Board Members Making a Difference

Kudos to several members of the Starlight Theatre Board of Directors who have recently been honored for their personal and organizational accomplishments:

Anita Gorman
Starlight Board Lifetime Member
Anita Gorman recently received The Honorable Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. Pugsley Medals are the most prestigious awards that recognize outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of U.S. public parks, recreation and conservation. Anita is the first and only Pugsley Medal recipient from Kansas City, Mo., and has been a leader in improving our community’s quality of life for more than 50 years.

Mark McHenry
Starlight Board Ex-Officio Member
Mark McHenry was recently elected president of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. In this role, he is the principal elective officer of the academy, presides at meetings of the academy and its board of directors, and has the right to vote on all committees except the nominating and Cornelius Amory Pugsley committees. Mark is the first and only director from Kansas City to lead the prestigious national organization. He has worked with Kansas City, Mo. Parks and Recreation since 1974 and served as the department’s director since 2003.

John Murphy and Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Starlight Board Chairman
The Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Mid-America Chapter on Nov. 9 will honor Shook, Hardy & Bacon and trial attorney John Murphy with its 2017 Business Philanthropist of the Year Award. Murphy, who served as chairman of Shook, Hardy & Bacon for 15 years, was nominated for the award by Starlight and Legal Aid of Western Missouri. The Kansas City law firm has been one of Starlight’s leading donors for many years, and John has generously given of his own resources and time serving on the Starlight Board, securing donations to Starlight’s annual gala and advocating for the theatre’s performing arts education programs.

We thank Anita, Mark, John and Shook, Hardy & Bacon for making a big difference in the Kansas City community and beyond!