Mark Mattison is a member  of The Independent’s Rising Star, Class of 2019. He is the director of major gifts for the UMKC Conservatory. Steering the work of volunteer committees of the Friends of the Conservatory, last year Mark helped set a record fundraising goal of $633,000 for their Crescendo gala. Mark also initiated the 20-20 Campaign, and it is on track toward creating 20 new endowed student scholarships from June of 2018 to the end of this year. Mark continues to lend his time and talents to many different organizations in Our Town. He serves as president of the Friends of Art organization at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and recently became a founding board member of a new theatre company, Rising Tide Productions. Mark has written a number of short plays, three of which have been workshopped or produced locally, and he reports that there are more to come! Mark and his husband, Alex Franco, were married last fall. The couple lives in Union Hill with their children, Thomas and Olivia Franco.

Alex Franco and Mark Mattison with their children, Olivia and Thomas Franco

Also featured in the February 22, 2020 issue of The Independent