Board of Directors + Team Members

(816) 866-6279 info@wearemarlborough.org wearemarlborough @marlboroughkc

Board of Directors

Meet your Marlborough Community Coalition Board of Directors. These individuals are some of the best. Committed, dedicated, and excited to see Marlborough grow and thrive. Want to get involved? Email info@wearemarlborough.org.

Jeff Primos

President + Economic Development + Marketing

Jeff grew up in Marlborough, moving to the neighborhood in 1979-1980. Jeff has served on several nonprofit boards, and is excited to see the developments happening in this community. He is currently the Director of Business Administration for the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.

Contact: president@wearemarlborough.org

Bethany Reyna

Community Health

Bethany is a lifetime Kansas City resident and a University of Missouri-Kansas City alumna. During her final year at UMKC, Bethany was fortunate enough to participate in the development of the Marlborough Catalyst Plan in 2013 and learned as much as she could about the Marlborough Community Coalition. She is currently the BackSnack and School Pantry Program Manager at Harvesters and joined the MCC Board in April 2020. She looks forward to learning more about the Marlborough Community Coalition!

Jensie Culton

Vice President + Arts/Culture

Jensie and her family moved to Marlborough three years ago and have a daughter who attends nearby Academy for Integrated Arts. She is passionate about empowering and supporting families and children in Marlborough by providing equitable, accessible resources for healthy food, education, economic development and exploration of nature and the arts. Jensie is also passionate about the cinnamon rolls from Vee's Sweets and Treats in Marlborough Village. Jensie and her husband, Thomas, have one daughter and two sons, as well as their own video production company, Thomas Bain Productions. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

Ernest Merritt

Arts/Culture + Marketing

Ernest and his wife, Tameka have called Marlborough home for the past 16 years. They have consistently taken pride in their investment within the neighborhood. As a board member, one of Ernest's primary goals will be to help continue building a strong sense of community.

Nancy Phelps

Treasurer

After six years in Kansas City, Nancy and her family moved to Marlborough in 2015. She quickly fell in love with the neighborhood, and the people that make this a true community. Nancy spends her days at JE Dunn Construction, where she is the Community Impact Director.

Tonya Slavens

Beautification + Volunteers

Tonya and her husband Bryan first moved to Marlborough in 1990 when the opportunity arose to buy their first home. They made the move from Kansas to Missouri - the best decision ever! Tonya is passionate about encouraging people to intentionally get involved, get to know their neighbors, beautify their space, and build community connectivity. She has been married 28 years, has four adult children, one grandson, is active in her local church, and would much rather hike or bike a trail than watch tv.

Becca McQuillen

Secretary + Housing Task Force

Becca moved to Marlborough in September 2017, after working on housing issues in the neighborhood for almost three years through her past role with Legal Aid. She is passionate about the people who live in this neighborhood and has met so many wonderful neighbors who support and care for one another. Through her work on the board, Becca hopes to represent their interests in the various initiatives of the Coalition.

Debonie Lewis

Housing + Arts & Culture

Debonie first moved to Kansas City from Connecticut as a 13-year-old. During her years of college at Mizzou, she began to appreciate the immense amount of culture and opportunity that Kansas City has to offer. Absorbing the culture of the city by driving around exploring different boulevards and neighborhoods, she fell in love, making the decision to move back, purchase a home, and invest in the city. Her experiences working for the U.S. Senate and Missouri House of Representatives give her a unique perspective on serving the community and building the Marlborough neighborhood. According to Debonie, "This neighborhood has a plentiful history, but many more opportunities ahead of it."

Team Members

The work of the Board of Directors is skillfully supported by a community organizer/part-time contract employee and long-standing, generous pro bono legal services.

Diane Hershberger

Healthy Communities Program Director + Fund Development + All Things Green

Diane moved to Marlborough over 20 years ago. Diane is committed to green space, housing and economic revitalization activities in Marlborough that promote racially and financially diverse neighborhoods as valuable assets. Diane is also the owner and operator of Stony Crest Urban Farm, located in Marlborough, which grows USDA certified organic produce that is sold at the Brookside and Waldo Farmer's Markets.

Contact: diane@wearemarlborough.org

Jere Sellers

Legal Advisor, Stinson Leonard Street

Rich Cook

Legal Advisor, Stinson Leonard Street

Advisory Council

Meet your Marlborough Community Coalition Advisory Council.

Richard Williams, Local Investment Commission (LINC)

Pastor Hubert McDonald, Evangel Spiritual Temple

Armond McDonald, Evangel Spiritual Temple

Dan Norberg, Norberg Construction

Jim Richardson, Marlborough Landlord

Steve Quinlin, South Kansas City Alliance

Ramsey Williams, Center Alternative School

Joyce Stokes, Center Alternative School

Jeph BurroughsScanlon, Jackson County, Missouri

Steve Burton

In memory of

Barbara Williams

We deeply appreciate all that she's done for our community and she will truly be missed.

www.longviewfuneralhome.com/obituary/Barbara-Williams

The Marlborough Community Coalition is a non-profit association of residents, businesses and partners working to ensure this diverse and historic neighborhood is vibrant, healthy and sustainable.