Culture of Engagement: Parkville Campus

Civic Engagement Activities

Park University faculty and staff serve on a variety of boards and committees, including:

• American Association of University Women, Parkville
• American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, Sunflower Chapter
• American Society for Public Administration International Task Force
• City of Parkville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
• Civil War Round Table of Kansas City
• Concerned Care (an organization founded over 30 years ago that serves the housing, healthcare and employment needs of nearly 130 developmentally disabled adults)
• Hispanic Economic Development Corporation
• John Austin Cheley Foundation
• Kansas City Area Development Council Marketing Committee
• Kansas City Metropolitan Library and Information Network
• Kansas City Posse of the Westerners International
• KC Fringe Festival Board of Directors
• Liberty Memorial Association Education Committee
• Mayor's Ethnic Enrichment Commission, Kansas City, MO
• Monnett Battle of Westport Fund
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators Region 4 Council of Advisors to Foreign Students and Scholars
• National Academy of Public Administration Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance
• Northland United Way Services
• Park Hill School District Education Foundation
• Platte County Economic Development Council Marketing Committee
• Pony Express Council, Boy Scouts of America
• University of Kansas Advisory Board for Graduate Education
• Walnut Grove Cemetery Parkville

Park University faculty and staff volunteer their time to assist a variety of nonprofit organizations, including:

• Hope House (a shelter and place of new beginning for women and children that are the victims of domestic violence in the greater Kansas City area)
• Juvenile Writers of Kansas City
• Parkville Nature Sanctuary
• Wexford Place (a residential care facility)

Park University faculty and staff volunteer their service as voluntary writers and/or editors for the following publications:

• Girl Scouting (a quarterly publication of Mid Continent Council of Girl Scouts)
• Parkville Luminary
• UNPAN Newsletter

Athletic Department Activities

Park University actively supports the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character program, which was established to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide practical tools for student-athletes, coaches and parents to use in modeling exemplary character traits. The NAIA Champions of Character program is an educational outreach initiative which emphasizes the tenets of character and integrity, not only for NAIA college students, but for younger students, coaches and parents in our communities. Coaches, parents, administrators and community partners all have a role in developing students of character. The NAIA Champions of Character program brings them training, guidelines and behavior models to create positive environments that promote personal growth and fun sport activity.

Park University and Parkville, MO

Several Park faculty, staff and alumni have served as Parkville Mayor or Alderman:

• Howard B. McAfee, class of 1880, (one of John McAfee’s sons) served as Mayor for ten years or so in the 1890s. He improved the streets, built sidewalks and helped develop the first sewer and water systems.
• Howard Dean, class of 1896, professor of Chemistry at Park, also served as mayor in the teens.
• Leon Robbins, Math professor, served three terms as Mayor, three terms as Commander of American Legion Post 318, Parkville and two terms as Platte County Surveyor. He died in 1961.
• Jenkin David, professor of Theater and founder of the Bell Road Barn Theater, was mayor in the 1980s and was instrumental in developing the successful Parkville Farmers’ Market.
• Park Employee Pete Jackson was the first African-American to be elected a Parkville Alderman.
• Lawrence R. Young, '64 served as an alderman in the 1970s.
• Terry D. Brown '70, has served as an alderman and several times as commander of the American Legion Post 318.
• David C. House, '71, served as Parkville Municipal judge for 12 years.
• Jack Friedman, '71, was a Parkville Alderman for nearly 20 years. Jack was a driving force behind the development of English Landing Park and the erection of the Waddell A Truss Bridge in the park.
• Randy Condit, '87, served two terms as a Parkville alderman.

Countless alumni and staff people have served on various city committees over the years. Many have also served on the Chamber of Commerce and the Parkville Community Commission, among other groups.

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