Staff & Board

Welcome to Independence!

Let us be the first of many friendly faces to welcome you to our hometown. We’d love to help you start planning your visit and “find your Independence!”

Tourism Staff

  • Eric Urfer, Director, Parks | Recreation | Tourism
  • Kristi Criswell, Tourism Manager 
  • Frank Buhro, Tourism Volunteer & Historic Sites Manager
  • Kelsey Mortimer, Tourism Sales & Services Manager
  • Zach McNulty, Multimedia Communications Coordinator
  • Gary Sheridan, Visitor Experience Specialist
  • Carrie Battles, Tourism Specialist

National Frontier Trails Museum

  • Leah Palmer, Events & Education Program Manager
  • Ana Delgado, Visitor Services Coordinator
  • Lindsay Burks Museum Collections Manager
  • Pele Schuster Museum Coordinator

Tourism Commission

The residents of Independence already know how wonderful the city is, but these hometown fans decided to spread the word.
  • James Allen, Chairman
  • Sam Rushay, Vice Chairman
  • Kris Zerr, Secretary
  • Michele DeMoss
  • John Thornton
  • Jodi Krantz
  • Cindy McClain
  • Russ Cannon
  • Jennifer Vitela