Ingram's December 2022

PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | YEAR IN REVIEW | CORPORATE CHAMPIONS | LOCAL HEROES

Ingrams.com | December 2022

ACall Serve to

Philanthropist of the Year INGRAM’S PHILANTHROPY EDITION INCLUDING OUR 2022 LOCAL HEROES AND CORPORATE CHAMPIONS Peggy and Terry Dunn

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CREAT I VE PLANNING I S PROUD TO BE MAK ING A DI FFERENCE IN THE L I VES OF KANSAS C I T I ANS . Philanthropy is the heartbeat of Kansas City.

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A Christmas Gift for Kansas City For more than a quarter century, Ingram’s Magazine has dedicated the theme of its December edition to the subject and business of Philanthropy. We believe philanthropy, business and government combine to form three foundational pillars of life in the greater Kansas City region. We’re proud to dedicate Ingram’s December edition each year to philanthropy and meeting community need.

Joe Sweeney Editor-in-Chief & Publisher JSweeney@Ingrams.com • 816.268.6431 • 816.842.9994 Michelle Sweeney Senior VP, Sales Director MSweeney@Ingrams.com • 816.268.6413 • 816.842.9994 Dennis Boone Editorial Director DBoone@Ingrams.com • 816.268.6402 • 816.842.9994 Traci Faulk Art Director Production@Ingrams.com • 816.268.6429 • 816.842.9994

K A N S A S C I T Y ’ S B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E

TERRYANDPEGGYDUNN PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR CONGRATULATIONS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS PLACE WE ALL CALL HOME

©2022 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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Ingrams.com

December 2022

DECEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 48, NO. 12

Talk of the Town 7 In the News/Correspondent Business News and Legislative Updates Perspectives 4 Editor’s Note A Call to Serve: There is nothing more powerful than a volunteer. by Joe Sweeney 9 Between the Lines

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Chance meetings from long ago can show us that God does indeed works in mysterious ways. by Jack Cashill

Features 6 And the Winner Is ...

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Congratulations to the Police Athletic League of Kansas City, winner of the drawing for $25,000 in advertising in Ingram’s in 2023.

11 Reflections

Dear Santa: Here’s a civic wish list that just might make the rest of us in Kansas City jolly, too. by Dennis Boone Supply chain issues, which seemed to be normalizing as the third year of trhe pandemic was winding down, are becoming a concern again. What impact will that have on the markets? by Ken Herman

15 Year in Review

12 In a Nutshell

Big Data, Big Soccer and Big Battery all made an impact the region in 2022,

Special Reports 19 Ingram’s 2022 Philanthropy Awards

but there were plenty of other big developments across the region. 20 Philanthropist of the Year Awards Luncheon More than 200 turn out to honor area stars of philanthropy at the 2022 Philanthropist of the Year Awards. 23 Philanthropist of the Year: Peggy and Terry Dunn 31 Corporate Champions

Charity did indeed begin at home for Terry and Peggy Dunn, honorees of our 2022 Philanthropist of the Year award. They highlight a cast of philanthropic all-stars that include the 2022 Local Heroes and Corporate Champions.

Business & Commerce 60 Financial Adviser

The pandemic rewrote some of the fundamentals of long-term care and insurance sector that serves it. by Claude Thau

54 Health Care and Insurance Report

Five companies that are demonstrating what it means to be a good corporate citizen with their giving.

Along with the higher costs to treat patients in the pandemic, U.S. hospi tals are seeing finances strained with additional cases of uncompensated care. We look at the Kansas City impact in this special report.

61 Of Counsel

A year after vaccine mandates roiled the American workplace, much has changed—but not everything. What should keep American employers on their toes. by Mark Opara and Cody Weyhofen Leads & Lists

37 Local Heroes

Diverse needs, diverse answers: Kansas Citians answer the call to serve.

45 Philanthropy Industry Outlook Report Non-profit leaders, funders and volunteers reflect on current challenges in a vital sector. 50 Q&A With Joe Growney The partner at Lathrop GPM assesses current trends in planned giving. 57 Healthcare and Insurance Trends The rising burden of uncompensated care is not sparing regional hospitals. By Dennis Boone

52 Top Area Non-Profit Organizations 54 Top Area Foundations and Charitable Trusts

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Cover photo by Matt Kocourek Photography

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Ingrams.com

is a proud partner of the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City is a proud partner of Down Syndrome Innovations

Down Syndrome Innovations (DSI) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support and resources to individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the professionals who serve them. DSI seeks to provide the entire community with information and education to broaden awareness and foster positive attitudes regarding people with Down syndrome.

www.kcds i .org

DSI has been a part of some amazing advancements for people with Down syndrome during the last 34 years. Early intervention therapy, inclusive education, community integration and medical advancements mean longer lives and greater opportunities for our friends to achieve their full potential. DSI is so grateful for our partnerships with hospitals, schools, therapy centers, community centers, corporations and funders.

Our 1600 members with Down syndrome invite you to help us create a more inclusive world by offering your support in the following ways: • Become a corporate sponsor • Volunteer for the DSI • Hire an employee with Down syndrome • Support our new parent baskets with your personal gift today Down Syndrome Innovations

5916 Dearborn St. Mission, KS 66202 With your help, we can achieve great things!

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E

by Joe Sweeney

There Is Nothing More Powerful Than a Volunteer

Being the youngest child, I was also a candidate to suit up as Santa for nieces, nephews and others over the years, and thankfully, I’ve never outgrown the suit. Metaphorically, of course. I’ve had the plea sure of wearing the suit since I was a kid and I can’t begin to tell you the fulfillment of bringing joy to the young hearts of so many kids and families over half a century. Recent years have been a challenge with the pandemic and limitations with events but Christmas 2020 was epic. The Down Syndrome Innovations team—forced to cancel the Holiday Party for their kids and families—stimulated conversation which led to many dozens of kids on a Zoom call with Santa. This was the year the North Pole annex in Lee’s Summit debuted. Now, speaking to children one-on-one is not too challenging, but when confronted with a ques tion that places one story inconsistent with another, I found myself immediately outnumbered by many, and the stress exceeded that of any print deadline. The day we bought Ingram’s in February 1997 was the day we dedicated the theme of the December edition to the subject and business of philanthropy.

We view philanthropy as a cornerstone of community, but for Kansas City, in particular. We believe philanthropy and serving community need aligned with business and government create the three foundational pillars of our greater Kansas City region. Engagement The last few weeks have stimulated many stories and great memories of larger-than-life business and community leaders. Many have retired; regrettably, others are now gone. I could write a book and next year for our 50th, I very well may on the remarkable people and memories from my time at Ingram’s and service to KC. I see a trend and believe it’s creating a void in what I believe is still Kansas City’s greatest asset. Leadership and corporate engage ment is changing and I’m not sure we’ll be able to preserve it as before. Gone or retired are many Goliath leaders that have, over many decades, engaged their teams on a massive scale to serve the region’s philanthropic needs. Now, don’t get me wrong: Many individuals and organizations are doing far more than the norm. In fact, all of the Local Heroes and Corporate Champions honored in this edition, and thousands more like them, are paying it forward in grand scale. This movement established by our city founders creates for Kansas City a pinnacle example of how a city should be built. To help thy neighbor. In 1998, we launched Ingram’s 40 Under Forty, and this spring, we’ ll name our 1,000 th honoree. Key selection criteria involve substantial community engagement and service on boards and commissions. Another program we started in 2016, the Ingram’s 250, includes executives who we believe are the most powerful in the

region. Here’s a case and point example of my concern. Less than 30 percent of the executives named in 2022 were on the same list when the program began seven years ago. This massive turnover at the top brings concerns on several levels. Especially when coupled with a challenging work force. Companies are required to do more with less. It’s not easy being a chief execu tive in today’s climate with so many challenges. The i250 are inordinately achieved leaders and they helped build the culture at the organizations they lead today. From our point of view, we’re seeing a decline in corporate engagement and the non-profit com munity is challenged as a result. This is not unique to Kansas City. What is challenging involves tradition of phil anthropic giving and voluntarism as a foundational pillar of our city. My hope for the New Year is to see the corporate community evaluate its role in our region and to challenge their teams to engage where they can. It’s a privilege and honor to serve this region and to deliver this year’s Philanthropy edition of Ingram’s . Our Season’s Best!

Joe Sweeney Editor-In-Chief and Publisher E | JSweeney @ Ingrams.com

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I NGRAM ’ R S KANSAS CITY’S COMMUNITY MAGAZINE KC’S LOCAL HEROES THE FACES OF PHILANTHROPY 2002 ECONOMIC FORECAST DECEMBER 2001 $ 3.00

Ingram’s THE BUSINESS OF CHARITY ■ KC’S LOCAL HEROES ■ CORPORATE CITIZENS OF THE CENTURY KANSAS CITY’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE DECEMBER 1999 $ 3.00

Ingram’s DECEMBER 2000 $ 3.00 KANSAS CITY’S COMMUNITY MAGAZINE T A SALUTE TO PHILANTHROPY ■ KANSAS CITY’S PROMISE ■ KC’S LOCAL HEROES

Ingram’s DECEMBER 1998 $ 3.00 KANSAS CITY’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE KANSAS CITY’S LOCAL HEROES A SALUTE TO PHILANTHROPY A JOB WELL DUNN

Celebrate the Family

Volunteer i sm I s G o o d B u s i n e s s H e l z b e r g ’ s C E O J e f f C o m m e n t S h a r e s t h e S p i r i t o f S a n t a a t P e d i a t r i c H o s p i t a l s A c r o s s A m e r i c a

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Area Philanthropies Collaborate on the Future of Health Care And a Healthy New Year

Leaders of Kansas City Area Relief Agencies Rally in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

ACelebration of Hope In a Troubled Time The Liberty Memorial as seen from Union Station

RELIEF AGENCIES NOT SURPRISED BY KANSAS CITY’S RESPONSE

IS KANSAS CITY READY FOR ITS ‘KATRINA’?

PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK REPORT Philanthropy Community Focuses on Healthcare

FACES OF PHILANTHROPY Profiles of a few of KC’s Finest Non-Profit and Corporate Champions

Striving to Make KC the Most Philanthropic City in America For 26 years Ingram’s has proudly dedicated its December edition to philanthropy and to serving community needs.

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INGRAM’S REPORT ON PHILANTHROPY | TIME TO GET IT RIGHT | EDUCATION & THE WORKFORCE QUARTERLY

CORPORATE CHAMPIONS | PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | HEALTH AND WELLNESS

EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE | LOCAL HEROES | DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT

CORPORATE CHAMPIONS | PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | HEALTHCARE | DESTINATION DOWNTOWN

PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | LOCAL HEROES | HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY REPORT

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Spirit

DOING GOOD IN BAD TIMES COMMUNITY SUPPORT HOLDING ON IN CHALLENGING TIMES

of the Season

KANSAS CITY’S CORPORATE CHAMPIONS THE STARS OF KANSAS CITY’S PHILANTHROPIC COmmuNITY SHINE AS BRIGHT AS EVER

$200 Million Dollar Men George Nigro (left)

P 15 1 5 YEARS OF COMMUN I TY SERV I CE When Disaster Strikes Heroes Answer the Cal l to Serve H I L A N T H R O P Y

NIGRO BROTHERS AUCTION COmpany HITS THE PHILANTHROPIC BULL’S EYE

MAJOR JEFFREY SMITH, DIVISIONAL COMMANDER OF THE SALVATION ARMY IN KANSAS CITY, KEEPS THE RESOURCES FLOWING

Toby Tyler David Nigro Ron Stricker

KANSAS CITY

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Managing Energy Special Report It’s A New Era for Kansas City’s Core

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CORPORATE CHAMPIONS | PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY REPORT

Y E A R I N R E V I E W

PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | KC’S HISTORY OF PHILANTHROPY | EXECUTIVE HEALTH SERIES: AGING

M I L L ENN I AL OUT LOOK | CORPORAT E CHAMP I ONS | REPEAL I NG THE AC A

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CORPORATE champions

What Sets KC Apart Lots of measurable advantages make KC an ideal community to live. Our gift for givingmay top themall.

The Vital Role of Corporate Giving What makes KC one of America’s most philanthropic cities

LOCAL HEROES When Kansas Citians Give, It’s Straight from the Heart

Couples Who Care Meet Lori and Randy Ross Parents of five. Adopted 23 more. Foster parents to 400 ... and counting!

Ingram’s Salutes Our 2012 Local Heroes and Corporate Champions

2015 Corporate Champion Burns & McDonnell Presents Mason Elementary $50,000 in the Battle of the Brains

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Ingram’s Celebrates 20 Years of the Philanthropy Edition

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PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | YEAR IN REVIEW | TRANSITIONS: PHILANTHROPIC STRATEGIES

PHI LANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW | CHANGING OF THE GUARD

C O R P O R A T E C H AM P I O N S | P H I L A N T H R O P Y I N D U S T R Y O U T L O O K | L O C A L H E R O E S

PHILANTHROPY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | YEAR IN REVIEW | CORPORATE CHAMPIONS AND LOCAL HEROES

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Philanthropist of the Year Shirley and Barnett Helzberg with Ingram’s 2019 Local Heroes and Corporate Champions

John Sherman Philanthropist of the Year INGRAM’S PHILANTHROPY EDITION INCLUDING OUR 2020 LOCAL HEROES AND CORPORATE CHAMPIONS

Marlys and Michael Haverty Philanthropist of the Year

INGRAM’S PHILANTHROPY EDITION INCLUDING OUR 2021 LOCAL HEROES AND CORPORATE CHAMPIONS

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Editor-in-Chief & Publisher Joe Sweeney | JSweeney @ Ingrams.com Editorial Director Dennis Boone | DBoone @ Ingrams.com Senior Editor Jack Cashill | Editorial @ Ingrams.com Columnists Cody Weyhofen Director of Sales Michelle Sweeney | MSweeney @ Ingrams.com Art Director Traci Faulk | Production @ Ingrams.com Copy Editor Nancie Boland | Editorial @ Ingrams.com Contributing Photographers Matt Kocourek Richard Rosenberg Ken Herman Mark Opara Claude Thau

And the winner is … Police Athletic League of Kansas City! For the 10th year, Ingram’s is pleased to award a year of free advertising worth $25,000 to a regional non-profit. This year’s winner is the Police Athletic League of Kansas City. Since its inception, this award has gone to an area non-profit drawn from the names of eligible organizations on whose behalf a com- pany or individual sponsor has marketed in the Philanthropy edition. This year’s sponsor—Basys Processing, Inc.—saw in the Police Athletic League of Kansas City a worthy organization that is helping develop positive relationships between the youth of Kansas City, Kan., and the city’s Police Department. Our thanks to Basys Processing for sponsoring, and our hearty congratulations to the entire team at the Police Athletic League of Kansas City, as Ingram’s 2022 Give a Charity a Chance winning organization. We’re pleased to have invested $250,000 to the extra- ordinary works of the Kansas City area non-profit community.

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Winners of Ingram’s gifts: 2014: Culture House-

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Storling Dance Theater 2015: Children International 2016: reStart 2017: City Union Mission 2018: Down Syndrome Guild 2019: Harvesters-

Ingrams.com MISSOURI’S AND KANSAS’ DIGITAL BUSINESS MEDIA The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted © 2022 by Show-Me Publishing, Inc. with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use in any manner of editorial or graphic content without permission is prohibited. The magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Ingram’s reserves the right of unrestricted editing of articles. Submissions must be in writing to be considered. Ingram’s (ISSN #1046 9958) is published monthly by Show-Me Publishing, Inc. at 2049 Wyandotte, Kansas City, Missouri, 64108. Price: $44.95 for one-year, $69.95 for 2 years and $99.95 for 3 years. Back issues are $5 each. Periodical postage paid at Kansas City, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please email address changes to JRyan @ Ingrams.com, fax to 816.474.1111 or mail changes to Ingram’s Magazine at 2049 Wyandotte Kansas City, Missouri, 64108.

The Community Food Network

2020: Wayside Waifs 2021: Cristo Rey 2022: The Salvation Army 2023: Police Athletic League of Kansas City

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I N T H E N E W S

Tidbits of Business News from Around the Region

MISSOURI

KANSAS DOUGLAS COUNTY Business Protest

They ranked No. 17 and No. 22 on Ingram’s 2022 list of the region’s top law firms; with 50 local attorneys and 95 nationally, that local ranking is on track to hit No. 10.

CLAY COUNTY Hunt Bags Big Tenant

A month after a prominent Lawrence bar shut its doors in protest over city policies on homelessness, city leaders have agreed to consider spending $8 million in federal pandemic relief funds on various projects—more than half of it on so-called “tiny homes.” Roughly $4.66 million would be dedicated to those small modular homes. In November, Johnny’s Tavern closed its North Lawrence location in protest over a homeless camp on adjacent land. The tavern first opened there in 1953. Inspired in part by a rebuilt KCI, Air Canada will resume service in June with jets considerably larger than the models in use before service was discontinued. The airport is scheduled tomove airlines to the new single terminal facility in earlyMarch; when service resumes betweenKC and Toronto, flights will accommodate 76 passengers, up from50, and will include a dozen business-class seats. They will continue to operate under Air Canada’s U.S. affiliate, Jazz Aviation. Correspondent News Updates from the Capital cities Washington | PPP Chickens Come Home to Roost A House subcommittee report says processors and application screeners for the SBA’s hurried Paycheck Protection Program approved tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent loans, in many cases after ignoring or disregarding warnings from customers and employees. The panel, led by Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., is pointing the finger at fintech companies that disbursed billions in relief loans under a program designed to keep people employed during the first months of the pandemic in 2020. Traditional lenders, opposed to giving fintechs greater access to government-backed lending programs, say that fraud is the tip of the iceberg, and reason to limit their lending authority. Jefferson City | ‘24 Budget Outlook Hints of Slowdown The broad outlines of fiscal-year 2024 spending for Missouri are already coming into focus with release of the state’s Consensus Revenue Estimate for the year, pegging it at $13.1 billion in general fund revenues. That would represent a growth rate of about half the 1.4 percent projected for 2023, suggesting the state is anticipating a broad economic slowdown next year. State budget experts produce the estimate as a basic assumption—but not the only one—that the governor’s team and legislative leaders will explore as they try to craft a balanced annual budget. Topeka | KPERS Dodges Major Hit on FTX Collapse The collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX cost its 50 largest investors $3 billion, but the state pension fund in Kansas wasn’t anywhere near the top of that list. While the fund did have money in the failed enterprise, the $187,400 at risk represents just a minuscule 0.0008 percent of a nearly $25 billion portfolio. Pension-fund officials say any loss stemming from the yet-unresolved shakeout of FTX’s bankruptcy would represent no threat to the stability of the state’s investments. PLATTE COUNTY Air Canada’s Return

Hunt Midwest has secured a big tenant for its new, 478,000-square-foot Logistics IV building: UPS. The package-delivery company has leased 210,600 square feet, just under half of the building in the 2,500 acre Hunt Midwest Business Center, an industrial park at I-435 and Parvin Road. Hunt has already started letting bids for Logistics V, andwill start construction on the final phase of the park—featuring 2.2million square feet of industrial space—in 2023. Officials of Port Authority of Kansas City have authorized up to $12.5 billion in industrial revenue bonds for two Northland technology parks, one in Clay County and the other in Platte County. The bulk of that, $10 billion, would be directed to Rocky Branch Creek Technology Park, a data center campus covering 360 acres near I-435 and U.S. 169. The $2.5 billion would aid in development of KCI 29 Logistics Park, with a much larger footprint—2,136 acres— combining both industrial and office uses. Streetcar-Line Living Mac Properties plans to leverage the extension of the Downtown streetcar to produce a 318-unit apartment project at Main and Armour, adding two new build- ings and repurposing the one that previously was home to a U.S. Bank branch. The pro perty fronts Main Street, where the line is currently being extended to near the UMKC campus, and is just blocks from ArriveKC, the largest project of its kind near the route, with 373 planned units at 31st and Baltimore. Law Firms Merging Two prominent commercial litigation defense firms will merge starting Jan. 1, likely creating one of the 10 largest prac tices in the KC market. The new firm will retain the brand of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice as it incorporates members from Foland Wickens Roper Hofer & Crawford. JACKSON COUNTY $12.5 Billion in IRBs

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Kansas City’s Business Media

December 2022

I N T H E N E W S

Tidbits of Business News from Around the Region

Office-to-Apartment Plan The Lenexa City Council is now on board with plans by Block Real Estate Services to convert the former headquarters of Kiewit Corp. into a mixed-use site anchored by 319 apartments. Upper floors of the building at 95th and Renner Blvd. would include a clubhouse for tenants, with the residential units on the floors above that. Dubbed The Residences at 95, the remade site would hold 80 apartments, with the rest coming from new construction. New Homes in the Offing An affiliate of Lambie Custom Homes is moving ahead on plans for nearly 1,170 new single-family homes in southern Overland Park. Southern Meadows LLC, is behind the development near 191st Street and State Line Road. Planners are expected to review that proposal, scaled down considerably from its first iteration, in early January. SelectQuote Signals Split Hoping to offset damage done by a steep decline in its share price—a drop that

JOHNSON COUNTY BluHawk Sports Complex

could threaten its listing on the New York Stock Exchange—Overland Park-based SelectQuote has alerted stockholders of plans for a reverse stock split. That would push share values back above $1 and meet NYSE price guidelines. Since peaking at more than $30 in 2021, shares have plunged, hitting 54 cents by market close on Dec. 7. The company did not disclose the ratio of new shares that would be issued after the split. Faced with a potential $1 million annual hit to cover a new waste-disposal contract, Shawnee County commissioners are weighing options that could spell the end of free recycling. With recyclable mate rials making up an estimated 50 percent of all landfill-bound waste, commissioners are discussing ways to encourage residents to get on board, or face consequences that could include a $10 monthly rate increase, making recycling a subscription service, or eliminating recycling altogether. SHAWNEE COUNTY Free Recycling in Peril

One more piece is falling into place for the massive BluHawk multi-use devel opment in southern Johnson County with the Dec. 7 groundbreaking for the pro- ject’s indoor sports complex. The $125 million complex will provide 20,000 square feet of space for basketball, volleyball and pickle ball courts, plus an ice rink, batting cages, and seating for up to 3,500 spectators. Brookridge Milestone Looms Eight years after the vision was first articulated, construction is expected to start early next year on the $2 billion redevelopment of the former Brookridge Golf Club site in Overland Park. The massive project calls for 2,000 apartments and 4 million square feet of office, and has faced determined opposition from neighbors who object to its scale. Three phases about to launch will include a pair of residential buildings, a grocery store, a hotel and office sites.

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B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S

Pointed Perspectives & Penetrating Punditry | by Jack Cashill

God Works in Strange and Mysterious Ways

In matters of faith, the past is always with us.

congregation, he sings it more slowly and dramatically than without a con gregation. Since we used the sound only from the first shoot, we had to recalibrate all the close-ups to make sure the lips synced. The bottom line was I spent a lot more time and money editing than I anticipated. On the plus side, more people at the production facility were drawn to the haunting Gregorian music coming out of our suite. They would stop by, watch, and linger, mes merized. More than a few asked why the Catholic Church would abandon such a moving and sacred ceremony. Even Fr. DeMentque did not have a good answer to that one. Pleased with the

The most tangible blessing of growing up Catholic was getting off from school the day after Halloween. Hung over from our candy bacchanal, we treasured Nov. 1, All Saints Day, even if we did have to go to Mass. Although it was entirely un-Christian of us to do so, we rubbed our freedom in the faces of our public school peers. Na-na-na-na-nah! Cut to 1997. I was doing a weekly feature for KSHB-TV in Kansas City. Each Wednesday, I would be assigned a one-man crew, and we would go shoot some footage to back up my three-minute commentary for the week. In 1997, Halloween fell on a Tuesday. Needing a feature for Wednesday, I recalled that there had been a revival of the Latin Mass, which had been all but banned since Vatican II. “Lapsed” though I was, I still thought that it might be worth a commentary. Provident ia l ly that year, Al l Saints Day fel l on a

Wednesday. Being a Holy Day of obliga tion, there would be a Mass to record and congregants to interview. I visited with the priest in charge, Father Edouard DeMentque, newly arrived from France and wooed him with my half-assed French. All went well during the shoot, and the feature aired on the evening news. That very evening, providentially once again, I found myself seated next to the very same Fr. DeMentque at a Protestant run pro-life dinner. We bonded over our vain search for the wine steward.

final product, the Pr ies t l y Fra t er- nity commissioned us to go to Rome in October of 1998 to shoot the ceremony surrounding the 10th anniversary of the reauthorization of the Latin Mass. Mike and the crew f lew out the day before I did. In this last moment before cellphones, we were to meet at the Vatican at

In 1998, I had the opportunity to inter- view a German cardinal name of Ratzinger. Fast forward to 2005 and white smoke over the Vatican. “Hey,” I said. “I know that guy!”

Over dinner, we got to talking. I sug- gested that if his order, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, ever held a con- fab in Kansas City, they might want to do a high-end video of a Solemn High Latin Mass. Sure enough, a few months later, the order did meet in Kansas City. Working with my long-time partner, Michael Wunsch of Outpost Worldwide, we did a four-camera shoot of two masses, the first mass with a congregation and Gregorian choir, the second a “dry mass” with no congregation and all four cameras on the altar for close-ups. When we started editing, I ran my 95 percent rule by Fr. DeMentque: make the video 95 percent as good as it could possibly be made as quickly as it could be made that good. No one, I explained, will notice the other 5 percent, and time is money. Fr. DeMentque offered his rule, the 100 percent rule. We compromised—on 100 percent. Editing proved much harder than I thought. It turns out that when a priest sings, say, “ Dominus vobiscum ” before a

noon the next day with a fallback time at 2 p.m. My flights hit one snag after another, and I arrived at Rome airport’s car rental facility at 1:15. “How long it would take to get to the Vatican?” I asked. Said the clerk, “45 minutes—if there’s no traffic.” Rome, no traffic—right! I sped out of there. The ring road and the ar ter ia l were sur- prisingly modern, and I was mak- ing good t ime unt i l the ar teria l ended, and I was dumped into the middle of a Fellini movie—a wild traf f ic circle with spokes leading

Jack Cashill Ingram’s Senior Editor P | 816.842.9994 E | Editorial @ Ingrams.com

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B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S

had anything to do with those park- ing spaces. What followed were three days of shooting one glorious mass after

out in about six directions. In this primitive age before GPS, I leaned out my window towards a motorcyclist close enough I could smell his lunch and asked him the one Italian phrase I taught myself, “Per andare a San Pietro.” I could not begin to understand his answer, but like a good Italian, he used his hands a lot, and I followed where he was pointing. I repeated this ritual at two subse quent circles, and just as I was about to give up hope, there loomed above me like a rogue planet, the magnifi cent dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. I sped towards it. At the Vatican, again right out of Fel l ini, a dwar f beckoned me to a small parking lot he was tend- ing. There was one spot open. I paid him and raced on foot toward my meeting with the crew, wondering all the way whether the dwarf really

Josef Ratzinger, and I interviewed him one-on-one in my half-assed French. Fast forward to April 2005. I was in Paris for an aviation conference and stopped by Notre Dame Cathedral. I wasn’t there 30 seconds when a large screen set up for the purpose switched from a French talking head to the balcony of the Vatican, where they announced, “We have a new Pope, Cardinal Josef Ratzinger.” “I know that guy,” I shouted impul sively—well, I kind of did. I found myself reminiscing about this adventure during a Latin mass on Nov. 1, 2022, and realized that the date was the 25th anniversary of my return from the desert. God does work in strange and mysterious ways.

Extended work on the project exposed the

another in one cathedral more splen did than the next. At one stop, Fr. DeMentque, whom we had taken to calling Cecil B. DeMentque, shang haied a prominent cardinal named Latin mass to a number of folks who saw it as a moving, sacred ceremony. Why would the Church abandon it?

The views expressed in this column, which is also published online in the Heartlander, are the writer’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Ingram’s Magazine. Jack Cashill , Senior Editor, Editorial @ Ingrams.com

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Ingrams.com

R E F L E C T I O N S

by Dennis Boone

At the Intersection of Business and Life

And a Cup of Christmas Jeer …

Would it be asking too much for the Jolly Old Elf to bring us what we really want this year? I don’t make a habit of releasing personal correspondence to anyone, let alone the most influential readership in the Kansas City region. Besides, the folks at Google and Microsoft are conducting most of that disclosure. But Christmas is the season of sharing, I’m told, so I’m going to do just that. This is one I sent out to a long-time acquaintance, someone I’ve known and respected since I was wearing short pants. Dear Santa, You’ve been pretty good to me for more Christmas mornings than I can count—or remember—so I’ll be up-front with you this year: There’s nothing I need you to bring me this year. I’ve got the kids (they’re all doing great, by the way), meaningful work, weekend football, and if memory serves, People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive award from last year. So I’m good. I do, however, have some special requests on behalf of a few others. If you deliver on these, I will have a very Merry Christmas, indeed:

And, as they’re the types who would rather wait for it as the next installment in the Marvel movie series, tell them they have to read it, or it’s lumps of coal in 2023. n For the clowns who think the few hundred bucks they get by pilfering someone else’s catalytic converter are more important than the $2,000 a car owner will pay to have it replaced, some Milton Friedman YouTube clips on basic economics. And, of course, the guts to do their work during daylight hours instead of emerging like rats from the sewer after dark. n For the traf fic-control division in Kansas City: A working search engine that can identify companies making the tech to synchronize signalization. Public officials at every level all seem to be stockholders in sustainable-energy companies, but none seem to be bothered by the sight of 10 or 20 the Jackson Count y property assessment of f ice, the analytical skills to see that most of the other needs on this list believe their updated valuat ions on homes here. Local government ser vice that amounts to bupkis does not warrant a doubling or tripling— or worse—in property taxes. n For the Good Old USofA: A 2024 presidential campaign that excludes both Joe Biden and Donald Trump. I know we haven’t all been good, Santa, but nobody’s been bad enough to deserve a rerun of the last election. n For Ingram’s readers (OK, OK, for everybody out there, but especially for Ingram’s readers): A safe, happy Christmas season filled with family, friends, and cheer. n And, of course, a prosperous New Year—to hell with the economic indicators. Thanks, Santa. cars idling at a red light when there’s no cross traffic to manage. n For the folks at

n For the folks at City Hall, the guts to admit that, years after wrecking the traffic corridor along Gillham Road and Armour Boulevard, the pathetic under-use of bike lanes has failed to add that sustainability pizzazz we were promised. Give us back the wide boulevards this city’s designers gifted us, and scrap the plans to ruin other roads. And the very good sense to stop looking to Portland for inspiration. n For John Sherman and his ownership cohort at Kauffman Stadium, a new Downtown venue. I’m good with that as long as it’s a gift from you— and not a shiny new toy that sticks the locals with the bill. Heck, I’d be the biggest booster of

My parents taught nine kids that a good letter to Santa shouldn’t exceed 11.11 percent of a mailman’s disposable annual income, after expenses.

a Downtown park if those owners would take a cue from Brittney Mathews and Chris and Angie Long, owners of the KC Current, and fund the construction costs privately. n For Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, the vision to see the role that Kansas City values played in making Cerner a global IT powerhouse. Sucking resources out of this region following last year’s acquisition won’t do Oracle—or this region—any good in the long run. n For the people demanding restoration of local control of the Kansas City Police Department: A few history lessons on why that control isn’t local. Over the past half- century or more, local governance hasn’t produced a track record of responsibility on most fronts (K-12 public schools, anyone? Stormwater management? I could go on.) n For the daily newspaper leadership here: A sense of shame, then a sense of balance. Failing either, the forthrightness to openly declare its allegiance to one political party and stop pretending that it is in some ways fair or objective. n For the graf f iti artists in town: Personal copies of “That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen,” by Frederic Bastiat.

Dennis Boone is the edito rial director at Ingram’s. E | DBoone @ Ingrams.com P | 816.268.6402

cheers, boone

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I N A N U T S H E L L

by Ken Herman

Supply Chain: Here We Go Again …

We got close to full recovery, then unexpected factors, as always,

with its largest surge of cases on record. China’s central leaders have seen their zero-COVID policy as a source of national pride, show casing the perceived superiority of their system (compared with the death tallies and infections seen in many Western nations). Recent lockdowns may be driven by fears that major outbreaks would over- whelm China’s health-care system, given the population’s low natural immunity.

intervened to disrupt the flow of goods. Stocks had happy trading sessions pre- and post Thanksgiving. The positive sentiment may even hold up after the turkey leftovers. However, and this is a big however, things in China are beginning to concern global leaders. Renewed COVID-related disruptions in the supply chain, plus related civil unrest throughout that country amid lockdowns, can’t be ignored. After nearly three years of disruption, supply chains were almost back to normal. Shelves should be fully stock

ed, and some prices may actually be low er this holiday season. No one wants to go back to what we experienced in recent years. The stock market is near where it was last February, so we are wonder- ing whether we have already seen the lows for this bear market. For mid-Oct- ober to be the low, we need the Fed to stop its rate hikes before they break the economy. Recent 75 basis point hikes have not significantly impacted economic num- bers—yet. If the Fed is done with such large rate hikes, we should see a “soft landing”, provided the war in Ukraine does not escalate, and China does not boil over. Even though many uncertainties are not yet resolved, the market is bet- ting on a Fed rate hike slowdown and a top in Treasury yields. But if the Fed

Mobilizing pub- lic anger and undermining con- fidence in the government were not its goals, but China’s has done just that. While officials earlier said they would be more specific and tar- geted in imple- menting pande mic controls, no fundamental chan- ges were made to China’s overall z e r o - C O V I D stance. China also

Even as things sort themselves out in the U.S., the zero-COVID policies enacted by the authoritarian Chinese government threaten to disrupt global commerce again. What impact will that have on the markets as we move into 2023?

funds rate is going to 5 percent, as Fed funds futures seem to indicate, then another spike in Treasury yields is not out of the question. You will know that the Fed funds rate hikes are working when the stock market stops respond- ing to lower treasury yields and credit spreads begin to expand, neither of which has happened yet. We must now also face more unknowns about China’s future. China resumed very unpopular COVID lock-downs without knowing if it is even possible to contain the virus that way, given a dense population of 1.3 billion people. And now China’s citizens are rebelling as best they can. This month marks three years since the first COVID-19 case was reported near Wuhan, but China doesn’t seem to be letting up on its strict coronavirus policies. In fact, quarantine facilities and makeshift hospitals are expanding across the mainland to deal

has a credit bubble that is bigger than any in history, but it is impossible to predict when it may “pop” because the economy is uni quely managed. The government controls the banking system and injects lending quotas, in effect re- inf lating the credit bubble every time the economy weakens. Assuming China’s COVID out- break remains serious and lock downs are successfully enforced, any new bank quotas probably won’t work well. Could China’s credit bubble also finally pop?

Ken Herman served as the Managing Director of Bank of America Global Capital Markets and was the Mayor of and served on the City Council in

Glendora, Calif. E | Editorial@

Ingrams.com

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Meara Welch Browne salutes … The hundreds of non-profit organizations. The thousands of dedicated board members. The tens of thousands of volunteers. It all adds up to a better Kansas City.

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CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS & CONSULTANTS

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At the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU), our commitment to serve goes beyond providing safe, reliable electric and water services. We believe in supporting local causes and organizations that reflect a positive impact, and help our communities thrive well into the future.

For more information about BPU’s community involvement efforts, visit www.bpu.com/About/OurCommunity.aspx.

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW by Dennis Boone Kansas City Claims Its Place in the Limelight Kansas City and the broader region took the first steps onto much bigger stages—national and global—with successful projects in 2022. On a global scale, it was with designation as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nationally, the ability to attract Panasonic Energy’s new $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant will dramatically affect the local job market, with 4,000 hires by 2025—roughly 1,000 of them engineers. And the biggest development project in state history will unfold over the next four decades as the Golden Plains Technology Park rises in the Northland. There, one of the first clients in the mix is Meta, the parent of Facebook, which will fill nearly 1 million feet of data-center space. Kansas City’s economy has always been diverse; it’s what keeps us from the troughs of recessions and the crashes that follow national peaks. Developments like these, and others, add to those multiple layers of diversity, and provide additional economic stability. JANUARY 3 With Mayor Peggy Dunn breaking a City Council tie, Leawood approves one of its biggest development projects, Cameron Court. Though scaled back af ter neighbors raised objections to its scale, Oddo Development projects that the 116-acre mixed-use project near 135th Street and State Line Road will generate $300 million in investment, creating 833 residential units, mainly apartments, but also single-family homes, twin villas and brownstones. 31 Leawood-based C2FO, perhaps the biggest entrepreneurial success story of the past 15 years, closes a $140 million funding round. The fintech company has exploded across the globe as a platform to help companies manage their accounts receivable flows—$54.7 billion worth last year, up 57 percent from 2020. Is an IPO next? Founder and CEO Sandy Kemper says it’s not out of the question. FEBRUARY 17 BKD, the largest accounting firm in Kansas City, announces that it will merge with DHG, of Charlotte, N.C., to create FORVIS. With $1.4 billion in com bined annual revenue, the new brand will immediately claim a place among the na tion’s top 10 firms. It will have more than 5,400 team members across 68 markets in 27 states, the United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands.

2022 NEWSMAKERS

World Cup Coming to Town

The World Cup will put Kansas City on a world stage in 2026. An intense, years-long marketing effort paid off in June when FIFA, the international soccer organization, designated Kansas City as one of 16 host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. That hard-won victory not only positions this region before a global audi ence, it will do so for a tournament expected to draw more eyeballs than any in World Cup history. The field in 2026 will be expanded to 48 nations, with 80 matches, up from 32 teams this year. Kansas City was the smallest U.S. market to make the cut, which included 10 other cities, plus three in Mexico and two in Canada. Cliff Illig, the Cerner co-founder who branched into soccer as part of the ownership team of what is now Sporting Kansas City, nailed the impact when the announcement was made on June 16: “The success of Kansas City’s bid is a testament to the accomplishments we can achieve when we work together," he said. " The World Cup will bring unprecedented tourism and economic activity to our community and will provide an opportunity to showcase our city on a global stage.” That economic impact has been estimated at $695 million. It might not be the biggest deal, in dollar terms, but the follow-on developments from that positioning could produce multiples of that number in the years to come. Kathy Nelson, of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation, said host-city status would make Kansas City an international destination for sports tourism. “To be named a host city for not only the biggest single sport event in history, but as part of the most competitive selection process FIFA has ever facilitated, is an incredible accomplishment for our city, our bid committee and everyone involved.”

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