Kay Waldo Barnes
Kay Conkrite Waldo Barnes (born March 30, 1938 in St. Joseph , Missouri ) is an American politician . She was Mayor of Kansas City , Missouri from 1999 to 2007 .
In the late 1960s, Kay Barnes began to get involved at the community level. She initially worked as a volunteer and later as an employee for a municipal cooperation project. She also represented the interests of female students at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. In 1974 she was elected to the Jackson County Legislature ; from 1979 she was a member of the Kansas City council. Privately, she ran her own personnel development company, Kay Waldo, Inc. , which she served as President for 23 years.
Barnes was elected mayoress on her birthday in 1999 as the successor to Emanuel Cleaver , with 59:41 percent of the vote against George Blackwood, and confirmed in 2003 for a second term. She is a Democrat and was the first female mayor of Kansas City. The greatest accomplishment of her tenure was the revitalization of downtown Kansas City, which was pretty shabby at the start of her tenure. She also suggested building the Sprint Center , which was completed in October 2007. Her successor was Mark Funkhouser in May 2007 .
In 2008, Kay Barnes ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives . She was nominated by her party though, was defeated in the elections but then the Republican incumbent Sam Graves clearly with 37:59 percent of the vote.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Barnes, Kay Waldo |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Conkrite, Kay (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 30, 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. Joseph , Missouri |