Register for the next town hall in our Builders’ Talk series!

Join us Sept. 8, at 3 p.m., at The Jewel KC for the next Builders' Talk, featuring Kansas City's new City Manager, Brian Platt, and other panelists engaged in downtown development. A happy hour will immediately follow the discussion.

This event is FREE for members, but you must register. To register, sign in and select "Register Myself," click "Proceed to Checkout" and "Submit Order."

NONMEMBER REGISTRATION: Nonmembers are welcome to attend this event! To register as a guest click "Create a new account," return to the event page, select "Register Myself," click the "Nonmember" option, click "Proceed to Checkout" and "Submit Order."

	Brian Platt, City Manager, City of Kansas City, Mo. | When Brian Platt started work in December 2020, he was immediately faced with the challenge of fighting a pandemic while still delivering basic services with a shrinking budget. He tackled that challenge by finding answers that work for Kansas City and its residents. Brian previously served as City Manager for Jersey City, New Jersey. He has served as Jersey City's first Chief Innovation Officer and established the City's Office of Innovation in 2015. His previous work experience includes management consulting with McKinsey & Company and serving as a kindergarten teacher with Teach for America. Mr. Platt earned his Master of Public Administration Degree at Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy at Emory University.
	Michael M. Collins, Managing Director, JE Dunn Capital Partners LLC | Over the past 15 years Michael has created strategic real estate investment and development platforms which have created over $3 billion in commercial real estate finance and development, and infrastructure related projects and transactions. Such enhanced platforms have produced commercial, institutional, mixed-use riverfront development, and regional infrastructure development and Public Private Partnerships. Michael is a graduate of Park University, Rockhurst University and The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Michael currently holds a B.S in Political Science as well as a Masters in Finance.
	Jon Copaken, Principal, Copaken Brooks | A well-rounded leader and advisor, Jon Copaken is active in the entire development process, including major tenant office and retail leasing, financing, land acquisition, zoning, and construction. He is also instrumental in the firm's leadership and strategic planning initiatives, and an expert in forming public and private partnerships. Jon is active in several civic and economic development organizations. He is primarily focused on the future of downtown Kansas City and issues affecting the urban core. Prior to joining Copaken Brooks in 1993, Jon was an analyst in the real estate acquisitions department of Prudential Insurance Company in Chicago, and worked abroad on several real estate projects in Warsaw, Poland.
	Amy Eckhoff, Planning Architect, General Services Administration | After a few years with a small firm that focused on county-level judicial and law enforcement projects, Amy worked nearly 21 years with a local architecture and planning firm, where she had been a partner since 2012. Her work has consistently focused on serving long-term clients, particularly property owners, and has ranged from new construction to renovation, including retail, office, and higher education. Most recently, Amy has focused on quality control, code reviews and problem-solving for complex and unusual conditions on a variety of project sizes and types. Amy is a graduate of Cottey College where she received an Associate of Arts degree, and University of Kansas where she received a Bachelor of Architecture.
	Frank White, III, Vice President of Development, RideKC Development Corporation | Frank White, III is the Vice President of Development with RideKC Development Corporation, a division of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority which he co-founded to work with business, civic, and community leaders to develop regional Transit Oriented Development projects, spur workforce development, job access, workforce housing & public policy initiatives. The Corporation is developing Transportation Oriented Development projects and Public Private Partnerships worth over 75 million dollars across the region. He uses his love for speaking to discuss leadership in general, and the future of transportation. White has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas. Frank is very active in his community and serves on various nonprofit boards. He is an alumnus of the Eno Transit Senior Executive Program Class of 2019. Frank is a Fall 2019 Graduate of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program. He is currently a member of the Leadership Missouri Class of 2021.

Moderated by:

Kiona Sinks, Founder, Elevate Consulting | Kiona Sinks is a social and civic innovator, setting the standard for how young leaders should model community engagement, bringing together generations across professions to change the perspective on what community activism is our modern-day world. Kiona takes pride in giving back and is a community-minded connector with a decade of consistent volunteerism and community engagement. She is mission-driven and passionate about diversity and inclusion and promoting social and civic engagement. As an undergraduate, Kiona helped found the African American Student Union (AASU) at Central Methodist University. The AASU’s mission is to promote positive images of African Americans and to stimulate the cultural, intellectual and social growth of all CMU students, faculty and staff. As a student ambassador, Kiona was selected as one of the top ten students by the Jefferson City, Mid Missouri Higher Education Board. Kiona is a speaker and conducts conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion. Kiona has a proven track record of success in initiating, promoting and maintaining strong interpersonal relations with many in different sectors. Currently, Kiona serves as community engagement manager + digital marketing strategy for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

Thank you to our event sponsors

Question(s) about this event? Contact Krista Reifschneider | 816.595.4105. Having issues signing in or creating an account? Contact Aarika Leonard-DeMarc | 816.595.4118.