Our chapter's roots can be traced back to informal meetings in 1963. in 1965, with a membership of about 30 people, we were granted American Public Works Association (APWA) chapter status. Our Chapter has over 750 members and remains a dynamic organization with a remarkable heritage, one that continually presents a challenge for us to further the tradition of excellence already established.

Much of our chapter history has been captured in Service in the Heartland, a history of APWA's Kansas City Metropolitan Chapter.  Service in the Heartland

Awards & Member Recognition

We are very proud to have been awarded the prestigious President's Award For Chapter Excellence (PACE) every year since the award's inception in 1997.

National APWA Past Presidents: Myron Calkins (1971), Ronald Norris (1993) and Larry Frevert (2007)

National Top 10 Public Works Leaders of the Year: Russell Helms (1967), Glen Hopkins (1968), Myron Calkins (1973), Don Hurlbert (1979), John Kemp (1982), Bob Pryzby (1989), Ed Wolf (1999), Bob Lowry (2000), Ronald Norris (2001), Charles Owsley (2002), Tom Kirkwood (2003) Mac Andrew (2004), Doug Wesselschmidt (2005), Steve Hansen (2006), Joe Johnson (2007), Larry Frevert (2010), Doug Brown (2012), Dennis Randolph (2015), Dena Mezger (2016) and Patty Hilderbrand (2017).

National Young Leaders: Patty Hilderbrand & Wayne Gudenkauf (2003), Anne Hays (2005), Rob Krewson (2006), Dan Stack (2007), Heidi Thummel (2008), Alysen Abel (2009), Bill Stogsdill (2011), Therese Mersmann (2014), and Kati Horner-Gonzalez (2019). 

Opportunities to Get Involved

An important goal is to help implement the APWA mission statement within the chapter region. This year we have 33 committees, each with established activities and goals to help achieve our mission to serve our members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. In addition to our regular programs, other events include: educational seminars and workshops, the National Public Works Week luncheon, a golf tournament, the annual snow and equipment training expo, and our traditional December holiday party. 

After learning more about the Kansas City Metro Chapter from this website, if you would like to become a member, please contact the chapter membership chair listed below or click here. If you have questions about the chapter or would like to become involved in chapter activities, please feel free to contact the chapter president or one of the board members or committee chairs listed within the website. For website comments, please contact our webmaster.

Would you like to receive email updates and newsletters from the Kansas City Metro Chapter?
Please email Allison Bruner, Communications & Publicity Chair, to be added to the  mailing list.