KCPBS Diversity Report - Flipbook - Page 20
PROGRESS
IN FY22
My husband, Curt, and I have
volunteered with KCPBS for
several decades because we
support their vision and mission.
As a member of the Volunteer
Advisory Committee, it has been
challenging and rewarding to
target new communities. By
expanding our volunteer pool,
our group of dedicated public
media lovers becomes more
reflective of Kansas City, making
public media better for us all.
Lillian Cooper
Volunteer Advisory Committee
Member
Staff Engagement & Trainings
• The Staff Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council began hosting “Lunch & Learns” for all of the staff as
part of a strategy to build cultural awareness and competencies within all stakeholders at the station.
The first Lunch & Learn featured Jessikha Williams, digitization specialist at the Black Archives of MidAmerica, a role that serves as a resource in providing online public access to historical documents,
records, photographs and artifacts of Black Americans, their families and ancestors, both locally and
nationally. Williams spoke about her role with the Black Archives and her passion for the fine and
performing arts, education and the advocacy of Black women, Black families and Black communities
in America. At the end of June, staff was joined by P. Kim Bui, a journalist, editor, speaker and trainer
on social journalism (a media format focused on community involvement and audience engagement).
She presented on understanding microaggressions and strategies we can employ to provide a more
inclusive environment for staff.
• As a participating organization in the REDI (Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Community of
Practice program through the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City PBS leadership joined
monthly conversations with other organizations in the metro designed to advance progress around
equity and inclusion in Kansas City. Work with the National Equity Project, which facilitated the
discussions, has extended past the program to coordinate two sessions with managers encouraging
an understanding of their role in attracting and retaining diverse talent and will continue with sessions
with the DEI Staff Council.
Community Outreach and Impact
• An updated process for work with outside production partners was created and a promotional
strategy was developed to support a diversity of local filmmakers in Kansas City.
• The manager of communications and engagement worked with the Volunteer Advisory Committee
to create a volunteer recruitment strategy that is focused on attracting a diverse pool of volunteers that
is representative of the communities served by the station.
• A new process was created to collect vendor data that will aid our effort in transparent reporting and
inform strategies to engage a wide range of contracted help for various services, spreading annual
spending over a diverse group.
• In early 2022, Kansas City PBS started a building renovation and selected general contractor A.L.
Huber to facilitate the project. The contract value totals $10.3 million and includes the requirement
that a percentage of total spend includes minority business enterprise (MBE) and women business
enterprise (WBE) participation at the subcontractor level. The total subcontractor value is $8.68 million,
of which 29%, or $2.55 million, is attributed to MWBE businesses.
Kansas City PBS | 125 E. 31st Street | Kansas City, MO 64108 | 816.756.3580 | kansascitypbs.org
19