Board of Directors

Kelvin Perry

President

Mr. Perry is a retired business executive. He was President and CEO of Newspaper Electronics Corporation for 37 years prior to retirement. He joined the company in 1978 as corporate controller and acquired it in 1980. Mr. Perry was previously associated with CDC-KC and the public accounting firms of Arthur Andersen and Lester Witte & Co. He is one of the original founders of the Black Chamber, serving first as its Treasurer (1984-1987) and President (1988-1994). Among the community and civic boards Mr. Perry has served are the Kansas City Greater Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Tax Increment Financing Commission, Consumer Credit Council of Greater Kansas City and the Center for Business Innovation. He is a native of Tallahassee, Florida, and a 1974 graduate of Florida A&M University’s School of Business & Industry.

Charles C. Byrd

Vice President

Mr. Byrd is President of Jim’s Disposal Service, LLC. It is Kansas City’s dominant “hometown “solid waste management company. He and his wife Eartha acquired the two-man operation in September of 1999. Today the Company has over 75 employees, and 80 trucks. They provide approximately 50 commercial and 80,000 residential customers in Kansas City metropolitan area with solid waste, recycle and roll-off services. Mr. Byrd is a native Kansas Citian. He is a 1978 graduate of Paseo High School, and previously served on the Fairness in Contracting Board of the City of Kansas City. He currently serves as Membership Chair of the executive committee of the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

AWebster

Ajamu K. Webster

Secretary/Treasurer

Mr. Webster is President and Chief Executive Officer of DuBois Consultants, Inc., a civil and structural engineering firm. Mr. Webster started DuBois Consultants in 1988 after having first been associated with the local firms, Butler Manufacturing and Burns and McDonnell. The firm now includes a staff of 23 employees committed to providing tailored engineering design services. He is active in the civic affairs of Kansas City having served as a Parks Board Commissioner and on the Missouri Training and Employment Commission. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Loan Corporation Committee for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. Mr. Webster is a native of Los Angeles, California, and a 1980 graduate of Southern University’s College of Sciences and Engineering. He is a Professional Engineer.