The Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. will celebrate a successful year at its annual Tourism Celebration on Wednesday, May 4.
The luncheon will be held at the Jack Reardon Event Center, 520 Minnesota Ave., in Kansas City, Kan.
Approximately 150 people will be in attendance, including elected officials and tourism industry professionals.
Six awards will be presented to the following tourism advocates and organizations.
A Special Mayor’s Recognition will be presented in honor of Jesse Hope III, proclaiming Wednesday, May 4, as Jesse Hope III Day in Kansas City, Kan. Hope was the founder and curator of the Old Quindaro Museum and dedicated his life to preserving and honoring the legacy of the families of Quindaro. Hope died in 2015.
Unified Government Mayor Mark Holland will recognize Hope’s contributions in preserving the history of the Underground Railroad in America and the significant transformation the town of Quindaro had on our community. Accepting the award will be Anthony Hope, Jesse’s brother.
The Excellence in Hospitality Award will be awarded to Mendi Jones, director of sales at Country Inn and Suites Village West. The award, chosen by the KCK CVB staff, recognizes Jones for her support and partnership with the CVB, as well as her professionalism, hospitality and exceptional customer service to all visitors.
Jones came to Kansas City, Kan., after spending 24 years in the hotel business in Pensacola, Fla., where she also had the reputation for going above and beyond. Kerry Green, meetings, group and event manager of the KCK CVB, will present the award to Mendi Jones.
A special Tourism Partnership Award will be presented to Linda Craghead, assistant secretary of parks and tourism for Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Her primary responsibilities include the operation and promotion of the 26 state parks in Kansas and the overall tourism initiatives for the state.
Craghead is being recognized for her commitment to each segment of the hospitality industry in Kansas and her collaborative efforts. Craghead is passionate about outdoor adventure and nature, but mostly, she is passionate about the people and the tourism industry in the state of Kansas. Bridgette Jobe, executive director of the KCK CVB, will present the award to Linda Craghead.
The Tourism Event of the Year Award will be presented to the NCAA Division II Football Championship that was held on Dec. 19, 2015, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. Division II football came to Kansas City after it completed a 26-year-run in Florence, Ala.
The championship will be played at Children’s Mercy Park through 2017. The attendance at the 2015 championship game was a record-setting crowd of 16,181 fans and was televised on ESPN2. The game generated over 1,100 hotel room nights for the Kansas City region. The ability to be the host of the Division II championship game was the result of the efforts and partnership of several organizations. Presenting the award will be Matt Lawrence, general manager of Schlitterbahn Waterpark KC and a current KCK CVB board member. Accepting the award will be Amber Feldman of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Molly Cage of the Kansas City Sports Commission, and Chris Wyche from Sporting KC.
The Tourism Organization of the Year Award will be presented to Strawberry Hill Ethnic Museum and Cultural Center. The museum is located at 720 N. 4th St. in Kansas City, Kan. The Queen Anne style house was built in 1887 as the home to John and Margaret Scroggs, and later became the St. John Orphanage.
The orphanage was originally founded after the 1918 influenza epidemic. During its existence, it was home to over 3,000 children. The museum was founded in 1988 and was dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Slavic heritage prevalent in the Kansas City, Kan., area. Today the museum preserves the history and cultures of over 16 different nationalities. More than 175,000 people have visited the museum. Presenting the award will be Unified Government Commissioner Brian McKiernan. Accepting the award will be Adrienne Nastav, long time museum volunteer and board member.
The Tourism Advocate of the Year Award will be presented to Chris Browne, vice president and general manager of Kansas City T-Bones, for his leadership and contributions to Kansas City, Kan., tourism. Browne started with the T-Bones in 2002 before the first game was ever played at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. He was named vice president and general manager in 2008.
Browne served on the Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors from 2012 to 2015, serving two years as board chair. The Tourism Advocate award will be presented to Chris Browne by Greg Jackson, general manager for Dave & Buster’s at The Legends and current KCK CVB board chair.