Today, Governor Mike Parson announced a new appointment to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

The governor, with the consent of the state Senate, appoints four Kansas City residents to serve on the board. These commissioners serve four-year terms, with one member’s term expiring each year. The fifth member of the board is the mayor of Kansas City. The secretary/attorney of the board is appointed by the commissioners and acts as legal consultant.

Dawn Cramer was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former commissioner Nathan Garrett on June 14.

According to the governor’s office, “Cramer works for Cramer Capital Management, a company she started in 2007 after a 28-year career in the airline industry. She holds the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Series 7, Series 66, and Advanced Investment Fiduciary designations. In order to help women achieve their small business goals, Ms. Cramer founded the Women’s Mastermind Program in 2012.”

Cramer also serves as a current member of the Clay County Domestic Violence Board and is a past board member of the Heartland Foundation and Good Shepard Center.

“Ms. Cramer advocates for youth to make sound life choices as well as encourages them to say no to violence,” according to the governor’s announcement. “She is also the founder of the ‘Let’s Get Jazzed’ event, which has raised more than $550,000 for Newhouse, a shelter for battered women.”

According to the governor’s office, Commissioner Don Wagner, whose term expired in March 2021, will continue to serve on the board.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who serves as the only elected official on the board, said today that earlier this year he recommended to the Governor’s office a “bipartisan set of candidates with long experience in Kansas City’s civic community for consideration for appointment to this important position.”

On August 24, Kansas City recorded its 101st homicide for this year on Independence Avenue in Historic Northeast. Last year, Kansas City experienced the most deadly year in its history with 182 homicides.

“As the body charged with ensuring the safety of Kansas Citians, the Board of Police Commissioners must commit to changing the status quo in policy that keeps us near the top of the list of America’s most violent cities,” Lucas said. “It is essential we support and adequately pay our officers while working more closely with our community.”