KC Rep Welcomes New Board Chair & Members

Burns & McDonnell chairman and chief executive officer Greg Graves has been elected as the new chair of Kansas City Repertory Theatre Board of Directors. Graves, who had served on the finance committee, will serve as chair for two years and succeeds Scott Boswell. Graves has been on the board since 2014.

New members elected to the board include H. Jeffrey Dobbs, Timothy J. Marchesi, and Roshann Parris. For a complete list of board members, click here.

Boswell stated, "I am pleased to announce that the Board of the Kansas City Repertory theatre has elected Greg Graves, CEO of Burns & McDonnell as its new board chair. Greg is a community leader in every sense of the word. Whether it's his new role as chair of the University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board or his leadership on the board of Union Station, no matter the charitable endeavor, he works tirelessly to better the organization. We are thrilled that Greg is willing to put his passion and energy behind the ongoing success of KC Rep."

"I'm a true believer that one of the key elements of having a world class city is having exceptional arts programs," says Graves, newly elected chair of Kansas City Repertory Theatre Board of Directors. "For decades, KC Rep has been entertaining all of us with programming that educates, challenges and inspires its audience. I'm honored to share my commitment and passion to the arts with such an iconic Kansas City institution."

About Greg Graves

As Chairman and CEO of Burns & McDonnell, Greg Graves leads one of the fastest-growing and most successful engineering, architecture, construction and environmental consulting firms in North America. In January 2004, when Graves was appointed CEO, approximately 1,500 employee-owners worked at Burns & McDonnell. Annual revenue in 2004 was $420 million. Since then, the employee count has grown to more than 5,200, and sales last year exceeded $2.5 billion.

Under his leadership, Burns & McDonnell has earned a reputation as a national leader in many technical specialties within the energy, public infrastructure, government, aviation, process and healthcare sectors. This year, Burns & McDonnell ranks as the 17th largest engineering, architecture and construction firm as measured by Engineering News-Record magazine.

In 2014, for the fifth consecutive year, Burns & McDonnell received the prestigious Premier Award for Client Satisfaction from the Professional Services Management Journal (PSMJ). The organization names a select group of winners each year that earn an average score of "Exceeded Expectations." The award is based on an independent survey of clients across all industry categories served by Burns & McDonnell.

The firm is nationally recognized as one of America's best places to work. In 2015, Fortune magazine ranked Burns & McDonnell the 15th best place to work in its annual ranking of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. It was the fourth consecutive year and fifth time overall that Burns & McDonnell has been selected for the high-profile ranking. Fortune magazine also teamed up with Great Place to Work and recognized Burns & McDonnell as the 14th Best Workplace for Millennials in the U.S. in its inaugural 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials List. In addition, the Kansas City Business Journal has named Burns & McDonnell the No. 1 Best Place to Work among large workplaces in Kansas City for three consecutive years, while earning a spot on the top 10 list for a decade. In fact, Burns & McDonnell has won top workplace honors from more than 20 different publications across the country.

Graves joined Burns & McDonnell in 1980. After holding several positions of increasing responsibility with the firm, he was promoted to General Manager of Burns & McDonnell's Energy division in 1997. In 2001, he was promoted to President of the division, a position he held until he has named the firm's sixth CEO three years later.

His entrepreneurial approach to achieving success for his clients and firm earned him the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 Award in the Engineering category in the Central Midwest. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

In 2015, Graves was invited to lead the boards of two iconic Kansas City metro institutions that are trailblazers in fields he is extremely passionate about - healthcare and the arts. Graves was named Chair of the University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board after serving as a board member since 2009. The Kansas City Repertory Theatre also appointed Greg as Chairman of its board after serving on the Executive Committee for one year.

Graves also serves on the boards of Union Station Kansas City, Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Kansas Advancement Board and United Missouri Bank. He is a past chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. He has been named the CEO of the Year by the Mid-America Minority Business Development Council and the Difference Maker of the Year by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.

Graves and his wife, Deanna, view public service as a duty in return for all Kansas City has given them. In 2014, they donated $1 million to the University of Kansas Hospital, paired with an additional $2.5 million donated from the Burns & McDonnell Foundation, which the CEO promotes avidly with his employee-owners. The foundation has provided more than $16 million and staff volunteer hours toward four strategic areas: educational outreach, environmental responsibility, human services, and arts and culture.

In 2009, Graves and Deanna were named Kansas City's Philanthropists of the Year. Together, they have chaired fundraisers for the American Heart Association, March of Dimes, Starlight Theatre, Treads and Threads for KU Hospital's Cancer Center, Hope House, the Tocqueville Society of United Way, MOCSA, St. Luke's South Hospital, Boys & Girls Clubs, Ozanam, SafeHome, the Greater Kansas City United Way campaign, Children's Mercy and the Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

Graves has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and a Master of Business Administration from Rockhurst University.

About H. Jeffrey Dobbs

H. Jeffrey Dobbs is the KPMG Global Sector Chair and National Service Line Leader for Industrial Manufacturing, which includes Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Engineering & Industrial Products and Conglomerates. Dobbs has served a dual role as KPMG's General Motors Global Lead Partner since 2003, and from 2003 to 2007, he was the Office Managing Partner of KPMG's Detroit office. Prior to moving to Detroit, he was the Market Managing Partner for KPMG Kansas City. Dobbs had formerly been the Office Managing Partner of Andersen Kansas City.

He has more than 38 years of public accounting experience, working with companies across a wide range of industries including automotive, industrial and consumer products and financial services. Dobbs serves as a key advisor to KPMG global lead partners, as well as to a number of civic and community boards of directors in both Kansas City and Detroit. Dobbs is married to Roshann Parris.

About Tim Marchesi

Marchesi is President and Chief Executive Officer of DeMarche Associates, Inc. and chair of the DeMarche Manager Review Committee. He serves as Chief Investment Officer of Discretionary Management Services, LLC. He is president and supervising principal of Kansas City Brokerage (KCB), a subsidiary of DeMarche, which is registered as a broker with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Prior to joining DeMarche, he served as vice president for American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, Marchesi earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame.

About Roshann Parris

Parris is the founder of Parris Communications Inc., a Kansas City-based public relations and strategic communications firm now celebrating its 27th year. The firm has developed a reputation for strategic communications and crisis management efforts for clients nationwide, ranging from Fortune 50 companies to thriving small businesses. Roshann has simultaneously maintained an active Washington, D.C.-based public sector career which included 6 years on the U.S. Senate staff, along with service on the presidential campaign staffs of 9 presidential candidates dating back to 1980. Parris has served as Lead Advance on the White House Presidential Advance Team for the Clinton and Obama administrations, leading White House advance teams and accompanying the President and First Lady to over 60 countries.

Parris is a 1999 recipient of the Kansas City Spirit Award, a 2000 recipient of the Central Exchange Firehouse Award, 2003 Kansas City Woman of the Year, 2004 Public Relations Professional of the Year, 2005 Athena Award honoree by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, 2010 William Jewell College Distinguished Service honorary degree recipient, and 2013 United Way Adele Hall Spirit of Caring Award honoree. Parris is also the 4th woman in 126 years to chair the Board of Directors of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

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