to earn a BA in Criminology and an MBA at Missouri State University. She attended Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska, and worked as an attorney for a few years in Omaha before returning to Springfield in 2013. “When I left Springfield to attend law school, I knew I would move back to this community I love with the specific intention to do more for Springfield than just calling this place home,” Kincaid says.

Since then, Kincaid has fulfilled this goal. She narrowed her scope to practice elder law and received a fellowship through the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust & Estate section. In 2019, she and her law partner, Angela Myers, opened The Elder Law Group. The firm helps with estate planning, powers of attorney, disability and long-term care planning, Medicaid planning, guardianship, conservatorship, probate and trust administration and advanced directives.

Kincaid not only has a passion for helping the elderly community, she is also dedicated to the area’s youth. Kincaid served on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools for many years, but she wanted to make a bigger impact. In April, she was elected to the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education. “I support a focus on equity and diversity in our district, including facilitating learning opportunities that encourage cultural consciousness,” she says.

Professionally, Kincaid wants The Elder Law Group to become the “go-to” law firm for elder law and estate planning. “No one is promised tomorrow,” she says. “Everyone over the age of 18 should at the very least speak with an attorney to ensure their wishes are carried out in the event of incapacity or death.”

On the school board, Kincaid hopes to continue the collaboration with community partners, such as Burrell, to expand access to qualified mental health providers and support students with social and emotional health concerns. She will also prioritize Springfield Public Schools’ Focus Area 5 on Equity and Diversity. “All of our students, including our underresourced and underrepresented students, deserve a safe, welcoming and empathetic environment in which to learn,” Kincaid says. “Equity and diversity training that is appropriate, well-thought-out and reasonable should be welcomed by all individuals who wish to broaden their understanding of and connect with underresourced and underrepresented students.”