The Pitch Questionnaire
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so much, I actually visited the Village of Cong in 2010 where John Ford filmed it on the West Coast of Ireland back in 1952.
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What local tradition do you take part in every year? Since being a candidate for Man of the Year in 2008, I support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at its Man & Woman of the Year Finale. I always walk away with things from the silent auction that I don’t need, but it’s all for a very good cause.
C O P E L A N D Occupation: By day, I’m the director of business development at Vince & Associates Clinical Research. By night, I become general manager of MUSA Kansas City. How can you not want to be the commissioner of a kickball league?
Current neighborhood: Merriam Who or what is your sidekick? My little brother, Brahm. We’ve been matched up through Big Brothers Big Sisters for almost four years. We spend about three to four hours a week together checking out Kansas City, learning something new, or defending the world against a zombie takeover on Xbox 360. What career would you choose in an alternate reality? Platypus handler at Taronga Zoo in Sydney What was the last local restaurant you patronized? Grünauer Where do you drink? During kickball season, I like to frequent the Brooksider. I’m also a big fan of Kennedy’s in Waldo and Kelly’s in Westport. What’s your favorite charity? That’s tough. I’d have to say my three favorite charities would be the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the NelsonAtkins Museum of Art, and Camp Quality of Greater Kansas City. What TV show do you make sure you watch? I don’t watch a great deal of TV, but I do enjoy Archer, The Daily Show and Modern Family.
Celebrity you’d like to ride the Mamba with at Worlds of Fun: Something tells me I might have fun with Sofia Vergara.
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Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa/Kansas City, Missouri
Favorite place to spend your paycheck: Ireland. I’ll spend a little more when I go back. What local phenomenon do you think is overrated? Pub crawls. I mean, it’s for a good cause, and I have been on them several times, but I think you get to a certain age where you just can’t take that much alcohol in one afternoon. Where do you like to take out-of-town guests? JJ’s, Woodyard Bar-B-Que, Boulevard Brewery, Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue, Truman Library, the Liberty Memorial, the National World War I Museum, the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Finish this sentence: “Kansas City got it right when …” It focused on reviving the urban core. I’ve been in KC since 1999 and remember when it was a ghost town on the weekends. Its revival is a source of pride as other cities take note of our urban renewal and focus on our urban core in the areas of art, culture, retail, restaurants and residential living space.
Favorite person or thing to follow on Twitter: Seth MacFarlane
“Kansas City screwed up when it …” Allowed “politics” to get into its politics. I can’t imagine how Kansas City moves forward with any kind of momentum with the way the City Council has conducted business. “Kansas City needs …” To get accreditation back in its schools. Ingenuity and innovation grants and raises/rewards for teachers who go above and beyond (too many do with no recognition) should be instituted. We need to raise the bar by thinking outside the box. Selling it off to other school districts is not the answer. “People might be surprised to know that I …” Was so good at fifth grade that they asked me to come back and enjoy it for a second year. take up a lot of space in my iTunes: Foo Fighters, Nat King Cole and the Beastie Boys What movie do you watch at least once a year? The Quiet Man — something I’ve watched since I was a little boy back in Iowa. I like that movie
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the pitch
MARCH 8 -14, 2012
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What subscription do you value most? The Economist and Time magazine Last book you read: The Expectant Father by Armin Brott and Jennifer Ash. It’s been a big help. Favorite day trip: Weston, Missouri. I love the Main Street shops and, of course, O’Malley’s! What is your most embarrassing dating moment? Literally almost getting to third base on third base on a minor league baseball field in Iowa, but then getting ushered off the field by local law enforcement. Describe a recent triumph: Watching the growth of Party Arty via the Young Friends of Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I served as vice chair of Party Arty in 2008, and the year following I was the chair. I spent nearly four years with YFA and stepped off in fall 2011 to embrace my new role as a father, but I will always feel like a proud parent watching it grow.
Sign up for MUSA kickball now at http://tiny.cc/ xbsyj. Registration closes April 18.
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THE PITCH
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