Johanna Pounds
Editorial Assistant
Northeast News

The Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas City (NSDKC) have been giving out awards since 1972 to those they feel have helped the local community the most. The Outstanding Kansas Citian award has been awarded to 46 honorees who have not only donated to the Kansas City community, but has been hands on in furthering the development of Kansas City.

The organization itself started in 1932, and according to NSDKC representative, Dr. Chuck Eddy, it “wanted to make a notation in history for people who had made history in Kansas City.”

This year, the award will go to Cliff Illig, a local entrepreneur and one of the original founders for Cerner, an American supplier of Health Information Technology.

“There are dozens of businesses Mr. Illig has developed in Kansas City,” Eddy said. “He’s a lifeline for Kansas City; his work is timeless.”

Although Illig was the CEO of Cerner, he has recently stepped down, and now he is on the Executive Committee of the Heart of America Council of Boy Scouts of America. He also now owns Kansas City’s biggest sport franchise, Sporting Kansas City. He is known to deeply care about the success of Kansas City businesses.

“That’s why he was chosen. He has outstanding leadership and stability,” Eddy said. “We’ll be donating historical markers to the Boy Scouts of America, and the American Royal Association, all of which he’s been involved.”

The Boy Scouts of America’s new historical marker will be placed near the Eagle Scout Fountain, at E 39th St & Gillham Rd. This particular marker will be front and back because, Eddy feels, they are worldwide and their amount of accomplishments in Kansas City are too many to just be on one side.

Cliff Illig will be given the award on November 13th 2018, in the grand ballroom of the Kansas City Convention Center.

Be sure to check out all the other historical markers the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas City has placed around Kansas City, that you can find via nsdkc.org.