Kauffman Foundation appoints three Kansas City leaders to Board of Trustees

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has announced the appointment of Karen Daniel, Anita Newton, and Paul J. Schofer to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Karen Daniel is a retired executive director, chief financial officer, and president of the Global Finance & Technology Solutions division for Black & Veatch (B&V), a global leader in providing engineering, consulting and construction services for power, oil and gas, water, and telecommunication sectors. She currently sits on the boards of Snap-on Incorporated and Commerce Bancshares. Daniel is an integral part of the Kansas City community and was awarded the 2020 Athena Award for professional achievement and community service by the Greater KC Chamber of Commerce. She also chaired the Greater KC Chamber Board in 2017.

Anita Newton currently serves as chief innovation officer at CommunityAmerica, a $4 billion credit union headquartered in Kansas City. During the pandemic, Newton’s team delivered financial education to over 2,500 students throughout the Kansas City area. Newton is an advocate for education, a seasoned marketer and serial entrepreneur. She developed the entrepreneurial marketing curriculum for the Kauffman Foundation’s Founder’s School, was a keynote speaker at the Worldwide Lean Startup Conference and a contributing writer for Entrepreneur.com and Inc.com. Newton served as Chief Marketing Officer of Zave Networks and co-founded Mighty Good Solutions. In 2018, Newton was awarded the Athena Award, given by the Greater KC Chamber for professional achievement and service. Newton currently serves on the KU College of Liberal Arts Advisory Board, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, City Year board and as a trustee at Christo Rey.

Paul J. Schofer is president and chief executive officer of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, a position he has held since June 2014. Prior to that, he was Vice President of operations and Chief Financial Officer for the Kauffman Center. Schofer has significant experience in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. He began his career in public accounting with Price Waterhouse, followed by stints with Marion Laboratories, Inc., a pharmaceutical company founded by Ewing Marion Kauffman; Hallmark Cards, Inc.; and Learfield Communications, Inc., a diverse multimedia enterprise that manages the athletic marketing and branding rights for more than 50 collegiate institutions and associations. Previously he was on the boards of the Downtown Council of Kansas City, the Children’s Place and Powell Gardens, and he participated in the Centurions Leadership Program of the Greater KC Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City Tomorrow Leadership Development Program, and as a mentor in the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program.

“The collective brain trust that Karen, Anita, and Paul bring provides tremendous financial savvy and deep community knowledge to the Kauffman Foundation,” said John Sherman, chairman of the Kauffman Foundation Board of Trustees. “Their humility, values and understanding of Mr. Kauffman’s legacy will keep our foundation focused on building the kind of culture that supports Kansas City for generations to come.”

“The Kauffman Foundation has been an integral part of the Kansas City community, and I’m proud to be of service to the organization as they embark on bold ideas in the education, entrepreneurship, and civic space both in the local community and around the country,” said Karen Daniel. “This is a critical and exciting time for all of this work, and I’m looking forward to helping champion it as a member of the Board of Trustees.”

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to join the Kauffman Board of Trustees and continue their work to improve education outcomes and accelerate entrepreneurial initiatives in Kansas City and across the country,” said Anita Newton. “Through its approach to build inclusive prosperity and address systemic barriers, the Kauffman Foundation is providing the insight and tools to create access and opportunity for all. I am excited to join this team and move this work forward.”

“Having known Mr. Kauffman and previously worked with his Foundation, I am honored to continue to help carry out Mr. Kauffman’s legacy,” said Paul Schofer. “I came back to Kansas City to work at the Kauffman Center because I believed so strongly in Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman’s approach to building strong organizational and community cultures.”

“Our new trustees are dedicated to carrying out the Foundation’s mission and have created and maintained deep connections within the communities we support,” said Wendy Guillies, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “Each new trustee brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our board and understands Mr. Kauffman’s devotion to helping people, regardless of race, gender or geography, create pathways to opportunities. I look forward to continuing this important work together.”

The Kauffman Foundation recently had three local board trustees retire based on the end of their board terms in 2021. These appointments provide the board with additional local knowledge and capacity to meet the Kauffman Foundation’s mission.