When Kansas City Manager Brian Platt was fired last month, Kimiko Gilmore took over the role in an interim capacity. Now, she’s considered to be a leading candidate — if not the leading candidate — to get the job permanently.
Kimiko has a long history at City Hall, beginning her career with Kansas City in 2000. She’s been in and out of the building several times, including a stint as the chief of staff to the UMKC chancellor, and was serving as Deputy City Manager.
If selected, Gilmore says the most immediate thing the city needs to work on its openness with the public.
"That was a huge reason why Mr. Platt is not here in this seat right now," Gilmore told KCUR's Up To Date.
"And so, I want to make sure that we're building confidence with the community so they know that when we are are communicating a message, that it is truthful, that it is accurate, and they're getting the information that they need right now."
Platt and the city lost a whistleblower lawsuit from a former communications director, who accused the city manager of telling him to lie to the media. Platt was suspended soon after.
After KCUR and other Kansas City newsrooms sent an open letter to Mayor Quinton Lucas and Council urging greater access to information, Council moved to audit the city's communications strategy.
- Kimiko Gilmore, interim city manager of Kansas City
