Housing in Prairie Village has been a topic of increasing concern. What factors contributed to the housing landscape that we see today, and what steps can be taken to create a community that is more affordable, diverse, and welcoming for all? Please join us for what will be an engaging conversation with our panelists as we dive deep into this topic.

Featured Panelists Include:

Kristy Baughman

Kristy has been with United Community Services of Johnson County since 2018. In her role as the Director of Education and Planning, Kristy leads UCS’s work on housing, transitional age youth, and data collection and analysis. Prior to joining UCS, Kristy spent more than 12 years working internationally with a focus on improving the lives of women and girls. Her international career led her to work in Russia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Haiti, and Philippines with organizations such as CARE International, Save the Children, United Nations, and UNICEF. For five years, Kristy worked for Rose Brooks Center (RBC) as the Advocacy and Education Manager, leading RBC's Community Education, Legal Advocacy, and Non-Residential Advocacy programs. Kristy earned her BA in Women's Studies from Wichita State University and her MA in International Development, with a concentration on Gender and Development, from Clark University.

Andrew R. Gustafson

Andrew is the curator of interpretation at the Johnson County Museum and project lead for the museum’s newest special exhibition, REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs, and Segregation. He holds an MA in History from the University of Houston, and has worked in the history and museums fields for over a decade. He currently serves as the president of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City. For the past year and a half, Andrew has immersed himself in research for the museum’s REDLINED exhibit.

Keith Johnson Jr.

Keith Johnson Jr. is a Kansas City real estate agent and investor with the KW Key (Prairie Village) brokerage, licensed in both Kansas and Missouri. The product of an entrepreneurial family, Keith watched his parents and relatives buy, sell, and invest and has been passionate about real estate ever since.

For Keith, real estate isn’t about the numbers - it’s about the people. Before his real estate career, Keith worked for eight years as a hospice chaplain. That experience revolutionized his perspective on life. He cares deeply about his clients and the dreams that are being created via homeownership and investing. Keith takes his role in the process seriously and offers advice that helps his clients make solid decisions for their future.

As an avid traveler and former East coast resident, Keith is very knowledgeable about local and national real estate markets. He has fallen in love with Kansas City and the community he has built here and has put down solid roots in his new hometown. As a homeowner and investor, Keith’s passion for the city and national knowledge make him an excellent guide for those moving in and out of the Kansas City region.

Keith earned his bachelor's degree at Norfolk State University and a seminary degree (MDiv) from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. He is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

This Keller Williams Key Partners former Rookie of the Year loves helping others, growing his faith and traveling to new places. When he’s not showing houses, you’ll find him at his church, cheering on the Chiefs, playing basketball or planning his next trip.

Working with Keith, you’ll not only receive excellent service and sound real estate advice, but you may also find yourself meeting him at one of his favorite local spots like Ruby Jean’s Juicery or Slaps BBQ.

Dr. Jacob Wagner

Dr. Wagner is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning & Design at UMKC and the Director of the Urban Studies Program. He joined the University of Missouri in 2005. He is a member of the editorial board of the international Journal of Urban Design.

He served as the Principal Investigator for the project entitled Planning for Heritage Tourism, Housing Resettlement and Neighborhood Economic Recovery in New Orleans, Louisiana, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2006-2008. This work supported the recovery of thousands of local businesses in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and to the development of the Lafitte Greenway – an urban greenway in the heart of the city.

In 2007, the Washington Wheatley Neighborhood Association in Kansas City, Missouri invited Dr. Wagner to develop a neighborhood plan with local residents. This marked the beginning of his work with Kansas City neighborhoods. In 2015, Dr. Wagner established the UMKC Center for Neighborhoods (CFN) as a nonpartisan research and outreach center with the support of Missouri Senator Shalonn Curls.

In 2017, Dr. Wagner’s research helped to earn Kansas City a designation by UNESCO as a Creative City of Music. Kansas City Missouri is an active member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and the only City of Music in the United States. Dr. Wagner has published planning research in the Journal of Planning History, the Journal of Planning Education and Research, Cityscape: HUD’s Journal of Policy Development and Research, the Journal of Urban Design, and the Journal of Urbanism.

Moderator:

Dan Margolies

Dan Margolies is editor in charge of legal affairs, education and Missouri politics at KCUR, the public radio station in Kansas City.  Dan joined KCUR in April 2014. In a long and varied journalism career, he has worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Business Journal, The Kansas City Star and Reuters. In a previous life, he was a lawyer.

Dan was born in Brooklyn, NY, and moved to Kansas City with his family when he was eight years old. He majored in philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis and holds law and journalism degrees from Boston University.

He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism and the recipient of numerous first-place awards from the Missouri Press Association, Kansas City Press Club and the Association of Area Business Publications.

Submit Questions for the Panelists:

Please email Inga Selders at iselders@pvkansas.com with your questions.