Downtown Council Names 2017 Urban Heroes, Elects New Chairman
November 6, 2017 | Kevin Collison | 1 min read
Nate Orr is the new chairman of the Downtown Council.
The Downtown Council of Kansas City has elected attorney Nate Orr, a partner at the Spencer Fane law firm, to be its new chairman for the upcoming year.
Orr also is co-chair along with outgoing chairwoman Cathy Smith, vice president of corporate planning at Faultless Starch/Bon Ami, of the organization’s upcoming annual luncheon . The event will be held Jan. 26 at the Convention Center Ballroom.
The keynote speaker will be T.J. Costello, director of Smart Cities and the Internet of Things at Cisco. Cisco partnered with the city to integrate smart technology along the streetcar route, leading to such features as free wi-fi and smart kiosks.
The luncheon also will honor the latest Urban Hero Award winners:
-Architectural historian Cydney Millstein of Architectural & Historical Research LLC
-Developer Butch Rigby
-Artist Phil Shafer aka Sike Style.
-Paul Masao Matsuoka of the Kansas City Rescue Mission
The Hall family and the Hall Family Foundation also will receive the annual J. Phillip Kirk Jr. Award for its leadership in revitalizing downtown.
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