Parker Van Hecke, Director of Development
Phone: 816.235.2861 / email

C. Parker Van Hecke joined KCUR, Kansas City, in May (1996) as the new Director of Development. Parker brings twenty years of public radio experience to KCUR - having crossed plains, polar ice, even a significant expanse of ocean just to manage a station. Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Parker received his bachelors degree in radio/television from Eastern New Mexico University. Moving to Lawrence, Kansas, where he picked up a masters at Kansas University in radio/television and film, Parker eventually taught at Wichita State University. While there, he also landed 125 skydiving jumps as a sport parachutist before moving on to Idaho where he managed public radio station, KUID at the University of Idaho and also taught classes in his role as Assistant Professor. From there, it was on to the University of Alaska - Fairbanks, where he taught classes and managed public radio station, KUAC.

An interesting sidebar: While in Alaska, Parker started his own film company and produced two full-length documentaries. One of his films recorded an excavation of rare dinosaur bones, 65 million years old, uncovered 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle - suggesting dinosaurs may have had warmer blood than previously thought. Granted, the Arctic Circle wasn't quite so frigid 65 million years ago, but the dig still has paleontologists theorizing. The other documentary - entitled, "Alaska: The Great Land", and narrated by Pernell Roberts (a.k.a. Adam on Bonanza and Trapper John, M.D.) - ran on the Discovery Channel for five years and won a "Viewer's Choice" award during the Discovery Channel's fifth birthday celebration.

So, anyhow, Parker left bones and icecaps behind and moved on to Humboldt State University in California to teach and manage public radio station KHSU. From there, he relocated to the balmy breezes of Guam to start and manage public radio station, KPRG , at the University of Guam. While there, he added to his daredevil skydiving image and took to the sea, earning his Dive Master certification in SCUBA. While on Guam, Parker was appointed by the governor of Guam to the Ancient Order of the Chamorri (native Guamanians) for his significant contributions to their island. After three years on Guam, Parker moved to the Heartland to be near his children and to work at KCUR.

Annie Benskin, Underwriting Account Executive
Phone:816.235.5770/ email

Annie is a Midwestern girl, born in Oklahoma and raised in Kansas and Texas. She attended the University of Kansas and graduated with a BA in English in 1998. Following graduation, Annie began her career in public radio at KANU in Lawrence, as Membership Director and then Corporate Development Director. She was excited about the opportunity to continue her work in public radio sales at KCUR, where she started work in May 2003.

Annie enjoys spending time with her husband Joe and girls Clara and Josie at their home in Olathe.

Chris Graham, Underwriting Account Executive
Phone: 816.235.2839/ email

Chris Graham joined KCUR in April 2003 as an account executive in our Development department. She is a past volunteer and avid listener of the station. Chris received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Communication Studies. After college, Chris worked for an advertising agency in business development for more than four years. During that time she co-founded Moxie Catering, KC Magazine’s 2006 Caterer of the Year.

Chris recently left the catering world behind and in July 2007, she and husband Andy welcomed their daughter, Hartley, into their family. Chris is active in JDRF fundraising activities, loves cooking, knitting, skiing, yoga, pilates, and singing on recordings of Andy’s original songs.

Dana Ray Thompson, Underwriting Sales Executive
Phone: 816.235.5702 / email

Dana was born and raised in Northwest Missouri and attended college at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Persuasive Speech Communications in 1994. Upon graduation, she married her high school sweetheart, Chris Thompson, and began her future in public radio at MU's public radio station, KBIA-FM, selling underwriting for the next two years. After moving to Kansas City in 1996, Dana made a bee-line to KCUR where she was promptly hired as an underwriting executive. "Public radio is such a part of me and working for a non-profit is very compatible with my personality. The relationships I have developed here are ones that will last a lifetime," Dana said.

She enjoys spending time with her family, a true public radio family. Dana predicts that her son and daughter will both work in underwriting sales at KCUR someday. Her daughter frequently answers her phone with, "This is Taylor with KCUR" and her son, Gage, continually reminds her, "Shhh, Mommy, I'm talking to a customer".

In 2003, Dana and her husband also began partnering with Lakota leaders on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota creating humanitarian relief programs and offering economic development assistance.   Dana, along with the help of her husband and other local leaders, has organized a new soon to be non-profit organization here in Kansas city that partners with American Indian leaders in South Dakota and Missouri called Warm Embrace, Inc.  The Thompsons along with their two children, travel to South Dakota two to three times per year taking up to 100 people to participate in economic development projects and construction projects with their Lakota partners and to make deliveries.  Dana is currently focusing on the Lakota Star Quilt Project working towards building a structure on the reservation that will house a non-profit organization, owned and operated by the Lakota people that will provide outreach to the community through the cherished Lakota Star Quilt.  The organization will generate funds for operation and outreach through quilt sales on and off of the reservation, local fabric store sales, a 'coffee corner' for networking and through rental fees from the community sewing room. For more information, you can go to www.warmembrace.org

Dana is also an accomplished party and wedding planner. She also enjoys renovating old homes, movies, hosting tea parties and collecting children's books.