South KC Chamber of Commerce President leaves position

By Brad Ziegler

Vickie Wolverton has resigned from the South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce after a term of more than 18 years.  She will be staying with the Chamber through the end of April. Today the Chamber board announced Rick Chambers as her replacement.  Wolverton will be taking a full-time position as the District Manager of the Martin City Community Improvement District. She has worked with the district since 2018 through a contract between the Chamber and the MCCID.  

Recent Chamber Board Chair Jason Schram praised Wolverton, saying “Vickie has many strengths, but one thing that stands out to me is that she is a great connector of people.  She can somehow filter through new relationships and thousands of existing relationships to bring together just the right combination of people to address the issue at hand.”

Chambers has worked with Wolverton as a Chamber member and member of the Board of Directors for 15 years and said that she “had a profound impact on South Kansas City during her time as Chamber President.” While he was sorry to see her leave the Chamber post, Chambers said that he was “grateful that she will continue to serve South Kansas City in her role as Martin City CID Executive Director.”

Wolverton said that she has enjoyed her time with the Chamber, and that “it was a tough decision to leave the Chamber after 18 years, but I am excited to still be working with the South Kansas City/Martin City business community through my new role with the CID.”

MCCID Board Vice Chair Howard Barewin shared that “the board has enjoyed working with Vicki and looks forward to her leadership going forward.”

Chambers, a long-time resident and community leader, will start on May 1. Chambers served on the Chamber Board for many years, including Board Chair in 2017. He has also been active with the Center School District as Executive Director of the Center Education Foundation and, most recently, as Director of Communications & Development for the District.

The South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce was established in 1931 and primarily serves businesses located south of 75th Street in Kansas City and others who do business in that area.