Kansas City Ballet is happy to welcome back veteran staffer Jennifer Wampler to the role of Chief Development Officer.
A Long History with Kansas City Ballet and KC Arts
Jennifer Wampler’s longtime relationship with KCB started in 1990 as she worked on her MBA from UMKC. She did an internship with the Ballet in the marketing and development departments. Then as an employee from 1992 to 1995, Ms. Wampler served as the Ballet’s manager of audience development. She spent most of the next 9 years working at UMKC’s School of Pharmacy before coming back to the Ballet in 2005 as the Development Director.
In 2012 after leading a highly successful capital campaign for the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity, helping drive kick off events like the first KC Dance Day in 2011 to establish the Bolender Center as a community asset, she again parted ways for another exciting project.
She led the capital campaign for UMKC’s Downtown Campus for the Conservatory project which is planned to locate just south of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
“It was a pie in the sky project with lots of fits and starts, which was similar to Kansas City Ballet’s capital campaign. But I took my experience from here, and knew there would be similar players in the process. I knew the ups and downs were normal but that we must stay the course. And, in the end, the campaign was successful,” Ms. Wampler says.
“With both high profile projects I got to meet some amazing people who make great things happen in our community. I’m so grateful for these experiences.”
What keeps her coming back to KCB?
The truth is she’s never truly left. Ms. Wampler has remained actively engaged with the Ballet through her involvement in the Guild, as a member of the Patrons Society, and as an Academy parent. She has a personal love of dance. She started dance lessons at the age of 3 and continued dancing thru grad school before becoming a founding member of Aha! Dance Theatre here in KC.
“Dance is a true passion of mine. These dancers are so phenomenal! I know the people and love the Company and the way it has grown and developed,” Ms. Wampler says. “I am grateful the way the city has embraced the Ballet. Arts growth in this city is amazing! It’s a part of who I am and who my family is with our involvement in this wonderful company.”
What are major goals going forward?
- Continuing to raise funds for ongoing support of the company
- Looking to future needs
- Engaging donors in meaningful ways long-term.
Ms. Wampler knows that the growth of this organization is set to continue and that means her job is bigger and more important than ever.
No matter what lies ahead, she says, “I’m happy to be back!”