© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Kansas City's new community engagement coordinator wants to increase accessibility to funding

Gary Jones is the new community engagement coordinator for Kansas City, Missouri.
Gary Jones
/
Kansas City, Missouri
Gary Jones is the new community engagement coordinator for Kansas City, Missouri.

The goal of Kansas City's Office of Citizen Engagement is to raise awareness of grants and funds available to residents for community projects. The city's new community engagement coordinator, Gary Jones, is at the head of that effort.

KCUR's Up To Date was joined by Kansas City citizen engagement coordinator Gary Jones. Jones talked about how he got into public service, what he hopes to do with the Office of Citizen Engagement, and why he wants to be a "one-stop shop" for the people of Kansas City.

Jones says he hopes that his office, of which he is the only staff member, will cut through the "bureaucratic red tape" that makes it difficult for residents to utilize the city's resources.

  • Gary Jones, community engagement coordinator with Kansas City, Missouri's, Office of Citizen Engagement
Stay Connected
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
Your donation helps keep nonprofit journalism free and available for everyone.