2025 Board of Directors

Marty Wiedenmann Jarvis, a proud 6th generation Westporter, serves as the President of the Westport Historical Society. With a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Missouri and an additional 40 master’s hours in Historic Costume and Textile Conservation from Kansas State University, Marty is deeply committed to preserving and safely managing the museum’s artifacts.

Under her leadership, her ultimate goal is to explore all options that will ensure the Westport Historical Society survives and thrives and to undertake a Capital Campaign to help complete the restoration of the Harris-Kearney House, ensuring it will survive as a museum for another hundred years. Marty is dedicated to building a strong, transparent team of professionals who are united in their mission to save the museum and society. Additionally, she aims to preserve the rich history of Westport and the businesses in our community by establishing a Westport Visitor Center on Westport Road, creating a valuable service to the community.

Tom Platt, Vice President of the Westport Historical Society, boasts a deep-rooted family history in Westport dating back to the 1870’s. A descendant of the founder of the Kansas City Public Library downtown, Tom’s legacy includes his great-grandmother’s pivotal role in saving the historic 1855 HKH from demolition.

As the owner of numerous business properties in Westport, Tom’s life is devoted to preserving and educating the community regarding its history. He serves on five boards and possesses an extensive knowledge of local affairs. His dedication and expertise in Westport’s historical narrative are unparalleled.

David Watkins serves as the Treasurer of the Westport Historical Society. As an experienced attorney, he is committed to ensuring that the organization survives and thrives as an ethical, legal, and transparent historical nonprofit. David’s expertise in legal matters guides the society in adhering to the highest standards of integrity and governance, supporting its mission to grow and succeed in preserving and celebrating the history of Westport.

Diane Euston, the Secretary of the Westport Historical Society, holds a Master’s in History and Education. Her thesis explored the life and impact of William Gillis, the founder of Kansas City. A seasoned speaker, Diane has presented multiple times at the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH), focusing on effective methods of teaching local history in classrooms, among other local history subjects.

Diane is a published author with works that delve into the history of Westport and Kansas City. She also teaches high school English, Broadcast Journalism, and the only high school class in Kansas City devoted to the city’s history. As an expert historian on Westport and Kansas City, her dedication to preservation is profound.

Michael Bushnell was the Owner/Publisher of Kansas City’s Northeast News for the past 26 years. The newspaper is an award winning, weekly community newspaper serving the Historic Northeast neighborhoods of Kansas City, MO.

Shortly after moving to the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast community, he was elected President of that neighborhood association and served two terms, one seven years, from 1993 through 2000 and then again from 2007 through 2010. During this time the leadership team in the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood worked to have two areas of the neighborhood designated as National Register Historic Districts.

In 1998, Michael and his wife purchased The Northeast News and quickly converted it from a weekly tabloid shopper to a viable community news source that serves Kansas City’s Historic Northeast community as well as the greater Kansas City region through their Print and Digital media platforms. The community news outlet has a Facebook following of just under 23,000 followers and over 35,000 readers per month follow the newspaper in their online version at www.northeastnews.net.

Since 1998, Michael has published a Kansas City history column in The Northeast News based on historic postcards. Since the column’s inception, Michael has expanded his historic Kansas City postcard collection to over 3,500 unduplicated views of Kansas City. Additionally, he has done historic postcard presentations to dozens of organizations including the Westport historical Society and a series of presentations for the Kansas City Public Library.

Michael and Chris enjoy traveling in their toy hauler with their Harley-Davidson motorcycle and their News Dog, Ella the Destroyer.

Michael’s journey clearly depicts his dedication to the Historic Northeast community and the collective history of Kansas City and the surrounding region.

Brian Mannschreck is a dedicated small business owner with over 30 years of experience in the Kansas City area. He owns Quality Window Cleaning Inc., Glamour Glass Services, and GGS Christmas Decor, which provide a wide range of services, including window cleaning, blind cleaning, blind repairs, pressure washing, chandelier cleaning, caulking, waterproofing, construction clean-up, and holiday lighting.

Originally from Oklahoma, Brian is happily married to his wife Donna of 33 years and is a proud father to his son, Drake, who is now 20 years old. In addition to his successful business, Brian has a deep passion for music and actively participates in his church choir and praise band. He also enjoys playing the standup bass for leisure and loves to travel with his family and friends.

Growing up on a farm in rural Oklahoma, Brian learned the value of hard work from an early age. He studied Business Management at South West Oklahoma State University, and his dedication and work ethic have been evident throughout his career.

Brian is known for his interest in creating events with music and is eager to contribute his expertise to our organization. His extensive experience and passion for music make him a valuable addition to the Board of Directors, and we are excited to have him on board.

Ryland Foster, a Westport native, has deep roots in the community. He attended Norman Grade School and is a proud member of Westport High School’s Class of 1980. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 1983 and is now a proud U.S. military veteran. While he works full-time for Volvo Cars in Overland Park, Kansas, his true passion lies in Westport and its vast and interesting history.

Ryland’s fascination with Kansas City history began at the age of seven when he learned about his family’s involvement in the Civil War Battle of Westport in 1863. His great-grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Jackman, served in the 7th Missouri Militia Cavalry (Union) and fought at Byram’s Ford. In contrast, his great-grandfather’s cousin, Colonel Sidney D. Jackman, was a Confederate Commander. This connection has fueled Ryland’s love for Westport and its captivating past.

In addition to his full-time job, Ryland has been leading history tours at the old Union Cemetery in midtown Kansas City since 2022. He has also been a dedicated volunteer groundskeeper at the cemetery for several years. Currently, Ryland serves as a Life Board member of the Union Cemetery Historical Society in addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Westport Historical Society.

Ryland’s extensive knowledge of our community and the city’s history is evident through his frequent posts on Facebook. He serves as a co-administrator for a Kansas City historical group with over 4,000 members called “Old Town Kansas City 1850s-1900s,” initially founded in 2016 by the late John Dawson. In addition to his historical interests, Ryland enjoys metal detecting and is a founder/administrator of the Facebook group “Kansas City UnEarthed Metal Detecting,” which has over 1900 members in the Midwest. Outside of his hobbies, Ryland cherishes spending time with his six children and 11 grandchildren.

With a robust background, Kimberly previously held positions such as Senior Administrative Assistant for the City of Kansas City, MO’s Housing & Community Development, KCI Operations & 311 call center supervisor, and City Council executive aide for Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner and other city council members.

Kimberly brings over 15 years of customer service and call center management experience from her tenure at Sprint Communications. She is a skilled influencer and an active board member for cultural and nonprofit organizations. Notably, she successfully coordinated a petition to rename a Kansas City park after Senator Yvonne Starks Wilson, making it the only park in the city named in honor of an African American woman.

A passionate community advocate, Kimberly works tirelessly to address health disparities in her neighborhood, where life expectancy is 12-15 years less than in other zip codes throughout Kansas City, Missouri. She is an alumna of the University of Kansas, further bolstering her dedication and expertise in her various roles.

Tammy Reid joins the Westport Historical Society’s Board of Directors for a two-year term, bringing extensive experience in philanthropy and community engagement. While living in Philadelphia, Tammy became deeply involved with Laurel House, a domestic violence charity, where she served on the advisory board and played a key role in project planning and public speaking.

She also founded the Eagles Women’s Association, encouraging community service among coaches’ and players’ families. Tammy is an avid quilt collector with over 150 pieces, some of which have been displayed in museums and featured in the book “Every Quilt Has a Story: The Tammy Reid Quilt Collection.”

Tammy’s commitment to the Westport Historical Society shines through her support of educational programs and her generous exhibition of 62 quilts from her collection. Beyond her volunteer work, Tammy enjoys tennis, pickleball, needlepoint, smocking, and painting.

With her commitment to community service and passion for the arts, Tammy Reid is a valuable addition to the Westport Historical Society’s Board of Directors.

Terance Williams, a Kansas City native, joins the Westport Historical Society Board of Directors with a strong background in arts advocacy and community service. As a creative force and philanthropist, Terance has dedicated his life to supporting and uplifting local artists. He founded the Music & More Foundation in 2000, which issues small grants to nonprofits supporting the arts in Kansas City.

In 2012, Terance launched Bold Young Poets, now known as PoetsEdu, an after-school program that brings local poets into schools to mentor students in creative writing and public speaking. His commitment to education and mentorship continued with the creation of the PoetsEdu Grant in 2021 and the PoetsEdu Scholarship Fund in 2022, supporting students pursuing studies in arts, humanities, and communications.

Terance’s passion for poetry and community engagement has led him to produce numerous events at prominent venues, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Unicorn Theatre, and the Missouri State Capitol. He also created the #PoetryOnTheVine series, a hub for poets in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District.

In addition to his work with PoetsEdu, Terance serves on the board of KUAW Internet Radio, where he has developed several shows hosted by local artists. He has also established multiple grants, including the Here We Grow Grant to support garden clubs and the Poetry on The Vine Grant to foster the local poetry scene.

Terance’s dedication to community and the arts is evident through his extensive involvement with various organizations, including the Black Family Technology Awareness Association, the Black Archives of Mid-America, and the Metropolitan Community College Foundation. His tireless efforts to create opportunities for artists and his commitment to the cultural enrichment of Kansas City make him a valuable addition to the Westport Historical Society Board of Directors.

John Heiman is a lifelong resident of Kansas City, MO having grown up near Westport in the Coleman Highlands neighborhood. He attended Redemptorist Grade School and Rockhurst High School. He graduated from The University of Central Missouri and earned an MBA From Rockhurst University where he was also an Adjunct Professor.

Recently retired after 33 years at Sprint he was the former director of Experiential Marketing at Sprint (now T-Mobile). He oversaw Sprint’s award winning executive briefing centers, corporate events, tradeshows, sports sponsorships, consumer and B2B experiential initiatives.

Heiman held many positions at Sprint including director of Strategic Alliances, and director of IP Telephony, along with various other roles in product management, business development, strategic planning, and market development.

John has a passion for both history and historic houses and buildings. Along with his family, he has gutted and restored treasured houses in KC’s old neighborhoods. In 1991 he and his wife restored, to period, an 1880’s Federal style brick home on 17th Street and Madison.

John and his wife Cathy raised two children in the Brookside neighborhood where they still live. In his spare time, he focuses on volunteering with the Heart of America Boy Scouts where he serves on the Executive Board as VP of Marketing, The Westport Historical Society, and with the WPN, a student housing corporation.

As an individual who is native to Kansas City, Jennifer is passionate about our important history and how we can disseminate that knowledge to the community, so much so that she has made it her life’s work. Offered the opportunity to serve on the Westport Historical Society’s board, which oversees the Harris-Kearney House Museum, a historical structure in Kansas City, Jennifer stepped up.

As a museum professional, Jennifer has Master’s in Museum Studies, and has both education and two decades of experience with collection management, museum education, community programming and museum administration. As a member of the history community, Jennifer’s goal to serve on this board, as she explained it, is “to continue the impressive work of the new board and add her expertise of collection management, exhibits and education.” She will oversee the needs of the WHS-HKH collection, train volunteers in museum management, assist with public programs and help maintain high standards of museum practice at the 1855 Harris-Kearney House Museum.

For nearly twelve years, Jennifer served as the Curator at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum overseeing the collections, exhibits and public programs. She maintained collection files, accessioning and deaccessioning practices to the standards of museum ethics. Since 2016, she has been the Site Director at the Shawnee Indian Mission National Historic Landmark in Fairway, Kansas, overseeing all daily operations, including public programs and events, school fieldtrips, visitor tours and programs and general care of the oldest buildings in the state of Kansas.

Serving now on the Westport Historical Society board Jennifer will continue following her passion of local history and help forge partnerships and connections between both sides of the State Line.

Erik Stafford may be a new member on the Westport Historical Society Board of Directors, but he is no stranger to Westport and its history. Being a native of Kansas City and a historian, Erik has deep ancestral roots in Westport. His natural mother’s family is from Westport, their last name was Smith. His Great Grandfather, Samuel Smith, built their family home in Steptoe in 1909, otherwise known as W 43rd Terrace. His family attended St. Luke’s A.M.E. Church and Penn School.

As sole proprietor of the Kansas City Tour Company, Erik promotes and celebrates through his organization the history and culture of Kansas City. His plan is to work with the society to promote and preserve the history of Westport in a truthful manner so that all mankind may learn and heal to become better people.

As a self-published author, Erik has written the scripts for two of his five regularly scheduled tours he provides through the Kansas City Tour Company: Chasing After Freedom and Be Bop and Beyond Walking Tour. All five tours include Chasing After Freedom Westport Plaza Trek, Be Bop and Beyond 18th and Vine Walking Tour, Streetcar KC a River City Mafia Tour, Streetcar KC a River City Civil Rights Tour, and the Swope Park Blue River Underground Railroad Trek. Erik’s passion for sharing and teaching history gives him the opportunity to explore, preserve, celebrate and promote Westport with a mutual stakeholder, as he serves on the Board of Directors with the Westport Historical Society.

Sarah’s passion and dedication to preserving Kansas City’s history is evident throughout her education and career history, and the reason she wanted to join the WHS Board of Directors.

Early in her college experience Sarah was involved in many activities that honed her skills as a dedicated board member. As an undergraduate student, she organized commemorative ceremonies for Veterans Day at my college and was appointed as a student representative for the Thayer Lecture Committee responsible for choosing a history or liberal arts scholar to speak on campus.

Sarah completed five internships in the public history field while in college: a collections intern at the National World War I Museum and Memorial and the National Park Service’s Fort Pulaski; a research intern at the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Friends of Rivermont Historic Society; and an archaeology intern at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. Following graduation, she freelanced as a historic researcher for the Rosin Preservation Firm and Greg Patterson & Associates. While at Rosin Preservation, Sarah helped with the Westport Historic Resources Survey.

After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in History, Sarah served as a board member of the Modernists, the young professional members group of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, where she promoted the museum, organized programs, and engaged members. When she obtained her Master’s in Public History, she served as the president of the History Graduate Student Association in which she organized events and communicated with peers for mutual graduate student support. Since the fall of 2023, Sarah has served as a board member of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City in which she has helped with outreach of local heritage professionals.

Sarah’s professional path since 2023 (which has given her a sense of pride) is serving as an archivist/librarian at the Missouri Valley Special Collections, providing research assistance to patrons, collaborating with her colleagues in the department and the rest of the Kansas City Public Library system, and working closely with historic materials – the latter which she has spent much of her career doing.

At this stage of Sarah’s career, she is interested in broadening her skillset to a larger organization’s board such as the Westport Historical Society, and in accomplishing goals such as engaging more members (renewing current ones and outreaching to new ones), adding more to the WHS and the Harris-Kearney House Museum’s story of highlighting more residents of Westport beyond the notable names, and helping organize at least one event this year. The WHS is thrilled to have someone with such a fresh, egger outlook, and vision for change in how we carry out our mission.