Kellie Sullivan is a longtime member of the Kansas City Symphony Alliance. She served as chairman of the Symphony Designers’ Showhouse committee for the 2020 event which was completed, but never opened to the public, due to the pandemic. How did Kellie deal with that? By coming right back – she is now hard at […]

Lisa Womack is the director of mobility services at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. She is responsible for managing paratransit and other contracted services under the RideKC brand of services. Lisa is a member of the Centurions Fall Class of 2020, where she has volunteered with Uplift, Kansas City Hospice, and HappyBottoms. Originally from […]

To learn more about becoming a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Kansas City Chapter, please visit afpkc.org. The Independent is proud to be the exclusive media partner of AFPKC. Matt Astleford is the vice president for advancement of University of Saint Mary, where he leads the fundraising and alumni engagement efforts and serves as […]

Michael Fields served as the honorary chairman for the Kansas City Young Audiences’ (KCYA) first Virtual Luncheon: Spark the Arts in Young Hearts, which was held on October 14th. Jill Warren was the chairman. Jim Cosgrove, better known as “Mr. Stinky Feet,” was the emcee, and appeared in a 30-minute video along with KCYA students. […]

Jason Wright is vice president of JE Dunn Construction Company. Recently, he and his colleagues at JE Dunn built a deck for Friends of JCDS (Johnson County Developmental Supports). “Helping people in need who cannot help themselves such as children or those with disabilities gives me great joy. Thanks to God for giving me the […]

William Trakas is an associate architect with BNIM Architects. He is a member of Centurions, where he has served as co-chairman of the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee and as a member of the Creative Scene Task Force. William has volunteered with Uplift, Prep-KC, The Groundhog Run, and Giving The Basics. He graduated from Tulane […]

Nate Chastain is a commercial insurance broker for Lockton Companies, where he negotiates insurance programs for other companies. Nate and his wife, Nichelle, have a son, Otto. He is a member of Centurions, and he has been thrilled with the program. Nate’s favorite volunteer opportunity is with Urban Christian Academy, which is a private, tuition-free […]

Bess Wallerstein Huff is the director of marketing and community outreach at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Her primary focus right now has been to offer support to arts organizations and cultural institutions that have been negatively impacted due to COVID-19. “As a member of the arts community, I have been dedicating time […]

Susan and Ernie Straub III are the honorary presidents, and Karen and Craig Gaffney are the presidents for the 47th Annual Snow Ball, which will be held on January 16th. For the first time ever, the Snow Ball will be a completely virtual experience, with friends hosting their own in-home parties to engage guests. Proceeds […]