Kansas City Leaders to Chair 10th Annual UMKC Starr Women’s Hall of Fame

The University of Missouri- Kansas City Starr Women's Hall of Fame is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an induction ceremony at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

The Hall of Fame recognizes Kansas City women who have made the community a better place to live and preserves the history of their accomplishments. So far, more than 40 women have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, located at Miller Nichols Library at UMKC. Inductees, ranging from an architect, the only female mayor of Kansas City, nonprofit founders and beyond, are celebrated through video tributes, and some have donated their archives to the university library so future generations can study their inspirational contributions.

Inductees for the Class of 2025 Hall of Fame will be announced next month, and sponsorships and tickets will soon be available.

Two notable Kansas Citians will lead the 2025 Starr Women's Hall of Fame induction ceremony: Michelle Wimes and Karen Daniel.

The event chair is Wimes (B.A. '88), senior vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer at Children's Mercy. Since she joined the hospital, numerous articles about her leadership skills have been published in journals and magazines.

Wimes, a UMKC Trustee, is a nationally renowned thought leader on workplace inclusion. In 2024, she was one of 15 women nationwide to receive the Women Transforming Business Award in the area of community impact by CBIZ. In 2023, her alma mater, Tulane Law School, presented her with its inaugural Deans Kramer & Clayton Award for Leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She was also recognized by Becker's Hospital Review as one of the top chief diversity officers in hospitals and health systems to know in 2023. In 2021, the Kansas City Business Journal recognized her as one of 25 local "Women Who Mean Business." She was co-chair of the 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony, and is excited to return to lead the event.

"Being surrounded by such amazing women is a thrilling experience," Wimes said. "I am so grateful I get the opportunity to continue to take part in something so extraordinary."

A Class of 2023 inductee, Daniel (M.S. '81), is honorary chair. As the first independent African American woman to be a Major League Baseball owner since her addition to the Kansas City Royals ownership group in 2020, she embodies what it means to be a trailblazer.

"The Starr Women's Hall of Fame's meaningful message about recognizing women past and present who have broken barriers for the next generation is a powerful one," Daniel said. "As an inductee, I feel honored to celebrate with a new class of inductees and congratulate them on their achievements."

Daniel, a retired executive director, chief financial officer and division president of the Global Finance and Technology Solutions division at Black & Veatch, was also the first African American female to chair the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. She created a legacy fund for scholarships to support Black college students and was named vice chair of the advisory council on Doing Business in Africa in 2015 by former President Barack Obama.

On top of it all, Daniel was announced as president of the KC2026 Board of Directors for the FIFA 2026 World Cup Games hosted in Kansas City.