Kansas City Tomorrow Alumni Association (KCTAA)

Meet our September 18th Panel! Our final panelist introduction is David Miles. David brings over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit community to his role as President of the MARION AND HENRY BLOCH FAMILY FOUNDATION and The H & R BLOCK FOUNDATION. The two foundations strive to improve the quality of life in greater Kansas City through thoughtful, innovative, and responsible philanthropy and annually distribute more than $32 million to nonprofit organizations in the greater Kansas City area.   Before joining these Foundations, David assisted donors in accomplishing their charitable goals as an associate at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Greater Horizons for four years.  He also has more than eight years of experience working in the development and alumni offices at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-Columbia, and Stephens College. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for an enlightening conversation with this panel of philanthropic powerhouses! https://lnkd.in/gy6srcFp

Meet our September 18th Panel! We're excited to introduce another amazing panelist, Denise St. Omer. Denise is the Executive Director of the KC People's Fund, a new social justice foundation launching in 2025. The mission of the KC People’s Fund is to cede power to communities impacted by systemic racism by investing in and organizing movements, centering trust-building, and removing barriers to opportunity. Prior to KC People’s Fund, Denise served as the Vice President of Grantmaking and Inclusion Initiatives at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Greater Horizons. Denise has also served as a national trainer for the ASSOCIATION OF BLACK FOUNDATION EXECUTIVES, INC (ABFE) framework and currently serves as board chair of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). Stay tuned for our final panelist introduction tomorrow and don't miss this opportunity to hear from some of the top minds in KC philanthropy! Register at: https://lnkd.in/gy6srcFp

Meet our September 18th panel! Ready to get to know our next panelist? Mayra Aguirre is the President of the Hall Family Foundation, a private philanthropic organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of human life in Kansas City.  Mayra is also on the boards of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Development Fund, and KC2026 World Cup (FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States). Prior to her current role, Mayra served as the Hall Family Foundation’s Vice President and Secretary. Before joining the Hall Family Foundation, Mayra was a senior program officer at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Greater Horizons, Executive Director of the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Development Fund (HDF), and an early-learning coordinator at Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). Stay tuned for more panelist introductions before our event next week! To hear from Mayra & other esteemed panelists, register at: https://lnkd.in/gy6srcFp

Meet our September 18th panel! We're excited to introduce our first panelist, Dr. DeAngela B., President & CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. With more than $2.5B in assets, the Kauffman Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Dr. Burns-Wallace was the secretary of administration and the chief information technology officer for the State of Kansas under Governor Laura Kelly. She was the first African American to hold either cabinet seat in the state’s history. Prior to Governor Kelly’s appointment, she had a 15-year career in higher education. Stay tuned for more about our other panelists in future posts. We hope to see you there! Register at: https://lnkd.in/gy6srcFp

Meet Your Moderator: LaVon Colhour LaVon Colhour is Director of Corporate Philanthropy and a Philanthropic Advisor at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Greater Horizons and Greater Horizons. She has been with the Community Foundation since 2009 and currently leads a team that works with over two hundred national corporations to build each company’s unique giving program. LaVon understands the importance of giving back and takes extraordinary pride in helping corporate donors create a culture of giving back within their communities. LaVon is a 2024 KCT - Kansas City Tomorrow graduate (Class 45), and now serves on the KCTAA Board of Directors. She also dedicates her time to serving on other boards and committees that include Parade of Hearts (Chair), Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Heart of KC Foundation, Kansas City Election Board (Poll Judge), and Third District Convention Planning Committee. Join us on Wednesday, September 18th to hear from LaVon Colhour and more distinguished foundation leaders: Dr. DeAngela B., Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Mayra Aguirre, Hall Family Foundation Denise St. Omer, KC People’s Fund David Miles, BLOCH FAMILY FOUNDATION & H & R BLOCK FOUNDATION Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and network with like-minded individuals. Register now: https://lnkd.in/gy6srcFp #KCTAA #Philanthropy #KansasCity #CommunityImpact

Congratulations to KCT - Kansas City Tomorrow Alums: Kalinda Calkins, Lisa Krigsten, Cokethea Hill, PhD, Jill Marchant and Leigh Anne Taylor Knight! See any other KCT - Kansas City Tomorrow graduates on the list? Tag them in the comments below!

Kansas City is renowned for its philanthropic spirit, and local foundations play a pivotal role in driving positive change. Join us for a candid discussion with some of the city's most influential foundation leaders: ▪ Dr. DeAngela B., Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation ▪ Mayra Aguirre, Hall Family Foundation ▪ Denise St. Omer, KC People’s Fund ▪ David Miles, MARION AND HENRY BLOCH FAMILY FOUNDATION & H & R BLOCK FOUNDATION Moderated by LaVon Colhour, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Greater Horizons (KCT - Kansas City Tomorrow Class 45) https://lnkd.in/gy6srcFp

Stay tuned for details on our next KCTAA gathering coming SOON! In the meantime, the KCTAA board has been diligently working to shape the future of our organization. We're excited to see where this next board year takes us! #KCTAA #FutureIsBright #StayTuned

The Future of Kansas City Leadership is Here! The Civic Council has announced the incoming class of the prestigious Kansas City Tomorrow (KCT) program – KCT 46! This exceptional group of 28 executives from across various sectors – business, non-profit, and public service – will embark on a ten-month journey to gain a deeper understanding of the critical issues facing our region. View the full story & meeting the new class at: https://lnkd.in/gAmKaGV7

Last week, KCTAA hosted an enlightening event featuring Dr. Roy Jensen The University of Kansas Cancer Center. The event kicked off with an overview of community engagement opportunities from the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, inspiring attendees to get involved in shaping the future of Kansas City. Dr. Jensen provided invaluable insights into the critical issues facing cancer research and the policy landscape surrounding it. His presentation highlighted the importance of a state-of-the-art facility in driving groundbreaking advancements in cancer care and treatment. KU Cancer Center's new facility is truly inspiring, and we are excited to see its positive impact on our community. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Jensen for sharing his expertise and to all attendees for their participation. #KCTAA #CancerResearch #CommunityEngagement #KansasCity