March 21st is the date for Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy’s Civic Service Award Private Broadcast Celebration. Pella Fingersh and Neil Sosland are serving as co-chairmen of the virtual event. The late Tiberius Klausner, acclaimed violinist, concertmaster, educator, and parent and grandparent of HBHA graduates, will be posthumously honored with the Civic Service Award. The late […]

It has been 50 years since Sister Berta Sailer and Sister Corita Bussanmas began what would grow to be Operation Breakthrough. They started by helping a few children, and ended up improving the lives of thousands. The Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy will be the site for the celebration of Operation Breakthrough’s 50th birthday […]

Jennifer Malone is a member of  Centurions, where she serves as the co-chairman for the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee and volunteers with Uplift, HappyBottoms, Harvesters, and Giving the Basics. Jennifer received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and secondary education from Rockhurst University, while on a soccer and academic scholarship. After teaching for […]

Wendy Savlin has what sounds like a wonderfully rewarding career as senior director, employee experience and culture enablement at T-Mobile. She focuses on connecting employee programs, products, and services to elevate the employee experience. With two bachelor’s degrees from Truman State University in business and marketing, Wendy has spent most of her professional life in […]

February 25th is the date for The Center For Practical Bioethics’ private broadcast celebration of Humility, Health and Healing: Where do we go from here? Dr. Barry Kerzin, personal physician to the Dalai Lama, is the keynote speaker, and Dr. Steven Stites, The University of Kansas Health System, will be honored with the Vision to […]

Michelle Carlstedt joined Urban Ranger Corps’ (URC) board of directors in May of 2019. Since then, she has served as chairman of the development and marketing committees. Michelle has also served on the annual dinner planning committee, and much more. She has been honored by the organization as its Volunteer of the Year.  Erik Dickinson, […]

Brian Votava is passionate about the Who Is Carter Foundation. He serves on the organization’s board of directors and is a driving force behind the annual Who Is Carter Gala. Brian is the director of development and founding partner of NorthPoint Development. He often engages other NorthPoint staff members in a variety of volunteer roles […]

Zack Donnelly is a member of the Centurions Class of 2021. He serves on the legacy project committee and is a member of the Tourist In Your Own Town Task Force. Zack earned a degree in finance and entrepreneurship from The University of Kansas. He is employed with The John A. Marshall Company. Volunteering with […]

Children’s Mercy’s Red Hot Night will be a virtual affair on February 20th. Randy Pope and Walter Porter are serving as co-chairmen of the 17th annual event. The evening promises to be great fun, including Dustin Colquitt as emcee, live entertainment, silent and live auctions, and inspiring mission moments. All proceeds will benefit the Children’s […]

Demetrius Peterson is an attorney at Husch Blackwell, where he conducts investigations for schools on alleged violations of the institution’s policies and federal civil rights law, including sexual misconduct, racial discrimination, and harassment. He has very much enjoyed his time so far with Centurions, where he serves as the steering committee chairman. Demetrius earned a […]

Chris Elkins MacFaden started volunteering at The Folly Theater three years ago. Since then, she has become an integral part of the team. Chris has served on the volunteer council as secretary, ushered many events, worked in concessions, and served champagne at the Frolic Bubble Bar to patrons. She received the Volunteer of the Year […]

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 […]

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 […]

Alane Watts joined Lead to Read KC as a reading mentor in 2016 because she believes, “By helping develop strong readers, we impact the future of our community. We give students the foundation to thrive academically and achieve their dreams.” Alane volunteers alongside nearly two dozen of her colleagues from American Century Investments, many of […]

Kelsey Rockey is in her second year as a Centurion, where she has served as the co-chairman of the recruiting committee, is on the retreat committee, and will serve with the Healthcare Task Force later this year. Kelsey is the director of account services at Parris Communications. She has given her time and talent to […]